Early Education and Support Division
Subject: Fiscal Year 2016–17, Request for Applications Round Three California State Preschool Program Expansion Funds
Number: 17-05
Date: March 2017
Expires: June 2017
Authority: The Fiscal Year 2016–17 California Budget Act (Senate Bill 826, Chapter 23, Statute of 2016), Item Number 6110-196-0001 provides line item funding for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) for California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Expansion.
Attention: California School Districts and County Office of Education Superintendents of Early Education and Support programs interested in applying for California State Preschool Program funding.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| CSPP Application and Instructions Announced | March 14, 2017 |
| Application Due Date | April 25, 2017 |
Purpose
The California Department of Education (CDE) Early Education and Support Division (EESD) announces the availability of California State Preschool Program (CSPP) slots to LEAs. Funding priorities are as follows:
- Full-day/full-year slots to be awarded to successful LEA applicants
- Part-day/part-year slots to be awarded to successful LEA applicants
The CSPP funds will be used to provide services for age-eligible three- and four-year-old California children. CSPP age-eligible definitions are as follows:
- Three-year-old children are children who will have their third birthday on or before September 1, of the fiscal year they are being served.
- Four-year-old children are children who will have their fourth birthday on or before September 1, of the fiscal year they are being served.
The intent of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to expand full-day/full-year CSPP services statewide. This funding opportunity is available to both new and existing LEA contractors. Funding preference shall be provided to underserved areas as identified by the Local Child Care and Development Planning Council (LPC) at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/lpcesubmission.asp.
Statutory and Regulatory Background
Each applicant will be required, as a condition of the contract with the CDE, to adhere to the Funding Terms and Conditions (FT&C), the program requirements, the CDE Audit Guide, and any other requirements incorporated into the contract, in addition to all other applicable laws and regulations. The California Education Code (EC) Title 1, Division 1, Part 6, Chapter 2, sections 8235–8237 authorizes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer CSPPs. California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), Chapter 19, sections 18001–18003 provide general provisions for awarding funding. Pursuant to 5 CCR Section 18272, the EESD requires each agency to maintain a developmental profile that identifies the emotional, social, physical, linguistic, and cognitive growth of each child served; and to use the profile to plan and conduct age and developmentally appropriate activities. Program contractors must maintain appropriate staffing ratios in accordance with 5 CCR, Section 18290. All pertinent information can be found at the CDE Laws, Regulations, and Requirements Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/lr/.
The EC Section 8208(ak) defines “Local Educational Agency” as a school district, a county office of education, a community college district, or a school district on behalf of one or more schools within the school district. Direct funded charter schools will be considered an LEA.
These funds are intended to increase the availability of CSPP services to eligible children. The CSPP services should be provided based on the needs of families in the community being served. In accordance with existing law, priority will be given to applicant agencies that will be serving the highest percentage of four-year-old children.
Application Submission Requirements
The CSPP Expansion RFA and other attachments can be found on the CSPP Expansion RFA Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/cspp16r3rfa.asp [Link no longer available].
Agencies considering submitting a CSPP Expansion RFA must complete and submit all required documentation on or before April 25, 2017, to the following address:
California Department of Education
Early Education and Support Division
Attention: Funding and Agency Support Unit
1430 N Street, Suite 3410
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
Applicants must mail or personally deliver applications. The EESD will not accept electronic versions, files on computer discs, or facsimile applications. Application packages must be received at the address listed above on or before 5 p.m. April 25, 2017.
It is solely the applicant’s responsibility to carefully review the RFA information and requirements before submitting an application for funding. Failure to follow the submission requirements may disqualify the application.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this management bulletin, please submit your questions by e-mail to CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov.
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.