Management Bulletin 25–08

Early Education Division

Subject: Continued Funding Application (CFA), Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27

Number: 25-08

Date: August 22, 2025

Expires: When Rescinded

Authority:  California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR) Section 17726

Attention: Executive Officers and Program Directors of California State Preschool Programs (CSPP) and Prekindergarten and Family Literacy Support (CPKS) Programs

Purpose

This Management Bulletin (MB) provides information and guidance to current California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED), CSPP and CPKS contractors regarding how to request continued funding for fiscal year (FY) 2026–27 CSPP and CPKS contracts. This MB supersedes the CFA information found in MB 24-09.

Policy

To be considered for continued funding for FY 2026–27, CSPP and CPKS contractors must complete and submit the FY 2026–27 CFA on or before 5 p.m. on November 14, 2025. The FY 2026–27 CFA will be sent to each contractor via email, and associated forms are available to download on the CDE CFA web page.

By completing and returning the FY 2026–27 CFA, your agency indicates that it wishes to renew its CSPP contract for FY 2026–27, and CPKS contract, as applicable, and accepts all of the terms and conditions of such contract(s), which will be provided to all contractors being renewed for funding no later than June 1, 2026.

CSPP and CPKS contractors who apply for and are approved for continued funding will not need to sign and return a CSPP and/or CPKS contract to provide services for FY 2026–27, as contractors who apply for and are approved for continued funding through the CFA process will be automatically renewed in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, as well as all contract terms and conditions that will be incorporated into the FY 2026–27 contract.

If CSPP and CPKS contractors do not wish to have a contract in 2026–27, they may reject the terms of the new contract(s) and opt not to renew their services under the terms of the new contract(s). Contractors that wish to reject the terms of the FY 2026–27 contract(s) must provide written notice that the terms of the contract are rejected by sending an email to EarlyEducationContracts@cde.ca.gov on or before June 30, 2026. Such email should come from the Executive Director/Superintendent of the contracting entity or their authorized representative and state that the terms of the FY 2026–27 CSPP contract, and CPKS contract if applicable, are rejected. Contractors providing such notice to CDE of the rejection of the terms of the contract will not have a contract in effect for FY 2026–27.

Note: If your agency requires formal board approval to enter into contracts, it is important that your agency seek such approval as soon as possible to ensure timely submission of the CFA. Please review the CFA Overview and Instructions for signature authorization requirements.

Implementation Directives

Applications must be received by the CDE, Early Education Division (EED), on or before 5 p.m., November 14, 2025, regardless of the method of application submission.

1. Each contractor will receive a copy of their CFA by email. The email will be sent from CFA@cde.ca.gov to the individuals the contractor has listed in the Child Data Management Information System (CDMIS) as the Executive Director and Program Director. The CFA is prepopulated with information the agency has provided in the CDMIS.
2. Each contractor must review and verify that all information in the CFA is complete and accurate. If updates or corrections are needed, log into CDMIS and submit changes. Notify CFA@cde.ca.gov when you have submitted changes in CDMIS.
3. Download, complete, and save all required supporting documents from the CDE CFA web page.
4. Obtain the authorized representative's signature on all signature pages. The CFA and accompanying documents must be signed by a person who has been delegated the legal authority to sign contractual documents on behalf of the agency. Signatures may be provided using a digital signature program such as AdobeSign or DocuSign, or you may print a paper copy and sign by hand.
5. The CFA and supporting documentation may be submitted by email or by US mail. Email submissions of the CFA are strongly encouraged. Please keep a copy of the CFA for your records.

Option 1: Submit by Email

Scan and email the completed and signed documents to CFA@cde.ca.gov. Include the following message in the body of your email:

“I have electronically submitted the Continuing Funding Application (CFA) to the California Department of Education on behalf of my agency/organization. I certify that I was authorized to submit the CFA for [Insert Contractor Name], vendor number [XXXX]. [Insert Contractor Name] intends for the CFA transaction to be completed by electronic means, which shall have the same effect as if it were signed in ink on a piece of paper, and all signatures included with the CFA are intended to be binding upon [Insert Contractor Name].”

Your application will be incomplete without this email certification.

Option 2: Submit Hard Copy by US Mail

If submitting by US mail, send the completed and signed CFA and all required attachments to the following address:

California Department of Education

Early Education Division

Attention: Continued Funding Application 2026–27

1430 N Street, Suite 3410

Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

Background and Authority

Per California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR) Section 17726(d), “Contractors that intend to accept the offer to continue services in the subsequent contract period shall respond to a Continued Funding Application request from the Early Education Division in accordance with the instructions and timelines specified in the request.”

In addition, 5 CCR Section 17726(e) states, “Failure to respond within the timelines specified in the continued funding application request shall constitute notification to the Early Education Division of the contractor’s intent to discontinue services at the end of the current contract period unless the contractor has received a written extension of the original timeline from the Early Education Division.” Failure to respond to requests from the EED for additional information will result in the application being deemed incomplete.

Resources

If there are any questions regarding the application process, contact the CFA team by email at CFA@cde.ca.gov. Include your agency’s name, vendor number, and phone number on all inquiries.

If you have any programmatic questions regarding the information in this MB, please contact your assigned EED, Program Quality Implementation (PQI) office consultant by using the CDE Consultant Regional Assignments directory web page.

If you have any fiscal-related questions regarding the information in this MB, please contact your assigned Early Education and Nutrition Fiscal Services fiscal analyst by using the Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory web page.