Continued and Expansion Funding Application Fiscal Year 2026-27

Continued and Expansion Funding Application (CEFA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 information, forms, and instructions for contractors.

Due: Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., December 19, 2025.

Contractors who intend to continue services into the next contract year are required to submit a completed CEFA to the CDSS. Failure to complete a CEFA constitutes notification of a contractor's intent to discontinue services at the end of the current contract period.

Please note that contractors have no vested right to a subsequent contract.

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning with FY 2026-27, the CEFA application will include an Interest in Expansion section specifically for existing CCTR contractors to express interest in expansion funding, subject to availability. Please click here for eligibility criteria for expansion funding.

Contractors will be prompted to identify their program types. If General Child Care and Development (CCTR) is selected, contractors will be asked if they are interested in expansion funding.

Contract Terminations: Contractors may terminate their contract for any reason during the contract term. Please click here for instructions on contract terminations.

Please click here for Frequently Asked Questions relating to the CEFA.

Program Questions: If you have questions regarding the CEFA, please contact your Program Quality and Improvement Branch (PQIB) Consultant or contact the Child Care and Development Division by email at CEFA@dss.ca.gov or by phone at 916-639-7940.

The following table provides links to instructional materials for the CEFA.

The following table provides links to the CEFA and additional attachments.

Contract Terminations: Contractors may terminate the contract for any reason during the contract term. The contractor must notify the CCDD of their intent to terminate the contract at least ninety (90) calendar days prior to the date the contractor intends to terminate the contract. The notification must be on the contractor’s official letterhead and signed by an agency representative authorized to sign contract documents. This notification letter must be sent to the contractor’s assigned PQIB Consultant. Within fifteen (15) days from the date the contractor notifies the CCDD of its intent to terminate the contract, the contractor shall submit:

1. A current inventory of equipment purchased in whole or in part with contract funds; and
2. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of all families served by the contract and all staff members funded by the contract.
3. Family Child Care Home and Alternative Payment program contractors shall also submit the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all providers of subsidized services funded by the contract.

Upon receipt of a notice of intent to terminate, the CCDD will transfer the program to another agency as soon as practicable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who is required to submit a Continued and Expansion Funding Application (CEFA)?
   Existing contractors that have a direct contract with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to provide the contract program types listed below and that intend to continue services into the next contract year are required to submit a CEFA.
   • General Child Care and Development Programs (CCTR)
   • California Family Child Care Home Education Networks (CFCC)
   • Programs for Children with Severe Disabilities (CHAN)
   • Migrant Child Care and Development Programs (CMIG)
   • Migrant Child Care Alternative Payment Programs (CMAP)
   • California Alternative Payment Programs (CAPP)
   • CalWORKs Stage 2 (C2AP)
   • CalWORKs Stage 3 (C3AP)
   • Resource and Referral Programs (CRRP)
2. When is the CEFA due?
   The CEFA must be submitted online to the CCDD on or before 11:59 p.m., December 19, 2025.
3. What is new for the CEFA this year?
   Beginning with FY 2026-27 application, the Continued Funding Application has transitioned to the CEFA, which includes an Interest in Expansion section specifically for existing CCTR contractors to express interest in expansion funding, subject to availability.
   
