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"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
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Issue #33 August 19, 2019
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Monday Morning Update Partner
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Experience the IDEAL Conference, built just for you!
Be inspired, ignite change, and level up at The IDEAL Conference on September 18-19, 2019 at The Garland in North Hollywood. Connect with 40 inspiring experts and choose from 24 sessions that will give you new strategies and methods to further your mission. CAPPA subscribers can save 20% with the CCRCPartner20 discount code.
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August 2019 Featured Member Agency
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Community Resources for Children (CRC) is a nonprofit, community-based organization providing resources for the early care and education of children in Napa County. Established in 1978, CRC serves more than 4,300 people annually by supporting families in need of child care and by promoting quality early learning environments for children ages 0-5.
In addition to the Alternative Payment Program, CRC administers the Resource and Referral program for Napa County and promotes quality early learning and care through the following:
Quality Counts - enhances the quality of care and education that children receive at child care and/or preschool. In addition to hosting professional development workshops in areas such a child development and Kindergarten readiness, CRC provides 1:1 coaching for licensed child care providers and preschools. Last year the program supported more than 93 child care professionals providing care for more than 500 children.
Toy Library and Early Learning Center (TLELC) - Families and early education professionals can check out early learning toys, tools and materials organized by ASQ developmental domain. TLELC's bilingual staff models educational activities to implement at home. Serving almost 500 children ages 0-5 and 400 parents/caregivers last year, the TLELC supports children's education and development by strengthening the adults in a child's life.
Active Minds School Readiness Program - a bilingual, interactive, play-based school readiness program for children ages 2 to 4 and their parents/primary caregivers, in a parent-led format with some sessions held at community locations to meet families where they are.
Developmental Screenings using Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) - CRC offers free ASQ developmental screening to children ages 0-5. Families can check out a questionnaire or complete it together with an Early Education Specialist.
Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Caregiver Program - partnering with community organizations to increase access to quality early learning materials and opportunities for family, friend and neighbor informal caregivers.
Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) - an intensive training series that focuses on child development and best practices in early childhood education for new and existing licensed child care providers. This year we will start offering business skills workshops in order to make sure that our child care providers thrive and remain profitable. Last year we helped 10 individuals open new child care businesses, creating more than 200 new child care slots.
Family Events - events such No Sweet Trick or Treat and Family Literacy Day provide engagement opportunities for families/caregivers and their children. Throughout the year we also provide vision screening days and Talk Read Sign days with the First 5 Express Bus.
**Thank you to Erika Lubensky, Executive Director, for the submission!**
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Would you like your agency to be featured in an upcoming Monday Morning Update?
Let us know!
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Shout out to Crystal Stairs, Inc. and Community Voices for continuing to educate legislators and communities of the importance of child care for working families.
See below pictures from Saturday's Stand 4 Children LA! Legislative champions Senator Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo joined in support.
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Do you have success news to share with us?! We love to hear what our members are up to and where they're going! Submit your accomplishment(s) big OR small by emailing us!
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Children's Council Child Care Champions Luncheon and City Kids Family Fair
For over 45 years,
Children's Council has been at the heart of child care and early education in San Francisco.
In the spring,
Child Care Champions Luncheon
raises
the profile of our mission with a wider audience of policy-makers and philanthropists, and celebrates the critical role that Family Child Care providers play in our child care system.
This year's event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, raised a record-breaking $200,000. The Patty Siegel Child Care Champion award - named in honor of our founder - was presented to outgoing Executive Director Sandee Blechman, while the FCC Provider Champion recipient was Barbara Ng,
director of Brilliant Kids Child Care & Preschool.
Each fall,
City Kids Family Fair
attracts 1,500 attendees from across the city. This fun event highlights the aspects of early child development we think are important for families to engage in - whether it be puppetry about healthy eating, dancing for physical wellness or reading to the kids in their care.
This year's event will be held on September 21. We hope you can join us!
