California began passing a series of highly lauded laws that restrict state-funded child care centers from suspending or expelling children two years before the pandemic. The legislation was part of a national wave that followed a 2014 Obama administration statement condemning preschool expulsion and clarifying that the practice was banned at federally funded Head Start programs. While most policies in other states apply to all types of child care settings, the California law only applies to programs receiving state funding; private preschools set their own rules. Study author Walter Gilliam, who runs the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, says it is simply easier to expel in child care settings. Beatriz Saleeda, left, and Josefina Andrade work with a child at a Kidango child care center in Dublin, Calif. (Josh Edelson / For The Times)For parents in rural areas in particular, finding a new child care provider can be difficult to find.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 05, 2023 02:41 UTC