"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
March 1, 2021 | Issue #9
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Our March Monday Morning Update Sponsor: Controltec
For over 25 years Controltec has been the industry leader in providing subsidy management software solutions for childcare agencies. In California and across the nation, KinderTrack4 has been the solution for programs to streamline processes, eliminate fraud and stay state compliant. 
 
Developed and maintained in California, KinderTrack4 is an easy to use, completely web and browser-based system that will keep your program CDE compliant. Looking for real-time attendance tracking? You can now add, KinderConnect, a portal for providers to manage attendance online. Save hundreds of dollars in printing and postal fees, eliminate paperwork and improve communications between childcare providers and agency staff. 
 
KinderSign and KinderSmart is now available to collect attendance using a tablet; parents can even use their smart phones for check in and out. Now is the time to consider upgrading to KinderTrack and eliminate the paperwork and add a ‘touchless’ check in process.
March 2021 Featured Agency Highlight
Child Care Resource Center
Community based public and private Alternative Payment Programs (APPs) support the needs of working moms and dads with access to child care and other supports earmarked to lift families up from poverty. During the pandemic, these programs have distributed emergency essential worker child care vouchers, family child care and center stipends & PPE, diapers, food and clothing. Throughout California, these APPs may also support parental choice to CalWORKs Stages 2 & 3, preschool and center-based programs, general child care, After School Education and Safety (ASES), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHENs), transportation, behavioral & mental health services, respite, regional centers, health and safety, 21st Century, resource libraries, and Trustline.

Below is an informational highlight from Child Care Resource Center supporting the needs of family child care providers and families in their community.
How is your agency staying connected to your families and providers? Let us know!
2021-22 State Budget Updates

Click here to read CAPPA's Budget Response.

Click here to read information on the governor's 2021-22 proposed budget.

Tomorrow at 9:00 am, the ASM Budget Subcommittee 2 will have a hearing on early childhood and the governor's budget proposals.
Click here to review the agenda. If you would like to provide public testimony at the end of the agenda, call 877-692-8957, Access Code: 131 54 37, then 10 to be placed in the que. Limit input to no more than one minute.

Remarks from CAPPA's CEO in reference to the agenda: In review of the agenda, it is concerning that there is still so much attention placed on the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care. How many commissions, workgroups, studies and input do decision makers need that ultimately lead to the same conclusions? California's child care and early learning system needs money. Talking about requiring providers to secure more training and experience is concerning when the providers being referenced make between $3.00 to $9.00 per hour. There is so clearly a disconnect of those crafting the Master Plan from those who live in the trenches every single day.

California's child care system is on life-support. Before there is talk of expanding anything, or requiring more of our providers there must be real on-going funding put into the system that allows working families access to child care in California's 24 hour/7 days per week economy.

Where to start? Start with meaningful investments. 100,000 voucher slots for working families to access. Family child care rates that value the contributions of this workforce and the recognition that they are the glue keeping the economy going. Technology that allows families and providers to use their smart phones to communicate and check their children in and out every day.

For a state as awesome as California, it simply is unacceptable that working moms and dads with children under the age of three trying to support their families are simply being left out of conversations.

We can do better.

Last week, Governor Newsom signed AB 82 to provide an additional $402 million in one-time federal Child Care and Development Block funds for the following purposes:
  • $244 million to provide a one-time $525 per subsidized child stipend for providers
  • $76 million to extend child care alternative payment vouchers for currently enrolled essential workers
  • $80 million to expand child care alternative payment vouchers for new essential workers
  • Provides 16 paid additional non-operational days for voucher-based providers bringing the total paid nonoperational days to 40

Appropriates $110 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds for the following pandemic response expenditures related to child care: 

  • $80 million for emergency child care allocated to extend and expand emergency child care and over-earning for school age children requiring care during school hours
  • $30 million to pay providers for lost family fees

The 2021-22 Budget: Child Care Proposals to read LAO review of the Child Care Proposals.

Immediately below, is a snapshot of the cuts to child care voucher slots the governor proposed in his January 2021-22 proposal. When you read the agreement following the snapshot, the 8,000 additional one-time slots are added to the 63,185 number.

