This memorandum is provided to inform Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD) Quality contractors and grantees of a Notice of Change to the Terms and Conditions of the 2020–21 contract or grant an agency may hold with the department.
All travel, both in state and out of state, and any travel associated with conference or meeting attendance is no longer in effect. This notice is effective from July 1, 2020 until January 1, 2021. Contractors and grantees may not submit invoices or expenditure reports for any travel expenses.
In January, the CDE ELCD will reevaluate the travel restrictions provided in this Notice of Change according to guidance provided by the State to respond to the pandemic in order to keep Californians safe. If necessary, this Notice of Change will be extended, as needed, until June 30, 2021.
Additionally, the following guidance has been released for scopes of work (SOWs) for Fiscal Year 2020–21 with regard to tasks and subtasks which may involve travel costs in the budget:
• Add the following proposed standard language to all SOW tasks/subtasks which have potential for activities with travel:
Due to COVID-19 and California’s shelter-in-place order, the in-person meeting (update per your SOW) may be cancelled or changed to a virtual meeting at the discretion of the CDE. Therefore, any announcement for the event must state that the event may be in-person, virtual, or both. The CDE cannot reimburse the Contractor for any cancellation fees, deposit or pre-payments under any circumstances, even if the CDE decides to cancel the event.
• Additional language if registration fees are collected:
The Contractor will be responsible for refunding any unused portion of the registration fee collected, if any, if the event is cancelled or changed to a virtual meeting. OR include specific program income language.
• EXHIBIT B CONSIDERATIONS: Costs in the budget for in-person or virtual will require additional review as the budget will require costs for any eventuality stated in the SOW. Remember the SOW must support the budget, and the budget must support the SOW.
If you have questions, please contact your contract or grant monitor for more assistance.
CECMP Blog
Guidance for Serving School-Age Children During Distance Learning
Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of All State Subsidized Early Learning and Care Programs
The CDE, ELCD would like to thank local partners and programs for all of your efforts in supporting children and families during this incredibly difficult time. We acknowledge each and every one of you who are continuing to support the children and families of California. Whether you are currently open, preparing to open, or preparing for distance learning, the ELCD acknowledges your need for guidance at this time. We appreciate your efforts and continue to work with the Legislature and the Administration in order to provide the direction you need.
The ELCD knows that many school districts are beginning the school year with distance learning; therefore, school-age children need care during their parent’s work hours. The ELCD also knows that questions have arisen about how to interpret California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), section 18076.2, which does not allow CalWORKs Stage 2 (C2AP), CalWORKs Stage 3 (C3AP), California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP), California Migrant Alternative Payment Program (CMAP), and Family Child Care Home Education Network (CFCC) contractors to reimburse providers during “scheduled instructional minutes” of a public or private educational program that the child is enrolled and attending.
Since K-12 distance learning does not provide supervision for children, the CDE does not consider it to be scheduled instructional minutes for the purposes of reimbursing providers.
Therefore, providers shall be reimbursed for care during the time a school-age child is participating in K-12 distance learning and attending their childcare program or provider during the typical school hours.
If the child is participating in a hybrid model (in-person instruction and distance learning) the provider may only be reimbursed for the time that the child is not receiving in-person instruction.
Contractors are responsible for budgeting their contract funds to ensure providers will be reimbursed for an increase in the cost of care associated with school-age children that are participating in distance learning.
The ELCD will be revising Management Bulletin (MB) 20-15 to include this clarification. Until that MB is released, the guidance in this listserv should be utilized when making payments to providers.
Please visit our Early Learning and Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) website for the latest updates at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/covid19elcdfaq.asp
CDE: Upcoming Guidance and Family Fees
Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of All Subsidized Early Learning and Care Programs
The CDE, ELCD would like to thank local partners and programs for all of your efforts in supporting children and families during this incredibly difficult time. We acknowledge each and every one of you who are continuing to support the children and families of California. Whether you are currently open, preparing to open, or preparing for distance learning, the ELCD acknowledges your need for guidance at this time. We appreciate your efforts and continue to work with the Legislature and the Administration in order to provide the direction you need.
To address concerns regarding the collection of family fees in a variety of situations, the CDE, ELCD engaged with the Legislature and the Administration on a solution to waive family fees for July and August 2020. Further, the CDE understands the Administration and Legislature plan to address the fee cost in August Budget Actions.
Contractors must immediately suspend collecting any family fees for the month of August and must notify families and providers that the fees for July and August have been waived, pursuant to the Superintendent’s authority provided by Education Code Section 8209. In addition, contractors should not disenroll families for non-payment of family fees until further guidance is released from the CDE. This guidance will address family fees for emergency childcare, distance learning, reimbursing families for paid fees, reimbursing providers for fees not collected, and other issues.
In addition, we understand the urgent need for information and appreciate your patience as we work hard to implement Management Bulletins (MBs) based on the Fiscal Year 2020–21 Budget Act.
