The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued three Management Bulletins about changes in child care income eligibility. For purposes of initial eligibility for a family’s adjusted monthly income must be at or below 70 percent of State Median Income. Once the family is eligible, the family remains eligible until their adjusted monthly income exceeds 85% of State Median Income. A schedule of the initial income eligibility amounts is in Management Bulletin 17-08.
The family must report income increases that exceed the 85% threshold. The contractor must notify parents in writing at the time of initial eligibility and at recertification of the dollar amount that equals the 85% threshold, and of the requirement to report when income exceeds this dollar amount. After reporting, the contractor must redetermine eligibility, including evaluating eligibility for other state of federally funded child care programs. A schedule of the 85% threshold reporting amount is in Management Bulletin 17-09.
In addition, CDE has adopted a new income ranking table. First priority for child care services are to children who are receiving Child Protective Services, or have been identified as as-risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Second priority is by income ranking order. Management Bulletin 17-10 includes a link to spreadsheet of the new table to determine the income ranking order for enrollment and disenrollment. (Management Bulletins 17-08, 17-09 and 17-10, July, 2017.)