Area noted in the agenda:
  • Without Ongoing Funding, Temporary Slots Will Lead to Disenrollment Down the Line. During the pandemic, the Legislature has prioritized using one-time funds to provide temporary slots for essential workers. The Legislature may want to consider providing similar funding with the additional CCDBG funding to continue to provide subsidized child care for families. Without ongoing funding, however, families receiving temporary slots will eventually be disenrolled. Providing additional one-time funding for slots creates additional cost pressure to create ongoing slots that allow families to continue receiving child care. Although the temporary slots are intended to address temporary increases in the need for care, we would note that demand for subsidized child care from low-income families has exceeded state funding for decades. As a result, we do not expect that demand for slots will decrease notably when the pandemic is over. 
Upcoming Budget Hearings of Interest - Click here to view updates

  • March 2 @ 9:00 - ASM Budget Subcommittee 2 - Child Care and Early Education Add to Calendar
  • March 3 @ 2:30 - ASM Subcommittee 1 - Department of Social Services Add to Calendar
  • March 16 @ 9:00 - ASM Budget Subcommittee 2 TK-12 - Add to Calendar
Legislation Updates & Bill of the Week

To date, 2481 bills have been introduced. Of the 2481, 1634 are Assembly Bills (ABs) and 847 Senate Bills (SBs).

Connie M. Leyva SB 246 – The Child Care Stabilization Formula
SB 246 seeks to revamp the bifurcated child care reimbursement system with a new single regionalized state reimbursement rate system. Currently, reimbursements for child care and early learning programs are done via a regional market rate for family child care home providers on the one hand, while on the other, child care centers are reimbursed via a flat standard reimbursement rate.
 
Additionally, the combination of these unaligned systems with low reimbursement rates ultimately hinder program quality, health and safety, and adequate teacher pay. This bill will create a new streamlined formula for reimbursing child care providers to directly impact and address the many needs of the field. Full Fact Sheet.
Reelected to represent the 20th State Senate District in 2018, Senator Connie M. Leyva is serving her second term in the California State Senate. The district includes the cities and communities of Bloomington, Chino, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Muscoy, Ontario, Pomona, Rialto and San Bernardino.
As State Senator, Senator Leyva is committed to improving California’s schools, environment and communities, as well as creating quality jobs throughout the 20th State Senate District and California. She firmly believes that California families benefit most when we invest in and help strengthen small businesses and other job drivers that create good paying jobs in our local communities. Click here to read full biography.
Other bills of interest to the field:
NOTE: If there is a piece of legislation that you would like to highlight, email here. Remember the distribution of this update is roughly 6,200.
Legislative Hearings of Interest

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 SEN - EDUCATION  Add to Calendar
LEYVA, Chair 9 a.m. - John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203)

Bills of interest being heard:

  • SB 246 (Leyva) Early childhood education: reimbursement rates.
  • SB 228 (Leyva) Public postsecondary education: support services for foster youth: Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program.
  • SB 20 (Dodd) Student nutrition: eligibility for CalFresh benefits.

  • To see upcoming legislative deadlines click here.
Tweets of the Week
Federal News
House Department of Labor, Health and Human Services Child Care Crisis Hearing 

On Friday, February 19, 2021, the House Department of Labor, Health and Human services subcommittee held a hearing on the child care crisis, led by Subcommittee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03). The witnesses were: Melissa Boteach, Vice President, Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning, National Women’s Law Center, Georgia Goldburn, Director, Hope Child Development Center, Dr. Theresa Hawley, First Assistant Deputy Governor, Education, Office of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Dr. Katharine Stevens, Visiting Scholar, American Enterprise Institute. In her statement, Congresswoman DeLauro said “to be clear, women are not opting out of the workforce, but rather, they are being pushed by inadequate policies. We have a real opportunity here, not just to throw money at the problems, but to build the architecture for the future and use this as a moment to address these serious inequities that have been further exposed by the coronavirus pandemic.”  
We wanted to highlight an important quote from Georgia Goldburn who, in response to challenging the idea that child care shouldn’t be institutionalized, said “we are more comfortable institutionalizing Black and brown people in the prison system than investing resources to support them.” Melissa Boteach emphasized that child care is infrastructure – the work that makes all other work possible. We are thrilled to see the recognition of caregiving as critical infrastructure and thank Congresswoman DeLauro for her commitment and leadership.  

The Century Foundation: Economic Recovery Calls for Investments in a Child Care Allowance and Child Care 

Julie Kashen and Ellie Kaverman of The Century Foundation have released a new piece that explains why funding to save child care and an expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) are necessary, and complementary, polices to reduce poverty and support families. The Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan, most of which has been included in the reconciliation bills coming out of the House, includes both an expanded CTC and relief funding. The article explains that “to support families through the ongoing crisis and beyond, we need dual investments: (1) putting cash in families’ pockets through an expansion of the Child Tax Credit into a child allowance, and (2) providing immediate funding for the child care sector to stabilize it today, and preparing to build a comprehensive child care and early education system tomorrow.” Vox’s The Weed’s podcast, featuring Melissa Boteach, covers similar topics and is available here.  