As a reminder, the CDE will be releasing MBs for direction and guidance covering the following topics:
- Direct contract programs–regarding distance learning, Desired Results Developmental Profiles (DRDPs), contract reimbursement, and related issues
- Alternative Payment & Data–regarding provider payment and data collection requirements
- Resource and Referrals (R&Rs) and Local Planning Councils (LPCs)–regarding data collection requirements and supply distribution
- Family Fees – regarding family fees for children that are distance learning and addressing family fees paid for July and August.
Please visit our Early Learning and Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) web page for the latest updates at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/covid19elcdfaq.asp.
If you have questions regarding the information in this email, please contact your assigned Program Quality Implementation Regional Consultant on the ELCD Consultants Regional Assignments web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp.
FDA Warning About the Dangers of Hand Sanitizers With Methanol
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers and health care providers about hand sanitizer products that are labeled as containing ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol (i.e., methyl alcohol or wood alcohol) is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested. As per the FDA news update hyperlinked below, “Methanol is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects. FDA’s investigation of methanol in certain hand sanitizers is ongoing. The agency will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
FDA has identified more than two dozen hand sanitizers that are toxic when absorbed through the skin. It is urgent that this information be sent to child care providers, parents, state child care licensing offices, child care professional development agencies, and others who can disseminate this information.
Consumers who have been exposed to a hand sanitizer containing methanol and are experiencing symptoms should seek immediate treatment for the potential toxic effects of methanol poisoning, which can include nausea, vomiting, headaches, blurred vision, permanent blindness, and seizures. Although people of all ages are at risk for methanol poisoning, “young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute are most at risk.”
Please see the full FDA news update on hand sanitizers with methanol at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol for further information.
Special Needs School Transportation Camera Program
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has requested the California Department of Education to share this grant opportunity with school districts and education agencies within California.
The Special Needs School Transportation Camera Program is a grant administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The program is intended to provide cameras on school transportation used by pre-K through high school students with disabilities/special needs to identify abusive behavior that may occur between students and/or between students and bus drivers/school personnel. Please see the Request for Proposal (RFP) for eligibility information and how to apply.
Grant Subaward Performance Period: January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022
Submission Deadline: Monday, August 17, 2020
Available Funding: Individual Applicants may request up to $138,022
The RFP is located on the Cal OES website at: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/pages/Grant-Details.aspx?itemID=374&ItemTitle=2020-21%20Special%20Needs%20School%20Transportation%20Camera%20(SN)%20Program%20RFP
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
This is a message on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care (OCC).
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. The CARES Act provides $3.5 billion and various flexibilities for state, territory, and tribal lead agencies to operate their Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency and to ensure the supply of child care after the emergency subsides.
The CARES Act includes additional provisions that, although not specific to child care, address the needs of child care providers and child care workers, as does the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“Families First Act”), which was enacted on March 18, 2020. State, territory, and tribal governments now face the complexities of blending COVID-19 funding programs across multiple agencies to best support children, families, and child care providers. To aid with these decisions, the OCC has prepared guidance listing the funding programs outside of the CCDF program that affect child care providers and staff. The information can be accessed, along with updates reflecting ongoing legislation, on the OCC COVID-19 Legislation Guide for CCDF Administrators web page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/resource/covid-19-legislation-guide-for-ccdf-administrators.
Webinar Announcement: Universal Design for Learning in Distance Learning for Early Childhood
Attention: Attention: All Executive Officers and Program Directors of California Department of Education Early Learning and Care Programs
On Thursday, June 25, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., the ELCD is co-hosting a webinar on Universal Design for Learning in early learning settings.
Hosted by the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division in collaboration with the ELCD and the California Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Coalition, this webinar will provide information on UDL and its application to distance learning for early childhood education. UDL provides accessibility for all children to demonstrate their mastery of developmental milestones.
Kelly Wylie and Kathy Wahl from the Santa Clara County Office of Education will provide a broad overview of UDL and guidance on integrating UDL principles as educators plan and deliver instruction in a distance learning format for preschool students.
This webinar will be on Facebook Live and Zoom. Zoom registration can be found on the CDE Distance Learning web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/dl/.
Early Learning and Care Playbook
Good morning,
On June 5th the state issued updated Guidance for Child Care Programs and Providers that aims to support child care providers and programs as they begin to reopen and other programs transition from emergency childcare for essential workers to enhanced regular operations. To help all providers apply the new and updated policies and requirements and make updates to their emergency preparedness plan, there are also resources and tools available at the Early Learning and Care Playbook, which provides information and links to tips, training, and other resources that will help providers and parents as they navigate the new guidance and requirements.
Please check out the new Guidance and Early Learning and Care Playbook to support the wellness and safety of children, providers, and families. Thank you.
