The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued an emergency waiver for operation of temporary employer sponsored child care.  An employer that needs to immediately provide temporary employer sponsored child care may do so under the waiver if all terms of the waiver are met including that the employer contact their child care regional office for approval, that care be available only for children of the employer and officers, managers and employees of the employer, and the child care setting have age appropriate equipment.

CDSS has also waived child care facility and TrustLine provider requirements.  A family child care home, day care center, school-age center or infant care center may waive staff to children ratios as long as health and safety of children is not compromised.  The ratio of child to staff in a family child care home shall be no more than 10:1.

A child care facility, not including a large family child care home, may waive capacity requirements if there is an immediate need for child care in the facility’s area because of school closures as a result of COVID-19, as long as staffing remains sufficient to meet the health and safety needs of children in care.  Capacity for small child care homes shall not exceed 14 children.

A TrustLine provider may care for children of more than one family at a time as long as the provider is able to meet the needs of children in care and capacity does not exceed a ratio of children to provider of 10:1.

New staff at a licensed facility, or a new TrustLine provider, may start caring for children immediately upon submission of a request to transfer a current CDSS criminal record clearance or exemption, and child abuse clearance.

New staff at a licensed facility can begin caring for children upon submission of a criminal record clearance and child abuse clearance from a school district, state or local government agency.  Within 5 days of starting work, the new staff must LiveScan.

New staff may start working immediately if they submit proof of TB clearance within the last year.  New staff must arrange to obtain current TB clearance.

New staff may start work as soon as they provide proof of completion of first aid training.  New staff shall be trained on specific tasks they will be performing and may not be unsupervised while children are present.  Initial training requirements must be met within 30 days of starting employment.

Application fees for TrustLine registration are waived.

These waivers shall remain in effect until the end of the Governor’s Proclamation of State of Emergency.  (PIN 20-004-CCP, March 16, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding changes to attendance and reporting requirements because of COVID-19.  These changes were enacted by SB 117 which waives specific attendance and reporting requirements for CalWORKs Stage 1 child care.  CDSS also waives these requirements for Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children.  This waiver will remain in effect until June 30, 2020 unless changed by the legislature.

Providers who are closed because of COVID-19 and are not able to submit their monthly attendance record or invoice shall be reimbursed based on the total certified authorizations, either part-time or full-time.  License-exempt providers shall also be reimbursed based on the maximum authorized hours of care.

Contractors that have closed because of COVID-19 may be reimbursed for up to 30 days after closure.  Providers that remain open shall submit attendance records or invoices based on current reporting policy.  Providers may submit an invoice or attendance record without the parent signature if the parent is unavailable to sign because of COVID-19.  Regardless of attendance, these providers shall be reimbursed based on child-care authorizations.

Families who need services but whose usual provider is closed can select an alternative provider that will be paid. Alternate providers shall be paid even when the regular provider has a paid day of non-operation.  (All County Welfare Directors Letter, March 19, 2020.)

The California Department of Education states that same policies apply to Stage 2 and Stage 3 providers.  (Management Bulletin 20-04, March 18, 2020.)

Effective April 1, 2020 for April, May, and June, 2020, all family fees for California Department of Education child care programs are waived.  Contractors must suspend collecting any family fees as of April 1, 2020 and must notify families that fees for April, May and June are waived.  Alternative Payment contractors that require providers to collect family fees directly must direct providers to suspend collecting these fees.

Contractors that are continuing to certify or recertify while family fees are waived shall continue to calculate the appropriate family fee and state the fee on the Notice of Action.  The Notice must also state that the fee is waived for April, May and June.

For families that have a delinquent family fee plan, contractors shall place the plan on hold for April, May and June.  Families must not be terminated because of outstanding fees owed during this time.  Delinquent family fee plans will resume in July, 2020.  Family fees waived for April, May and June shall not be included in the delinquent fee plan.  (Management Bulletin 20-05, March, 2020.)