Ed. Code, § 16261

The Legislature hereby declares that it is in the interest of the state and of the people thereof for the state to provide assistance to school districts and to county superintendents of schools for the construction of children’s center facilities. Children’s centers are of general concern and interest to all the people of the state, and the education and care of children of working parents are a joint obligation of both the state and local agencies operating children’s centers.

In enacting this article, the Legislature considers that the greatest need is to provide children’s center facilities for the education and care of children during the time the sole parent is at work making the family economically self-sufficient, or is in school or in training to gain economic self-responsibility. The Legislature recognizes the need to encourage the provision of additional children’s center facilities to permit more families to become economically self-sufficient.