Management Bulletin 19-05

Early Learning and Care Division

Subject: Implementing Optional Staff Training Days

Number: 19-05

Date: June 2019

Expires: Until Rescinded

Authority: California Education Code Section 8272.1

Attention: Executive Directors and Program Administrators of General Child Care, California State Preschool, Migrant Center-Based, and Programs for Special Needs Children

Purpose

The purpose of this Management Bulletin (MB) is to notify and provide guidance to the California Department of Education (CDE), Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD); General Child Care (CCTR); California State Preschool Program (CSPP); Migrant Center-Based (CMIG); and Programs for Special Needs Children (Handicapped) (CHAN) contractors operating center-based programs on how they may be reimbursed for up to two staff training days for their staff within their existing contract.

Note: This does not apply to staff providing services in a family child care home setting.

Background

California Education Code (EC) Section 8203 specifies the indicators of quality early learning and care programs and gives the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) authority to develop standards for the implementation of quality programs. One indicator of quality listed is staff that possess appropriate staff qualifications reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural makeup of the children and families in the early learning program.

Additionally, Title 5, California Code of Regulations (5 CCR) Section 18274 requires each contractor to develop and implement a staff development program. The 5 CCR requires this staff development program to include opportunities to cover topics related to the functions specified in each employee’s job description and identified training needs of staff.

On September 30, 2018, the Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2626 into law, which makes various changes to ELCD programs, beginning July 1, 2019. This bill was sponsored by the SSPI in order to make the rules for early learning and care contractors more equitable, and improve the overall ability of contractors to operate high quality programs.

One critical piece of supporting contractors as they operate high quality programs and continuously improve is allowing state reimbursement for staff training. The AB 2626 better supports this need by adding EC Section 8272.1 to allow ELCD center-based contractors to be reimbursed for up to two staff training days each year on specified topics.

Policy

Effective July 1, 2019, center-based ELCD contractors may be reimbursed for the cost of up to two days of staff training, per contract period. The training must occur on or after July 1, 2019. 

While costs associated with staff training days are reimbursable, additional funding was not appropriated for this purpose and contract Maximum Reimbursable Amount (MRA) will not be increased. Contractors should determine the cost of providing staff training days and assess whether or not the costs will be reimbursable under the existing MRA. Contractors may also consider revenue received outside the child development contract and funds available in center-based contract reserves that may be used for this purpose if costs are not fully reimbursable within the MRA.

Training topics, for purposes of reimbursement, are limited to the following:

1. Procedures for emergencies in early learning and care programs
   
   
2. Licensing regulations related to early learning and care programs
   
   
3. Recognition and reporting of suspected abuse of children in early learning and care programs
   
   
4. Managing challenging behaviors and preventing expulsion of children from early learning and care programs
   
   
5. Addressing items on the program’s Quality Counts California (QCC) Quality Improvement Plan

Directive

Center-based contractors wishing to take advantage of the option to be reimbursed for two staff training days may do so in several ways:

1. Close Program for Training. Under this option, contractors could either close for two full-days or close for partial days throughout the year, totaling up to two full days at the end of the contract period. Under this option, contractors can be reimbursed for:
   
   
   1. The cost of the training itself
      
      
   2. The cost of the staff wages and benefits during the time the staff is in training
      
      
   3. The cost of any travel necessary to the training (travel must follow the rules specified in MB 18‐13)
      
      
2. Remain Open During Training. Under this option, contractors would schedule training for either full or partial days and hire qualified substitute staff to support the programs while the staff is being trained. Under this option, contractors can be reimbursed for:
   
   
   1. The cost of the training itself
      
      
   2. The cost of the staff wages and benefits during the time the staff is in training
      
      
   3. The cost of any travel necessary to the training (travel must follow the rules specified in MB 18‐13)
      
      
   4. The cost of substitute teachers during the time that the staff is unavailable due to attending training

Contractors taking advantage of these optional staff training days will report all reimbursable costs associated with staff training in expense categories 1000 through 5000 on the Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services (CDNFS) 8501 or CDNFS 9500 report form. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 CDNFS attendance and fiscal reports will be revised and contractors will be instructed to identify their expenses associated with the two days that are now reimbursable. The revised FY 2019-20 CDNFS report forms will allow the CDE to collect the necessary data to reimburse these expenditures. Specific reporting instructions will be forthcoming.

Please note that the annual program calendar, indicating the number of days that certified children will be served within the fiscal year, should not include any days where the contractor closes a full day to provide training to staff. The program calendar should continue to reflect only days that a contractor provides services to at least one certified child.

Contractors who choose to close up to two full days to provide training to staff instead of remaining open and providing substitute teachers must contact their Early Learning and Care Field Services Consultant to change their minimum days of operation and specify their reason for doing so.

More information is available at the Management Bulletin 19-05 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb1905faq.asp.

If you have any questions related to contract earnings or fiscal reporting of these staff training days, please contact your assigned CDNFS Fiscal Analyst. The CDE Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory web page can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.

If you have any other questions regarding the information in this MB, please contact your assigned Early Learning and Care Field Services Consultant. A list of consultants can be found on the CDE Consultant Regional Assignments web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp or by phone at 916-322-6233.

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.