By the 2025–26 school year, California will have a Universal Prekindergarten system for all four-year-olds that gives parents maximum choice for providers, programs, and settings. Services will be offered through Head Start programs; community-based centers; family child care homes; public schools; tribal childcare and preschool; family, friend, and neighbor care; and expanded learning programs.
Stipend Applications
To build the competencies and skills of all early learning and care educators in Sacramento County, a local consortium called SacE3 (Sacramento Consortium Empowering Early Educators) is working to strengthen the county’s early learning and care workforce. The consortium, led by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), is now accepting applications for stipends designed to help early learning and care educators acquire, upgrade, or maintain their Child Development Permit.
Students enrolled in the Los Rios Community College District for the spring 2023 semester can apply to receive SacE3 stipends of $125 per unit for specific early childhood education, English as a Second Language (ESL), or associate degree course work completed with a “C” or better.
A variety of qualifying courses are available across all four Los Rios campuses (American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College, and Sacramento City College). Students must be early learning and care professionals who work at least 15 hours per week teaching children ages birth through five. Applications to be considered for stipends are due by February 10, 2023, for both this semester (spring 2023) and last semester (fall 2022).
Similar opportunities will be offered for the 2023–24 school year. For questions or more information about these programs, contact SCOE’s Early Learning Department for more details: sace3@scoe.net or (916) 228-2506.
Permits and Professional Growth Advising
Information is available online about how to obtain a Child Development Permit. This spring, SacE3 will offer training to build a core group of Professional Growth Advisors (PGAs) to support the workforce. To learn about PGA training options or to find an advisor to help acquire, upgrade, or maintain a permit, please complete a brief Professional Growth Advisor interest survey.
Related Opportunities
- Opportunities for early learning and care professionals—stipends are available through the Sacramento County Workforce Pathways Grant (WPG) for the professional growth of those working in programs that receive public/subsidized funding.
- Opportunities for aspiring teachers—SacE3 is also providing $10,000 in tuition support to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Adolescent Development from Sacramento State, and $7,000 towards an internship program to become a Transitional Kindergarten teacher.