CEL Messages

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Kim Silva — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:10:35 GMT

AFTER SCHOOL EDUCATION AND SAFETY (ASES)

Kim Silva — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:15:54 GMT

California Before and After School Programs

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES ASES programs are created through partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment, and safe, constructive alternatives for students in kindergarten through grade nine. ASES programs are not intended to accommodate drop-in child care needs.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS An ASES program must integrate with the regular school day and other extended learning opportunities while providing a safe physical and emotional environment, opportunities for relationship-building, and promotion of active student engagement through the two required components described below. When determining goals for these components, the CDE strongly encourages the use of research-based curricula and strategies that are aligned to California’s state standards.

1) Academic Core & Academic Support elements are designed to help students meet state standards in one or more of the following core academic subjects: language arts, mathematics, history and social science, science, or computer training. Tutoring and/or homework assistance are part of this component.

2) Educational Enrichment Activities reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students to support positive youth development. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to:

• Fine arts education activities • Recreational activities • Science related activities (e.g. rocketry) • Physical fitness activities • Career-technical education • Prevention activities • Mentoring • Service Learning • Character Education

HOURS OF OPERATION All ASES programs must operate for a minimum of 15 hours per week, commence immediately at the end of the instructional school day, and operate until at least 6:00 p.m. Programs must operate every regular school day during the regular school year.

ATTENDANCE • Elementary students participate in the full program, 15 hours per week. • Middle school programs may offer a flexible schedule that requires student participation of at least 9 hours (three days) per week. Priority enrollment is given to students who attend daily. An early release policy is in place in each ASES program, and applied on a student-by-student basis.

ELIGIBILITY Student eligibility requirements differ per district. Most districts use an application process and select students based on order of application (first come, first served), grade level openings, siblings in the program, need for remediation services, etc.

FEES and EQUAL ACCESS The CDE strongly discourages the charging of fees, though it remains an option. If a fee is charged, a sliding scale of fees should be offered as well as scholarships for those who cannot afford to participate.

If the ASES program is held at a site other than the funded school, the district must provide safe transportation to the alternative site. ASES programs are not required to provide transportation from ASES to home, and most do not.

