California governor seeks overhaul of child care programs

ADAM BEAM  Associated Press SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to consolidate the state's confusing array of child care programs that are run by multiple state agencies to make getting the services easier for low-income parents of young kids. But the first-term Democratic governor's proposal — which would spend up to $10 million a year to create a new Department of Early Childhood Development — has been criticized by some child care providers. They question the wisdom of spending millions to create a new bureaucracy while thousands of children are stuck on waiting lists for services. California has 6.5 million children 12 and under, and more than 57% of them are eligible for state-subsidized services. In Northern California's Butte County, where a 2018 wildfire destroyed