BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Due to the California State Budget holdup and lack of certainty regarding future state funding, the Community Action Partnership of Kern is forced to suspend some of the services it provides to Kern County families.

The state funded childhood programs that will be suspended due to a lack of state budget are the Migrant Alternative Payment Program, The California State Preschool Program and the General Childcare Program.

The Migrant Alternative Payment Program provides reimbursements to childcare providers for childcare services to children of seasonal migrant farm workers. The program, which serves approximately 612 children, utilizes a network of 225 childcare providers throughout six Central Valley Counties including Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera and Merced. Without a passed budget and renewed state funding the program will be suspended on Sept. 10.

The suspension would mean that childcare providers will not be reimbursed from the Community Action Partnership of Kern for the services they provide to migrant farm worker families until a State budget is signed and funding is received. Suspension of the Migrant Alternative Payment Program would also mean layoffs to the 20 employees who currently operate the program.

The California State Preschool Program and the General Childcare Program will be suspended on Aug. 31.

These two programs, combined with Federal funding sources, have been used to provide low-income families with high-quality, comprehensive child development to children aged zero to five through full-day preschool services.

The preschool program, Head Start, currently serves 2,548 children and their families at 48 Child Development Centers across Kern County.

Because Federal Head Start funding is still available there will continue to be Head Start and programs for local families, however, without the state funding the Community Action Partnership of Kern can no longer offer full-day preschool.

The hours of Head Start preschools will be reduced to three and a half hours per day and infant/toddler services to six hours per day.

This reduction in hours will directly affect 832 local children and approximately 255 employees with either a lay-off or a reduction in hours.

While the Community Action Partnership of Kern understands the necessity and importance of these programs, regretfully they cannot sustain them without the funding provided through the California State Budget.

Community Action Partnership of Kern’s Executive Director, Jeremy Tobias comments, “The unfortunate suspension of state childcare services will have a profound effect on both the families we serve and our dedicated employees. The lack of a state budget and the disruption of funding, has left us no choice but to suspend these services.”

Community Action Partnership of Kern is a private, non-profit corporation created in 1965 to combat poverty in Kern County. The mission of the Partnership is to provide and advocate for resources that will empower Kern County residents to have the skills and resources necessary to improve their quality of life and become self-sufficient. No eligible person is turned away, from infants to seniors.

Community Action Partnership of Kern improves the quality of life for over 130,000 Kern County residents annually.

The Partnership serves Kern County by providing an integrated network of services.

Information Provided By The Community Action Partnership