Extending Services: Emergency Childcare

As indicated in an email sent out via the California Department of Education (CDE) Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD) listserv June 30, the CDE ELCD is working on developing guidance that implements the 2020-21 Budget Act and related legislation. The CDE ELCD understands much of this guidance is incredibly time sensitive, and staff are working hard to get the guidance out as quickly as possible.

On Monday, July 13, the CDE will release a Management Bulletin (MB) related to how families currently enrolled in Emergency Childcare (as defined in MB 20-06a) can continue to be served and how those families will be prioritized for transitions into ongoing early learning and care programs. The MB will also provide greater direction for how family fees must be collected in Emergency Childcare.

Among other areas, the guidance will provide a directive on how children enrolled in Emergency Childcare in the California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) and the California Migrant Alternative Payment Program (CMAP) can have their services extended by 90 days in addition to the days specified in MB 20-06. Until this guidance is released, please do not disenroll any families in CAPP and CMAP from Emergency Childcare even if their initial eligibility under MB 20-06a expires.

Senate Bill 98 , Section 111 (d)(2)(B) specifies that if any families in Emergency Childcare in the CAPP or CMAP were disenrolled, they can be re-enrolled in Emergency Childcare for the 90 day extension by July 15th without needing to provide eligibility documentation. If your agency has disenrolled a family enrolled in Emergency Childcare on or prior to June 30, 2020 through a CAPP or CMAP program, and the family wishes to have their Emergency Childcare services extended, the family must be re-enrolled before July 15.

The CDE strongly encourages CAPP and CMAP contractors to reach out by email and phone to any families that were disenrolled to allow them the opportunity to reenroll before July 15.

If you have any questions about this email, please send them to ELCDEmergency@cde.ca.gov.