The purpose of the Individualized County Child Care Subsidy (Pilot) Program is to provide counties specified in statute the flexibility to establish policies to address local needs and priorities. Authorized counties may opt-in to the Pilot program by submitting a Pilot plan to the California Department of Education (CDE).
The table below represents counties that are authorized to participate in the Pilot program and the relevant authorizing California Education Code (EC) Sections:
| Pilot County | EC Sections |
|---|---|
| Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Diego, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma | EC 8273–8282.6 |
| San Francisco | EC 8283–8288.5 |
| San Mateo | EC 8289-8294.5 |
Legislation permits local Pilot plans to supersede state law in specific areas, such as:
- Eligibility criteria (e.g., age, family size, income level, and special needs considerations)
- Fees (e.g., family fees, sliding scale fees, and copayments)
- Reimbursement rates (e.g., higher rates and adjustment factors)
- Methods of maximizing efficient use of funds
- Families with children enrolled in part-day California State Preschool Program services, may be eligible for up to two 180-day periods within a 24-month period without the family being certified as a new enrollment each year.
Common policies that Pilot counties can request to opt-in to are listed in the Pilot Template. However, statute allows counties the ability to develop unique policies that fit their needs based on the provisions of statute. Counties using these flexibilities must be able to demonstrate their need and that they will increase access to care to reach a greater number of families eligible to be served by Early Education Division (EED) funds.