The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued instructions implementing eligibility for children with exceptional needs for Part-day California State Preschool Programs (CSPP).
Part-day CSPPs operate no less than three hours and no more than four hours per day for at least 175 days per year. These programs serve children who are three or four years old before September 1 of the fiscal year in which they are served.
Children are enrolled on a priority basis. First priority is three or four year olds who are receiving child protective services or who are identified as at-risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Second priority is eligible four year olds who are not enrolled in transitional kindergarten, in income ranking order. Third priority is eligible three year olds in income ranking order. Fourth priority is children in families whose income is no more than 15 percent above the income eligibility threshold, with up to 10 percent of the enrolled children over the income eligibility threshold.
Contractors may enroll age eligible children with exceptional needs whose family income is above the income eligibility threshold after all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled. Children with exceptional needs are children who have an individualized family service plan or an individualized education plan, receive early intervention and related services or appropriate special education, and require the special attention of adults in a child care setting. Families with children who have exceptional needs and have income above the eligibility threshold are considered income eligible for Part-day CSPP. (Management Bulletin 17-12, September, 2017.)