CDSS – CDMIS User Manual; Appendix D: FAQs

When can I use the “CDD-801A Input/Edit” function of the CDSS – CDMIS?

The CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal is always available for agencies to submit the CDD-801A. However, agencies cannot submit data for future report periods as reporting rules require that agencies submit information based on days of enrollment claimed for fiscal reimbursement purposes through agencies’ contracts.

How do I know if my information has been successfully saved to the CDSS – CDMIS database?

Complete family, child, and provider information free of data quality errors is automatically saved to the CDSS – CDMIS database. The text “Family data has been saved” is displayed at the top of the family record and indicates that the family record has been successfully saved to the database.

Can I view information submitted by my agency for previous report periods?

Agencies may view previously submitted CDD-801As by utilizing the “Management Reports” function located in the “CDD-801A” drop-down menu. The following management reports are available to agencies who use the CDD-801A Input/Edit function to submit the CDD-801A:

• CDD-801A Submission Report: This report displays all families included in the CDD-801A submission in a specified report period and agency/sub-agency.
• CDD-801A Submission Export: This report displays all families included in the CDD-801A submission in a specified report period and agency/sub-agency, exportable in multiple formats.
• CDD-801A Program Code Report: This report displays child count by Program Code included in the CDD-801A submission in a specified report period and agency/sub-agency.

I am trying to submit the CDD-801A using the “CDD-801A Input/Edit” function but am receiving the error message, “The selected report month/year cannot be the current month/year or later. CDD-801A data cannot be entered for this report month/year.” Why am I receiving this message?

Agencies cannot submit data for future report periods as reporting rules require that agencies submit information based on days of enrollment claimed for fiscal reimbursement purposes through agencies’ contract. Agencies receive the error message when trying to access a report period that has not yet opened.

For example, in March 2023, an agency tries to submit the CDD-801A for April 2023; however, the agency is unable to do so as the April 2023 month has not yet passed. An agency may submit the CDD-801A for April 2023 beginning on May 1, 2023.

I am trying to copy forward information from a previous report month; however, I receive the error message, “The Cut-Off Date for entering CDD-801A data for the selected report month/year has passed. CDD-801A data may no longer be copied to the selected report month/year.” What does this mean? How do I access data from this report period?

An agency is trying to access data for a locked report period. Once a report period is locked, agencies can no longer access data submitted for that report period to revise or copy forward.

The CDD-801A is locked typically 90 days after the reporting period. A schedule of lock dates can be found on the CDSS – CDMIS Support Page.

Do we still need to copy data forward if we use the electronic file upload method?

Not necessarily. If all of the services data for your agency is included in the file upload, there is no need to continue copying data forward. Simply upload the file with your services data each month to fulfill your reporting requirements.

If you would like to add children from previous report months who are not included in your file upload, you may copy them forward to add them to your CDD-801A report for a given report period.

What do I do if I accidentally copy a family forward?

If a family is incorrectly reported in a given report month, you may select the checkbox near the family name on the CDD-801A Input/Edit screen. Select the button "Delete Checked Families" to remove them from the report month.

What is the difference between the family start date, the child start date, and the services date?

The family start date is the first date any child in the family is scheduled to begin receiving services.

The child start date is the first date the child is scheduled to begin receiving services by your agency.

The services date is the first date the child is scheduled to begin receiving services in a particular program.

Example A: If a child began receiving services in a CCTR on 8/1/2022, and returned to the CCTR for a second school year beginning 8/1/2023, their services date would remain 8/1/2022 because they are still in the same CCTR.

Example B: If a child began receiving services in a C2AP on 8/1/2022 and was moved to a school-age General Child Care and Development (CCTR) program the next school year beginning 8/1/2023, their services date would change to 8/1/2023 because it is the child's first day in the new CCTR program. The family start date and child start date would not change.

Can I email my agency's file to the CDSS?

No. The CDSS does not accept files via email. Email is not a secure form of communication; never use email to send files that contain confidential information (e.g., Social Security Numbers [SSNs]). Agencies must transfer the file by using the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal. In certain circumstances, CDSS – CDMIS Support may request a file to be uploaded to a secure Electronic File Transfer System. Instructions will be provided at that time.

Can I send a diskette, CD, or USB with my agency's file to the CDSS?

No. The CDSS does not accept diskettes, CDs, or USBs. Agencies must transfer the file by using the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal.

Can I download a file from the CDMIS?

Yes. The CDD-801A Submission Export report, which is available via the CDD-801A Management Reports function, allows agencies to export one month of data into an Excel spreadsheet and save that file onto a computer.

How do I know if someone else in my agency has already transferred a file for a report month?

Each time a user attempts to submit a file using the CDD-801A Electronic File Transfer function, the CDSS – CDMIS checks to see if data already exists for that report period. If data already exists, a screen is displayed asking for confirmation to accept the file and overwrite the existing data in the selected report period or cancel the transfer. If there is no data in the report period, the file is accepted, and the user can check the status of the file the next day.

