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We Need Fair Pay to Ensure Consistent Care for Working Families

By: Sofia Valdovinos from Long Beach, California

Everyone is facing rising food and transportation costs – it seems like milk and gas just keep getting more expensive. I cook three hot and nutritious meals for the children in my care each day and drive many of them to speech therapy appointments or drop off and pick up older kids from elementary school. For many parents, their children can’t access necessary medical care or attend school consistently without me. But they can’t afford to pay me extra to cover these expenses so it’s more important than ever that we have a new tentative agreement with the state that gives us a path to reaching the true cost of care.

For 25 years, I’ve provided care to families that look like mine – single mothers who are barely scraping by, struggling to give our children better lives than we have. Many of these kids are now the kids of parents I once cared for. I am so proud that access to quality early learning in my family child care is already giving these kids a leg up. And I love them each so much, I can’t imagine putting their moms in the impossible position of being left without access to reliable care but every day I have felt one step closer to being forced to shut my doors.

But now, with our tentative agreement with the state, I KNOW things will get better.

I’m voting YES on the tentative agreement because it finally gives us a path to reaching the true cost of care. It will stem the current revolving door of care where more providers are closing their doors each day than new ones are opening, through one time stabilization payments and a cost-of-living increase to hold us over as we negotiate a new rate structure. 

We deserve to take home salaries instead of paying out of our own pockets to keep our businesses open when the state falls behind on payments. The kids and the families I serve deserve quality care and I deserve respect and dignity for providing it. And this agreement gets us there – so please, join me in voting YES.

Necesitamos un pago justo para garantizar atención constante para el cuidado infantil de las familias trabajadoras.

Por: Sofia Valdovinos de Long Beach, California

Todo el mundo se enfrenta al aumento de los costos de comida y transporte – parece que la leche y el gas siguen siendo más caros. Cocino tres comidas calientes y nutritivas para los niños a mi cuidado cada día y llevó a muchos de ellos a citas de terapia de habla o dejo y recojo a niños mayores de la escuela primaria. Para muchos padres, sus hijos no pueden acceder a la atención médica necesaria o asistir a la escuela constantemente sin mi. Pero no pueden permitirse pagar más para cubrir estos gastos, por lo que es más importante que nunca que tengamos un acuerdo tentativo con el Estado que nos brinde un camino para alcanzar el verdadero costo del cuidado infantil.  

Durante 25 años, he brindado atención a familias que se parecen a las mías – madres solteras que apenas están atrapando, luchando por dar a nuestros hijos una vida mejor de la que tenemos nosotros. Muchos de estos niños son ahora los hijos de padres que una vez cuidé. Estoy muy orgullosa de que el acceso a un aprendizaje temprano de calidad en el cuidado infantil de mi familia ya está dando una ventaja a estos niños. Y los amo tanto a cada uno, no puedo imaginar poner a sus mamás en la posición imposible de quedarse sin acceso a una atención confiable, pero cada día me he sentido un paso más cerca de ser forzada a cerrar mis puertas.

Pero ahora, con nuestro acuerdo tentativo con el estado, SÉ que las cosas mejoraran. 

Estoy votando SÍ en el acuerdo tentativo porque finalmente nos da un camino para alcanzar el verdadero costo del cuidado infantil. Se detendrá la puerta giratoria del cuidado, donde más proveedoras están cerrando sus puertas cada día que los nuevos están abriendo, a través de pagos de estabilización únicos y un aumento del costo de vida para retenernos mientras negociamos una nueva estructura de tarifas.

Merecemos tomar salarios en casa en lugar de pagar de nuestros propios bolsillos para mantener nuestros negocios abiertos cuando el estado se atrasa en los pagos. Los niños y las familias a las que sirvo merecen atención de calidad y merezco respeto y dignidad por brindarla. Y este acuerdo nos lleva allí, así que por favor, únanse a mí para votar SÍ.

Our Perspectives

Access your portal

Step 1

Go to portal site.

Go to www.MyParticipantEdge.com

STEP 2

Click “Create Account.”

step 3

Complete the following fields, using the information provided in the benefits letter you received.

  • User Type: Member
  • Email: Enter your email address and confirm your email
  • First and Last Name: Enter your first and last name
  • SSN/SIN: Enter the last 4 digits of the Retirement Identification Number you received from your benefits letter. Do not enter the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
  • Date of Birth: Enter your actual date of birth. If this doesn’t work, then enter the temporary date of birth from your benefits letter.
  • Zip Code/Postal Code: Enter the zip code exactly as written on your benefits letter
step 4

Click “Next” and the following screen displays

Enter the password, and three Security Questions and answers, and select the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy checkbox.

step 5

Click Finish, the account is created, and you are returned to the initial screen (see following screen example)

You will also receive an access code which will be sent to the email that you entered when you created your account. Note: Each time you log in from a new computer/device, you must enter a new access code.

step 6

From the initial screen, enter the email address you used to set up your account and password, and click Login

step 7

Enter the access code you received in your email to access the Dashboard screen

If you have any questions, or would like assistance registering your portal, call our CCPU Provider Resource Center at (888) 583-CCPU (2278) or PRC@ccpuca.org.

Info Sessions Recordings:

July 9 CCPU Retirement Fund Info Session

July 18 CCPU Retirement Fund Info Session

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions in the FAQ section below.

Are the benefits from the Retirement Plan taxable income to me?

The State contributions to your Retirement Plan account are not taxable to you until you receive a distribution. There may be distributions options to defer those taxes.

When can I sign up for the Retirement Fund and where can I learn more?

Eligible providers are automatically enrolled in the retirement fund. However, the administrator, Zenith American Solutions, will ask eligible providers to update necessary information. It is important to provide this information so that your records are accurate, and to avoid delays accessing your account.



If you believe you are eligible, but have not received this mail, you may contact the CCPU Provider Resource Center for assistance at (888) 583-CCPU (2278) or PRC@ccpuca.org.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions, you can call the CCPU Provider Resource Center at 888-583-CCPU (2278) from 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday or email at PRC@ccpuca.org.

WHAT – What benefits does the Retirement Fund expect to offer providers?

Expand the Retirement Fund Benefits Table to see benefits.

 Plan Rules
Eligible participants*

You are eligible to participate in the Retirement Plan for a 2024 contribution if you are:

  • A licensed child care provider
  • Who has been paid 6 or more months of child subsidy in the 2023 calendar year (can be non-consecutive months).
Eligibility for benefit credit for contributions in 2024*You will earn your full service credits for 2023 if you were paid for ten or more months of child subsidy in 2023. If you were paid for 6 or more months of child subsidy, you will receive 60% of your service credits, 70% for 7 months, 80% for 8 months and 90% for 9 months. You will not earn any service credit if you were paid for less than 6 months.
ContributionsThe only contributions to the Retirement Plan will be paid from funding won through the CCPU collective bargaining agreement. The Plan does not accept contributions from you.
Amount of annual employer contributions for 2024 service allocable to participants in 2025*You will earn one full service credit for the State contribution on your behalf in 2025 if you were paid for ten or more months of child subsidy in 2024. If you were paid for 6 to 9 months in 2024, you will receive a pro-rated service credit. You will not earn any service credit if you were paid for less than 6 months in 2024.
VestingYou are “vested” in any contribution correctly made to your account. You do not need to work a minimum number of years before 2024 to be entitled to a benefit.
Distribution events

You can elect to receive your account when:

  • You stop all work as a licensed provider paid for state subsidized child care for 9 consecutive months at any age (“terminate from service”);
  • You stop all work as a licensed provider paid for state subsidized child care for 3 consecutive months at age 60 or older (“retirement”); or
  • You attain age 73, which is the age you are required to start receiving payments, unless you are still working.
Forms of distributions

If you are age 60 or older and stop all work as a licensed provider for 3 consecutive months and elect to retire, you can choose to receive your account balance as:

  • One lump-sum payment
  • Approximately equal monthly payments for 5 years
  • Approximately equal monthly payments for 10 years

If you are younger than age 60 and stop all work as a licensed provider for 9 consecutive months, you can only elect to receive your account as one lump-sum payment.

Death benefitsSince your account is 100% vested, you can designate a beneficiary (or multiple beneficiaries) to receive your account balance if you die before you receive it.
InvestmentsThe Board of Trustees will manage how the Retirement Plan is invested on your behalf, with the assistance of investment professionals.

*Special rules apply to providers where more than one provider is on the payment record.

who

Who is eligible for the Retirement Fund benefits?

State contributions to the Retirement Plan are tied to the child care subsidy program. To be eligible for retirement benefits in 2024, you must be a licensed provider who has have been paid for work with a subsidized child in at least 6 months in 2023-these months do not need to be consecutive. License exempt providers are not eligible; however, if you become licensed in a year, your work in that year may count for eligibility.

when

When will the benefits be available?

Contributions to the Retirement Plan are tied to the child care subsidy program. To be eligible for retirement benefits in 2024, you must be a licensed provider who has have been paid for work with a subsidized child in at least 6 months in 2023-these months do not need to be consecutive. License exempt providers are not eligible; however, if you become licensed in a year, your work in that year may count for eligibility.

how

How can I get help enrolling?

If you are eligible, the Plan will automatically enroll you based on data received by the State of California. You should immediately update your information with the Plan so it has has all of your current information and you receive credit for your years of licensed work.