Childcare.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Childcare Assistance Expansion

This law changes income requirements and extends fee exemptions for childcare services, making it easier for low-income families to access child care.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the income limit for third-stage childcare services from 70% of state median income to 85% of state median income.
• Extends the period during which families receiving child protective services or at risk of neglect or abuse can be exempt from paying fees for up to two years instead of one year.
• Adds medical and educational appointments as valid reasons for extended absences that do not affect childcare reimbursement.
• Allows providers to claim attendance days when they must hold a spot open for a child during an appeal process after disenrollment.

Who It Names or Affects

• Families receiving third-stage childcare services
• Childcare providers and contractors

Terms To Know

Income Eligibility

The level of income that qualifies a family for certain government assistance programs.

Reimbursement

Money given back to providers by the state after providing services to eligible families.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify an effective date, so it is unclear when changes will take place.
• The bill does not provide details on how the expanded eligibility and extended exemptions will be funded.

Official Summary Text

SB 792, Arreguín.
Childcare.
Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age, which includes various programs and services, including, among others, CalWORKs Stage 2 and Stage 3 childcare, migrant childcare, childcare and development services for children with special needs, the alternative payment program, and Head Start programs. Under existing law, for purposes of establishing initial income eligibility for services under the Child Care and Development Services Act, “income eligible” means that a family’s adjusted monthly income is at or below 85% of the state median income, adjusted for family size. Existing law requires, to be eligible for the
3rd stage of childcare services, CalWORKs participants to have an income that does not exceed 70% of the state median income, adjusted for family size, as specified.
This bill would revise the income eligibility for the 3rd stage of childcare services to also be 85% of the state median income, adjusted for family size.
Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to
establish a fee schedule for families who utilize childcare and development programs and to be assessed in a single monthly flat fee that is based on income, certified family need for full-time or part-time care services, and enrollment. Existing law authorizes that a family with children who are recipients of child protective services, or children who are at risk of being neglected or abused, may be exempt from being charged family fees for up to 12 months.
This bill would extend the exemption period to up to 24 months.
Existing law requires childcare providers reimbursed through childcare and development programs to submit monthly attendance records for each child under specified circumstances. Existing law defines “attendance” for purposes of the act to mean the number of children present at a childcare and
development facility, and includes extended absences due to specified reasons for purposes of reimbursement.
This bill would add medical and educational appointments to the list of reasons for extended absences that are included in attendance for purposes of reimbursement, and would also, for purposes of reimbursement, authorize a contractor to claim attendance for days that the contractor or provider is required to hold a space for a child during the period that a family is assumed to have abandoned care or is engaging in the appeal process based on disenrollment for abandoning care.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF