What is a Centralized Eligibility List?
The Centralized Eligibility List (CEL) is a list of income income-eligible families that need help paying for child care, such as infant/toddler care, preschool or an after school program.

 

A CEL is one list of all income income-eligible families who are waiting for child care assistance. It is identified as an “eligibility list” rather than a “waiting list” because families are ranked in terms of their eligibility for services, rather than by length of time on the list.  By centralizing the list of families waiting for assistance with child care costs:

 

What is Subsidized Child Care?
Subsidized child care is financial assistance offered to income-eligible eligible families to cover for part or all of their child care costs, depending on their financial and child care needs. Among the list of income-eligible families, priority for obtaining subsidized care is given to families and children referred for services from Child Protective Services.

 

How can I qualify for CEL?
Qualifying for CEL is based on income (before taxes), family size, and need. In addition, families must work, live or attend school in our County to qualify. In order to be considered eligible, families must meet State Income Requirements and have at least one of the following needs for child care:

I am receiving cash aid from the County CalWorks Program.  Can my information be listed on the  CEL database?
Yes, but most parents who receive cash aid or who have received cash aid within the past two years are automatically eligible for CalWORKS child care services and are NOT listed on the our County CEL. If you are a CalWORKs participant or have received cash aid within the past two years and contact us, CEL staff will take your information but also encourage you to seek CalWORKS childcare. 

 

How long will I wait?
There is no predetermined length of time that families wait before receiving assistance. Unfortunately, families must simply wait to be contacted by a subsidized child care program for an enrollment opportunity.  Whenever one of the state subsidized child care programs in the County have an opening, they will look on the CEL database of all families listed. They will contact parents based on state rules (Protective Services eligible and then lowest income first). It is critical therefore, that you keep your contact information listed on the CEL up to date at all times.

 

Placing your name and information on CEL does not mean you qualify for immediate assistance. Generally speaking, because enrollment into subsidized child care programs is based on family size and income (with lowest family incomes receiving priority), lowest lower-income families have a higher probability of being called for assistance followed by moderate lower-income families.

 

While being listed on the CEL does not guarantee a family assistance with child care costs, we expect that CEL creates a better opportunity for families to receive help since all of the subsidized child development programs in the County use it to fill their vacancies when they have an opening.

 

May I get assistance close to work?
Yes. It is important to provide CEL with a work zip code, so that center-based programs are able to contact can identify families that work near their center. It also depends on the type of program that contacts you to offer assistance. Please see the list of Program Definitions for additional information.

 

How can I get “bumped up” on the list?
There is no way to get “bumped up” on the list.  The only exception to this rule is given to families that have an active Child Protective Services case. The State ranks CPS families as a priority in order to ensure that these children be taken from a harmful environment and be given priority assistance.

 

The most important thing to do is keep your family’s information current. The CEL requires families to update their information a minimum of every 6 months. If families are unable to keep their information current by contacting CEL every 6 months, they may be inactivated from the list and risk missing an opportunity to receive child care assistance.

 

If family information such as a phone numbers, address or income change, then contact CEL to report the change and update the family file.

 

What does rank mean?
Rank is an indicator of a family’s priority on the CEL. Generally, the lower ranks, such as ranks 1-5 have a higher priority of receiving assistance than higher ranks, such as ranks 26-50.

 

Rank is determined by family size and income. Families are ranked, primarily, according to income in order for a subsidized program to identify the most eligible family for child care services.

 

Rank is not to be mistaken as a waiting number. Rank only a number that identifies your eligibility on CEL.

 
 
I’ve identified a family child care home that will accept a child care payment. , Can you help me now?
No, you must wait until the Alternative Payment Program (APP) contacts you.

 

This programs has limited funding. Also, they do not often have vacancies, so probability of being called for child care services through the Alternative Payment Program is low.

 

If enrolled in an Alternative Payment Program, parents have the option of choosing any licensed or non-licensed provider (family, friend caring only for your children) in the county to care for their children and have the program cover all or part of the payment.

 

Families can list an Alternative Payment Program as their preference on CEL.  An alternative payment program can reimburses any providers in the county for caring for your child(ren) as long as the provider is willing to accept payment from an Alternative Payment Program.

Are there any programs that can help me with child care costs besides CEL?
Yes, Head Start is one.  Head Start receives funding from the federal government to assist eligible families with a part-day and, in some cases, full-day preschool for children. Be sure to contact them if you have a child from 3 to -4 years of age and are interested in Preschool.

Head Start: (408) 453-6500

 

Do I pay for anything?
Child care services may be free or low cost to families. When families are enrolled by a subsidized child care program, they may be required to pay a fee. Discuss fees this with the enrollment worker/case manager when you are called for an enrollment interview. In most cases, fees paid by families are a small percentage of the total cost of child care, thus it becomes low cost (affordable) child care.