   Agencies will be prompted to identify their program types. If General Child Care and Development (CCTR) is selected, agencies will be prompted to answer if they are interested in expansion funding.
4. What is the eligibility criteria for expansion funding? 
   The eligibility criteria for expansion funding are listed below:
   • Agency is a current contractor with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for a CCTR program.
   • Agency is not on Provisional or Conditional contract status.
   • Agency has no outstanding funding from a previous CCTR Request for Application.
   • Agency is in good standing with no current audit, programmatic and/or fiscal issues.
   • Agency has the license capacity for expansion funding.
   Eligibility for expansion funding will only be available to agencies that meet the above criteria to ensure they are in good standing with the state in terms of programmatic and/or fiscal, and contract earnings. Awards for expansion funding will be subject to availability.
5. How do I submit a CEFA for CDSS Child Care and Development programs? 
   • CEFAs will be completed via an online application. Applicants may access the online CEFA here: Continued and Expansion Funding Application Fiscal Year 2026-27.
   • For your reference, the Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has prepared the CEFA FY 2026-27 Instructions and Overview document.
   • If you are experiencing difficulties with any part of the application process, please contact the CEFA Team at CEFA@dss.ca.gov or by telephone at 916-639-7940.
6. Will I receive confirmation that the CCDD is in receipt of my CEFA? 
   Yes, the applicant will receive an automated response confirming the successful submission of their application.
7. Does this online CEFA apply to both the CDSS and the California Department of Education (CDE)?
   This online CEFA is only for contract types administered by the CDSS. For questions regarding contracts administered by the CDE, please contact the CDE directly.
8. What is the vendor number I should be using? Or what happens if I do not yet have a vendor number?
   For programs who already have vendor numbers, vendor numbers have not changed and can be found on your previously executed contract. Applicants will continue to use the same vendor number used in previous years. If you do not yet have a vendor number, please contact the CEFA Team at CEFA@dss.ca.gov.
9. Where can I find my agency’s Sam.gov Unique ID Number? What if I do not have a Sam.gov Unique ID Number?
   Recipients of Federal funding must be registered and be active in Sam.gov. To view your agency’s unique ID number, to register, or to verify active status, please visit the System of Awards Management web page. If your agency completed a CEFA for the previous fiscal year, your Sam.gov number can be found at the bottom of Section I: Contractor Information.
10. Can the Legal Business Address in Section I: Contractor Information be a residence?
    Maybe. The Legal Business Address may be a residence if the contractor is headquartered at a residence. The Legal Business Address entered in this section must match the contractor’s Legal Address on file in the Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS) database.
11. What if my business name or address have changed?
    If you have a change to your business name or address, please contact your PQIB Consultant .
12. May I abbreviate my legal name if it does not fit in the space provided?
    No. Contractors should enter their complete legal name, as it appears on the signed and approved fiscal year 2025-26 contract face sheet.
13. Do I need to submit the names of each member on my agency’s governing board?
    Yes. All contractors who have a governing board must include the contact information for each governing officer. Contractors who do not have a governing board must provide an explanation of why their organization does not have governing officers.
14. I solely operate an Alternative Payment (AP) Program. Do I complete the Personnel Certification Subsection?
    The Personnel Certification applies only to agencies who are Center-Based programs or Family Child Care Home Education Networks. Please select “No” to indicate that you solely operate an (AP) program.
15. Should Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) providers be included on the Subcontractor Certification (CCD 30B) form?
    No. FCCHEN providers are not considered contractors and should not be included on the Subcontractor Certification (CCD 30B) .
16. My program has a program narrative change and/or changes in the minimum days of operation. How do I convey that information?
    The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Program Calendar (CCD 33) asks for applicants to identify the days of operation and that information is totaled at the bottom of the calendar page. Applicants will add an explanation of any changes from the previous year in the space provided on the CCD 33 form. If your program has a narrative change, please contact your PQIB Consultant .
17. Are we required to submit a formal board resolution of the CEFA submission?
    Public agencies are required to obtain formal board approval of the CEFA application. The board resolution is included as its own section within the CEFA. Please refer to the CEFA FY 2026-27 Instructions and Overview document for additional guidance on board resolutions.
18. Are we required to submit the Personnel Roster in the Continued Funding Application (CEFA)?
    Management Bulletin (MB) 13-08, Personnel Roster Data Spreadsheet (PRDS), which requires contractors to submit their PRDS by October 31 of each year, has been rescinded. Contractors are no longer required to submit the PRDS. Contractors are encouraged, but not required, to participate in the Workforce Registry until further guidance from the CCDD.
19. Does the CEFA apply to agencies who operate a Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)?
    The CEFA is not related to the CACFP. Please visit the CACFP web page for more information.