CDMIS Update #41

To: Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS) Users and Software Vendors

From: California Department of Education (CDE) – CDMIS Support Team

Date: October 22, 2026

Subject: CDMIS Update #41

Introducing CDMIS 2.0

The California Department of Education (CDE) plans to modernize the Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS). The new system will be called CDMIS 2.0. Built more than 25 years ago, the CDMIS has collected information for several childcare programs, including the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), supporting CDE guidance, monitoring, and program improvement. It is the right time for the CDE to invest its efforts and resources for system improvement.

The current application relies on outdated technologies and frameworks that have contributed to system errors affecting agency users. A primary goal of modernization is to address these issues while making the application faster, easier to use, more accessible, and consistent with modern CDE applications. Another goal of the CDMIS 2.0 is to consolidate data reporting from the CDMIS and from the Preschool Language Information System (PLIS) into a singular data system. The CDE also plans to update enrollment and attendance reporting by organizing preschool, classroom, staff, and child information into separate records that are linked to show how they relate to one another.

Please take note that the following plans are subject to change; the CDMIS Support Team will notify affected contractors should any plans deter from what is stated in this update.

Timeline

The CDE plans to release the CDMIS 2.0 web application on June 1, 2027, giving contractors two months to become familiar with the application before the required updated “CDMIS Monthly Report” opens on August 1, 2027.

Following the user-centered design principle, the CDE plans to work closely with CDMIS users. The CDE will conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) sessions for contractors and software vendors to try the application and provide early feedback to help ensure it meets their needs and guide requested improvements for ease of use. The first UAT session is tentatively planned for early December 2026, with more information forthcoming.

Consolidation of the CDMIS and the PLIS

One of the primary goals for the CDMIS 2.0 is to consolidate the CDMIS and the PLIS. This will be achieved by collecting both the existing data elements currently collected in the 801A Report, and adding data elements currently captured in the PLIS Report into one single report within the CDMIS 2.0. Beginning with the July 2027 report period, the "CDMIS Monthly Report" will replace both the "801A Monthly Child Care Population Report" and the quarterly "PLIS Report".

The final PLIS Report due in the PLIS will be the 2026-27 Quarter 4 PLIS Report. This final PLIS Report has a due date of July 20, 2027, and will lock for changes on October 1, 2027; following this date, PLIS will be decommissioned, and users who previously submitted the PLIS Report will transition to submitting the CDMIS Monthly Report.

Accessing CDMIS 2.0 and Managing Agency Information

When the CDMIS 2.0 is released, all existing CDMIS users will receive an email with the username and temporary password for their new CDMIS 2.0 accounts. Users will be asked to create a new password when they first sign in. This information is being provided as an advance notice; no action is required at this time; the CDMIS Support Team will notify users of the anticipated access release date as it gets closer.

All CSPP contractors, including Local Educational Agencies Non-Community Colleges (LEA Non-CCs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), will continue to use the CDMIS 2.0 to maintain agency information, including Preschool Facility Information, Program Director Assignments, Executive Director Assignments, User Management, and to access the Agency Information Certification form.

What California Preschool Data Collection (CAPSDAC) Users (LEA Non-CCs) Can Expect

LEA Non-CCs include county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools, as defined in Education Code Section 60900(k). These agencies will continue to use the CDMIS 2.0 only for the agency information functions described above. All classroom, staff, and child data reporting, including enrollment and attendance, will continue through the California Preschool Data Collection (CAPSDAC) 2.0 System.

For more information about CAPSDAC, visit the CAPSDAC Support web page.

What CBOs and Community College District CSPPs Can Expect

For the CDMIS, CBOs include Private Agencies and Other Public Utilities and Bureaus; these agencies, along with Local Educational Agency (LEA) Community Colleges, will submit the new “CDMIS Monthly Report” beginning in July 2027. This report will replace the “801A Monthly Child Care Population Report” for these agencies.

