Tulare County Child Care Planning Council

Assembly Bill 212
Staff Retention Program

The AB 212 Staff Retention Program provides financial incentives for employees of subsidized child care centers in Tulare County. In the 2000-2001 Budget Act there was $15 million allocated for child care worker retention programs. The funds were allocated to Local Child Care and Development Councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized center-based child care funds received in that county. Tulare County received a total of $563,467 for a two-year fiscal period. These funds were expended by June 30, 2003. One percent of the funding was spent on planning, 14% on administration, and the remainder for retention activities. In the spring of 2002, the Council disbursed $401,450 in stipends to 432 qualified applicants. In the spring of 2003, $89,100 was disbursed to 118 qualified applicants based on the number of units they had in Early Childhood Education and/or Child Development.

The Council has received an additional $305,109 from the California Department of Education/Child Development Division for staff retention activities for the 2003/2004 fiscal year. Of this amount, $259,342 will be disbursed in stipends to qualified child care workers.

The goal of the Staff Retention Program is to build a skilled and stable workforce to provide high-quality child care and development services at state-subsidized child care center-based programs.

Eligible applicants must currently work in a state-subsidized center-based child care program directly with the children. State-funded programs that are eligible include: General Child Care, State Preschool, Migrant Center-Based, School Age (Latchkey), Cal-SAFE, and Community College Match.

Return your completed application to:
Child Care Planning Council
AB 212
7000 Doe Avenue, Suite C
Visalia, CA 93291

For more information on the AB 212 Staff Retention Project, contact Tina Shirley, Planning Council Coordinator by e-mail at tshirley@cc.tcoe.org or by phone at (559) 651-3026.

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