A second bill that aims to strengthen protections against federal immigration enforcement at California schools is currently making its way through the state legislature.
Assembly Bill 49 would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering schools — and day care centers — without proper identification, legal documentation, and approval from school officials. If they meet these requirements, they cannot go where children are present.
Another bill, Senate Bill 48, outlined similar restrictions at K-12 schools, but did not include day care centers.
The inclusion of day care centers is important, according to Francine Rodd, executive director of First 5 Monterey County, a countywide agency that supports early childhood development initiatives.
“No child should ever enter into school or their child care facility feeling afraid,” Rodd said. “No parent should have to wonder if bringing their child to child care means risking separation.”
Rodd is appreciative of Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who introduced the bill, and would like to see language added that expands protections to home child care providers.
Currently, the bill is limited to child care facilities and school age child care centers.
In Monterey County, child care for children aged 0-5 takes many forms, explained Rodd. Some children are cared
for in centers, but a large number of children are cared for in child care homes.
There are about 9,000 licensed child care slots in Monterey County, according to First 5 Monterey County. Almost 40% of those licensed slots are supported by family child care providers. Licensed family child care homes are currently not included in the language of AB 49 and First 5 Monterey County has been advocating for their inclusion with state representatives and state advocacy organizations. “AB 49 goes a long way toward addressing this challenge and hopefully with an amendment to add licensed family child care, it can go even farther,” Rodd said.
How can a child focus on learning when they are worried their family might be torn apart?
For many immigrant families, child care is an important place to learn and play, and it is a refuge, a place of stability in an often-uncertain world, Rodd said.
“When the threat of ICE looms over child care spaces, it robs children of their right to simply be kids,” Rodd said. “How can a child focus on learning when they are worried their family might be torn apart?”
First 5 Monterey County, which works with early childhood practitioners, has heard of some cases of families being afraid to bring their child to child care and of signing up for services because they feel it might impact their path to citizenship, Rodd said.
A special reading list for families
The agency has participated in several “Know Your Rights” events in Monterey County. The agency also added a section on “Immigration Resources” on their website that includes a link to the county’s Know Your Rights page, the “red cards” and a toolkit they created for families with children ages 0-5 that has information on how to talk with children, activities, and information on public charge.
Salinas City Council approves letter of support for AB 49 “California Safe Haven Schools and Child Care Act”
The Salinas City Council last week issued a letter to Assemblymember Muratsuchi in support of the proposed “California Safe Haven Schools and Child Care Act.”
“When we live in times like these where children and parents are afraid to go to school, go to their medical appointments, drop their kids off at a day care center— that’s no way to live,” Salinas Council Member Jose Luis Barajas said.
Signed by Mayor Dennis Donohue, the letter states: “The City of Salinas wants to assure immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers, opportunities for economic security, empowerment, and civic engagement, which are safe and free from discrimination, oppression, and violence, including safety to attend and work at our schools and to send children to daycare.”
Due to the high number of family child care homes in the city, the letter also suggests AB 49 includes those types of child care sites in the bill.
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