Co-Creating Early Learning Policy Leadership: Day One Takeaways from Our Capitol Primer

This week, EveryChild California partnered with Children Now, Thriving Families, Child Action, and CCRC to launch the first day of our early childhood education (ECE) primer training for Capitol staffers. The session was designed to build a shared foundation of understanding across legislative offices, ensuring that staff who support education, budget, and policy committees have the tools they need to navigate California’s complex early learning landscape.

The strength of the Capitol has always come from its people, and this training was no exception. We were joined by thoughtful, sharp, and deeply committed staffers who came ready to learn, ask questions, and connect the dots across their portfolios. Their openness and enthusiasm set the tone for a meaningful conversation about early learning and its role in shaping California’s future. It was a powerful reminder that behind every strong policy debate and every piece of legislation are staff members working tirelessly to build understanding and craft thoughtful solutions.

The training began with a grounding in why early learning matters, not just for children, but for California’s broader workforce and economic health. Staffers explored how ECE functions as core state infrastructure, shaping school readiness, stabilizing employment, and supporting long-term community prosperity. This framing underscored how a clear understanding of the early learning system strengthens legislative decision-making, especially as the state continues to expand TK and invest in mixed-delivery early learning.

Participants then moved through the historical roots of our current system, including the Lanham Act child care programs of the 1940s, which offered universal, fully funded care for families during World War II. This historical lens illustrated how policy decisions, both investments and rollbacks, have long influenced the structure and stability of early learning systems. These insights were connected to today’s landscape, helping staffers see how modern policies sit atop decades of fragmented governance, inconsistent funding, and community-driven innovation.

The heart of the training was conversational, focusing on the essential concepts every Capitol staffer needs to understand: reimbursement structures, licensing requirements, staffing ratios, TK’s interaction with the preschool market, and the roles of state agencies. Throughout the session, staffers engaged deeply, asking thoughtful questions and discussing how these issues show up in their offices. They reflected on how TK expansion is reshaping the early learning ecosystem, why infant–toddler capacity remains the greatest unmet need, and how well-intentioned policy shifts can unintentionally destabilize providers.

Ultimately, Day One underscored a central point: effective policymaking begins with shared understanding. As the Legislature continues to engage with ECE issues the need for clear, accessible education for Capitol staffers has never been greater. We are grateful to everyone who joined us for this first session and look forward to continuing the conversation in Day Two later this month.