Child Development Division
| Subject: Combining State Preschool or Prekindergarten and Family Literacy Programs with General Child Care to Provide Full-Day Services | Number: 08-01 |
| Authority: California Education Code Section 8239 | Date: February 2008 Expires: Until Rescinded |
Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of State Preschool, Prekindergarten and Family Literacy, and General Child Care Programs
Response Due Date: Friday, March 14, 2008
Purpose
The purpose of this Management Bulletin (MB) is to notify State Preschool (CPRE) and Prekindergarten and Family Literacy (CPKP) contractors that also have a General Child Care (CCTR) contract of the process by which funds can be combined to offer full-day services to eligible families beginning July 1, 2008.
Background
Assembly Bill (AB) 172, Chapter 211, Statutes of 2006, signed by the Governor on September 7, 2006, created the new CPKP and the Prekindergarten and Family Literacy Full-Day (CPKF) programs. AB 172 added Section 8239 to the California Education Code (EC). This section states that the State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall encourage participating providers to offer full-day services through a combination of part-day preschool slots and part-day general child care and development programs.
AB 1080, Chapter 278, Statutes of 2007, modified EC Section 8239 for clarity.
Statutory Requirement
EC Section 8239 states:
The Superintendent shall encourage state preschool program applicants or contracting agencies to offer full-day services through a combination of part-day preschool slots and part-day general child care and development programs. In order to facilitate a full-day of services, all of the following shall apply:
(a) Part-day preschool programs provided pursuant to this section shall operate between 175 and 180 days.
(b) Part-day general child care and development programs provided pursuant to this section may operate a minimum of 246 days per year unless the child development contract specified a lower minimum days of operation. Part-day general child care and development programs may operate a full-day for the remainder of the year after the completion of the preschool program.
(c) Full day services provided under this section shall be reimbursed at no more than the standard reimbursement rate with adjustment factors.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law, to be eligible for part-day child care, a child who is enrolled in a preschool program shall be required to meet the eligibility requirements specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 8238.4 and the requirements pursuant to Sections 8263 and 8263.1 at the time of enrollment in a preschool. Subsequent to enrollment, a child shall be deemed eligible for part-day care as long as the child is enrolled in a preschool program.
Implementation
The California Department of Education (CDE) will implement the provisions of the EC with the issuance of a new contract(s) effective the beginning of fiscal year 2008-09. Agencies must relinquish a portion or all of their CPRE or CPKP contract funds to create a new contract to provide full-day services. Since there are no expansion funds available or appropriated for this purpose, eligible agencies must have a CCTR contract and be willing to relinquish a portion of that contract for the creation of the new full-day contract(s).
Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), Education, Section 18000(a), contractors currently on conditional contract status will not be able to apply for a new full-day contract.
For agencies combining CPRE and CCTR funds, the new contract will have a “CFDP” (State Preschool Full-Day) contract prefix. For agencies combining CPKP and CCTR funds, the new contract will have a “CPKF” (Prekindergarten and Family Literacy Full-Day) contract prefix. Additional information regarding the CPKF program requirements can be found on the CDE Web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/documents/cpkf07.doc.
Due to the statutory changes made by AB 172 and AB 1080 in Article 7 of the EC governing State Preschool Programs, changes will also be made to existing CFDP contracts effective July 1, 2008. The primary changes will be the ability of contractors to claim adjustment factors and to have a standardized method of determining family fees. Additional information regarding this change will be sent to CFDP contractors in the near future.
Contractors shall not combine CPRE and/or CPKP contracts with CCTR contracts without receiving a specific contract from the CDE authorizing the agency to do so.
Prior to submitting a request for a new full-day contract, agencies must consider the program and fiscal requirements listed on pages 3, 4, and 5 as well as all other applicable laws and regulations governing child care and development programs. In addition, agencies must:
- Assess whether families that have children in CPRE and/or CPKP have a need for full-day services or if there are children currently on the centralized eligibility list of the appropriate age needing full-day services in the geographic area where the programs are located;
- Determine the number of families/children that need full-day services;
- Consider that CCTR contracts can provide services to children from birth to 13, but the new CFDP can only provide services to three- and four-year-old children, and the new CPKF can only provide services to four-year-old children;
- Assess the availability of additional facilities that may be needed;
- Assess the availability of additional qualified staff that may be needed;
- Conduct a cost analysis to determine the cost effectiveness of requesting the new contract(s), and reducing the CPRE or CPKP and CCTR contracts, including the financial viability of programs operated with any remaining CPRE, CPKP, or CCTR funds (See Full-Day Preschool Funding Calculation Worksheet, items [D] and [E]);
- Assess whether the current CPRE, CPKP, and/or CCTR contracts are fully enrolled and whether this option will provide a mechanism for additional enrollment; and
- Ensure that the creation of the new contract(s) will not result in the termination of child development services to any child. Agencies will either be required to move eligible children from the CCTR contract into the new contract(s) or move funds as a result of attrition.