Subsidized Child Development & Child Care Services in Kern County

Kim Silva — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:37:11 GMT

Program	Eligibility	Description	Agencies
General Child Care and Development Also known as California Centers Center-Based	Order of priority Available Spaces Each agency has different eligibility criteria based on the need of their community and individual funding requirements.	General Child Care and Development programs are state and federally funded programs that use centers. These programs provide an educational component that is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children served. The programs also provide meals and snacks to children, parent education, referrals to health and social services for families, and staff development opportunities to employees.	Central California Economic Development Corporation "La Escuelita" Community Action Partnership of Kern Delano Joint Union High School District Greenfield Union Elementary School District Kern County Superintendent of Schools/ Child Development Division Kern High School District/Bakersfield Adult School High Desert Leapn’ Lizards West Kern Community College District
State Preschool	Order of priority Available spaces Family meets State income ranking guidelines for eligibility, families with the lowest rankings are contacted first 4- Years old (must be 4 by December 2nd of the school year) 3- Years old (must be 4 by December 2nd of the school year) after all eligible 4-year olds have been offered the opportunity.	State preschool programs are part-day comprehensive developmental programs for three- to five-year-old children from low-income families. The programs emphasize parent education and encourage parent involvement. In addition to preschool education activities that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children served, the state preschool programs provide meals or snacks to children, referrals to health and social services for families, and staff development opportunities to employees.	Community Action Partnership of Kern Delano Joint Union High School District Greenfield Union Elementary School District Kern County Superintendent of Schools/ Child Development Division Economic Opportunity Corporation San Louis Obispo
State Preschool Full-Day Program	Order of priority Available spaces Family meets State income ranking guidelines for eligibility, families with the lowest rankings are contacted first 4- Years old (must be 4 by December 2nd of the school year) 3- Years old (must be 4 by December 2nd of the school year) after all eligible 4-year olds have been offered the opportunity.	The Budget Act of 1997-98 allowed state preschool program contractors the opportunity to extend their half-day programs to full-day programs with certain restrictions. Some current state preschool providers chose this wrap-around of their existing half-day programs to provide families with the extended services parents needed to maintain employment, meet work participation requirements, or to participate in education or job training. Agencies providing full-day services continue to operate in a half-day mode as a state preschool program but must follow general child care rules and regulations for the remainder of the program day.	Kern County Superintendent of Schools/ Child Development Division Delano Joint Union High School District
Head Start Program	Order of priority Available spaces 3-4 Years old children with exceptional needs 3-4 Years old Parent’s annual income based on federal poverty income guidelines	Head Start is a federally funded program that offers part-day comprehensive developmental programs for three- to five-year-old children from low-income families. The programs emphasize parent education and encourage parent involvement. In addition to preschool education activities that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children served, Head Start programs provide meals or snacks to children, referrals to health and social services for families, and staff development opportunities to employees.	Community Action Partnership of Kern
Migrant Head Start	Order of Priority Available spaces 51% of the families income is Agricultural related Both parents must be working Family moves at least every 24 months	Migrant Head Start programs offer comprehensive services, education and child care to families working in agricultural. Program are available for children ages 0-5 years of age	Economic Opportunity Corporation /San Luis Obispo
Alternative Payment Program	Order of priority Available funding Family has a need for full or part time care/ working or attending school Family meets State income ranking guidelines for eligibility, families with the lowest rankings are contacted first	Alternative payment programs (APP), funded with state and federal funds, offer an array of child care arrangements for parents, such as in-home care, family child care, and center-based care. The APP helps families arrange child care services and makes payment for those services directly to the child care provider selected by the family. The APP is intended to increase parental choice and accommodate the individual needs of the family.	Kern County Superintendent of Schools/Community Connection for Child Care
Migrant Child Care and Development	Order of priority Available spaces 50% agricultural related & both parents Ages 2-5	Migrant child care and development programs serve the children of agricultural workers while their parents are at work. The centers are open for varying lengths of time during the year, depending largely on the harvest activities in the area.	Central California Economic Corporation/"La Escuelita" Community Action Partnership of Kern California Migrant leadership CouncilSleep
Migrant Alternative Payment Program This program does not access CEL	Order of priority Available funding 50% agricultural related & both parents	In addition to the Migrant center-based programs CDD also funds the Migrant Alternative Payment Network Program that allows eligibility and funding for services that follow migrant families as they move from place to place to find work in the Central Valley.	Community Action Partnership of Kern
Campus Child Care and Development These programs do not access CEL.	Order of priority Available spaces A parent must be enrolled and attending college	Campus child care and development programs are intended primarily to care for the children of parents enrolled in college. The centers are typically operated by either student associations or the college administration and provide the same comprehensive services as general child care and development programs.	Bakersfield College Taft Community College Cal State University Bakersfield Cerro Coso Community College
School Age Community Child Care Services (Latchkey) These programs do not access CEL.	Order of priority Available spaces Family meets State income ranking guidelines for eligibility; families with the lowest rankings are contacted first. Student must be living in school district.	School-age community child care programs provide a safe environment with age- and developmentally appropriate activities for school-age children during the hours immediately before and after the normal school day and during school vacations. These programs must have a minimum of 50 percent enrollment from families that can pay the full cost of care, although this requirement may be waived when the agency can demonstrate the impracticality of such a requirement.	Delano Union Elementary School District and Taft Community College
CalWORKs Child Care This program does not access CEL	Must be enrolled in CalWORKs	Recipients of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) grant program are required to engage in work or work preparation activities. CalWORKs programs provide an array of welfare-to-work services. Child care is provided with state and federal funds in three stages. Stage 1 is administered by the California Department of Social Services through county welfare departments (CWDs). Stage 1 begins when a participant enters the CalWORKs grant program and engages in activities pursuant to a welfare-to-work plan developed by the CWD for each family. The CWDs refer families to resource and referral agencies to assist them in finding child care providers. Some CWDs pay those providers directly for the services performed. Many CWDs have a sub-contract with APPs to pay for the child development services. Stage 2 is administered by CDE through its APPs. CalWORKs families are transferred into Stage 2 when the CWD deems the family to be stable. Participation in Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 is limited to two years after the family stops receiving a CalWORKs grant. In addition to the services that CDE provides, small portions of the services in Stage 2 are administered by the California community colleges through its centers or an AP delivery system for the benefit of students. Stage 3 is also administered by CDE through its APPs. A family can move to this stage when it has exhausted its two-year limit in Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 (referred to as timing out), and for as long as the family remains otherwise eligible for child care programs.	Kern County Superintendent of Schools / Community Connection for Child Care

Directory of Individual California CEL Programs

Kim Silva — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:53:12 GMT

Alameda County

Alpine

Amador County Butte

Calaveras County

Colusa County

Contra Costa County

Inyo County

Kings County

Lake County

Lassen County

Los Angeles County

Madera County

Marin County

Mariposa County

Mendocino County

Modoc County

Placer County

Plumas County

Riverside County

Sacramento County

San Benito County

San Bernardino County

San Diego County

San Francisco County

San Joaquin County

San Luis Obispo County

Santa Barbara County

Santa Cruz County

Training Calendar

Kim Silva — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:26:29 GMT

CEL User Training
This workshop is for new CEL users and CEL users who need a review. New CEL users must complete a registration form in order to receive a user name and login account

All the CEL basics will be covered including:

Down loading web browser and logging in to CEL.
Entering families into the CEL program
Checking entries accuracy and meeting State data requirements.
Creating eligibility searches for enrollments
Creating reports
Updating family information.

When: TBA
Time: TBA
Where: TBA
Open Meeting
The Open meeting is for all CEL users who have specific questions and concerns. Demonstrations on CEL use will be offered upon participant’s request. CEL users will also have an opportunity to share quick tips.

Dates To Remember
October 3, 2008
Annual CEL Mandatory Meeting
10:00 – 12:00
CCCC, 2000 24th Street, Bakersfield

Please email questions, concerns and issues you would like to discuss to jashaw@kern.org

CEL Documents

Kim Silva — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:29:31 GMT

2007 CEL Policies & Guidelines

Data Dictionary

Exclusion Report (MS Doc)

CEL Update Read Me Documents

CEL Manual

Manual 4.11

Miscellaneous

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Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 22:28:03 GMT

question

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:46:24 GMT

friends

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:41:54 GMT

friends

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:40:06 GMT

preschool pic

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:13:05 GMT

Words To Know

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:11:57 GMT

Subsidized child care - someone else (an agency or child care center) pays for part of or possibly all of the child care for your child(ren)

Gross monthly income - all of the money you receive for the month added together. Pay checks (gross not net) + cash aid + any other income = Total Gross Monthly Income.

Need Status - what you do during the day or night that prevents you from watching your child (ren) ~ Work, school, looking for a job, medically incapacitated.

Low Income - there is a maximum gross monthly income you can have to qualify for subsidized child care. (Review the table below to see if you are eligible. Look for your family size and the gross monthly income below.)

Foster/Guardian caretaker - the person who is responsible for the child(ren) in need of care.

Rank Number - each applicant receives a rank number according to family size and monthly income. Rank numbers range from 1-66. There are many families at each rank number. Your rank number does not change unless your income or family size changes.

CEL Privacy Notice

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:10:37 GMT

CCCC recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by users of the Child Care Centralized Eligibility List of Kern County. Any personal information can only be accessed by authorized and qualified agency personnel. Since security and privacy remains the primary concern of on-line consumers, CCCC uses secure server digital certificates to protect the personal information disclosed in the application form.

CEL Privacy Notice

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:10:24 GMT

Meet Our CEL Staff

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:08:53 GMT

Janet Shaw
Supervisor
jashaw@kern.org
661.861.5274

Judy Del Toro
Program Support Facilitator
judeltoro@kern.org
661.861.5301

Maria Guzman
Program Support Facilitator
maguzman@kern.org
661.861.5315

Rosa Kirkman
Program Support Facilitator
rokirkman@kern.org
661.861.5310

Norma Castillo, Clerk II
Clerk Typist II
nocastillo@kern.org
661.861.5314

Meet Our CEL Staff

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:08:46 GMT

Janet Shaw
Supervisor
jashaw@kern.org
661.861.5274

Judy Del Toro
Program Support Facilitator
judeltoro@kern.org
661.861.5301

Maria Guzman
Program Support Facilitator
maguzman@kern.org
661.861.5315

Rosa Kirkman
Program Support Facilitator
rokirkman@kern.org
661.861.5310

Dionne Rice
Clerk Typist II
dirice@kern.org
661.861.5314

Meet Our CEL Staff

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:08:22 GMT

Janet Shaw
Supervisor
jashaw@kern.org
661.861.5274

Judy Del Toro
Program Support Facilitator
judeltoro@kern.org
661.861.5301

Maria Guzman
Program Support Facilitator
maguzman@kern.org
661.861.5315

Rosa Kirkman
Program Support Facilitator
rokirkman@kern.org
661.861.5310

Dionne Rice
Clerk Typist II
dirice@kern.org
661.861.5314

Meet Our CEL Staff

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:08:08 GMT

Janet Shaw
Supervisor
jashaw@kern.org
661.861.5274

Judy Del Toro
Program Support Facilitator
judeltoro@kern.org
661.861.5301

Maria Guzman
Program Support Facilitator
maguzman@kern.org
661.861.5315

Rosa Kirkman
Program Support Facilitator
rokirkman@kern.org
661.861.5310

Dionne Rice
Clerk Typist II
dirice@kern.org
661.861.5314

Frequently Asked Questions to CEL

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:06:37 GMT

What is the centralized eligibility list?
The CEL is a list of parents who are eligible for subsidized child care services through out Kern County.

Do I qualify for subsidized child care?
You must meet low-income requirements, based on income and family size, as established by the California Department of Education—Child Development Division. For many participating agencies that access CEL, there must be a child care need based on one or more of the following:

Employment
Enrollment in school or a training program leading to employment.
Incapacitation– unable to care for your child for a part of the day.
Referral by a social service agency legally qualified professional describing a family crisis which places the child(ren) at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Half-day enrichment program for 4 year olds.

How can I get subsidized care? What happens after I apply?
After you complete and submit an application, your name is placed on the centralized eligibility list and you’re given a rank number. You will receive a confirmation letter with your rank and ID number.

Do children with exceptional needs have priority?
Some participating agency programs do give children with exceptional needs priority.

What is a rank number?
Each applicant receives a rank number according to family size and monthly income. Rank numbers range from 1-66. There are many families at each rank number. Your rank number does not change unless your income or family size changes.

Are foster children given priority?
No. Foster children tend to have a lower rank number because the countable income is only the foster care payment or the cash aid received for the child(ren).

What income sources count?
Wages, salaries, profit from self-employment, child support, general support, cash aid (TANF or CalWORKS), social security survivor benefits, worker’s compensation, disability insurance payments, pensions or annuities and veteran’s benefits.

What happens if my information changes?
Call us immediately with any change in family size, income, address, phone number.

How long is the wait?
The wait varies. It is not possible to give you a timeline. Enrollments into participating agency programs happen only when agencies have child care slots available.

Frequently Asked Questions to CEL

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:05:45 GMT

Will I be able to meet families before I enroll them?
Yes, you can still request that families visit you first before an enrollment occurs. You and the family can decide if there is a good match.

Will parents be able to pick my center when they initially apply in the centralized eligibility list?
Yes, parents will be able to select a specific child care provider. Families will also be able to indicate any needs, preferences or requirements. These may include special needs, language, type of child care, location, etc.

The CEL would include information that would make a match between the family and the child care provider easier. In addition, the CEL could inform parents and providers about other programs and services.

How will a center add a family to the list?
Each center can add a family at their site by using simple computer software or access to an internet platform. A family will still be able to visit or call your center to apply for child care. With the CEL, they would have more ways to get on the list (It has been proposed that they could apply through their own computer, a public library’s computer, by phone, through other child care providers or at other service agencies, or by mail). When there is an opening, child care providers would still need to get full information and documentation from the family to enroll the eligible children. Currently, parents have to apply at several child care providers. And some child care provider must manually enter and maintain information for many families. When an opening occurs, the process to find a new family on handwritten logs is inefficient.

Will personal information about a family be confidential and secure?
Yes. First, only authorized providers will be given information on how to access this list. Second, the most up-to-date technology can ensure the highest electronic security so that personal and private information will be safe.

Will a larger provider have an advantage from a smaller child care provider?
On the CEL, information about families is neutral unless the parent selects a certain center or provider. When any center has any opening, they can contact a family and indicate on the centralized list that the family is in a pending status. Other participating providers will agree not to contact that family during that time.

