Message from the Director |
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In July’s edition of REACH, we spotlight new supports for your program in the area of business practices. As early childhood programs continue to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, DIEEC seeks to support you by providing effective professional development in areas of financial management, marketing, and budgeting. In our "Voices From the Field" section this month, Mrs. Rhondalin Cannon-Tingle of Rhonda’s Little Angels Daycare and Preschool shares her learnings from these sessions and how they are implementing new marketing strategies for their program. Please join us in one of these sessions! We look forward to partnering with you to support the business practices in your program.
This month’s REACH also provides links and information to state updates on Delaware Stars. Please take a moment to review and share your feedback with us. The Child Care Stabilization Fund applications are opening again today. Take advantage of this opportunity to access additional funds and invest in your program. Call on 1-877-351-2841 or email us at StabilizationFund@udel.edu with your questions about the Child Care Stabilization application process, we are here to help.
Finally, we offer highlights of our first Jeopardy Game – stay tuned as we will continue to offer fun activities that promote teamwork and deliver on great prizes!
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"Little Angels" Spreads its Wings with New Marketing Strategies
"Word of mouth" is no longer the relied upon marketing strategy for Mrs. Rhondalin Cannon-Tingle of Rhonda’s Little Angels Daycare and Preschool in Seaford, Del.
Miss Rhonda recently participated in the professional development "Strengthening Business Practices: Marketing Your Program for Family Child Care Provider." As a result, she has embraced both internal and external marketing for her program and is getting positive results.
"I have been doing internal business marketing for over 25 years (word of mouth)," said Miss Rhonda. "I learned a few things from the business marketing workshop. They taught us about the features and benefits of marketing our programs. I learned about the difference between internal and external marketing. And that every successful business should have some combination of internal and external marketing in place to be extremely profitable and successful!"
Rhonda took what she learned and put it into action. Her plan included developing a new logo, business card and Facebook page. "I used a free online design platform to get my logo just right," said Miss Rhonda. "I wanted to make sure it reflected my program with the children front and center."
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COVID-19 Survey Deadline Extended |
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Last month we sent out a statewide survey to administrators, teachers, and family child care providers in Delaware to understand how they've been affected by COVID-19. In order to get a better sense of how programs have been affected, we've now extended our survey deadline. Be on the lookout for an email from Jessica Francis with a link to our survey, which will arrive tomorrow, Tuesday, July 13th. Our new survey deadline is July 23rd.
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Stabilization Grant Update |
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If you are a licensed early childhood education program, you are eligible to receive direct sub-grants from the Delaware Early Education and Child Care Stabilization Fund. The goal of these grants is to help early childhood professionals with the expenses incurred because of COVID -19.
Since mid-May, there have been more than 450 applications for sub-grants for program expenses in the following categories:
- Personnel costs, benefits, premium pay, recruitment, and retention;
- Rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance, and improvements, or insurance;
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitation supplies and services, or training and professional development related to health and safety practices;
- Purchases of or updates to equipment and supplies to respond to COVID-19;
- Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume childcare services, and,
- Mental health supports for children and employees.
Here are examples of how funds can be used in these categories.
The second application round opens today, July 12. If you feel a little overwhelmed about the application process or unsure what's covered, please reach out to one of our Stabilization Fund Technical Assistants at 1-877-351-2841 or email at StabilizationFund@udel.edu. In addition, check out the Stabilization Fund Landing Page that includes FAQs and a video tutorial on how to apply.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to get your program the resources it needs to operate efficiently.
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More work is ahead during the summer months as Delaware continues to move toward a revised Delaware Stars. Recently, the state updated the timeline and provided an overview of key changes for the proposed model.
Here are the phases through the fall:
- Define what/how quality information is collected;
- Develop the process for providers to design and implement their Quality Improvement Plans, and
- Determine how quality supports (including funding and technical assistance) are distributed.
Between each phase, there will be an opportunity for you to provide your input. Keep an eye out for emails asking for your participation. And, you can always ask questions and comment by going to the QRIS landing page.
Finally, as a reminder, programs will continue to receive tiered reimbursement payments through July 1, 2023.
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Everybody is a Winner at DIEEC's First Jeopardy Event |
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Thanks to all the early childhood programs that participated in the first-ever Jeopardy Game hosted by DIEEC. We had four programs that tested their knowledge across different categories to win a bundle of resource books pictured below. Stay tuned for more details for our next game happening sometime this summer. It's an excellent opportunity to build teamwork, connect with other early childhood professionals, and have fun. |
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"Strengthening Business Practices: Fiscal Management" Equals Quality
Take a look at this video where Val Renshaw, DIEEC technical assistant and administrative coach overviews "Strengthening Business Practice: Fiscal Management." She points out that strong business practices translate to a strong business which ultimately leads to positive outcomes for children.
Participating in this training is especially helpful when applying for sub-grants from the Stabilization Fund. It can help you plan and think about investments that will help sustain your business.
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