Eligible employees must enroll in the Dependent Care Reimbursement (DCRA) Plan within sixty (60) days of employment, or reemployment if there has been a break in service of more than thirty (30) days. If enrollment forms are received by the State Controller's Office by the 10th of the month, the effective date of DCRA is the first of the following month. Forms received after the 10th delay the effective date to the first of the second month following appointment. Once an employee makes an election to participate, contributions cannot be changed until the next open enrollment unless there is a change in status event. Employees experiencing a change in status event may decrease, start, or stop contributions by filing a new enrollment form within sixty (60) days of the change in status event.

Employees are required to reenroll in DCRA every open enrollment to participate during the following calendar year. Open enrollment is held every September-October for participation in the following calendar year.

An employee who is on leave of absence without pay, temporary disability compensation, non-industrial disability leave, industrial disability leave, or other non-pay status may not enroll while in such status. However, the employee may enroll within sixty (60) days of returning to active status provided that he/she would otherwise have been eligible to enroll during the non-pay status.