Learn more at
Children's Council City Kids Family Fair
Children's Council City Kids Family Fair
Child Care Champions Luncheon 2019 (from left): Patty Siegel Child Care Champion Sandee Blechman, Co-Chairs Elisabeth Diana and Shara Chang
Children's Council Executive Team (from left): Auna Harris, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer; Amie Latterman, Director of Advancement; Gina M. Fromer, Chief Executive Officer; Jennifer Brooks, Chief Program Officer.
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Do you have success news to share with us?! We love to hear what our members are up to and where they're going! Submit your accomplishment(s) big OR small by emailing us!
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CAPPA Member Only Benefits
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CAPPA Member Benefits now available on the Members Only website:
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Just added to the Member's only website are two AP 101 webinars on Enrollment;
Enrolling Clients into the CalWORKs Program and
Enrollment Overview:
Welcome to the Alternative Payment Program
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CAPPA's
2018-19 Board of Directors
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Rick Richardson
Child Development Associates
Karen Marlatt
Valley Oak Children's Services
Beth Chiaro
Child Care Resource Center
LaVera Smith
Supportive Services Fresno
Martin Castro
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
Jeffrey Moreira
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
Public Policy Co-Chair
Phillip Warner
Children's Council San Francisco
Tina Barna
Choices for Children
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
San Mateo 4Cs
Michelle Graham
Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County
Joie Owen
Glenn County Office of Education
Denyne Micheletti Colburn
CAPPA CEO
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ELCD/CDE, DSS & CCLD Updates
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Collection of Data for the Subsidized Provider Report- English and Spanish versions now available
July 31, 2019
July 29, 2019
July 2, 2019
June 19, 2019
Implementing Optional Staff Training Days
State Median Income and Income Ranking Table for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20
MB 19-04:
Family Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2019-20
May 14, 2019
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Services and Adjustment
Factors
The ELCD will host a webinar on
Thursday, March 14, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to provide technical assistance with the CDMIS.
January 28, 2019
January 4, 2019
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has amended regulations pertaining to CalWORKs, within the Eligibility and Assistance Standards Manual. The changes are detailed in
CDSS Manual Letter No. EAS-18-05
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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.
MCT Technology
Child Care Resource Center
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.
Pomona Unified School District- Child Development
Child Care Coordinating Council, Inc. of San Mateo County
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The CAPPA Board has made it a priority to support our field with a coordinated calendar to note upcoming statewide conferences, federal conferences of relevance, CDE and DSS stakeholder meetings and legislative and budget deadlines and hearings.
NOTE: If you would like to share your newsletter or items of interest with our field via the Monday morning e-Newsletter, then please
email us
a link. Please make sure that you have a link included to an online version or viewing.
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Become a Monday
Morning
Update
Partner!
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Our Monday Morning Update supports our Early Learning & Child Care field with timely information about what is going on in California and nationally; as well as dates to be aware and upcoming events.
Our weekly (50 times per year) Monday morning distribution is to more than 4,000 federal and state local agencies, resource and referrals, contractors, legislators and their staffs', centers, parents, providers, state departments and advocates.
To help support the continuation of this resource and or advertise in the Monday Morning Update, click
HERE.
You can also make a donation to CAPPA and CAPPA Children's Foundation
The Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization (501(c)3), Taxpayer Identification Number is
03-0521444. Your generous donation is tax deductible.
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CDE Webinar: Subsidized Provider Information Report Technical Assistance
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The ELCD will host a webinar on Tuesday, August 20, 2019
, to provide an overview of how to submit the Subsidized Provider Report (SPR) to the Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS). Pursuant to Senate Bill 75 (Statues of 2019), California must collect information regarding license-exempt and family child care home providers to comply with state requirements. The CDE, ELCD developed the SPR to meet those requirements. The information collected from the SPR will be used by provider organization for the purposes of collective bargaining, and by the CDE and other state and local agencies for emergency response purposes.
Below you will find the link to register (registration is required prior to the webinar).
