A California program offering free preschool to every 4-year-old in the state is delivering real savings for East County families — but it's triggering an unintended crisis for private childcare providers, including those serving Santee and surrounding communities.

Under Gov. Gavin Newsom's expansion of transitional kindergarten (TK), all children who turn 4 by September gained access to a free public pre-kindergarten grade beginning this school year. Advocates say the program has saved families between $9,000 and $24,000 annually in childcare costs for that age group, and helped children from lower-income households gain earlier access to special education screenings and school readiness programs.

But the shift is straining private preschool operators, who have long relied on 4-year-old enrollment to make their economics work. Without older children — who require less hands-on supervision and help offset costs for the care of younger children — many private providers say they can no longer break even. A December 2025 report from UC Berkeley researchers found that 167 preschools closed in Los Angeles County between 2020 and 2024, a decline attributed in part to TK's expansion. Statewide, the pattern is expected to be similar.

For East County families with infants and toddlers, that trend raises a real concern. Licensed childcare spots for children under age 2 were already scarce before TK's expansion; if private providers close in response, those youngest children have fewer options. TK itself runs approximately 3.5 hours per day, far short of the full-day coverage working parents typically need — meaning the public program is not a substitute for families who need structured all-day care.

As Newsom prepares to leave office, the TK program is expected to be a centerpiece of his legacy on education and early childhood. Whether state lawmakers will act to stabilize the private childcare sector — through expanded subsidies or other supports for providers serving infants and toddlers — remains an open question heading into the next budget cycle.

This story is based on reporting by The Associated Press (apnews.com).