When I format the file, do I put quotation marks around the character fields?

No. Do not use quotation marks before and after character fields. The only delimiters allowed in the file are tabs (to separate fields) and CR/LF (to indicate the end of a row).

If I use the file transfer once, do I then have to use the file transfer every month after that?

No. For subsequent report periods, agencies can manually enter data (via the CDD-801A Input/Edit function) directly into the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal. For example, agencies can do a one-time electronic file transfer to load all of their data into the CDSS – CDMIS. For the next report month, agencies can use the "Copy forward" button available within the CDD-801A Input/Edit function to copy data to a subsequent report period. After the data is copied to the new report period, agencies can edit the data by using the data entry screens.

Can I use the file transfer option whenever I want?

The CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal is always available for agencies to submit the CDD-801A. However, agencies cannot submit data for future report periods as reporting rules require that agencies submit information based on days of enrollment claimed for fiscal reimbursement purposes through agencies’ contracts.

Can I transfer a partial file now and transfer the rest later?

No. Each time agencies (successfully) transfer a file, existing data in the database for the given report period is erased. The transfer file replaces all currently existing data.

The only way for agencies to submit data in multiple files is to establish sub-agencies, but those sub-agencies must contain different groups of families.

How do I change the information I already transferred? I need to add, edit, and delete data.

Agencies have two options:

• Use the data entry screens on the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal (i.e., utilize the “CDD-801A Input/Edit” function) to correct the information (this may be easier if agencies only need to make a few changes), or
• Make corrections to the file and upload the corrected file to the CDSS – CDMIS. (For the report period, all currently existing information is erased and the information contained in the new file is loaded into the database.)

Help! I transferred a file with wrong information. How do I delete all of the data in the file?

Agencies have two options:

• Use the data entry screens on the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal (i.e., utilize the “CDD-801A Input/Edit” function) to delete all of the information, or
• Create a new file that contains correct information and upload the corrected file to the CDSS – CDMIS. When the file passes, all currently existing information is erased and the information contained in the new file is loaded into the database.

What happens to the file I transferred?

The file is processed in three steps:

1. The file is immediately stored on the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal.
2. The file process begins at 2:45 a.m. the following morning.
   • If processing is successful, the information in the file is transferred to the database.
   • If processing is not successful, none of the information in the file is transferred to the database.
3. A processing status report is created and stored (permanently) on the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal.

How do I know if my file transfer was successful?

The CDD-801A Electronic File Status Report will indicate the “File Status.” If the File Status says "Passed, Loaded to database," the file has no error messages and the families and children in that file have been added to the report period and can be viewed in the database the following day. If the File Status says "Failed, Not loaded to database," the file has error messages, and the families and children were not added to the report period.

If one sub-agency uses the file transfer function, does the other one have to?

No. Every sub-agency is completely independent of any other sub-agency.

Can I switch from file transfer to web input (or vice versa) anytime?

Yes.

When I look at my transfer file, the data wraps into lots of rows. Did I do something wrong?

When printing or displaying an import file, long records may wrap around the screen or page for multiple “lines.” These are still considered single rows (records) if the end-of-line characters CR/LF appears after the last field.

Do I have to give my electronic file a special name before I transfer it to CDSS – CDMIS?

No. The CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal accepts files with any name. For agencies’ convenience, the CDSS – CDMIS Support recommends that agencies indicate the report period in files’ names.

My agency uses a software package to create the CDD-801A. Can I transfer that file to the CDSS – CDMIS Web Portal?

Agencies that use software created by vendors can submit files if the software has been updated with the file format specifications detailed in Appendix C: Creating Electronic Files. For more information, consult the specific vendor.

I forgot to report some families when I transferred the last report period’s electronic file. Can I just include those families in my file for next report period?

No. Files must contain information for only one report period. If agencies try to transfer a file with information for more than one report period, the entire file will be rejected. To add just a few families to a prior month, use the "CDD-801A Input/Edit" function.

What is a FIPS code and how do I find it?

FIPS stands for Federal Information Processing Standards. In California, FIPS codes are assigned by county. If the county is known, the FIPS code can be found on the CCD-26, Confidential Application for Child Development Services and Certification of Eligibility.

For residents of contiguous states, the FIPS code is the two-digit state code followed by three numbers associated with the counties in those states. The CDSS – CDMIS maintains a “Zip/FIPS Lookup” function that can be accessed from the “Resources” drop down menu. Select the zip code in this function; the City, FIPS Code and County are displayed to enter in files.

I used a spreadsheet to create my electronic file. When I try to transfer it, the transfer fails. Help!