Topic:
SPR Technical Assistance Webinar
Date and Time: August 20, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
Event number:
660 048 446
Event password: 170339
Event registration/address for attendees:
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The legislature is now in the final stretch of session set to adjourn on September 13th.
Upcoming dates to be aware:
- August 30 - Last day for fiscal committees to meet and report on bills
- September 3-13 - Floor session only
- September 6 - Last day to amend a bill on the floor
Monday, August 19, 2019:
- SEN Appropriations (Portantino, Chair) 10:00am - Room 4203
- AB 378 (Limon) Childcare: family childcare providers: bargaining representative.
- ASM Floor
- SEN Floor
Click here
to see all of the legislation identified of interest to our field. Below are a couple of highlights of the results from the recent Appropriations committees:
Click here to see calendar of field events/interests and legislative hearings and deadlines. If you would like something added to the field calendar, click here and submit details.
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Profile Bill
Package
of the Week!
California K-12 education bills to watch
Starting high school later in the day, giving school districts more latitude to reject charter schools and clamping down on exemptions from vaccinations are among the key - and controversial - bills that legislators will vote on by Sept 13. All of the bills have passed one branch of the Legislature. Gov. Gavin Newsom must sign or veto all bills by Oct. 13. We'll be updating our list as the bills work their way through the process.
- Immunizations
- Later school start
- Setting goal for K-12 education
- State construction bond
- Ethnic studies
- Teacher maternity leave
- Charter schools
- 11th grade SAT/ACT test option
Click
here for the link to their policy page
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How To Submit Position Letters!
California Legislature Position Letter Portal
The Legislature comes back August 12 with the SEN Appropriations Committee and it will soon be time to submit position letters once again! A quick reference guide from Committee Services can be found
here.
The portal was designed to facilitate the submission of position letters to committees as bills move through California's legislative process. Link to the portal website click
here.
Who should use this site?
Anyone wishing to submit a position on a California Legislative bill can use this site. Please note we have three categories of registrants:
- Registered Lobbyists with the Secretary of State
- Organizations - an individual affiliated with an organization
- Individuals
How Do I Get Started?
After completing a one-time
registration
to obtain a username and password, log in to submit your position letter as a registered lobbyist, organization or individual seeking to communicate your views to the bill author's staff as well as the committee that will be hearing the bill.
How to Submit a Letter?
- Go to the Submit a Letter page
- Enter the desired measure type and measure number
- Click the "Next=>Select Client" button
- Check mark to select the desired clients
- Click the "Next=>Select Recipients" button
- Select The Committee(s) and Author Staff
- Click the "Next=>Select File" button
- Select the Stance
- Enter Subject
- Upload the letter file by clicking the "Choose File" button
- Click the "Next=>Review Submission" button
- Review the information
- Check the I'm not a robot and verify the images
- Click "Submit Position Letter" button
For a list of
Frequently Asked Questions, click
here.
To submit a request for assistance or provide site feedback, click
here.
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2019-20 State Budget Information
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Recap: End Child Poverty CA Coalition 2019-2020 Budget Wins
With the resuming of the Legislature last week, here is a recap of End Child Poverty's Budget wins before the summer recess:
"The final California state budget allocates more than $3.4 billion toward investments called for in the State Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force's End Child Poverty Plan.
State legislation created the Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force to develop an anti-poverty plan that was released just before the new governor and legislature took their oaths of office in January. The End Child Poverty in California Coalition of 50+ partners rallied people, organizations and elected officials to adopt the Task Force's
End Child Poverty Plan, which would end deep child poverty in just four years when fully implemented. The End Child Poverty Plan would also reduce overall child poverty by 50 percent over the next decade."
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Today,
the U.S. Senate passed a two-year
budget bill, already approved by the House, for fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
The
budget deal
raises funding caps, a crucial first step that allows increased spending on discretionary programs like the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Head Start, and WIC.
In the budget deal passed in 2018, Congress included a
$5.8 billion commitment to increased CCDBG funding. While this year's bill did not include a specific funding commitment for child care, it paves the way to maintain and build on last year's historic increase.