CLASP: A Black History Month Reflection on Discipline Failures in Child Care 

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has released a new blog post and fact sheet on discipline in child care and early learning settings. 
The blog post is a reflection on Black History Month and the past year living through several pandemics—a health crisis, an economic recession, and a racial justice reckoning—and the effect on young children, particularly Black children. The fact sheet outlines the historical context for discipline—in the forms of suspension, expulsion, and pushout—that is disproportionately applied to Black children and their families. The sheet concludes with recommendations for state and local and federal policymakers.  
This will be the first in a series over the coming months on discipline practices and policies, delving into topics including program quality; child development; supporting the workforce; data and demographics; parent, provider, and community needs; and justice issues. CLASP hopes that you will join us in this conversation!  
As you engage with this series, please feel free to share on social media and contact the team at CLASP for any questions or comments: Tiffany Ferrette tferrette@clasp.org or Kate Gallagher Robbins kgallagherrobbins@clasp.org from the Child Care and Early Education team and Tom Salyers for communications needs tsalyers@clasp.org. 

ZERO TO THREE: Parents’ Just-in-Time Work Schedules Are Not Working for Babies 

ZERO TO THREE recently released a policy brief, Parents’ Just-in-Time Work Schedules Are Not Working for Babies, that makes the child development case for fair and predictable work schedules, with particular attention to families with very young children. Research tells us that infants and toddlers thrive in environments of stability with trusted caregivers, but irregular and unpredictable work schedules mean many families lack the ability to ensure such an environment for their young children. The brief discusses the impact of unpredictable work schedules on child development and policies important to ensuring healthy child development and economic security for families. Please contact Mollyrose Schaffner (mschaffner@zerotothree.org) with any questions or follow-up. 
Federal minimum wage hike to face tough tests in split US Senate

WASHINGTON - The House-approved 1.9-trillion-US-dollar COVID-19 relief package includes a controversial provision to raise the federal minimum wage to 15 dollars, which is expected to face tough tests in the 50-50 split Senate.

"As we send this legislation to the Senate, the House will continue our fight for 15, which would give 27 million American workers a raise," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the lower chamber, said in a statement Saturday.

Pelosi noted that the minimum wage increase is a "financial necessity" for American families, an effective stimulus for the economy and a moral imperative for the country.

Click here to read full article.
Most reviewed federal bills:

1.H.R.127 [117th] Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act
2.H.R.5717 [116th] Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020
3.H.R.484 [117th] No Glory for Hate Act
4.H.Res.57 [116th] Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
5.S.394 [116th] Presidential Transition Enhancement Act of 2019
6.H.R.1 [117th] For the People Act of 2021
7.H.R.748 [116th] CARES Act
8.H.R.40 [116th] Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act
9.H.R.133 [116th] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
10.H.R.40 [117th ] Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act
DSS Updates
Release of the Child Care and Development Transition Plan Draft & Walkthrough Save the Date

Greetings Child Care and Development Partners,
We are excited to announce the release of the Child Care and Development Transition Plan Draft for public comment.
The plan provides an overview of immediate and long-term state-level operational transition efforts. It also describes CDSS’ ongoing collaboration with CDE and child care and development stakeholders to create a more equitable and integrated child care and social safety net system.
CDSS will be hosting a walkthrough of the Child Care and Development Transition Plan on Thursday, March 4th from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, which will provide an overview of key components of the plan.
Please follow this link to register for the meeting.
  • The English draft of the Child Care and Development Transition Plan will be open for public comment through March 16th. The plan is attached to this email, but you can also access it through our Child Care Transition Website.
  • The Spanish draft of the Child Care and Development Transition Plan will be released for public review next week and be open for public comment for three weeks.
  • The final version of the plan will be posted April 1st on our Child Care Transition Website. 
 
Please submit your comments through our Child Care and Development Transition Plan Public Input Survey.
Want to learn more about child care and development feedback that has been elevated by stakeholders? Check out our Listening Session Brief.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the Child Care and Development Transition.
In Partnership,
 
Child Care Transition Team
CDE Information & Updates
12-Month Eligibility Regulations

Another 15-day public comment period has begun on a second package of proposed regulations.

