Eligibility and Priority FAQs

Transfers between General Childcare and California State Preschool Program
24-Month Eligibility
Children with Exceptional Needs Eligibility and Priority
Pilot Counties
CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility Based on Neighboring Elementary School Free- or Reduced- Price Meals (FRPM) Status
Eligibility and Priority
Priority Order for Head Start Collaborative Programs
CSPP Residency Requirements

Transfers between General Childcare and California State Preschool Program

1. What are the requirements for transferring children from California State Preschool Programs CSPP to General Childcare (CCTR) (school-age)?

   24-month eligibility for CSPP is dependent on the child being age-eligible for the program; therefore, the family’s eligibility certification for CSPP ends once the child ages out, in accordance with the California Education Code 8208(e). Applicable age limitations for part-day and full-day CSPP are contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 17749, and Education Code, Section 48000(l) for children enrolled in part-day CSPP for extended learning and care. As a reminder, contractors must also pay close attention when looking at eligibility for children moving from CSPP into CCTR, as not all children enrolled in CSPP will be eligible for CCTR. For example, CSPP allows families with incomes up to 100 percent of the state median income to enroll, while the income eligibility limit in CCTR remains at 85 percent of the state median income. Some CSPP sites are eligible to enroll children under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on the share of students eligible for free- or reduced-price meals (FRPM) at local schools, whereas CCTR does not have this option. Contractors should contact the California Department of Social Services to determine the required documentation when enrolling a child into CCTR.

2. If a child is enrolled in CCTR with 24-month eligibility and transfers to full-day CSPP, does their recertification happen on their recertification date established by CCTR or is their certification period extended to the end of the program year?

   If a child is transferring from CCTR, the CSPP contractor will need to issue a notice of action to extend the certification through the end of the program year during which the CCTR certification would have otherwise ended.
   
   Examples:
   
   

   Initial Certification Date:	CCTR Recertification Date:	Transfer to CSPP Date:	CSPP Program Year	Certification Period Extended in CSPP to:	Recertification in CSPP Must be completed by Date:
   August 2022	August 2024	June 2023	July 1 through June 30	June 30, 2025	August 15, 2025
   May 2023	May 2025	December 2024	July 15 through June 25	June 25, 2025	August 15, 2025
   November 2023	November 2025	August 2025	July 1 through June 30	June 30, 2025	August 15, 2026

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24-Month Eligibility

1. Do families really get a full 24 months of eligibility?

   Part-day families will be certified as eligible for the remainder of the current program year and the following program year when enrolling children, provided the child continues to meet age eligibility requirements. Note that contractors can begin enrolling families 120 days prior to the beginning of a new program year, and in those cases the child will be enrolled for two full program years.
   
   Full-day families will be certified for at least a full consecutive 24 months as long as the child continues to meet age-eligibility requirements for CSPP. However, in the event that the eligibility period ends before the end of a program year (for example: eligibility ends in February), eligibility shall be extended until the end of the program year, as long as applicable age-eligibility requirements are met. In addition, children who were enrolled in full-day CSPP prior to June 30 and will be moving to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) or kindergarten (K) in the fall are able to remain enrolled in CSPP (without recertifying) for the summer immediately preceding their enrollment into TK or K, through September 30 or the start of TK/K - whichever is sooner.

2. What is considered a “program year” for CSPP?

   The program year for full-day CSPP runs from July 1, through June 30, which is also in line with the state fiscal year. The part-day CSPP program year is consistent with the program’s approved calendar. These dates will fall between July 1 and June 30 and exact dates may be different for each program.

3. If a child is not age-eligible for two consecutive program years or a full 24-month period, do they get disenrolled?

   Yes, children will be disenrolled from CSPP prior to 24 months of eligibility if they are no longer age-eligible for CSPP. For example, any child whose fifth birthday occurs on or before September 1 of the CSPP program year (and thus is age-eligible to attend kindergarten that year) will no longer be eligible to remain in CSPP after they begin kindergarten or as of September 30, whichever comes first. However, if a family with a child enrolled in part-day CSPP chooses to keep their child enrolled in part-day CSPP for extended learning and care once the child is enrolled in kindergarten, pursuant to Education Code 48000(l), this is allowed.

4. Can you please explain the “age-eligibility requirements are met” under part day and full day 24-month eligibility? E.g. if a child enrolled in CSPP turns 5 in January, would a program be required to disenroll the child before the end of the school year?