The Senate can now use the appropriations process to further increase CCDBG funding in the 2020-2021 budget. Advocates have requested an additional $5 billion to help meet families' needs. At a minimum, senators should match or exceed the
House's proposal.
Increasing funding for CCDBG-the largest source of federal child care funding-would support children and caregivers for years to come. Investing now would build on hard-won progress in recent years. In 2014, CCDBG's bipartisan reauthorization laid out important, ambitious goals: stabilize families' access to care, increase basic health and safety, and help child care providers improve quality. The law initially left many states struggling to meet the promise of its provisions but recent funding increases have allowed states to realize the reauthorization's potential.
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Fiscal Year 2019-20 Initial Payments
Dear Executive Directors of Child Care and Development Programs:
The Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services (CDNFS) Office is providing you with information about FY 2019-20 initial payment timelines.
Child development contracts must be signed and returned to the CDE Contracts Office prior to initial apportionments being authorized by CDNFS. The CDNFS Office authorizes payment for all executed contracts on July 1, provided that the budget has been enacted.
In previous years, contractors who returned their original contracts prior to the final budget enactment typically received initial apportionments in the second or third week of July. Due to the implementation of a statewide accounting system (FI$Cal) this year, additional time is required by the State Controller's Office (SCO) to set up child development budgets, causing up to a ten-day delay in processing initial apportionments. Initial 2019-20 apportionments will, therefore, be authorized mid-July and are expected to be received by contractors in the last week of July.
As a standard practice, the CDE recommends contractors have three months of operating capital, through cash or a line of credit, to operate their program during the contract period prior to receiving their first apportionments or in the event apportionments are withheld, delayed, or lost in the mail. The CDE will continue to work diligently with the SCO to process payments as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Andrea M. Johnson
Staff Services Manager III
Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services
Fiscal and Administrative Services Division
(916) 324-6562
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Contingency Funds Application Process
Dear Alternative Payment Program Contractors:
The purpose of this letter is to provide Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) contractors with information regarding the process to apply for contingency funds.
Pursuant to Education Code Section 8222.1, per the Budget Act of 2018, the California Department of Education (CDE) shall reallocate funds as necessary to reimburse CAPPs for actual and allowable costs incurred for additional services. A CAPP contractor may apply for reimbursement of up to three (3) percent of their contract amount, or for a greater amount subject to the discretion of the Department, based on availability of funds. Applications may be submitted as early as May 1, 2019, but no later than September 30, 2019. The CDE will approve or deny applications submitted pursuant to this section, but will not consider applications received after September 30, 2019, of the current calendar year for additional costs incurred during the 2018-19 fiscal year.
The CDE will distribute reimbursement funds for each approved application within 90 days of receipt of the application if it was filed between May 1 and July 20 inclusive of the current calendar year. Applications received after July 20 are not subject to the 90-day requirement for the distribution of funds. If requests for reimbursement pursuant to this section exceed available funds, CDE will assign priority for reimbursement according to the order in which it receives the applications.
Funds received by a CAPP contractor pursuant to this section that are not substantiated by the program's annual audit must be returned to CDE and are not subject to the appeal process.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact me at 916-324-6611, or email JClegg@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Jordan Clegg, Staff Services Manager I
Child Development & Nutrition Fiscal Services
Fiscal and Administrative Services Division
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Sharing Our Stories...Building Bridges...
Cultivating Caring Communities
Network and CAPPA Joint Annual Conference 2019
October 2-4, 2019
DoubleTree Hotel Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and the California Alternative Payment Program Association look forward to hosting our 7th Joint Conference together this fall.
Registration- NOW AVAILABLE!
The California Resource & Referral Network (Network) and the California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA) have joined together to, plan, develop and deliver the Joint 2019 Annual Conference.
This conference provides a unique opportunity for staff to come together to discuss and share common issues, successes and challenges as well as time for each of us to get to know our colleagues and renew friendships. This conference is different from the variety of meetings and conferences related to our work, for this conference is by, for, and about the work we do in R&R and APP.