The deadline to submit your input is March 3, 2021.

If you would like to have CAPPA consider the inclusion of your input as part of our response, email CAPPA.

Click here to read information on proposed changes.
Click here to read full package with proposed changes.
Hazardous Pay and Stipends for Employees funded with Early Learning and Care Contracts

Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of Early Learning and Care Programs
Early Learning and Care contract funding terms and conditions require that all contractors adhere to all State and Federal Regulations. Federal Regulations require stipends to be a pre-approved expenditure. Given that pre-approval was not authorized, the contractors should not issue stipends to employees utilizing CDE contract funds. However, contractors may issue hazardous pay to employees, consistent with 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200.430, if they have the funding to do so. Please note that hazardous pay applies to those directly employed by the contracting agency and does not apply to providers.
Federal Regulation 2 CFR 200.430 and subsequent guidance provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic supports compensation and extra pay so long as the agency ensures that the compensation:
  • Is reasonable for the services rendered
  • Is paid pursuant to an agreement entered into in good faith between the agency and the employee
  • Conform to established written policies and procedures of the agency
  • Is consistent applied to both federal and non-federal activities
Contractors may develop written policies and procedures that include the beginning of the pandemic, if necessary, in order to comply with these regulations and issue hazard pay. As stated in the fourth bullet above, contractors cannot differentiate between the funding source of each employee for the purpose of determining hazardous pay for each employee. Meaning, if a contractor has two employees with substantially similar duties, and the employees are funded by two different income sources, the two employees must receive similar hazardous pay, regardless of the availability of funds within each income source. 
New Contractor’s and New Program Director’s Resources
Click Here to see resources and CDE Department Contacts
CAPPA is committed to supporting our field with a coordinated calendar. Click here to see current calendar of events. If you have an event to add, email CAPPA and it will be added.
Partner Updates
Why the State Must Invest in Child Care Workforce, Families & Economy
By Kristin Schumacher

Child care providers are a critical component of the state and nation’s economic infrastructure, ensuring our children have a safe space to learn and grow while parents work.
But child care providers are struggling under the pressures of the pandemic. Thousands of California providers have closed their doors. And these business owners and workers are primarily women and Black, Latinx, immigrants, and other workers of color.

As the new Fact Sheet from Senior Policy Analyst Kristin Schumacher states: California’s fiscal condition has improved dramatically and state policymakers must invest in the state’s child care infrastructure to prevent the industry from collapse, support working parents and children, and aid the state’s economic recovery.
This third, 2020 edition of the Index continues to track state policies in essential areas like workforce qualifications, work environments, and compensation. The report provides updated policy recommendations and spotlights state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Weekly Good
An uplifting way to start the week, for those of us who need a break from the chaos that is our lives.
During this time where we are all stressed, it would be great to celebrate the positive. Each week we will celebrate everyday heroes, inspiring movements and great things happening in our field. 
Siskiyou Child Care Council in collaboration with Siskiyou County’s LPC, created Social-Emotional Learning Kits for all open centers and family child care homes in Siskiyou County. These kits were created to support providers and the children they work with as they deal with a wide range of emotions and trauma due to the pandemic. These kits included a set of washable feelings dolls, a set of feeling identification books, as well as handwashing activities, a handwashing poster and stickers, along with various other resources. We delivered these kits, as well as cleaning supplies, gloves, and masks, across our very rural county to family child care homes and centers. We appreciate our providers and all they do for our community!
Let us know what your organization is doing, we would love to feature you in the coming weeks!        
Field Happenings and Resources
Recognizing how our agencies continue to engage and communicate with families and providers.





Children's Council San Francisco

Let us know what your organization is doing, we would love to feature you in the coming weeks!        
Apply for PPP Before March 10: Help for Family- and Center-Based Child Care Businesses With Fewer Than 20 Employees
Office of Child Care
Administration for Children and Families

 
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a forgivable loan program to help very small businesses, such as child care programs, with much needed financial support during these unprecedented times. From February 24 to March 10, 2021, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for a PPP loan. This exclusive application period allows participating lenders to focus on serving very small businesses, such as family child care (FCC) educators and early care and education (ECE) programs.
 
The Biden-Harris Administration statement issued on February 22, 2021, provides details on changes to PPP to increase lending opportunities for small businesses to further promote equitable access to relief. The statement includes information on the exclusive application period for PPP to help very small businesses, such as FCC educators and ECE programs. Here’s a link to the statement for more details: Changes to PPP To Further Promote Equitable Access to Relief.
 
