Lesson 1
Family Selection

Compliance
Indicator

Families with children enrolled in the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) are selected according to the priorities for that program, whether full-day or part-day.

At least 5 percent of a CSPP contracting agency’s funded enrollment shall be reserved for children with exceptional needs.

Regulations/Reference

EED Program Instrument: I. Family Selection EED 01
Education Code: 48000-48000.15(c), 8208, 8210, 8211, 8217, 8232, 8241.5, 8247, and 8281.5
Title 5: 17732, 17743 – 17748, 17820 & 17822

Monitoring Review Evidence

  • Records of Current Eligibility Waiting List

  • Family Eligibility Files

  • Policies and Procedures for implementing the Enrollment Priorities

  • Written Materials for Parents Regarding Enrollment Priorities

Watch Video Lesson ❯

 

Sample Forms/Tools ❯

Review Sketch Pad Notes ❯

 

Waiting List

 

The regulations state that after full enrollment is attained, contractors must maintain a current waiting list in accordance with admission priorities. This requirement may be met by either maintaining a paper or electronic waiting list.

During a review, records of use of your waiting list will be reviewed, along with eligibility files for the most recently enrolled families.

What this might look like in a program:

An agency might use a binder system or electronic database to maintain their waiting list. When an opening becomes available children are selected from the waiting list based on admission priorities.

 

Age Eligibility

 

The regulations require that children are AGE eligible for preschool programs based on the statutory age of a child. Definitions are as follows:

  • Four Year Old: Birthday on or before December 1st OR a child whose 5th birthday  occurs after September 1st AND  whose parent/guardian has opted to retain or enroll in CSPP

  • Three Year Old: Birthday on or before Dec 1st OR if 3rd birthday is on or after December 2nd, child may be enrolled on or after 3rd birthday

  • Two-Year-Old: Children who have had their second birthday AND  do not otherwise meet the definition of three-year-old children

    NOTE: CSPP Contractors are not required to serve two-year-old children; however, if contractors choose to, all current requirements must be followed for children in the CSPP.

What this may look like in a program:

As part of the enrollment process, a child’s age is verified through documentation provided by the parent. The Age Eligibility & Income Guidelines Cheat Sheet is a useful tool to quickly determine if a child’s birthdate falls within the 3 or 4 year old age definition.

 

Admission Priorities

 

Admission Priorities for 5% of Funded Enrollment

5% of CSPP funded enrollment is reserved for Children with Exceptional Needs AND a family has a need for services. This means that slots held from 5% of your funded enrollment can ONLY be filled by Children with Exceptional Needs.

  • For full-day programs family must also meet a need criteria.

  • To extent possible, enroll in income ranking order.

  • If 2 or more families have the same ranking, enroll the family with earliest application date first.

NOTE: Only child in family who has exceptional needs may be enrolled under this criteria

Admission Priorities for 95% of Funded Enrollment

Programs must contact applicants in order of priority. When determining income, the Income Ranking Table must be used.

 

First: Child is recipient of Child Protective Services or At-Risk of being neglected, abused or exploited. Enroll 3 & 4-year-olds before 2-year-olds.

Second: Once the set-aside is filled, 3 & 4-year-old children with exceptional needs from income eligible family AND family meets a need criteria. Prioritize based on income ranking order.

Third: Eligible 3 & 4-year-old children not enrolled in Transitional Kindergarten AND family meets a need criteria. Prioritize children with the lowest income ranking first.

If 2 or more children are within the same income ranking prioritize dual language learner, then based on the child who has been on waiting list for longest time.

Fourth: Eligible 2-year-old child AND family meets a need criteria. Prioritize children with the lowest income ranking first.

If 2 or more children are within the same ranking prioritize dual language learners, then based on the child who has been on waiting list for longest time.

Fifth: Family income is not more than 15% above income threshold AND family meets a need criteria (limited to 10% of funded enrollment). Prioritize as follows:

  1. Exceptional needs child in income ranking order

  2. 3 and 4-year-old children in income ranking order

Note: If 2 or more children are within the same ranking, admit the child who has been on waiting list for longest time Sixth: Family meets eligibility criteria, but does not meet a need criteria. Prioritize children with the lowest income ranking first.

If 2 or more children are within the same income ranking prioritize 3 & 4-year-olds before 2-year-olds.

Seventh: Family resides in approved Neighborhood School Boundary. Prioritize based on income ranking order. Enroll 3 & 4-year-olds before 2-year-olds.

NON-PRIORITIZED FAMILIES (after all applicable families have been prioritized)

  1. Children with disabilities from families with income above 15% of the income threshold who were not enrolled within the set-aside, AND family meets a need criteria.

  2. Early enrollment children enrolling in a CSPP operated by the school district or charter school, regardless of income AND family meets a need criteria.

 

Determining Income Ranking Order

 

Income ranking table is based on family size & average monthly gross income (income before taxes).

Rank 1 includes families with incomes between zero & the amount identified in the rank 1 boxes. These families are at equal priority & are admitted before families in the next rank. 

Steps to determine ranking (Including example):

  1. Go to the column that matches Family Size (Family of 4)

  2. Move down the column to the location where family’s adjusted monthly income falls on the chart (Family’s income of $2,714 falls between rank 26 & rank 27)

  3. Adjust to the higher ranking number (Family is rank 27)

 

Multiple Families in Household

 

When there are multiple families within a household, they must be prioritized separately. The following are examples of separate family types:

  • Biological and/or adoptive child(ren)

  • Foster child and related siblings

  • Child and related siblings under a guardians care

NOTE: Each of these family types would be prioritized separately AND would need separate family data files

 

Level of Service

 

Do NOT deny service to, nor assign a lower priority to a family that needs less than full-time services

 

Displacement

 

The regulations state that if it is necessary to displace families, families shall be displaced in reversed order of admission priorities.

NOTE: In the event that families will be displaced from your program due to various reasons such as budget cuts or over enrollment it is recommended that you contact your State Consultant to see if there are other options and/or to inform them of the specific situation.

In the end, if there are no other options and families must be displaced you will start with priority 6 and displace families in reverse order of the admission priorities.

 

Complete Knowledge Check ❯

After reviewing the video lesson & sketch pad notes, it’s time to check for understanding by completing a Knowledge Check. Note that Individual Knowledge Checks will conclude with a Certificate.

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