This year's Annual Conference includes a variety of workshops to meet the needs of staff working with parents; staff providing training and technical assistance to child care providers; program staff-supervisors; managers and directors.
Partnership Information:
Exhibitor and Sponsor Information is now available!
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Invitation to Provide Input - Preschool Development Grant
Birth - Five Stakeholder Engagement Sessions
Do you have ideas for how to improve California's early learning and care system to best meet the needs of all children and families? What would help your family access quality learning and care? What would help providers to better support children and families?
In December 2018, the California Department of Education (CDE) as the state lead agency, was awarded a competitive federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) for $10,620,000 from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federally required PDG B-5 activities include: 1) completing a comprehensive needs assessment of the State's current early learning and care system; 2) developing an actionable PDG Strategic Plan; and (3) implementing projects that lay the foundation for systems improvements that will benefit children, parents and providers. California's PDG B-5 is intended to move the State closer to a mixed delivery early learning and care system that supports children age birth through five, their families and communities.
To achieve the PDG goals, we are seeking input from community members, parents, and educators. Please register for one of the seven Regional Engagement Sessions.
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Starting Now: A Policy Vision for Supporting the Healthy Growth and Development of Every California Baby
In the first three years of a child's life, foundational brain architecture is established, making children's earliest experiences the most important. The creation of healthy brain architecture is dependent on good health, positive and nurturing relationships with adults, exposure to enriching learning opportunities, and safe neighborhoods.
This report was briefed last Tuesday, August 13, in the State Assembly Select Committee on Early Childhood Development.
2018-19 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being
Want to know how kids are faring in California's rural counties? Find out in the 2018-19 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being here.
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E.P.I.C. News: Why Californians Could Bear the Brunt of Trump Food Stamp Cuts
"There's actually no evidence that making someone hungrier makes them less dependent on public benefits. And there's plenty of evidence showing the opposite," said Western Center's Jessica Bartholow. Western Center estimates that some 250,000 Californians could lose CalFresh, based on estimates made when California expanded eligibility in 2008 under Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and again in 2013 under Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown. Additionally, children in those families could lose automatic eligibility for free lunches at school....
Read more
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Child care costs in most states exceed federal subsidy payments provided to low-income parents, according to a newly released report from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, leaving working families with few affordable options.
The report, released Tuesday, focuses on the Child Care Development Fund, an $8.2 billion block grant that goes toward offsetting the cost of care for 1.4 million children nationwide. The fund is the primary federal funding source for child care assistance for eligible working parents.
The federal recommendation is that states provide payment rates at the 75th percentile, which allows eligible families to access 3 out of 4 providers without paying more out of pocket. But the report shows most states set their rates much lower.
States have discretion over the how to administer the program: They set their own income requirements and decide how much families are expected to contribute. The report cites several reasons that states may keep their rates low, including stretching limited resources to serve more families and taking into consideration the cost of higher-quality care. Nineteen states reported paying enrollment and registration fees for low-income families, and seven states said they pay for extra child care activities such as field trips.
Click here for the link to the form.
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Child Care Aware® of America and NORC at the University of Chicago to Build Child Care Data Center
Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) will partner with NORC at the University of Chicago to build a strong, standardized data repository about child care in the U.S. The goal of this effort is to ensure that child care systems, policies and funding decisions are based on the most reliable data available. The Child Care Data Center (CCDC) project seeks to answer fundamental questions about the availability of, and the demand for, child care. The CCDC will be an interactive website and data center that:
- Stores meaningful child care data across the nation;
- Allows users to access customized data visualizations to tell the story of child care in their state or local community, and;
- Offers actionable tactics to advocate for change.
Last year, CCAoA engaged a group of state and national partners to inform the development of the CCDC prototype. Over the next 12 months, CCAoA will engage a National Advisory Panel to support the build out of the CCDC. This collaborative effort will fill a critical gap within the child care field.
