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Our Program » State Program Qualifications

State Program Qualifications

PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS & GUIDELINES:

(For State Preschool Programs ONLY)


ENROLLMENT PROCESS:  (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

Parents will be notified by mail, phone, or personally by the early childhood office in regards to the enrollment process.  Children enrolling for the TCSD Preschool Program must be 3 or 4 years of age no later than December 2.  Priority is given to 4 year old students.  As part of the enrollment process, parents are required to complete the TCSD Preschool application and bring all required documents (birth certificate, child custody/court documents, adoption documents, foster care placement records, current physical, proof of residence, and all current immunizations).  The decision to approve or deny services shall be communicated through a Notice of Action handed to the parent or mailed.  When applicants exceed available spaces, families will be placed on the Eligibility/Wait list.  Families are selected, lowest income rank first as identified on the CDE income rank schedule.


NOTIFICATION OF PARENTS’ RIGHTS/PERSONAL RIGHTS: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

Each family will be given a Notice of Parents’ Rights and Personal Rights.  The parents will be required to sign a receipt of the forms and the forms will be placed in the child’s file.  Each of the forms will be posted on the Parent Bulletin board in each classroom.  The law prohibits discrimination or retaliation against any child or parent/guardian that chooses their right to inspect the facility or to file a complaint against the facility.


The law authorizes the person in charge to deny access to parent/guardian if:

  • The parent/guardian is behaving in a way that poses a risk to children in the facility or
  • The adult is a non-custodial parent, and/or legal paperwork is not on file.

 

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

The parent is responsible for providing documentation of the family’s total countable income and the contractor is required to verify the information as described below.  The parent(s) shall document total countable income for all the individuals counted in the family size.  Eligibility is as follows:

  1. Family has a child who is at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or receiving child protective services through the county welfare department.
  2. Family is homeless
  3. Family is a cash aid recipient
  4. Family is income eligible.

FAMILY SIZE: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

The size of the family, or composition of the family size, is initially determined by the number of adults and children that the applicant parent presents to TCSD and who are identified on the application.  “Family” means the parents and children, under the age of 18 for whom the parents are responsible, who comprise the household in which the child receiving services is living.  For purposes of income eligibility determination, when a child and his/her siblings are living in a family that does not include their biological or adoptive parent, “family” shall be considered the child and related siblings.


BIRTH RECORD FOR EACH CHILD COUNTED IN THE FAMILY SIZE: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

The number of children shall be documented by providing one of the following documents as applicable:

  • Birth certificates:  one for each child in the household
  • Court orders regarding child custody
  • Adoption documents
  • Records of foster care placements
  • School or medical records
  • County welfare department records
  • Other reliable documents documenting the relationship of the child to the parent.

 

SELF-CERTIFICATION, ABSENT PARENT & SINGLE PARENT STATUS: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

If only one parent has signed the application of enrollment in child care services, and the birth record information for the children counted in the family size indicates that there is a second parent who has not signed the application, the parent who signed the application shall self-certify single parent status under penalty of perjury.  The parent who has signed the application shall not be required to submit additional information documenting the presence or absence of the second parent.


PARENT APPEAL INFORMATION: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

Whenever an agency makes changes to child care services, TCSD must notify parent by providing a Notice of Action (NOA).  The NOA will inform you of the type of action taken, the reasons for the action, and the date when the action shall take effect.  Parent must file a notice of appeal within ten (10) days from the date the NOA is given, or 14 days if mailed to the parent.  Your NOA provides you with specific instructions for appealing an action.  Please keep a copy of your NOA.  If a parent disagrees with the local hearing appeal decision, the parent may appeal for the state review of the local hearing decision.  The Parent Appeal Information Pamphlet provides information regarding the two levels of appeal as described above.  Please see your NOA for specific instructions on how to appeal.


TERMINATION OF ENROLLMENT: (State Preschool Programs ONLY)

The following conditions are cause for termination of a child’s enrollment in preschool:

  • Not following policies or procedures outlined in the Preschool Program guidelines/handbook; 
  • Concealed facts or fraudulent and/or misleading information supplied to program;
  • Failure to sign all required forms and documents
  • Excessive (7-10) unexcused absences, and failure to comply with a consultation/attendance agreement created between district/parent as a means to improve attendance;
  • Parent or guardian who physically, sexually, and/or verbally harass’ staff, other parents, learners, and/or children (unless parent authorized another adult to drop off/pick up their child)