Currently, the number of families on lists maintain by several individual centers is bigger than the number of subsidized slots in county as well as any openings that occur. That is, there are more children who qualify for subsidized child care than there are available slots. All types of providers could find eligible families and keep fill openings quickly with the CEL.

Is there a way that we can search for families who are only interested in specific program types?
During the time of application entry

At the child form click on Preferences This page gives the user an opportunity to define the individual child care/ child development needs of the child.

At the Providers box-Select the programs/agencies the parent prefers services from.

At the Agencies box DO NOT USE this field. Only CEL Administration should use this function. If a parent wants to be excluded from a specific agency during an eligibility search they need to call CEL admin and complete and sign an exclusion letter.

At the Preferred Program box- Click on the pull down arrow

Select the parents preferred program type.

At the Requested Care Schedule – Select the schedule the parent needs.

How do I find families who request a specific program type?
If the families were entered correctly you will find them.

Select Eligibility Search”

At the Family Criteria tab, scroll to the right and select Child Criteria

In the right column you will see a search option Preferred Program Select the program type

Select Search

A list of children and families that requested a specific program type will appear. Remember this will only work if the specific program type is selected when the family is entered into the CEL system

Apply to the CEL of Kern County

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:03:21 GMT

Families are placed on the eligibility list and ranked according to gross monthly income (before any deductions) and family size. There is more than one family per rank number. When one of the participating agencies has an opening or funds become available to serve families, that agency will access the CEL.

To Apply

Visit any of the participating CDD child development programs and complete an application

Call 661.861.5301 or visit Community Connection for Child Care at 2000 24th Street in Bakersfield

Download the CEL application, then print out, complete, and return it to CEL, Community Connection for Child Care, 2000 24th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. The application needs to be completed in full. Any incomplete application will be returned.

English

All options will result in your child(ren) being placed on the list if you meet the eligibility requirements. However, acceptance into the CEL does not guarantee that your family will be enrolled. Before enrollment, families will be required to submit proof of need. Depending on program services, eligibility vary; usually the most needy are served first regardless of how long others have been on the list.

Please Remember

In order for any of the above agencies to contact you when child care/ child Development services become available we must be able to reach you. It is very important that you contact our office to update your application, if any information changes occur. (Example: income, family size, phone number, address etc.)

For further information or to update your application call:

661.861.5301
661.861.5310
661.861.5315
877.861.5200 (toll-free)

Meet Our Participating CDD Programs

Kim Silva — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 17:59:58 GMT

Throughout Kern County

Community Action Partnership of Kern
300 - 19th Street, Bakersfield 93301
Phone: 1.800.701.7060

Community Connection for Child Care Alternative Payment Program
2000 24th Street, Bakersfield 93301
Phone: 661.861.5200

Kern County Superintendent of Schools/Center Base Child Care
1100 Ming Ave, Bakersfield CA 93304
Phone: 661.835.7284

Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
2001 28th Street, Bakersfield 93301
Phone: 661.336.6969

Arvin

Arvin School District
737 Bear Mountain Blvd. Arvin 93203
Phone: 661.854.6500

Bakersfield

BCSD State Pre-K
815 Potomac Ave., Room 44, Bakersfield
Phone: 661.631.4936

Panama Buena Vista School District
4300 Ashe Road, Bakersfield
Phone: 661.831.8331 x 415

CCEDC “La Escuelita” Child Development
Phone: 661.809.1779

EOC SLO
5808 S. Union, Bakersfield 93307
Phone: 661.835.7642

Greenfield Union Elementary School District
1624 Fairview Rd., Bakersfield 93307
Phone: 661.837.6000

KHSD/Bakersfield Adult School
501 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., Bakersfield 93307
661.832.6642 or 835.1855

Delano

California Migrant Leadership Council
140 W. 11th Avenue, Delano 93215

California Migrant Leadership Council

Delano Learning Center

Delano Union Elementary School District
1405 12th Ave., Delano 93215
Phone: 661.721.5000

Delano Jt Un High School District
1747 Princeton Street, Delano, CA 93215
Phone: 661.720.4189

Delano Learning Center VDA Inc.
3485 W Ashcroft, Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93722
Phone: 559.228.3232

Lamont

Lamont Family Resource Center
7839 Burgundy St. Lamont, CA 93241
Phone: 661.845.2724

McFarland

McFarland Unified School District
601 Second Street, McFarland 93250
Phone: 661.792.3081