Four common problems when using a spreadsheet are as follows:

1. Problem: Agencies include column headings at the top of the spreadsheet and enter data into the rows underneath. The database is unable to read the header row, so the file is rejected.
   Solution: Remove the header row from the spreadsheet before saving the spreadsheet as a tab-delimited text file.
2. Problem: When the spreadsheet application creates the tab-delimited text file, it adds delimiters to the file. For example, quotation marks may be inserted around text fields.
   Solution: Remove any additional characters from the file.
3. Problem: When agencies type a leading zero (“0”) in some entries, the spreadsheet application ignores the 0. For example, agencies enter "04" (i.e., licensed center-based care) as the type of child care, but the spreadsheet drops the "0" and displays only the "4."
   Solution: Format the column in the spreadsheet as a "text" column rather than a number column or use custom formatting for the column and enter the format type as “00” so the leading zero is not dropped.
4. Problem: When agencies enter a date into the spreadsheet, the spreadsheet changes the format. For example, agencies enter "04/06/2012," but the spreadsheet displays "4/6/2012."
   Solution: Format the column in the spreadsheet as a "text" column rather than a number column or use custom formatting for the column and enter the format type as “mm/dd/yyyy” so leading zeros are not dropped.

Our program director is leaving at the end of the month and we have not found a replacement for him/her yet. Who do we enter as the program director until we find someone?

Contact the agency’s consultant. The agency’s consultant will provide instruction on who to list as the interim program director until a permanent replacement is found.

Our new program director doesn't have an email address of his/her own yet. Whose email can we use until we establish one for him/her with our agency?

Agencies can temporarily use the email address of any agency staff as long as it can be guaranteed that emails received by them for the program director will be provided to the program director promptly. It is important that the program director's email address is updated as soon as it is available as the CDSS – CDMIS will use this information to contact the program director.

I made some changes to our program director's information and realized what I entered was wrong. The Status column says "Edited – Pending." Can I make more changes or do I have to wait until the changes I initially submitted are approved?

As long as the "Edit" button is displayed, agencies can make and submit changes for any program director.

We used to provide services to children through some licensed family child care homes, but we now only provide services at licensed centers. I tried to change the numbers to zero (0) but I keep getting an error message saying I can't enter zero. What do I do?

If an agency used to have FCCHs associated with a contract but no longer use them, the agency must remove the FCCH completely by selecting the "Delete" button to the right of that contract.

Note: For CCTR contracts, before agencies can delete a CCTR contract that is currently listed on the Add/Edit FCCH Information screen, agencies must ensure the contract is assigned to at least one site to indicate where subsidized child care services are provided. If the CCTR contract is only listed on the Add/Edit FCCH Information screen, agencies will not be able to delete the CCTR contract until it is assigned to at least one site.

We only have a CCTR contract and only provide services to children in licensed family child care homes. We have a site listed but realize that the site is only an administrative address shouldn't be listed as a site as no children actually receive services there. What should we do?

Ensure that the CCTR contract is listed on the Add/Edit FCCH Information screen. If it is, delete the site from the Add/Edit Offices, Sites or FCCHs screen; select the "Delete" button displayed to the right of the site and confirm the deletion. If the "Delete" button is not displayed cancel any pending changes made to the site by selecting the “Cancel Changes” button. (The "Delete" button is hidden when there are pending changes.) Next, select “Add a New Site or Office” and choose “Family Childcare Home” from the Facility Type options. Ensure the information entered is where the child care service is being provided. New sites or offices are pending consultant approval.

My agency has both CCTR and CMIG contracts. In providing services under our contracts, we have both licensed centers and family child care homes where the children receive services. Do we include those children served in family child care homes under the number of children served by age group under our site information?

No. Information reported is based on the location at which children receive subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract. Report the number of children receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract at the center (site) for the CCTR contract.

To report the children who received subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract in a licensed FCCH, navigate to the FCCH Information screen and add the CCTR contract (or update it if it is already listed). Enter the total number of homes being used to serve children under that contract as well as the number of children served by age group.

I have added a new site we began operating last month, but when I try to add our new contract to that site, I don't see it in the list of contracts we have. Why isn't it there?

Contracts only appear in the list of agency’s available contracts after the Contracts Office has mailed the contract to the agency. This may take time and is dependent upon where an agency's contract is in the Contract’s Office process. All questions pertaining to an agency’s contract should be directed to the agency’s Fiscal Analyst.

Our agency has C2AP, C3AP, and CCTR contracts. All our administrative offices are located at one building and that building includes one of our centers where services are provided to children under our CCTR contract. In addition, we have additional facilities where CCTR contracts fund services to children. Can we list all the contracts that all share the same building under one site?

No. Even though all of the contracts are administered in the same facility, two different functions occur and need to be teased out. For the C2AP and C3AP contracts, the agency would report the facility as an office (Facility Type column should say "Office"). The C2AP and C3AP contracts should be assigned to that office.