Program Requirements
Some of the program requirements that will apply to the new CFDP and CPKF contracts are referenced below:
- Parent(s) will be required to meet a need criteria specified in EC Section 8263(a)(2).
- Programs shall operate a minimum of 246 days per year unless the contract specifies fewer days.
- Contractors shall provide a program day based on the child care and development needs demonstrated by families enrolled in the program that shall be at least six and one half hours per day up to 12 hours per day. Program hours may begin before 6:00 a.m. or extend beyond 6:00 p.m. if the needs of the enrolled families support the extended hours.
- Priority for enrollment in the new contract(s) will be the same as CPRE and CPKP.
- Families whose income exceeds 40 percent of state median income will be required to pay a family fee based on the most recent family fee schedule issued by the CDE. There are some exceptions to the fee requirement for children receiving protective services and who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- For the CPRE or CPKP portion of the year (175 to 180 days), a part-time fee will be assessed and collected, and for the remainder of the year (approximately 66 to 71 days), a full-time fee will be assessed and collected.
- Staffing ratios and qualifications are subject to the requirements for general child care and development programs specified in EC Section 8360 and 5 CCR, Section 18290.
The new CFDP program will have the following additional requirements:
- Except as provided in item 2. below, only three-and four-year-old children as defined in EC Section 8236 who are eligible for CPRE can be enrolled. When a child is no longer age eligible, services must be terminated or the child may be transferred to another program.
- Exceptions to the age and income limitations as described in 5 CCR Section 18133 apply.
The new CPKF program will have the following additional requirements:
- Only four-year-old children as defined in EC Section 8236 who are eligible for the CPKP can be enrolled and only for one year. When a child is no longer age eligible, the child must be enrolled in kindergarten, services must be terminated, or the child may be transferred to another program.
- Eligibility and need will be determined by contractors for families at initial enrollment and the family’s need for care will only be recertified at the parent(s) request.
- Exception to the income limitations as described in EC Section 8238.4(a)(4) apply.
- Contractors shall operate programs located within the attendance area of elementary schools in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, based on the 2005 base Academic Performance Index.
Fiscal Requirements
The fiscal requirements listed below will apply to both the new CFDP and CPKF contracts:
- The new contract will have two funding sources: either CPRE and CCTR or CPKP and CCTR.
- Agencies will be required to relinquish a portion or all of their CPRE and/or CPKP and a portion or all of their CCTR contract to create the new full-day contract(s). See attached Full-Day Preschool Calculation Worksheet to determine the funding for the new contract(s) and the balance remaining in the CCTR, CPRE and/or CPKP contracts.
- For fiscal year 2008-09, the Standard Reimbursement Rate (SRR) will be $34.38 plus any 2008-09 cost of living adjustment, if applicable. The rate of the new contract may not exceed an agency’s current CCTR contract rate.
- Both programs, CFDP and CPKF, will be able to claim adjustment factors.
Application Process
Child development contractors with a CPRE and/or CPKP, and a CCTR contract, interested in relinquishing portions of those contracts and combining those funds to offer full-day services through one or both of the new contracts effective July 1, 2008, must complete and return the attached Full-Day Preschool Application. The original completed application and required copies must be received in the Child Development Division (CDD) on or before Friday, March 14, 2008. A separate application must be completed if the contractor has both a CPRE and CPKP contract and chooses to request both a new CFDP and CPKF contract.
The calendar must indicate the days of operation for the CPRE and/or CPKP portion of the year, which must be 175 to 180 days, and the additional days required to ensure program operation of a minimum of 246 days per year unless the child development contract specifies a lower minimum days of operation for the agency’s existing CCTR contract. The CPRE and/or CPKP portion of the year should be highlighted.
Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and agencies will be notified via an approval letter if the new contract(s) will be issued effective July 1, 2008.
The CDD anticipates that this will become an annual process and contractors with CPRE and/or CPKP and CCTR contracts will have the opportunity to request a combined contract in future years. Information regarding the application process will be sent to eligible contractors at a later date.
If you have any questions, please contact Marie L. Murata, Consultant, Policy Office at mmurata@cde.ca.gov or 916-322-4269.
Full-Day Preschool Application (DOC; 253 KB; 5pp.)
This Management Bulletin is mandatory only to the extent that it cites a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement. Any portion of this Management Bulletin that is not supported by a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement is not prescriptive pursuant to California Education Code Section 33308.5.
