The California Department of Health Services has released guidance regarding changes to child care eligibility and attendance.
Effective January 1, 2026, medical and education appointments are considered excused absences from child care. A child care contractor can claim attendance for days that the contractor is required to hold a space when the family is assumed to have abandoned care or is appealing disenrollment.
The income threshold for CalWORKs Stage 3 child care is now 70% to 85% of area median income adjusted for family size.
There is an exemption from family fees for abused, neglected, or exploited children who are receiving child protective services, or are at risk of being abused, neglected, or exploited and have a written referral from a legal, medical, or social services agency. That exemption is extended to 24 months. This exemption applies to General Child Care and Development, Migrant Child Care and Development (CMIG), Family Child Care Home Education Networks, California Alternative Payment Program, Migrant Alternative Payment Program, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Stage 2, and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Stage 3. (CCB 26-02, January 22, 2026.)