Child Middle Initial
The Child Middle Initial information field indicates the middle initial of the child receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the Early Education Division (EED).
Where to Find It
On the ELCD-9600, look in the box “Full Name of Child Including Middle Initial” in Section IV: Data on Children.
Rules and Guidelines
- This information field is optional but recommended if available.
- The maximum length of this field is one character.
- Do not enter a period after the middle initial.
- Special instructions for foster children: Enter the Child Middle Initial. If there is more than one foster child in the family receiving subsidized child care services, enter the middle initial of the oldest child receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the EED. The first name, last name, and middle initial of the oldest child must be the same as the Head-of-Household (HoH) First Name, Last Name, and Middle Initial.
Error Messages and Solutions
- A valid child’s middle initial must be one letter. [801A File Transfer], [801A Web Input], [801B]
Problem: A period (.) or more than one letter in the middle initial field is entered. A period (.) is not a valid middle initial. More than one letter is not a valid middle initial.
Solution: Delete the period (.) or extra letter(s) from the middle initial. Leave this blank if there is no middle initial.
- When the family size is the same as the number of children reported, the oldest child must be listed as the Head-of-Household. The first name, last name, and middle initial of the oldest child reported and those of the Head-of-Household must be the same. [801A Electronic File Transfer], [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: The number of children reported for this family is the same as the family size indicated. This indicates the family size used to determine income eligibility is made up of only children. In these cases, the oldest child reported must be listed as the HoH.
Solution: Verify the family size and children listed for this family. If the family size represents only the children receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the EED, change the HoH’s name (first, middle initial, and last) to match the oldest child’s name (first, middle initial, and last).
- When the answer to “Is the Head-of-Household Single?” is “Child is head-of-household” and “Family Size” is greater than “1,” the oldest Child Middle Initial and the Head-of-Household Middle Initial must be the same. [801B only]
Problem: The question "Is this Head-of-Household Single?" is answered as “Child is Head-of-Household,” but the HoH’s name for the family does not match the oldest child’s (or only child’s) name. For CDD-801A reporting purposes, when only the children receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the EED are counted in determining family size, the HoH’s name must be the same as the name of the oldest child (or only child) reported.
Solution: Confirm that the HoH Last Name and oldest Child Last Name are entered correctly. Also confirm that the child is a foster child. If the child is a foster child, ensure that the HoH Last Name and the oldest Child Last Name are the same. If the child is not a foster child, change the answer to the question “Is the Head-of-Household Single?” accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I don't know the middle initial for the child. She or he doesn't have one.
If the child’s middle initial is not known, leave the field blank. Although this is an optional field, due to the high volume of duplicate names, it is advisable to request and report the middle initial of all children receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the EED. This provides a method for agencies and the California Department of Education (CDE) to distinguish families and children across agencies
Return to Appendix A: Data Definitions