The Speaker's Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education is a policy driven body tasked with developing strategic solutions to improve outcomes for some of California's youngest learners and their families.

During the Great Recession, the budget for early learning was severely cut along with many other state programs. Despite recent investments, the existing system has struggled to stay afloat. Members fight hard every year to win additional dollars for children because they knew the benefits of access to quality early experiences for children.

The concept of the Blue Ribbon Commission on early childhood education was created during the 2016-17 Budget in an effort to strategically plan improvements to the underfunded and struggling early learning system. The ultimate goal is to provide more services to needy families and kids across the state through a sustainable system.

The current funding for the system is outdated and the need for access to child care continues to grow. The Assembly is using this group as a platform to discuss ways to improve the early learning system in California and put the ideas into action to inform future policy and budget actions.