East Kern

High Desert Leapin’ Lizards
Phone: 760.446.3911

Sierra Sands Unified School District
113 Felspar, Ridgecrest 93555
Phone: 760.375.3363

Kern River Valley

Kernville Union Elementary School District Preschool
3240 Erskine Creek Road, Lake Isabella 93240
Phone: 760.379.3651

Taft

Taft College Children’s Center
29 Emmons Park Dr., Taft 93268
Phone: 661.763.7700

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Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 23:06:50 GMT

Choosing Quality Child Care

Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:05:30 GMT

web logo solo

Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:41:14 GMT

Welcome Parents!

Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:24:24 GMT

The cost of paying for child care is a major consideration for most families. Many families today are spending over half of their income toward high-quality child care programs. There are many reasons why child care can be so expensive. Some of the reasons include lower ratios of children to adults, teacher or provider qualifications, location of care, and costs of space, insurance, equipment, and special programs. Quality care for infants and toddlers can be especially expensive, due to small group sizes. Hiring an in-home caregiver tends to be the most expensive form of care, followed by centers and family child care homes.

With the CEL, parents can enroll just once by either completing a CEL application at any participating CDE agency, at CCCC or via the Internet and automatically gain access to many possible openings. The CEL's web-based database makes a family’s information available to any of Kern's CDE funded programs, eliminates duplicates and allows subsidized child development programs in the system to directly enroll and access children that are eligible for their programs.

What's New

Bakersfield City School District State Funded Pre-Kindergarten Pre-Registration Information 2008-09 (MS Doc)

Bakersfield City School District Prekinder financiado por el estado información de preinscripción para el año escolar 2008-09 (MS Doc)

Parent Toolkit

How to apply today to CEL

Child Care and Development Programs Income Rankings Chart
This chart is applicable for parents who apply for enrollment into subsidized child care services programs funded by the California Department of Education. The chart displays the family size across the top, the income ceilings for each rank up to 75 percent of state median income, and the ranks on the left-hand column, beginning with rank 1 to rank 66. Rank 1 includes families with incomes between zero and the amount identified in the rank 1 boxes. These families are at equal priority and are admitted before families in all higher ranks. To determine a family’s rank, go to the column that matches the size of the family and move down the column to the location where the family’s adjusted monthly income falls on the chart. A ruler may be helpful to track between the ranks and the income levels. For example, for a family of four with a gross monthly income of $980, locate the income amounts nearest to $980 in the column for a family size of four. In the family of four column, the family’s income ($980) is more than $968 (rank 9) and less then $1,021 (rank 10), placing this family at rank 10.

Frequently asked questions to CEL

Choosing quality child care

Participating child care programs

Words to know

Subsidized Child Development/Child Care Services in Kern County & Eligibility

Contact CEL staff

Did You Know?

When child care spaces become available, the participating agencies must move quickly to serve families so be prepared.

Always keep your application updated
Make sure the CEL has a current phone number where you can be reached or where a message can be left (don't depend on Caller ID)
Return call as soon as possible
Keep the following documents ready
Income verification (pay check stubs)

Birth certificates for all children

Immunization records for all children under the age of 5

Original Social Security Cards for all family members

Picture ID for parent

CEL Privacy Statement
CCCC recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by users of the Child Care Centralized Eligibility List of Kern County. Any personal information can only be accessed by authorized and qualified agency personnel. Since security and privacy remains the primary concern of on-line consumers, CCCC uses secure server digital certificates to protect the personal information disclosed in the application form.

Welcome CDD Partners!

Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:24:05 GMT

Partner Toolkit

CEL Documents

CEL Application & Forms

Link to the CEL database

Frequently asked questions to CEL

Participating CDD partners

Subsidized Child Development & Child Care Services in Kern County

Contact CEL staff

Did You Know?

CEL is offering a series of user trainings beginning in January 2007. Check out our CEL trainings for more information.

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Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:44:49 GMT

web logo

Kim Silva — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:42:19 GMT

email

KCSOS Webteam — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:38:28 GMT

print

KCSOS Webteam — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:38:09 GMT

What is the CEL?