For more information about PPP and other financial business supports, please visit the Office of Child Care’s (OCC) webpage: Early Care and Education Providers: Taking Advantage of the New Small Business Administration Loan and Grant Programs, which includes the following information:
 
Two national webinar videos to help you understand and access PPP—one video for FCC educators and one video for ECE programs. Several resources for small businesses to help FCC educators and ECE programs learn more about PPP and navigate the challenges created by the pandemic.

Several resources for small businesses to help FCC educators and ECE programs learn more about PPP and navigate the challenges created by the pandemic.
 
Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program are due no later than March 31, 2021, for all businesses, but program funding may run out before then.
Interesting Reads
‘Little Band-Aids’ Won’t Fix the Child Care Industry. New Report Proposes an Overhaul.
By: Emily Tate, Ed Surge

This story is part of an EdSurge Research series about early childhood education.
The current child care system in the United States is broken, and everyone involved—the children, their parents and especially the workers supporting them—are suffering as a result, according to a new report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at the University of California, Berkeley, which was released Tuesday.
Despite a pandemic that has labeled child care workers “essential” and raised public awareness of the importance of early care and education, the industry remains “woefully” underfunded and overlooked, says Caitlin McLean, senior research specialist and co-author of the Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020. Stopgap solutions such as expanding the child care tax credit may help in the short-term, she notes, but anything short of a complete overhaul of the system would be like “adding a new floor to a condemned home.”

CAPPA Member Only Benefits

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COVID-19 Weekly Zoom Calls:
Our commitment to you is to have scheduled at least once per week a call wherein we can all connect. As questions arise, forward them to CAPPA so that we can address them on these calls. Look for a weekly email to register. Recording and Q&A will also be posted on the Member's Only page. 
Best Practices
CAPPA has been working on Best Practices and policies to support you during this challenging time.
Visit the Member's Only website to view today!
Sample of webinars available on the Member's only website:
HR Webinar on Telecommuting, Best Practices for Program Integrity (Fraud Prevention), Provider Reimbursements, Adults & Trauma, Enrollment

Visit the CAPPA Member's Only website for more information on this webinar series and other benefits available to CAPPA Members.  
CAPPA's 2020-21 Board of Directors
President
Rick Richardson
Child Development Associates, San Diego

Vice President
Michelle Graham
Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County

Treasurer
Beth Chiaro
Child Care Resource Center 

Secretary
LaVera Smith
Supportive Services Fresno

Past President & Public Policy Advisor
Martin Castro
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation

Public Policy Chair
Gina Fromer
Children's Council of San Francisco 

Members-at-Large
Karen Marlatt
Valley Oak Children's Services

Tina Barna
Catalyst Community

Abby Shull
YMCA Childcare Resource Service 
 
Leslie Reece
Family Resource & Referral of San Joaquin County

Jeanne Fridolfs
Napa County Office of Education

Mike Michelon
Siskiyou Child Care Council

Marco Jimenez
Central Valley Children's Services Network

Joie Owen
Glenn County Office of Education

Tracey Strack
Child Action, Inc.

Kendall Hirai
Crystal Stairs, Inc. 

Denyne Micheletti Colburn
CAPPA CEO

The representation of the CAPPA board spreads across all agency types and sizes, and represents voices from nearly every region in California 
ELCD/CDE, DSS & CCLD Updates
February 2, 2021
Management Bulletin 21-04: California State Preschool Program Free or Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Criteria to Enroll Four-Year-Old Children - REVISED
February 2, 2021
Management Bulletin 21-03: Revised Guidance on 12-Month Eligibility 
January 19, 2021
Management Bulletin 21-02: Guidance on Implementation of Program Quality Requirements during the COVID-19 Pandemic
January 13, 2021
Management Bulletin 21-01: COVID-19 Guidance regarding Local Planning Councils and California Resource and Referral Programs
January 13, 2021
December 31, 2020
December 28, 2020
December 10, 2020
December 9, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-19a: Guidance on Family Fees for FY 2020-21
December 11, 2020
Job Openings
Is Your Organization Hiring?
Post your job announcement here for thousands to see!
There is no charge for CAPPA members.
Non-members will be charged a fee of $75.
Please email us your posting!

Child Care Resource Center

Valley Oak Children's Services, Butte County 

International Institute Los Angeles

Colusa County Office of Education

Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)

Davis Street Family Resource Center, Alameda County

Solano Family and Children's Services
Of Interest
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