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Why early childhood education is a women's rights Issue
Raising a kid in America is expensive. The cost of child care has nearly tripled since 1990, which is more than the overall rate of inflation.
The price families pay varies from state to state, even county to county. But
in many places, it costs more to send a toddler to day care than it does to pay for housing, transportation or even college tuition.
There is good reason child care is so expensive - it's a very involved, labor-driven industry.
But the tension around the cost of child care in the U.S. really boils down to who foots the bill. In countries like Denmark and Sweden, the government covers much of the child care costs. In America, the costs are generally shouldered by parents and providers.
Federal child care funding in the U.S. has been in a perpetual ebb and flow in response to cultural values. During World War II, the federal government came the closest it's ever been to having universal child care.
Now, with the 2020 election coming up,
some candidates are making it a priority.
Watch the video on the page to learn about the history of child care in America and how rising costs are impacting families today.
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NWLC Defends Vital ACA Law Protecting Against Health Care Discrimination
The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and
over 20 other
health care and civil rights organizations delivered
over 100,000
comments
from the general public
today in defense of the
Health Care Rights Law
, a landmark statute that guarantees a wide range of protections against health care discrimination. The Trump-Pence Administration recently announced efforts to roll back these vital protections, which would have devastating implications for all health care patients. The rule especially harms
LGBTQ+ people, people who have sought abortions, people whose first language is not English, immigrants, people of color, and people with disabilities.
The following is a statement from Yumhee Park, NWLC Senior Manager of Campaign and Digital Strategies:
"A patient's health should always come first. Yet, rather than prioritizing care, this proposed rule serves as another example of the Trump-Pence
A
dministration working to undermine health care access for those who need it the most. This rule returns us to an era where patients can be turned away at the door because they have sought an abortion in the past, because they are pregnant out of wedlock, or because they are LGBTQ. This is unacceptable and we will not stop fighting until everyone is able to seek the care they need, without fear of discrimination."
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Why the U.S. Has Long Resisted Universal Child Care
Americans still aren't in agreement that mothers should work at all.
Most Americans say it's not ideal for a child to be raised by two working parents. Yet in two-thirds of American families, both parents work.
This disconnect between ideals and reality helps explain why the United States has been so resistant to universal public child care. Even as child care is setting up to be an
issue in the presidential campaign, a more basic question has recently resurfaced: whether mothers should work in the first place.
In many ways, it has already been settled: 93 percent of fathers and 72 percent of mothers with children at home are in the labor force. It helps the economy when women work,
research shows, and it's often economically beneficial for their families, too -
40 percent of women are their families' breadwinners. Significant evidence demonstrates that when there's high-quality, affordable, easy-to-find child care, more women work.
Some form of early childhood care and learning is part of the campaign platform of most of the Democratic presidential candidates. President Trump has not supported universal child care, but has bolstered existing child care policies, including approving a record increase to the Child Care and Development Fund for low-income families and a child tax credit increase.
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$5.5 billion will expand care for thousands of kids in California, but it may not be enough
As presidential candidates propose investment in child care and paid leave on a national scale, California's success or failure could act as a bellwether.
MARIN CITY, Calif. - When her son Quincy was six weeks old, Lynette Stewart dropped him off at a child care center in Long Beach, California and headed back to work, with a hard ball of worry in her chest.
"I cried my eyes out, especially that first week of leaving him there," Stewart said. "No one wants to take their baby, who can't communicate, to a stranger at that age."
At the time, in 2015, Stewart was working as an administrative assistant at a small company that made kombucha, a fermented tea. She was raising her two boys, Quincy and his teenage brother, alone while earning just $17 an hour - about $35,360 a year. Stewart had taken the six weeks of partially-paid disability leave available to mothers in California after they give birth. She was also eligible for an additional six weeks off, as paid family leave, but that leave would also be only partially-paid and she couldn't afford the continued cut to her income.
She was also afraid she might lose her job. Because she was working for a small company with fewer than 20 employees, she had no job protection under California or federal law.
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