KCSOS Webteam — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:05:56 GMT

The cost of paying for child care is a major consideration for most families. Many families today are spending over half of their income toward high-quality child care programs. There are many reasons why child care can be so expensive. Some of the reasons include lower ratios of children to adults, cteacher or provider qualifications, location of care, and costs of space, insurance, equipment, and special programs. Quality care for infants and toddlers can be especially expensive, due to small group sizes.

The Centralized Eligibility List (CEL) of Kern County maintains a county-wide eligibility list for subsidized child care programs funded by the California Department of Education (CDE). Traditionally, subsidized child care and development programs, Alternative Payment Programs and Head Start programs maintained their own waiting list of income-eligible families. What this meant is that if a family wanted a better chance at receiving help with their child care expenses, the family had to apply for services with all agencies. Each time there was a change to the family's file, the family would have to contact all agencies to update their file.

This dramatically simplifies the process for both the family and the child care agency, while providing the assurance that the families that are most eligible will receive child care services first. The term "eligibility" is used because families are ranked by eligibility factors for subsidized care (income, size, and other family need), not just time on the list. The CEL staff will help you in refering you to local services you may be eligible for.

When parents complete a CEL application they give basic information such as family size, income, and whether they currently receive cash aid or have ever been on a CalWORKs program. A CEL enables families to have access to all programs for which they qualify, expanding their opportunity to access subsidized care. CDE agencies can potentially pull from a wider net of eligible families.

Acceptance into the CEL does not guarantee that you will be enrolled. Before enrollment, families will be required to submit proof of need. Depending on program services, eligibility vary; usually the most needy are served first regardless of how long others have been on the list.

Now I Want To...

Return to the Parents section

Submit an application for my family for CEL services

Have my additional questions about the CEL answered

See a list of the participating child care programs

Read about choosing quality child care

Welcome to CEL!

KCSOS Webteam — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:05:54 GMT

The cost of paying for child care is a major consideration for many Kern County families. Kern County families eligible for financial assistance to cover part or all of their child care costs now have a new source of help locate child care assistance with the Child Care Centralized Eligibility List of Kern County (CEL)!

The Kern County CEL maintains a county-wide eligibility ("waiting") list for all participating subsidized child care programs allowing families to sign up for all child care subsidy programs at one time and in one place!

Benefits of the CEL

Traditionally, subsidized child care and development programs, Alternative Payment Programs and Head Start programs maintained their own waiting list of income-eligible families. What this meant is that if a family wanted a better chance at receiving help with their child care expenses, the family had to apply for services with all agencies. Each time there was a change to the family's file, the family would have to contact all agencies to update their file.

With the CEL...

Famlies can now enroll just once, at a single point, and automatically gain access to many possible openings

Families can have access to all programs for which they qualify, expanding their opportunity to access subsidized care

Participating child development programs can use the CEL to help them quickly identify the most eligible families seeking subsidized child care services to fill their vacancies

Public administrators and policy makers can make better decisions about programming and resource allocation because they have data on the supply and demand for subsidized child care

How to Apply

There are several convenient ways to apply:

Visit any of the participating CDD child development programs and complete an application
Call 661.861.5301, 661.861.5310 or 661.861.5315 or visit Community Connection for Child Care at 2000 24th Street in Bakersfield
Download the CEL application, then print out, complete, and return it to CEL of Kern County, Community Connection for Child Care, 2000 24th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Download the application here: English
All options will result in your child(ren) being placed on the list if you meet the eligibility requirements. However, acceptance into the CEL does not guarantee that your family will be enrolled. Before enrollment, families will be required to submit proof of need. Depending on program services, eligibility vary; usually the most needy are served first regardless of how long others have been on the list.

We're just a telephone call away. Give us a call at 661.861.5310 or 877.861.5200 (toll free). We're happy to help!

2008 Literacy Calendar

With the generous support of Castle & Cooke, the CEL of Kern County and CCCC Resource & Referral, the 2008 Literacy Calendar provides developmentally appropriate early learning opportunities, promotes early childhood literacy and improves children's school readiness.

Available on-line, the calendar offers parents and providers daily and weekly low-cost activities to do with infants and preschoolers of all abilities to encourage children to explore the world around them. The calendar also features literacy enrichment advice, storytelling tips, snack ideas and arts and crafts each month. Printed copies are available at the CEL of Kern County office at the Community Connection for Child Care 24th Street office. Check it out today!

Download the PDF version of the calendar