Palomar College is able to provide the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) for qualifying families through a contract with the California Department of Education (CDE). Any family interested in CSPP services must fill out a waitlist application.
To receive CSPP services, children shall be three or four years old (according to the definitions below), live in the State of California (unless identified as homeless), and meet the eligibility criteria listed below.
- CSPP-eligible four-year-old children are defined as children who have their fourth birthday on or before December 1 of the fiscal year* they are being served.
- CSPP-eligible three-year-old children are defined as children who have their third birthday on or before December 1 of the fiscal year* they are being served. Children who turn three on or after December 2 of the fiscal year*, may be enrolled in CSPP on or after their third birthday.
- CSPP-eligible five-year-old children who will have their fifth birthday on or before September 1 of the fiscal year* and who were receiving full-day services as a CSPP eligible four-year-old on or before June 30, may remain in a CSPP program until they start Kindergarten, but no later than September 30.
*Fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30. The ECELS follows the fiscal year.
Eligibility Criteria
For families seeking both full and part-day subsidized services, the family (or child) must qualify based on one of the following eligibility requirements:
- The family is a current aid recipient
- The family is income-eligible (see current ranking table)
- The family is experiencing homelessness
- The child is a recipient of child protective services or has been identified as being abused, neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or exploited
- The child has a disability; only the children with a disability may enroll under this eligibility category
- Families who have a member of their household who is certified to receive benefits from one of the following:
- Medi-Cal
- CalFresh,
- The California Food Assistance Program
- The California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- The Federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Head Start/Early Head Start
- CalWORKs
- The family has an income that is no more than 15 percent above the income eligibility threshold; this allowance is limited to 10 percent of the total contract
In addition to the eligibility requirement above, if a family is seeking full-day services, they must also have a need for full-day services. Both parents, or one parent if applying as a single parent, must meet one of the following need eligibility categories.
- Child Protective Services
- At-Risk
- Employment/Self-Employment
- Educational Programs: ELL Courses, GED/HSE Certificate, or High School Diploma
- Training toward Vocational Goal
- Seeking Employment
- Family Experiencing Homelessness
- Seeking Permanent Housing
- Parental Incapacity
When space is available based on the admission priorities below, we will contact the family via email or phone. It is the family’s responsibility to inform the ECELS of any changes to their contact information. If you are contacted by the ECELS, it is the family’s responsibility to respond to the offer of space. Upon enrollment, families will need to provide documentation of eligibility and need (if applicable) as requested to determine eligibility. Depending on the family size and income, reduced family fees may apply.
Requirements for funded services are based on California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 5 and the CDE program requirements for the CSPP. While every attempt has been made to align our policies with the most current regulations from the above mentioned entities, if there is a discrepancy, CCR 5 and CDE/CSPP regulations supersede the information provided here.
Please note, we do not have funded services available to children who do not qualify for CSPP. If your child is too young to receive services, we suggest applying for alternate funding through the Central Eligibility List. Our San Marcos site accepts alternate funding sources that can help families pay tuition fees (for example, CDA, YMCA, TANF, etc.). To ensure that we can best serve your family, when a space becomes available, please let us know if you are approved for funding through one of the above mentioned agencies.
Admission Priorities
Admission to the CSPP is divided into three categories, children with exceptional needs, children of current Palomar College students, then children of community families. Within each category, the admission priorities below will apply.
Admission Priorities – Full-Day (need-based) Program
- The first priority for services shall be given to three-year-old or four-year-old children who are recipients of child protective services or who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral from a legal, medical, or social service agency, without regard to income. If the ECELS is unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the family shall be referred to local resource and referral services to locate services for the child.
- The second priority for services shall be given to all three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs, regardless of income up to the set-aside percentage. After the set-aside is met, children with exceptional needs will be enrolled in income ranking order (lowest first).
- The third priority for services shall be given to eligible three- and four-year-old children who are not enrolled in a state-funded transitional kindergarten (TK) program. Children shall be enrolled in the following order:
- Eligible children with the lowest income according to the income ranking on the most recent schedule of income ceiling eligibility table shall be enrolled first.
