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Laws, Regulations, & Requirements

Legal and regulatory requirements contained in Education Code, California Code of Regulations, Funding Terms & Conditions, Compliance Review Instrument, California School Accounting Manual, and Audit Guide.

Audit Guide for Child Development Contracts
Guidelines for independent auditors who conduct examination of child development services contracts administered by the California Department of Education (CDE).

California Code of Regulations

Regulations are program requirements formally adopted by state agencies, which are also reviewed and approved by the Office of Administrative Law, and filed with the Secretary of State.

  • Title 5, Chapter 19 External link opens in new window or tab.
    Child Care and Development Programs, Subchapters 1-15, Sections 18000-18308
    Title 5, Chapter 19.5 External link opens in new window or tab.
    CalWORKs and Child Care and Development Programs, Subchapters 1-2, Sections 18400-18434
    These regulations define the program operations requirements for a recipient of child care services funds made available by the CDE.

  • Title 22 External link opens in new window or tab.
    Community care facilities license regulations, including child care centers.

California School Accounting Manual

Comprehensive reference source of acceptable accounting principles and practices for local educational agencies.

Federal Program Monitoring/Contract Monitoring Review 2019-20 Program Instrument
The CDE performs reviews of programs offering subsidized child development services. This assessment tool presents each compliance area the child development consultant examines.

Education Code External link opens in new window or tab.
Statutes applied to child care programs identified within the Child Care and Development Services Act.

Funding Terms and Conditions

In conjunction with California Education Code and Title 5, California Code of Regulations, these documents are prepared by contract type and represent a compilation of required program implementation practices.

Early Identification Legislative Report

Proposed Tools and Process for the Early Identification of Developmental Delays and Learning Disabilities - Legislative Report

Questions:   Early Education Division | 916-322-6233
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Recently Posted in Early Education
  • Early Identification Legislative Report (added 24-Apr-2024)
    Report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Legislature, and the Department of Finance on the Proposed Tools and Process for the Early Identification of Developmental Delays and Learning Disabilities
  • UPK Mixed Delivery Workgroup Agenda April 2024 (added 11-Apr-2024)
    Agenda for the April 22, 2024, meeting of the Universal PreKindergarten Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup.
  • UPK Mixed Delivery Workgroup Agenda February 2024 (added 11-Apr-2024)
    Agenda for the February 2, 2024, meeting of the Universal PreKindergarten Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup.
  • UPK Mixed Delivery Workgroup Agenda January 2024 (added 11-Apr-2024)
    Agenda for the January 11, 2024, meeting of the Universal PreKindergarten Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup.
  • Child Care Annual Aggregate Report SFY 2019-20 (added 26-Mar-2024)
    This page displays a comprehensive breakdown of children served by various subsidized child care and development programs during SFY 2019-20, including program types, counts, and key definitions, highlighting the total impact on community support.

  • CAPSDAC Support (added 26-Mar-2024)
    Technical support for the California Preschool Data Collection (CAPSDAC).
  • Program Self-Evaluation FAQs (added 22-Mar-2024)
    California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Program Self-Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions for Fiscal Year 2023-24.