   If the child is age-eligible at the time of enrollment, they will continue to meet age-eligibility requirements for CSPP for the remainder of the program year. There are no circumstances in which a child would be age-eligible at enrollment, but not be age-eligible for CSPP in the niddle of the same program year. The inclusion of the language “provided the child continues to meet age-eligibility” is referencing circumstances when a child may be age-eligible for the first 12-months but is not age-eligible for CSPP in the second 12-months of their 24-month eligibility period. In those instances, the child will not be certified for a full 24-months of eligibility.

5. When do contractors disenroll a child and family if the 24-month eligibility ends in the middle of the program year?

   Children enrolled in part-day CSPP will receive services for the remainder of the program year in which the family certifies and the next full program year, without needing to be recertified. Families that enroll prior to the start of the part-day program year will receive services for two full program years provided the child remains age-eligible for CSPP in the second program year.
   
   Children enrolled in full-day CSPP, will never have a certification period that ends mid-program year. Certification periods for full-day CSPP are all extended to the end of the program year.
   
   The California Code of Regulations, Title 5 Section 17749(c) allows children that were enrolled in full-day CSPP prior to June 30, to remain enrolled in CSPP for the summer immediately preceding their enrollment into kindergarten until September 30, or the start of kindergarten, whichever is sooner without being recertified. Education Code 48000(l) permits children enrolled in part-day CSPP who are age-eligible for kindergarten to remain in part-day CSPP if the child is also enrolled in kindergarten and the part-day program offers CSPP extended learning and care services.

6. How should contractors notify the family if the family does not receive a full 24-month eligibility period because the child is no longer age-eligible?

   If a child will no longer be age-eligible for CSPP during the minimum 24-month period, the contractor will indicate on the notice of action (NOA) the date the child will be disenrolled from the CSPP. Contractors should be able to determine at the time of enrollment if the child will or will not be age-eligible for the entirety of the family’s 24-month eligibility period and must indicate it on the NOA at that time.

7. Is 24-month eligibility for a child or a family? For example, if a 4-year-old enrolled in the 2022–23 program year and a sibling is eligible to enroll for the 2023–24 program year do contractors need to collect new enrollment information and have different eligibility timelines for both children?

   When an additional sibling is enrolled in CSPP, contractors must collect the required documentation for the sibling (including another eligibility factor if the first child is enrolled under a child-specific eligibility category [exceptional needs, child protective services or at-risk]) and the sibling would be added on to the original 24-month period beginning when the first child was enrolled in CSPP. In this example, both children would have eligibility until the end of the 2023–24 program year and the younger sibling would need to be recertified before the beginning of the 2024–25 program year to continue in CSPP. As a reminder to contractors, parents can voluntarily request to recertify at any time, including when adding a new sibling to the certification.

8. Do families enrolled on the basis of seeking employment get certified for 24-month eligibility?

   Yes, all full-day families regardless of the basis of eligibility or need will receive at least 24-month eligibility if the child remains age-eligible.

9. Do families need to submit additional documentation after the first 12 months of their certification in order to receive the full 24-month eligibility?

   No, once families are certified for services they receive 24-month eligibility. No additional documentation is required to receive the full 24-month certification.

10. If families exceed the income guidelines during their 24-month eligibility, are they still required to notify the contractor if their income exceeds the income threshold?

    Yes, all families enrolled in full-day CSPP on the basis of income eligibility (including families enrolled with income that is 15 percent above the income threshold) are required to report when their income exceeds the allowable income threshold. In the case of families enrolled with income that is 15 percent above the income eligibility threshold, they would report if their income exceeded more than 15 percent above 100 percent of the state median income.

11. With 24-month eligibility can families choose to keep their child enrolled in CSPP rather than go to kindergarten?

    No. The CSPP is not a substitute for kindergarten. Contractors should note that children who are age-eligible for kindergarten must be enrolled in kindergarten to receive extended learning and care outside of the hours the child is enrolled in kindergarten through part-day CSPP.

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Children with Exceptional Needs Eligibility and Priority

1. How are children with exceptional needs prioritized?

   Children with exceptional needs, hereinafter referred to as children with disabilities, that are enrolled in CSPP and count within the 5 percent set-aside do not follow the typical priority order. These families within the set-aside are enrolled only in income ranking order.
   
   Once the set aside is filled, if additional children with disabilities are enrolling and the family has income that is below the income threshold, the child with disabilities would be prioritized second.
   
