California also has a “General Child Care” program, in which the state contracts directly with licensed centers or networks of FCC homes to provide ECE. This program was established in the 1960s through Title 5, and sets standards for higher staff qualifications than is required under regular licensing. Payment is set at a standard statewide reimbursement rate. Funding for this program was $797 million with an enrollment of 86,169 in 2010–2011 (Ehlers 2011). There are 1,358 General Child Care centers/providers in the state (CCCRRN 2009). The California State Preschool Program, which provides full- and part-day programs, served 116,847 children at a cost of $439.
