The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has extended the period for TrustLine child care registration to 180 days because of COVID-19.  Effective April 4, 2020, prospective license- exempt child care providers who are required to be TrustLine registered before child care payments can be made to receive retroactive payment for up to 180 days prior to the date of fingerprinting.  (ACWDL, April 23, 2020.)

The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued guidance for child care Resource and Referral (R&R) programs and Local Planning Councils about requirements because of COVID-19.  R&Rs and LPCs must remain open and operate virtually.  They must be available to assist in county development of emergency child care for essential workers and to help coordinate early learning and care programs, providers and families searching for care.

R&Rs are the lead coordinator of emergency supply, demand and referral and response for each county unless the county appoints another agency.  By April 30, 2020, R&Rs and LPCs must update their emergency response plans for staffing and continuity of services to include COVID-19 guidelines.

All R&R programs must work with their licensed providers to collect or update information on each provider’s status, capacity and vacancy at least twice per week and submit that data to the the state.  That data will be made public here.

With CDE’s approval, R&Rs can support purchases of essential commodities and supplies for local child care providers.  (MB 20-07, April 15, 2020.)

This Management Bulletin is rescinded and replaced by Management Bulletin 20-14, summarized here.

The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued guidance regarding emergency child care for essential workers and at risk populations.  In addition to serving current families, contractors may enroll new families in emergency child care in this priority order if they are: 1) an at risk population including (A) children who are receiving child protective services or who have been deemed to be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, (B) children eligible through the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children, (C) families experiencing homelessness, or (D) children of domestic violence survivors; 2) deemed to be an essential worker including (A) health care/public health and emergency services, (B) food and agriculture, teachers, education staff, providers of early learning and care services, state and local government workers, communications and information technology, energy, transportation and logistics, critical manufacturing, hazardous materials, financial services, and chemical sector, (C) all other fields listed on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers document, , or 3) families with children with disabilities or special heal care needs who have individualized education plans or individual family support plans that include early learning and care programs.  Essential workers whose total family income exceeds the current income eligibility threshold are lowest priority.

All current families have the option to stay in care or return to care before any new essential families are enrolled.

Children enrolled in emergency child care can only be provided services through June 30, 2020.  If the provider has served all groups eligible for emergency child care and has space in their program, they can serve private paying essential workers, but must consider that they must resume serving all children receiving subsidies that are currently enrolled.

For essential workers to be eligible and the family is a two-parent household, both parents must either be essential workers or one must be unable to provide care because of incapacity.  The family must require child care to perform their essential work and they cannot complete their work remotely.

For children with disabilities or special health needs, the family must self-certify that status.

Families must apply for emergency child care using a new application form. and self-certification form. Contractors must allow digital signatures, electronic submission of applications and supporting documents.

CDE also issued various changes to capacity guidelines because of COVID-19.  (MB 20-06A, April, 2020. [link removed by CDE].)