- If two or more families have the same income ranking according to the most recent schedule of income ceiling eligibility table, the child that has a primary home language other than English shall be enrolled first.
- If there are no families with a child that has a primary home language other than English, the child that has been on the waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first.
- The fourth priority, after all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled, shall be children from families whose income is no more than 15 percent above the eligibility income threshold. Children from families enrolled under this exception may not exceed 10 percent of the ECELS’ total contract enrollment. Within this priority category, priority shall be given to three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs interested in enrolling beyond those already enrolled in the percent of funded enrollment set aside pursuant to Section 8208, then to four-year-old children before three-year-old children without exceptional needs.
After all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled in the first through fourth priority categories, the contractor may enroll the children in the following order:
- The contractor may enroll three- and four-year-old children from families that meet eligibility criteria without having a need for services. Within this priority, contractors shall enroll families in income ranking order, lowest to highest, and within income ranking order, enroll four-year-old children before three-year-old children.
- A California preschool program site operating within the attendance boundaries of a qualified free and reduced-priced meals school, in accordance with Section 8217, may enroll any three– and four-year-old children whose families reside within the attendance boundary of the qualified elementary school. These children shall, to the extent possible, be enrolled by lowest to highest income.
After all families have been enrolled in the priorities above, the ECELS shall enroll children with disabilities that are not income eligible and have not been enrolled pursuant to any of the priorities above.
Admission Priorities – Part-Day Program
- The first priority for services shall be given to three-year old or four-year-old children who are recipients of child protective services or who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral from a legal, medical, or social service agency, without regard to income. If the ECELS is unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the family shall be referred to local resource and referral services to locate services for the child.
- The second priority for services shall be given to all three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs, regardless of income up to the set-aside percentage. After the set-aside is met, children with exceptional needs will be enrolled in income ranking order (lowest first).
- The third priority for services shall be given to eligible three- and four-year-old children who are not enrolled in a state-funded transitional kindergarten (TK) program. Children shall be enrolled in the following order:
- Eligible children with the lowest income according to the income ranking on the most recent schedule of income ceiling eligibility table shall be enrolled first.
- If two or more families have the same income ranking according to the most recent schedule of income ceiling eligibility table, the child that has a primary home language other than English shall be enrolled first.
- If there are no families with a child that has a primary home language other than English, the child that has been on the waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first.
- The fourth priority, after all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled, shall be children from families whose income is no more than 15 percent above the eligibility income threshold. Children from families enrolled under this exception may not exceed 10 percent of the ECELS’ total contract enrollment. Within this priority category, priority shall be given to three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs interested in enrolling beyond those already enrolled in the percent of funded enrollment set aside pursuant to Section 8208, then to four-year-old children before three-year-old children without exceptional needs.
After all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled in the first through fourth priority categories, the ECELS may enroll the children in the following order:
- A California preschool program site operating within the attendance boundaries of a qualified free and reduced priced meals school, in accordance with Section 8217, may enroll any three– and four-year-old children whose families reside within the attendance boundary of the qualified elementary school. These children shall, to the extent possible, be enrolled by lowest to highest income.
- Children enrolling in the California State Preschool Program to provide expanded learning and care to transitional kindergarten or kindergarten pupils, pursuant to EC Section 48000(I).
After all families have been enrolled in the priorities above, the ECELS shall enroll children with disabilities that are not income eligible and have not been enrolled pursuant to any of the priorities above.
Please refer to the ECELS Family Handbook for additional information regarding funding requirements.
The Early Childhood Education Lab School is operated on a non-discriminatory basis, giving equal treatment and access to services, without regard to race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, or ancestry.
The school policy states, “Program services and activities for enrolled families shall refrain from religious instruction, worship or practices.”
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Palomar Community College District Early Childhood Education Lab School welcomes the enrollment of children with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodation whenever possible to aid access to and participation in services programs, facilities, and activities.