Temporary Emergency Childcare

Temporary Emergency Childcare

Temporary Emergency Childcare

Families who are essential workers or whose children are included in the “at-risk” population are eligible to enroll in Temporary Emergency Childcare, subject to availability of funds and based on prioritization. (Click here for Spanish)

Click here to apply.

Essential workers, if all of the following apply:

  • The family works as an essential worker as defined below. If the family includes a two-parent household, both parents/caregivers must either be essential workers or the other parent must be unable to provide care for the child due to incapacitation.
  • The family requires childcare to perform their essential work
  • The family is working outside of the home and is unable to work remotely
  • The family’s income does not exceed 85 percent of the State Medium Income, or the family is otherwise eligible for service.
  • The family’s assets do not exceed $1 million

“At-risk” population if both of the following apply:

  1. The parent, self-certifies a child is identified as one of the following:
    • Receiving Child Protective Services or at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation; 
    • Participating in the Emergency Childcare Bridge Program for Foster Children
    • Experiencing homelessness
    • A survivor of domestic violence
    • Has disabilities or special health care needs whose IEPs or IFSPs include ELC services
  2. The family assets do not exceed $1 million.

Prioritization

  1. At-Risk Populations
    • At-Risk Population Priority 1: Children identified as receiving Child Protective Services or at-risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
    • At-Risk Population Priority 2: Children receiving services through the Emergency Foster Care Bridge Program
    • At-Risk Population Priority 3: Families experiencing homelessness
    • At-Risk Population Priority 4: Children of domestic violence survivors
  2. Essential workers in the following sectors:
    • Essential Worker Priority 1: Healthcare/Public Health and Emergency Service sectors
    • Essential Worker Priority 2: Food and agriculture, teachers, education staff and providers of ELC services including custodial, kitchen and other support staff; workers supporting critical infrastructure, state and local government workers, communications and information technology (IT), energy, transportation and logistics, critical manufacturing, hazardous materials, financial services, and chemical sectors
    • Essential Worker Priority 3: All other fields listed on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers document, located at https://covid19.ca.gov/img/EssentialCriticalInfrastructureWorkers.pdf

Families with children with disabilities or special health care needs whose IEPs and IFSPs include ELC services.

Application Process

New families of essential workers and at-risk populations that need temporary Emergency Childcare must submit a self-certification form attesting to their basis of eligibility and need for temporary Emergency Childcare services, including their income and family size, in order to enroll in temporary Emergency Childcare.

Families shall complete and submit the Self-Certification of Eligibility for COVID-19 Emergency Childcare form for parent included in the family size. The Self-Certification of Eligibility for COVID-19 Emergency Childcare form can be accessed at:  

Self-Certification of Eligibility for COVID-19 Emergency Childcare Form

Families who are enrolled in the Temporary Emergency Childcare will be issued a letter notifying them of the enrollment in services. The notification will include the effective date of enrollment, the last date of enrollment in temporary Emergency Childcare, and the amount of any family fee assessed if applicable.