A: Eligible early learning and care educators include staff working in:

• California State Preschool Program (CSPP),
• Transitional Kindergarten,
• Head Start/Early Head Start,
• Expanded Learning (before and after school program),
• Family Child Care Homes (FCCH),
• Private child care centers,
• Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) settings, and
• other public and private early learning and care programs.  

Educators must also teach and care for children birth - 5 years old a minimum of 15 hours per week in Sacramento County to be eligible. 

A: No. Early educators are eligible to apply for a SacE3 stipend whether or not the early learning and care program in which they work receives public funds. The Workforce Pathways Grant (WPG) program, on the other hand, is only for public early learning and care educators who work at subsidized FCCHs and centers. Subsidized means the program is receiving child care subsidy vouchers, participating in Beanstalk FCC Education Network, and/or operating a State Preschool or General Child Care contract. The WPG program is a better option for public early learning and care educators who work at subsidized FCCHs and centers because the stipends are higher and courses can be attained at any accredited college. 

A: The application link, Document Checklist, Employment Verification form, W-9 form, and other resources found on the SacE3 webpage: www.scoe.net/SacE3. 

A: The SacE3 College Coursework Stipends Application Portal is open for the 2024 SUMMER/SPRING Semester until October 1, 2024.

A: Applicants may apply for a stipend for up to 12 units for each semester (e.g., 12 units for Summer and 12 units for Fall). Participants may earn eligible college units to:

● attain the 24 Early Childhood Education (ECE) units to qualify to teach Transitional Kindergarten; ● acquire, achieve or advance in a Child Development Permit;  ● complete an ECE associate degree, including General Education (GE) courses; and/or● take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. 

All units must be completed with a grade of "C" or better to receive a stipend. 

A: It depends. If you are participating in the Workforce Pathways Grant (WPG) and receive a stipend for professional learning, health and safety units, or a family child care license reimbursement in a round (semester) of WPG, you may also apply for a SacE3 college coursework stipend in the same round. However, if you apply for a WPG stipend for college coursework units from the WPG program, you may not apply for a SacE3 stipend for college coursework units from the SacE3 program. The WPG program stipend is at a higher rate, but an educator must be working 15 hours at an early learning and care program accepting public funds to qualify. SacE3 is open to all educators working 15 hours at an early learning and care program, including in expanded learning and TK programs. Please see the WPG and SacE3 webpages for specific eligibility and program information.  

A: No. Only courses in ECE, ESL or general education courses towards an Associates degree for declared ECE majors will be considered for a stipend. 

A: No. Educators in the San Juan Unified School District cohort at Los Rios College as part of SacE3 are not eligible to participate in the SacE3 the Los Rios Colleges Coursework stipend program. San Juan educators may apply for the SacE3 internship program and the BA in Child and Adolescent (CHAD) cohort tuition assistance. 

A: The SacE3 Los Rios Community College Coursework Stipends are $150 per unit and $175 for Enhanced Stipend College Coursework units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

A: Stipends may be utilized to cover costs of tuition, books, fees, materials/supplies, child care needs, and other costs related to coursework participation and completion. 

A: No. Only courses completed at Los Rios Colleges – American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College, and Sacramento City College – are eligible for stipends. 

A: Yes, stipends are considered taxable income and you should plan accordingly. 

A: You will need to provide your social security number on the W-9 to be paid a stipend. Please use this W-9 form.

A: No. There is limited funding, so if there are more applicants than available funds, not everyone that applies will receive a stipend. Should SacE3 funding prove to be insufficient to provide awards to all qualifying recipients as stated, SacE3 funds will be prioritized by several factors including number of applications, work location and position type. The current Sacramento County Local Planning Council Priority Zip Code list will also be used to prioritize stipend distribution until funds are exhausted. 

A: The Documentation Checklists identifies the specific documents you need to submit and where to submit them. These documents are preferred to be submitted in PDF format, but photos are acceptable. If you are unable to upload/e-mail documents or need assistance, please e-mail us at ten.eocs%403EcaS. 

A: Applicants have used free scanner apps on their phones to submit documentation. If you have an iPhone, you can use the Notes app. Go here for directions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210336 Or go to the Android or Apple app store to download a scanner app, such as Adobe Scan or Genius Scan. Be sure all scans are readable. Blurry documents or documents with tiny writing will not be accepted. Documents should be in PDF format. We will accept photos. 

A: If you are a FCCH Owner, use the Employment Verification form you will receive as an assignment in Canvas. You will sign as the Administrator/Supervisor. If you are a Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN), please use the self-certification box at the end of the employment Verification form.  

A: Applicants have used free scanner apps on their phones to submit documentation. If you have an iPhone, you can use the Notes app. Go here for directions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210336 Or go to the Android or Apple app store to download a scanner app, such as Adobe Scan or Genius Scan. Be sure all scans are readable. Blurry documents or documents with tiny writing will not be accepted. Documents should be in PDF format. We will accept photos. 

A: If you are a FCCH Owner, use the Employment Verification form in the Documentation Checklist. You will sign as the Administrator/Supervisor. If you are a Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN), please use the self-certification box at the end of the employment Verification form.  

A: Once you submit your documentation package, it will be reviewed for completeness. Complete documentation is required for you to be eligible for the stipend. If there are missing documents or information, you will be notified by email. If there are more eligible applications than available SacE3 funds, then applications will be prioritized based on their work site’s Zip code. High priority Zip codes as identified by the current Sacramento County Local Planning Council’s Priority Zip code list will be funded first. Stipends will be issued until all SacE3 funds are expended. 

A: You can apply on-line here: https://losrios.edu/admissions/get-started-and-apply

A: Contact Amira Bell, Los Rios SacE3 Student Specialist, at ude.soirsol.ccs%40alleb, if assistance is needed for enrollment, college transcript review, and any other concerns. Put “SacE3” in subject line.