   Within the fifth priority, children from families with incomes no more than 15 percent above the income threshold, children with disabilities are prioritized over children without disabilities. All other children with disabilities from families with incomes that exceed 15 percent over the income threshold are not prioritized for services and may receive services only after all other families are enrolled according to their priority.

2. Are the siblings of the child with disabilities eligible for CSPP?

   Only the children in the family who are children with disabilities with an active individualized family service plan or individualized education program may be enrolled under the child with disabilities eligibility criteria. Any other child in the family without disabilities may be enrolled based on the other eligibility categories that the family or child qualifies for.
   

3. What is the definition of a child with exceptional needs or severe disabilities?

   Education Code Section 8205(h) defines “Children with exceptional needs” as either of the following:

   (1) Children under three years of age who have been determined to be eligible for early intervention services pursuant to the California Early Intervention Services Act (Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code) and its implementing regulations. These children include an infant or toddler with a developmental delay or established risk condition, or who is at high risk of having a substantial developmental disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 95014 of the Government Code. These children shall have active individualized family service plans and shall be receiving early intervention services.

   (2) Children 3 to 21 years of age, inclusive, who have been determined to be eligible for special education and related services by an individualized education program team according to the special education requirements contained in Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000) of Division 4 of Title 2, and who meet eligibility criteria described in Section 56026 and, Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 56333) of Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2, and sections 3030 and 3031 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. These children shall have an active individualized education program and shall be receiving early intervention services or appropriate special education.

   Education Code Section 8205(s) defines “Children with severe disabilities” as children with exceptional needs from birth to 21 years of age, inclusive, who require intensive instruction and training in programs serving pupils with the following profound disabilities: autism, blindness, deafness, severe orthopedic impairments, serious emotional disturbances, or severe intellectual disabilities. “Children with severe disabilities” also include those individuals who would have been eligible for enrollment in a developmental center for handicapped pupils under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 56800) of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 as it read on January 1, 1980.

4. If a child is categorically eligible based on having a disability, are contractors still required to collect the family's income?

   Yes, families enrolling children under this eligibility criteria will be required to self-certify their incomes for purposes of prioritization and family fees.
   
   Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 17734(j), all contractors must still assess a family fee for all full-day families, unless explicitly exempted in statute. Families enrolled on an eligibility basis other than being income eligible are required to self-certify their income for the purposes of assessing a family fee. Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 17734(k), families whose incomes are higher than the maximum income for their family size represented on the annual family fee schedule shall pay the highest fee rate for their family size.
   
   

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Pilot Counties

1. Do pilot policies around 24-month eligibility supersede statute and regulation?

   Typically, pilot policies that allow for longer periods of eligibility are permitted to supersede conflicting statutes and regulations. With the change to 24-month eligibility for all CSPP contractors, CSPP pilot policies that currently allow for periods of eligibility longer than 12 months will either:

   • Need to be updated to allow for at least 24 months of eligibility; or
   • For pilot counties that already have a 24-month eligibility policy, they will find that it is not necessary to have such a policy anymore with the passage of Senate Bill 1047.

   Pilot policies can be less restrictive than statute; however, they can never be more restrictive than statute.

CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility Based on Neighboring Elementary School FRPM Status

1. When can we begin enrolling three-year-old children using CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on neighboring school FRPM status?

   Contractors can begin enrolling three-year-old children at CSPP neighborhood school sites beginning September 27, 2022.

2. Can we still enroll for full-day under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility on neighboring school FRPM status?

   Yes, CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility is applicable for both part-day and full-day CSPP.

3. What is the maximum number of hours we can offer per day for families enrolled under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on neighboring school FRPM status?

   Families enrolled under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility are limited to 5 days per week and less than 10 hours per day.

4. Can all contractors enroll children under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on neighboring school FRPM status?

   The ability to enroll children through CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility is site specific, and based on the share of students eligible for FRPM at the elementary school the site operates within the attendance boundaries of. Contractors must obtain written approval from the California Department of Education (CDE) to operate as a CSPP Neighborhood School Site and enroll children under this provision ( California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 17729) by completing the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility Site Verification Form (PDF) [Revised January 2024] and submitting it to FRPMSiteApproval@cde.ca.gov.

5. Why has California Department of Education (CDE) changed the terminology for CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on neighboring school FRPM status from what was previously used?

   The CDE received feedback that referencing “FRPM eligibility” with regards to enrollment in the CSPPwas confusing since in some cases it was unclear at the local level if what was being discussed was children’s eligibility for FRPM based on the income requirements of the nutrition programs, or eligibility for CSPP under the provisions of Educations Code Section 8217. To provide greater clarity to contractors, the CDE will now be referring to FRPM eligibility as “CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility” or “CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility based on neighboring school FRPM status” to describe a CSPP contractor’s ability to enroll three- and four-year old children not otherwise eligible for CSPP at CSPP sites within the attendance boundary of a public school, except a charter or magnet school, where at least 80 percent of enrolled pupils are eligible for FRPM. View Management Bulletin 24-01 for new language [Revised February 2024].

6. If a CSPP program combines CSPP funding with Head Start funding, is the contractor still required to complete the Site Verification Form/Annual Reverification Survey to serve children under the Neighborhood School Eligibility category?

   Yes, if the program would like to enroll children through the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility provision, they must complete the form and receive written approval from the CDE.

7. If the contractor is a local educational agency (LEA), does family residency forNeighborhood School Eligibility have to be within the attendance boundaries of the school or the whole district?

   CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility is determined at the site level and within the attendance boundaries of a single elementary school. Any sites seeking to enroll children through this provision must receive written approval from the CDE. Approved CSPP Neighborhood School Sites may only enroll children who live within the attendance boundaries of the same qualified FRPM elementary school as the CSPP site.

8. Are families that qualify for Free and Reduced- Price Meals eligible to be enrolled through CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility at any CSPP site?

   No, the CSPP site must be eligible for CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility by operating within the attendance boundaries of a qualified elementary school, which has more than 80 percent FPRM eligibility and is listed on the most recent list available and have received written approval from CDE.
   
   Families are not required to meet the federal FRPM eligibility requirements to be eligible to enroll through the Neighborhood School Eligibility provision but must live within the attendance boundaries of the same elementary school as the eligible CSPP site.

9. Do children enrolled through the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility provision count towards the 10 percent of enrollment of children above the state median income threshold that is allowed in Education Code (EC)  Section 8213?

   No, EC Section 8217(a) states that any remaining slots after all otherwise eligible families have been enrolled may be open to enrollment for families eligible through the Neighborhood School Eligibility provision. Children enrolled through the Neighborhood School Eligibility provision shall, to the extent possible, be enrolled by lowest to highest income.

10. How does the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility provision work with 120-day enrollment flexibilities?

    Certification is at a point in time; therefore, contractors can enroll families for the upcoming year using the current year’s Neighborhood School Eligibility approval through June 30. Contractors will need to reverify their Neighborhood School Eligibility verification when the list for the next program year becomes available, and beginning July 1 of each year, all enrollment through the Neighborhood School Eligibility provision should be based on the updated list for the new program year.

11. Can sites in a district with open enrollment become eligible for CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility?

    A CSPP site must have a non-magnet, non-charter, elementary school site with attendance boundaries to be eligible to apply for CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility. If there is no designated attendance boundary for the elementary school, or if the designated school is a magnet or charter school, the CSPP is not eligible.

12. Does an elementary school operating a CSPP program that has Community Eligibility automatically qualify for CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility?

    CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility is distinct from Community Eligibility, and as such different criteria apply.

    For a CSPP site to enroll children under CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility, the site must be located within the attendance boundaries of a public elementary school, except a charter or magnet school, where at least 80 percent of enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

    A school has program eligibility through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility provision when a certain percentage of its students directly qualify to receive free- or reduced-price meals, but this percentage may be below the 80 percent threshold required in the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility provision.

    Thus, if a school has program eligibility through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, it does not automatically qualify to enroll children under the CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility Provision.

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Eligibility and Priority

1. What documentation do families have to bring to enroll under the “means-tested governmental programs” eligibility criteria?

   The family must provide documentation of current enrollment in the governmental program, unless the contracting agency has, and elects to use, other means of obtaining verification of that enrollment. Further, families will need to provide documentation of the income declared on the application for the means-tested government program as it will be used by the contractor as income documentation for the purposes of prioritizing enrollment and calculating family fees.

   If the applications for means-tested government programs are not available to the family, contractors shall have the family self-certify that they do not have access to the application, and to the best of their recollection, the income declared on the application for the means-tested government program.

2. What are the various categories of eligibility for CSPP?

   For CSPP, there are multiple categories of eligibility that a family could be eligible for services under.
   