We Stand Together: A Message from Ann and Rhian
Dear CECMP family,
I have spoken to quite a few of you over the last few days regarding this act of violence and the subsequent protests that are occurring across the country. Over the years that I have been in this field ( 49 ) I have fought tirelessly for Equity and Justice. We would be remiss not to say something about the disparities that continue to exist in our world, when our field represents the diversity of this nation and humanity . I have seen so many of the ways you support our children, our families and communities of color each and every day. Most of you are a part of the NAEYC- it is our professional organization as early educators. Rather than try to craft a letter to all of you from my own aching heart right now, I am posting the one from NAEYC below as I feel it is poignant and calls us all to be part of the change we want and so desperately need to see :
Mary Anne Doan
Director, CA Early Childhood Mentor Program
Director, CA Early Childhood Mentor Program
This message was originally shared on Saturday, May 30. Due to technical difficulties it is being resent to ensure that it reaches intended recipients.
Our hearts are heavy this week with the images of George Floyd being suffocated in police custody. On the heels of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Corey Jones, Oscar Grant, Botham Jean, Sandra Bland, and more, we need to look no further than our own communities to find current examples that build upon more than 400 years of injustice for black people in America. We see this in the striking, gaping disparities in how police and policymakers have responded to protests throughout the past month and the disproportionate sickness and death African-American, Latinx, and Native American communities are experiencing from this pandemic.While we all grieve, we want to speak directly to those of you in our NAEYC family who root your identities in communities of color. Today, like too many other days, the trauma black, brown, and multiracial families and children are experiencing is a national crisis that requires action. As an organization, NAEYC sees your pain, and stands with you in grief. We condemn the generations of injustice along with the structural bias that causes disparities in outcomes based on where you live. We also want to speak directly to those of you who identify as an ally, and support you in recognizing personal implicit and explicit biases, and talking about, confronting, and responding to racism in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and schools.
NAEYC’s core values uphold the dignity and worth of each individual. As we identify in our Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education position statement, our goal is to nurture a more diverse and inclusive generation of young children who thrive through their experience of equitable learning opportunities in early learning programs. We aim for each child to “express comfort and joy with human diversity; to increasingly recognize injustice; and to have the will and the skills to act against prejudice.” We find ourselves pressing for the same for each adult in our nation today.
Our goals cannot be achieved without recognizing and dismantling the systems of bias that provide privilege to some and are unjust to others. That means committing—individually and collectively, again and again—to reflect and grapple with the racism in ourselves, our organizations, and our society. NAEYC continues to work towards advancing equity with humility and awareness of our history and limitations, and a recognition that no individual, leader or organization has all the answers. At the same time, we each have a role to play—as early childhood educators, administrators, faculty, students, advocates, and parents. We are each in a position where we can act and address the trauma our children are experiencing at the hands of racism apparent in the coronavirus’ disproportionate impacts, the police response to protests, the weaponizing of white privilege in our parks and streets, and the death of George Floyd.
On behalf of our entire organization, we commit to standing with you and relentlessly working together to create communities where each and every child, family, and educator can thrive.
In unity,
Quality Counts California Workforce Pathways Grant Request for Applications Release and Webinar
Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Request for Applications (RFA) Release
The CDE, ELCD is announcing the release of the Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Request for Application (RFA). The RFA is designed to align with the QCC professional development system and to focus on local workforce needs across all care setting types. The QCC Workforce Pathways Grant RFA, in combination with the unified QCC Local Consortia and Partnerships Grant RFA (QCC Unified RFA), represents investments by the CDE/ELCD to support an effective statewide Quality Improvement System and Quality Rating and Improvement System. As the state invests in quality improvements, including workforce development, it will continue to encourage QCC system alignment in order to build a stronger quality system.
The CDE would like to highlight the following changes:
- Funding has been reduced to an $11,000,000 one-year statewide allocation.
- The QCC Workforce pathways have been streamlined.
- The former stipend administrating agency in the county will have the first right of refusal. The QCC Consortia Lead will have the second right of refusal.
- The QCC Workforce pathways grant will be available to all counties and to Tribal Childcare.
- The CDE is moving forward with an equity-focused funding formula, but has set caps on both increases and decreases to the amount of funding that any county will receive in comparison to the 2019–20 Assembly Bill 212 allocation.
The grant was released on May 26, 2020, and the applications are due June 15, 2020, by close of business. There is no Letter of Intent required for this grant. Please see additional key dates on the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant web page, located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/qccelcwork2021rfa.asp.
Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Webinar
An informational webinar will be held on Friday, May 29, 2020, 1–2 p.m. to review the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant RFA. Below you will find the link to register. It is not necessary to pre-register.
For more information regarding the QCC ELC Workforce Pathways Grant or webinar, please email the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant Team at QCCWorkforce@cde.ca.gov.
Attendee Information
Topic: Quality County California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant RFA Technical Assistance Webinar
Time: May 29, 2020 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Web Link:
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/98803336887
Password: 914014
Telephone:
Dial:
USA 215 861 0692
USA 8882512909 (US Toll Free)
Conference code: 410566