The final 801A Report is anticipated to be the June 2027 801A Report, which will be due in the CDMIS on August 20, 2027. It will lock on October 1, 2027; following the lock date, we anticipate that the CDMIS will be decommissioned and no longer accessible.

Agencies will be required to submit and certify each month’s data by the Certification Deadline of the 15th of the following month. If the 15th falls on a weekend or state-observed holiday, the deadline will move to the next business day. The next two sections explain the report structure and data domains, including their corresponding code sets.

Structuring Preschools, Classrooms, Staff, and Children

The new “CDMIS Monthly Report,” required for agencies when the CDMIS 2.0 is released, will organize information into linked preschool, classroom, staff, and child records. Each unique preschool facility or site will receive a unique, system-generated Site ID (SiteID) consisting of integers. Classroom records will link to preschool records through the SiteID, and child and staff records will link to classrooms.

This is the main structural change from the legacy 801A report, which combined agency, family, child, and setting type information in one row, requiring preschool information to be repeated for each manually entered child record. Agencies will enter each preschool and classroom once, then add individual child records and assign them to the appropriate classroom within that preschool. This approach aligns with modern data collection practices and will reduce duplicate entry and the burden of data submission.

Understanding Data Domains and Code Sets

The CDE has created the “CDMIS 2.0 Data Domains and Fields (Draft) (XLSX),” a Microsoft Excel workbook to help agencies and software vendors prepare for the upcoming CDMIS Monthly Report. It includes a title page, revision history, glossary, and Classroom, Staff, and Child tabs with comprehensive field specifications, including field types, maximum lengths, definitions, input validation rules, and required status. Agencies will be required to report many additional child and family fields, all included in the “Confidential Application for the CSPP EED-9600 (PDF)” and “Confidential Application for the CSPP EED-9600 Appendix (PDF).”

The CDE will also release “CDMIS 2.0 Code Sets (Draft) (XLSX),” with a title page, revision history, glossary, and code set tab listing domains, code set names, coded values, names, and definitions. These code sets will include all available data field options and will be used for reporting data field values in electronic file submissions of the CDMIS Monthly Report.

These resources will be available on the newly posted CDMIS 2.0 Upcoming Changes web page. More information on available resources can be found in the “Training, Resources, and Future CDMIS Updates” section of this update.

Reviewing and Certifying Submitted Data

The updated CDMIS Monthly Report will require contractors to certify each report period after uploading Classroom, Staff, and Child records. The agency’s program administrator or designated individual will enter their first name, last name, email address, and phone number and select the certification option, formally attesting that the submitted data are complete, true, and accurate to the best of their knowledge. Certification will lock the report against further changes.

Agencies may uncertify a report to make changes only during the amendment window, typically from the 16th through midnight at the end of the calendar month. Mandatory certification will change how the CDE follows up with delinquent agencies, replacing the current requirement to submit at least one record or indicate “No Services.” The “No Services” feature will be removed. Agencies reporting no services will review certification reports, confirm that zero children are enrolled, and certify the period as usual. This certification will notify the CDE that the agency provided no CSPP services to children during that report period.

Training, Resources, and Future CDMIS Updates

The newly posted CDMIS 2.0 Upcoming Changes web page, mentioned earlier in this update, will be the central hub where agencies can find all user manuals, data domains and fields, code sets, and other materials related to the CDMIS 2.0 modernization. The page currently includes the “CDMIS 2.0 Data Domains and Fields (Draft) (XLSX)” and “CDMIS 2.0 Code Sets (Draft) (XLSX)” documents. Both are preliminary drafts, not final versions, and may undergo minor changes over time as the CDE refines the CDMIS 2.0 web application and data collection process.

The CDE will also host a webinar via Zoom on October 23, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the CDMIS 2.0 modernization effort and share important details, such as timelines, key dates, and resources. Finally, the CDE will release additional CDMIS Update newsletters as it develops further documentation, which may include, but is not limited to, user manuals, data definitions, file format specifications, upload templates, and error messages.