   A family would be deemed categorically eligible for services if they are determined to be any of the following:

   • A current cash aid recipient;
   • Have a member of the household participating in certain designated means-tested government programs (as of January 1, 2023)
   • Experiencing homeless
   • One whose children are recipients of child protective services, or whose children have been identified as being abused, neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or exploited
   • One that has children with disabilities, as defined in Section 8205

   Families that are eligible for services based on the above eligibility categories are only required to meet that specific eligibility. For example, if a family is eligible for services based on experiencing homelessness, they can be certified as eligible for CSPP services without also demonstrating income eligibility.
   
   Another avenue of eligibility for CSPP is for families that are eligible based on their income.
   
   The two above categories of eligibility are available to all families in all CSPPs. However, there are additional ways that a family could be eligible for services if the contractor or site has additional spaces available after all other children above are enrolled, including:
   

   • Families with incomes that are no more than 15 percent over the income threshold.
     
   • Families that reside within and seek to have their children attend a CSPP site that is within the attendance boundary of an elementary school with 80 percent of children receiving FRPM.
     

3. If families are categorically eligible, do they still have a family fee in full-day CSPP?

   Categorical eligibility does not necessarily waive the requirement for the family to be assessed a family fee. Family fees are only waived when specifically exempt pursuant to Education Code  Section 8253. This would currently include only families that are current cash aid recipients and families with children receiving child protective services, for up to 12 months, if it is required by the services plan.

4. Do families that enroll under all eligibility categories have to provide income documentation?

   Families that are eligible for CSPP based on another category other than income eligibility and are not required to provide the same income documentation as a family eligible under “income eligible”, these families are only required to self-certify their income, or provide specific documentation outlined in the regulations (such as the case with means-tested government program eligibility), in order to determine priority order and be assessed a family fee, as applicable. No other income documentation shall be required.

5. If a contractor has three- and four-year old children on the waiting list who are now the same priority and their families have the same income ranking, can I choose to prioritize the three-year old over the four-year old because they have a higher adjustment factor?

   No, contractors must prioritize whichever family has been on the waiting list the longest within the income ranking order.

6. If a family chooses to enroll in CSPP rather than Transitional Kindergarten (TK), can the family enroll in full-day CSPP?

   Yes, a family can enroll an age-eligible child in full-day CSPP, regardless of income, after all eligible children have been enrolled so long as the family establishes a need for care. The child cannot be as long as the child is age-eligible and they are not enrolled in TK.

7. If a child that was already enrolled is no longer eligible (i.e., due to a change in income), how could they enroll using CSPP Neighborhood School Eligibility?

   Contractors must first obtain written approval from CDE prior to enrolling children using this category for the first time, and on an annual basis. Then the contractor would need to collect the documentation from the family that demonstrates their address falls within the applicable school boundary and the family would need to self-certify their income. For full-day programs, the family would need to request the hours of service they want, and as long as their request is less than 10 hours per day and no more than 5 days per week, the request would be granted depending on days and times of program operation and availability.

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Priority Head Start Collaborative Programs

1. What is the order of priority that collaborative CSPP and Head Start Programs are required to follow?

   When the CSPP contractor is also a Head Start grantee or delegate agency or has a signed collaboration agreement with a Head Start grantee or delegate agency, and is providing collaborative full-day services using both Head Start and CSPP contract funds, the contractor shall utilize the CSPP waiting list in conjunction with the Head Start program waiting list and enroll children in the following priority order:

   • First priority shall be given to CSPP age eligible children that have been identified at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation or who are receiving child protective services in accordance with Education Code Section 17773
     
     
   • Second priority shall be given to children with disabilities beyond the required set aside pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Education Code Section 8208, whose families are income eligible for CSPP
     
     
   •  Third priority shall be given to CSPP eligible three- and four-year-old children from families that meet Head Start income guidelines, and have the lowest income ranking based on the most recent income ranking schedule adopted by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
     
     
   •  Fourth priority shall be given to CSPP eligible three- and four-year-old children from families that meet applicable Head Start priorities as stipulated in the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance requirements (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Section.1302)
     

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CSPP Residency Requirements

1. Can we use a Head Start Program's application as proof of residency?

   Yes, a copy of the Head Start Program application, which is also used as documentation for a means-tested government program, may be used as documentation of residency.

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Related Resources

• Contractor Information
  Resources and important information for Early Learning and Care Division contractors, including Desired Results, management bulletins, forms, fiscal services, child development permits, and data reporting.
• Management Bulletins
  The Early Education Division periodically issues Management Bulletins to provide legal and regulatory information to child development contractors and other interested parties. This resource also includes prior child care funding announcements issued since the 2000 calendar year to the present.
  

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