Funding Opportunities
Funding Opportunities and Sources
Here are some of the funding opportunities, resources, and regulatory streams for early childhood education and preschool in California. Requirements and funding cycles vary widely, and there are no guarantees that any of these are currently unencumbered or available.
PARENTS | STUDENTS | PROVIDERS | POLICYMAKERS
Parents
- To get assistance paying for child care, you must sign up for your county’s Centralized Eligibility List (CEL). To find your county’s list, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/cdcelscontacts.asp
- Some private centers and family child care homes may offer individual scholarships or sliding-scale fees for low-income families. Ask the director of your child’s program.
- Signing up for the CEL usually includes access to childcare spaces through:
- California State Preschool
- Head Start
- General Child Care Centers
- CalWORKs and other Voucher Programs (AP)
- Other programs with local funding sources may be available through First 5 and other conduits. Visit P4P’s Power of Preschool and Flagships Page for more information.
Students/Professional Development
- For assistance paying for college classes in Child Development/Early Care and Education, go to http://www.childdevelopment.org/cs/cdtc/print/htdocs/services.htm
- CARES - http://cares.edgateway.net/cs/cares/query/q/2595
- For general financial aid information see your college advisor
Providers
There are many different types of grants, loans, services, and funding opportunities available for early education providers, though all are limited and have strict requirements. Some are available on an ongoing basis, while others are only available sporadically. The below resources are suggested starting points and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list.
- Support for enrollment
- Get on your local R&R list
- Let them know if you will accept subsidized children
- Facilities Development Support
- Child Care Facilities Development Revolving Loan Fund
- Facilities Renovation and Repair
- LINCC (Local Investment in Child Care)
- Building Child Care
- Constructing Connections
- Affordable Buildings for Children’s Development (ABCD)
- Program and Operating Support (links will be added shortly)
- CDE - the California Department of Education offers many types of child development contracts available through Requests for Proposals to those providers who meet rigorous quality standard under Title 5 of the Education Code
- Local First 5
- Head Start
- Local School Districts (Title 1 and Title 5)
Advocates/Policy Makers
- Contracts and grants come from diverse sources and funding streams. Please check the information bulletins provided by the following organizations:
- Child Development Division of the California Department of Education
- First 5 California
- Your County First 5 website
- ECE Funding Streams in California
- Federal
- Head Start
- Early Head Start
- Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant (CCDF/CCDBG)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF, called CalWORKs in California)
- Title 1 (Discretionary by Local School Districts)
- State
- Department of Education (CDE)
- Department of Social Services (DSS)
- All child care and development programs housed at CDE are administered by the Child Development Division (CDD)
- Local
- Alternative Payment (AP) Programs: Funded by CDE, these entities administer vouchers for CDE-subsidized child care programs. Some APs also administer Stage 1 of the CalWORKs child care program via a contract with the county welfare department.
- County Welfare Departments: These departments are responsible for administering Stage 1 of the CalWORKs child care program.