For the CCTR contracts, the agency would report the facility as a site (Facility Type column should say "Center-Based Site"). The CCTR contract should be assigned to that site.

The other facilities at which subsidized child care services are provided through the agency’s CCTR contract would be listed as individual center-based sites with each applicable contract assigned to it.

What is data encryption and why do we care?

Encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plaintext) using an algorithm (called a cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a "key." Encryption prevents eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery.

Data encryption "scrambles" the information sent over the Internet so that only the computer it is intended for can read it. The hacker can still intercept your data file, but, because of the encryption, the information it contains cannot be read or used by him/her.

128-bit encryption provides a significantly greater amount of cryptographic protection than 40-bit encryption. Roughly speaking, 128-bit encryption is 309,485,009,821,345,068,724,781,056 times stronger than 40-bit encryption. 40-bit encryption is not considered "strong" security in the cryptographic community.

Accordingly, 128-bit data encryption has become the standard for securing sensitive information on the Internet.

Online banking and many other forms of Internet traffic rely upon secure communications. Since the Internet is a public network, sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and banking information, must be protected from prying eyes. One way to protect data is to encrypt it.

Without data encryption, secure communication over the Internet is impossible. When information is sent over the Internet, it travels on public lines, which are potentially accessible to anyone. This means that private and sensitive information can be intercepted and used by any hacker who knows how to do so.

Why does the CDSS require 128-bit encryption?

For security purposes, the CDSS requires that users have one of the highest levels of browser encryption currently available when accessing or sending sensitive information.

This strong encryption enables you to make secure transactions.

If the browser supports the higher the level of encryption, it is more difficult for an outside party to break the communication code.

What can I do to protect my privacy over the Internet?

Do protect your user name and password. It is your access key to your Internet account.

Do clear the cache of your browser after visiting secure sites. Browsers generally cache, or locally store, images of pages you have downloaded to enhance performance. By clearing your cache after visiting secure sites, you ensure no one else can view any confidential information you may have transmitted.

Do use quality anti-virus and anti-spyware programs and update them regularly.

Do not reveal your user name and password to anyone.

Do not use passwords that incorporate your name, telephone number, address, or birthday, or those of any close friend or relative.

Do not leave your computer unattended while logged on to the data collection website (if you do, your session will time out after 30 minutes).

Do not leave your computer unattended while logged on to the data collection website (if you do, your session will time out after 30 minutes).

Do not send privileged information via email (e.g., Social Security Numbers, user names, passwords, etc.).

What is the CDSS doing to protect my privacy on the web?

The CDSS uses the most recent security technology to give you the highest level of data protection available. Our security encryption "scrambles" the information that you type so that it can only be read and used by you and the CDSS, and not any unauthorized eyes while in transit on the Internet. To take full advantage of this security you need a browser capable of 128-bit encryption. Before you can access and use the data collection website, you must upgrade your browser.

What else is the CDSS doing to protect my privacy on the web?

The CDSS will automatically lock you out of the data collection website if there has not been any activity for 30 minutes.

The CDSS has implemented firewalls. Firewalls are "electronic boundaries" that prevent unauthorized users from accessing certain files.

The CDSS regularly monitors our internal systems. We keep up-to-date with current security and encryption technology as it becomes available.

Where is my information stored when I enter my user name and password?

Your user name will be stored as a session variable on your computer when you first enter your user name, and it will remain there while you are browsing through the Internet.

If you close the instance of your browser or if you do not use the browser for more than one hour, your user name will be erased from the memory.

How do I know if I am on a secure web page?

A secure web page has the "https" prefix to identify it as a secure web address; many people are aware that the “s” has a special meaning when it comes to security. The "s" means that when accessing that particular website, all web traffic between your web browser and the website uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), a special protocol. If anyone manages to intercept the message, all they will see is gibberish.

In addition, a lock icon will be displayed in the bottom status bar of your browser. This indicates that the data being transferred between your computer and the website is encrypted.

Firewalls, what should I know about them?

A firewall protects one or more computers with Internet connections from access by external computers connected to the Internet. In other words, it controls access between the CDSS's computers and outside Internet users.

A firewall is a network configuration, usually created by hardware and software that forms a boundary between networked computers within the firewall from those outside the firewall. The computers within the firewall are a secure subnet with internal access capabilities and shared resources not available to the computers on the outside. Often, a single machine atop the firewall is allowed access to both internal and external computers. Since the computer atop the firewall is directly interacting with the Internet, strict security measures against unwanted access from external computers are required.

A firewall is commonly used to protect information such as a network's email and data files within a physical building or organization site.

A firewall reduces the risk of intrusion by unauthorized people from the Internet, however, the same security measures may limit or require special software for those inside the firewall who wish to access information on the outside.