Schwarzenegger: Stop Coddling Your Children!

Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced plans to eliminate or drastically cut dozens of health and social programs for low-income working families, potentially pushing more than 1 million California children into deep poverty.

Schwarzenegger plans to eliminate CalWORKs and Healthy Families, two major health and social programs for low- and moderate-income working families. Additionally, Schwarzenegger proposed deep cuts and restrictions in Medi-Cal, the state's public health coverage program for low-income and disabled Californians.

If approved by the legislature, California would be the only state in the country to eliminate basic welfare for low-income families with children.

These incredible actions would result in:

• Nearly 2 million children losing health coverage and basic income support;
• 22 California different counties with 10,000 or more children losing either CalWORKs income support or Healthy Families health coverage;
• Nearly 700,000 California families losing income support and health coverage;
• The loss of more than $5 billion in federal funds, despite California's huge budget deficit;
• The elimination of $850 million in child care funds, resulting in nearly 200,000 children losing child care;
• The elimination of Stage I child care for thousands of families and more than 45,000 children every month
• The elimination of 1 in 4 children from Stage II & Stage III child care;
• A loss of income for more than 18,000 family child care providers who participate in child care subsidy programs.

The California Budget Project (CBP) has a further breakdown of how the elimination of CalWorks will affect each county.

We need to take action to stop this!

1) Call your legislator TODAY and EVERY MONDAY & THURSDAY - Say NO to the governor's cuts, YES to California's children and working families.

Click here to find the contact information of Assembly Budget Committee members.

2) Write to the legislator in your district to tell how the cuts will affect you, your family, and your community.

Click here to find the legislator in your district.

3) Take pictures of children in your home busy doing activitiesor being cared for and/or have childrenmake art work, handprints, or footprints to send to the legislature with this message:

-Keep my mom/dad working!
-I want to stay in my family child care home while my mom / dad is at work!
-Don't take away my health care!

Remember to get written permission from parents before sending your kids' pictures or artwork to legislators.

4) Ask your clergy leader to speak out against these cuts and urge your local congregation to call their legislator on Mondays & Thursdays.

5) Tell your story to your local newspaper - many providers depend on Healthy Families for their own children. Your local union officehas sample "Tell Your Story" guides.

6) Urge parents to join the movement against the governor's actions.

You can reach Child Care Providers United of California at 866-336-9333 if you need help or more information.