Early Learning and Care Division
Subject: Fiscal Year 2017–18, Request for Applications California State Preschool Program Expansion Funds
Number: 17-19
Date: November 2017
Expires: December 2017
Authority: The Fiscal Year 2017–18 California Budget Act (Assembly Bill 97, Chapter 14, Statutes of 2017), Item Number 6110-196-0001 provides funding for California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Expansion. In addition, the California Department of Education (CDE) has identified unallocated funds to provide additional funding for full- and part-day CSPP services for both LEAs and non-LEAs.
Attention: California School Districts, County Office of Education Superintendents and agencies of Early Education and Support programs interested in applying for California State Preschool Program funding.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| CSPP Application and Instructions Announced | November 9, 2017 |
| Webinar | November 16, 2017 |
| Application Due Date | December 19, 2017 |
| Program Start Date (Full-day and Part-day LEAs and Part-day non-LEAs) | April 1, 2018 |
| Program Start Date (Full-day non-LEAs) | July 1, 2018 |
Purpose
The CDE, Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD) announces the availability of approximately $103 million to expand CSPP services statewide.
There is approximately $95 million for LEA applicants to provide full-day/full-year or part-day/part-year services as well as for non-LEA applicants to provide part-day/part-year services which can begin on or after April 1, 2018. Funding priorities are as follows:
- LEA applicants providing full-day/full-year services
- LEA and non-LEA applicants providing part-day/part-year services
An additional $8 million is available to non-LEAs providing full-day/full-year CSPP services, which can begin on or after July 1, 2018.
Funding for all programs will be allocated in the following order:
- County allocation
- Local Planning Council (LPC) priority
- Highest passing score first
The CSPP funds will be used to provide services for eligible three- and four-year-old California children. The definitions of eligibility are as follows:
- Three-year-old children are children who will have their third birthday on or before September 1, of the fiscal year in which 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 in which they are being served.
The RFA funding opportunity is available to LEAs and other agencies that currently hold contracts with CDE as well as LEAs and other agencies those that have never had a CDE contract previously. The funding preference referenced above shall be provided to underserved areas as identified by the Local Child Care and Development Planning Council (LPC) which can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/documents/lpcpriorities201718.xls.
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 ELCD 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 https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/lr/.
TheEC 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 LEAs.
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.
Application Submission Requirements
The CSPP Expansion RFA and other attachments can be found on the CSPP Expansion RFA Web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/cspp17rfa.asp [Link no longer available].
Agencies considering submitting a CSPP Expansion RFA must complete and send all required documentation on or before December 19, 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 paper applications. The ELCD 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. December 19, 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.