About SEEPD
The Stipend for Early Educator Professional Development (SEEPD) is a pilot* program of the Department of Early Childhood’s Workforce Initiative launched in Spring 2024 to support educators working at City-funded early care and education programs in meeting professional development and higher education milestones through financial incentives.
*A pilot program is a short-term test that helps an organization gather necessary data and insights before making long-term investments or commitments. The SEEPD pilot will help DEC better understand your professional development costs and needs so we can determine how best to support you going forward. As such, professional development support programming is likely to evolve over time and future rounds of SEEPD are not guaranteed.
Apply for SEEPD
We are excited to announce that the Stipend for Early Educator Professional Development (SEEPD) will be offered again in June 2026 to support educators who completed the following milestones between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026:
- Obtained, upgraded, or renewed Child Development Permit
- Completed course-based specialization certificate programs in Infant-Toddler care, Special Education, or Dual Language Learning
- Completed college- and/or graduate-level coursework at a regionally accredited institution towards an Associate, Bachelor, or Master degree in early childhood education/child development or towards a Child Development Permit (see full list of Commission on Teacher Credentialing accepted bodies of accreditation)
- New for 2026: Includes up to 6 semester units of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses
- Please note: An educational plan is required to verify eligibility for the unit stipend
- Completed an Associate, Bachelor, or Master degree in early childhood education/child development at a regionally accredited institution of higher education (see full list of Commission on Teacher Credentialing accepted bodies of accreditation).
- Received foreign transcript evaluation support (must include course by course evaluation)
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria to be eligible:
- Be employed at a DEC-funded Early Learning For All site; AND
- Be a participant in Spring 2026 CARES 3.0 or a current EESSG participant; AND
- Have a California Workforce Registry ID associated with an up-to-date Registry profile
How to Apply
The guide linked above explains the step-by-step process to apply for SEEPD using the CA ECE Workforce Registry. Please note: Depending on the type(s) of stipend you are applying for, you are required to upload the following documentation to your CA ECE Workforce Registry account before the application deadline, if you have not already done so:
- Signed W9
- Child Development Permit
- Transcript (s) from regionally accredited higher education institution(s) (Unofficial transcripts with applicant name and name of institution are acceptable)
- Educational plan
- Course-Based Specialization Certificate(s)
- If applying for Foreign Transcript Evaluation Support: Course-by-course evaluation and receipt with participant’s first and last name
Your processing time may be delayed if your documents are blurry or if the registry has follow up questions.
Stipend Process/Timeline
Application Period: June 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026
- Login to the CA ECE Workforce Registry and submit a SEEPD Application (Please take time to review the application guide for step-by-step instructions)
- After the application is submitted, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicant (if you do not receive this email, please reach out to the SEEPD team at [email protected])
- A SEEPD team member will review the application information including employment, verified documents on file, and program eligibility
- All required documentation must be uploaded to the CA Workforce Registry no later than June 30, 2026. NOTE: Transcript/coursework verification takes up to 6 weeks
Initial Review Period: July 1 – August 14, 2026
- An approval or denial email with a projection of your stipend amount will be sent after the application period closes.
If approved, we will verify that all W-9 information is on file and matches the registry information.
Appeals Submission Period: August 17, 2026 – August 24, 2026
- Applicants will have an opportunity to appeal if they believe their stipend projection amount to be incorrect.
- Applicants will be notified by email with their projected stipend amount instructions to submit an appeal. The appeal will be an electronic submission.
Appeals Review and Determination Process: August 25, 2026 – September 4, 2026
DEC will review all appeals and notify applicants by email for final approval or denial by September 4, 2026.
Stipend Disbursement: Fall 2026
Stipends will be issued on or before October 31, 2026. Once the stipend check is printed and sent, we will send an email notifying the applicant that their check is on the way.
SEEPD Handbook
The SEEPD Handbook is a comprehensive policy and application guide for early educators. Please review it before applying.
2026 SEEPD Webinars
If you missed our 2026 webinars, check out the recording and presentation linked below in your preferred language to get all the most up to date information on this year’s round of SEEPD.
Stipend Amounts
The stipend matrix linked below details the amounts we are offering for different professional development and coursework completed between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. To determine your stipend amount, add up the amounts for the activities you completed (or will complete by June 30th) under each column.
Examples
Here are a few examples to help you understand the matrix so you can determine your stipend amount:
Teacher A got their Associate Teacher Permit for the first time in October 2025 ($1500), completed 9 semester units at an accredited college between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 ($4,000), and earned their Associate’s degree in May 2026 ($5,000). They did not complete any Certificate programs or get any Foreign Transcript Evaluation Support ($0). Teacher A is eligible for a total stipend of $10,500.
Teacher B is a Site Supervisor who renewed their existing Child Development Permit in February, 2026 ($2,000). They did not complete any semester or semester equivalent units between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 ($0). They completed their bachelor’s degree in child development five years ago ($0 – because they completed their degree before the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 it will not count towards their SEEPD stipend). They did not complete any course-based specialization certificates or get any Foreign Transcript Evaluation Support ($0). Teacher B is eligible for a total stipend of $2,000.
Teacher C does not have a CA Child Development Permit ($0). They completed 3 semester units at an accredited college between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 ($2,000) but have not yet earned any degree ($0). However, they did complete a course-based specialization certificate in Infant-Toddler education ($1500). They also received foreign transcript evaluation support to help them transfer units from a school in Hong Kong to their current school in the United States ($600). Teacher C is eligible for $4,100.
Contact
Children’s Council Help Desk
- 415-343-4669
Contact for questions about:
- Creating or updating your Workforce Registry profile; employer administrative access or your registry account
Workforce Initiative Team
- 628-652-3005
Contact for questions about:
- Compensation and Retention for Early Educators Stipend (CARES 3.0), Stipend for Early Educator Professional Development (SEEPD), Early Educator Salary Support Grant (EESSG), and Pathways.
California Workforce Registry
- (323) 645-2631 (Los Angeles), (855) 645-0826 (Toll Free)
Contact for questions about:
- Your uploaded transcripts and documents on the CA Workforce Registry
For updates and reminders about workforce programs including CARES 3.0 and SEEPD, sign up for the Workforce Initiative Email list using the link below.