County alert · County notice
California childcare: most families in subsidized care now owe no fee, and TK is free for every 4-year-old (Oct. 12, 2026)
New research from the Public Policy Institute of California, highlighted by the governor's office Oct. 12, 2026, finds that state-subsidized childcare fees have dropped sharply since 2019. Most families in subsidized care now pay no fee, and transitional kindergarten is free at public schools for every 4-year-old.
The California governor's office on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, pointed to new research from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a nonpartisan research group, showing that what many families pay for state-subsidized childcare has dropped since 2019.
Family fees. In 2019, families in subsidized care who earned between 40% and 85% of the state median income paid "family fees" of up to 10% of their income, PPIC says. Since October 2023, fees apply only to families earning between 75% and 85% of the state median income, and are capped at 1% of income. That means most families in subsidized care now owe no fee at all.
One example. The governor's office says that for a family of three earning $60,000 a year, PPIC's chart shows yearly full-time family fees falling from about $7,000 under the 2019-20 schedule to $0 under the 2025-26 schedule, with figures adjusted for inflation.
More families can qualify, and for longer. PPIC says the state widened income eligibility for subsidized care and lengthened eligibility periods from 12 months to 24 months.
A catch to watch for. PPIC also found that some childcare providers ask families in subsidized care for other copayments, such as cash, diapers, snacks or field trip money, to cover the gap between what the state pays and what private families are charged. Navigators who help families find care said this was most common at licensed family childcare homes and centers.
Free transitional kindergarten. Transitional kindergarten (TK) is a free grade at public schools open to every 4-year-old in California. The state says 213,313 children were enrolled in TK in the 2025-26 school year, that it has spent $12.5 billion to put TK in place since 2019, and that TK students started kindergarten about six months ahead in letter and word skills and three months ahead in applied math.
Other programs the state listed: before- and after-school and summer programs for TK through 6th grade students through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program; two free meals each school day for every public school student, no matter their income; about 149,000 subsidized childcare slots added and 3,800 grants to childcare providers to improve facilities; and the CalKIDS savings accounts that give eligible students money for college or career training.
Paid family leave now covers up to eight weeks, up from six. The state says eligible workers who earn less than $65,000 a year can get up to 90% of their usual pay while on leave, and workers who earn more can get 70% or more.
How to get help. To find childcare or ask about subsidized care, families can start with their local childcare resource and referral agency through https://www.mychildcareplan.org/. Ask your local public school district about TK enrollment. Check a child's CalKIDS account at https://calkids.org/ and paid family leave at https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/.
Read the PPIC research: https://www.ppic.org/blog/california-has-reduced-child-care-costs-for-families-but-challenges-remain/. Governor's office newsroom: https://www.gov.ca.gov/.
Original source: Office of the Governor of California press release, Oct. 12, 2026, citing a Sept. 29, 2026, PPIC blog post (https://www.ppic.org/blog/california-has-reduced-child-care-costs-for-families-but-challenges-remain/). Notice Nearby wrote this brief in its own words.
What to read next: the California hub (https://noticenearby.com/ca), easier CalFresh enrollment for college students (https://noticenearby.com/briefs/ca-statewide-calfresh-college-students-easier-enrollment-2026-10-09) and California's rebuilt State Operations Center (https://noticenearby.com/briefs/ca-cal-oes-state-operations-center-reopens-iceye-satellites-el-nino-2026-10). Local businesses, parks and places nearby are on ZOST.app (https://zost.app).
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