Petition to raise funds for child care in Marin County.

Notice of Intention to Circulate Petition Notice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear hereon of their intention to circulate the petition within the County of Marin for the purpose of placing a measure before Marin County voters that will raise funds to support children 0-5 years old and their families through increasing access to child care and childcare supports in the Marin County, CA area. A statement of the reasons of the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows: The children of Marin County are our future and will provide the leadership and productivity to strengthen and sustain the economy and quality of life in our county. We must ensure that all Marin County children, especially the most vulnerable, have access to high quality child care and early learning opportunities and have the opportunity to succeed through expansion of access to high-quality early care and education. A child's health, social-emotional well-being and educational advancement are essential and interdependent and so access to quality early care and education and social-emotional supports are fundamental for children's well-being. Children and families lacking access to child care and/or that are impacted by unstable and traumatic circumstances, including homelessness, are more likely to experience negative health, academic and mental health outcomes, both in childhood and adulthood. Accessibility to affordable, quality child care is essential, not only for working parents, but for local businesses and Marin County's economy to thrive. As of January of 2026, there is a 560 child waiting list for child care slots in Marin County.The early care and education workforce (ie child care/preschool teachers), one of the lowest paid sectors, is severely depleted and understaffed. This extreme lack of child care availability, especially quality care for babies and toddlers, has made it impossible for many parents, especially women, to return to work as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic. We thereby are taking action to place a measure before voters, titled the Marin County Child Care Initiative, which will raise approximately $13 million annually to address a set of critical priorities aimed at children ages 0-5 and their families, identified through data, research and community input. A local independent oversight Advisory Council will be appointed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors, composed of parents, experts in children's health and early learning professionals. Based on local needs, the Advisory Council will make annual recommendations about specific strategies to address each area of expenditure to the First 5 Marin County Commission, who will administer the revenue. An independent audit will occur annually for public transparency and fund accountability. First 5 Marin County is a public agency that has administered public funding to support programs and services for children 0-5 years old and their families since 1998. We respectfully request that the County of Marin prepare a ballot title and summary of our measure submitted with this Notice of Intention to Circulate Petition. Thank you. Submitted By: Mary Jane Burke, 28 Los Alondra Court, Novato, CA 94947 Matt Willis,1 Idalia Rd, San Anselmo, CA 94960 COUNTY COUNSEL's BALLOT TITLE AND SUMMARY MARIN COUNTY CHILD CARE INITIATIVE The purpose of this proposed initiative is to increase access to child care, preschool, and early education services to low and middle income children and families in Marin County and to improve compensation for child care providers and early educators who provide those services. That purpose is achieved by levying a parcel tax, beginning on the earliest July 1 after approval by the voters and expiring 15 years after the parcel tax begins. If approved, the rate of the special parcel tax shall be $0.05 per building square foot per parcel. The parcel tax is levied upon the first 100,000 square feet of building square footage. There is no levy for unimproved parcels. The Marin County Board of Supervisors may increase the parcel tax annually after the first fiscal year it is in effect by adjusting the amount of the tax in accordance with the Consumer Proce Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward statistical area. The funds raised through the parcel tax must be used to increase access to quality child care, preschool, and early education services across Marin County for low and middle income children from birth through age five. Funds may be used to improve the compensation and benefits of child care providers and early educators. Funds may also be used for early care and education facilities and reasonable expenditures on administrative costs (not to exceed 5% of the proceeds). Priority shall be given to children who are from historically under-resourced communities, are homeless, or have other needs specified in a Five-Year Child Care Program Plan created by the Marin County Children and Families Commission and approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. The Marin County Children and Families Commission is an existing commission appointed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Members of the Marin County Children and Families Commission include one member from the Board of Supervisors, two members from the Marin County Department of Health & Human Services, and the remaining members selected from among children's services and health care professionals and providers, and recipients of services for children age 0-5. The Marin County Board of Supervisors shall oversee an annual independent financial audit of the revenues and expenditures of the proposed parcel tax. The above is a summary of the purpose of the proposed initiative prepared by the Marin County Counsel pursuant to Elections Code section 9105. It does not reflect any legal analysis or opinion of the Marin County Counsel concerning the proposed initiative. *DATE OF PUBLISH 02/13/2026