"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
February 22, 2021 | Issue #8
Support of the Monday Morning Update
If you value the content of the Monday Morning Newsletter delivered to your email every single week by 5:30 am, then please consider a donation. We believe that freely sharing of information and highlighting information relevant to the readership is important. And over 6,200 of you do too. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Supporting Whole Family/Whole Child Needs for Over 45 Years

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 Valley Oak Children's Services 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.

Child care Trailer Bill Language (TBL) The agreement adds just over $400 million in new federal funds that will provide stipends of $525 per enrolled child for child care and preschool programs serving approximately 400,000 children in subsidized care statewide. These new federal resources will extend care for children of essential workers and at-risk children through June of 2022. 

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

Last week, the SEN Budget Subcommittees 1 & 3 had a hearing on Child Care. The hearing agenda with background information was outstanding. Click here to review.

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. 
Governor Newsom, Legislative Leaders Announce Immediate Action Agreement for Relief to Californians Experiencing Pandemic Hardship 

Released February 17, 2021 Click here to read full report.

The Governor and state legislature have agreed to a stimulus package for Californians experiencing pandemic hardship. In its current form, the deal includes but is not limited to:

  • More Resources for Critical Child Care. The agreement adds just over $400 million in new federal funds that will provide stipends of $525 per enrolled child for all state-subsidized child care and preschool providers serving approximately 400,000 children in subsidized care statewide. The new federal resources will extend care for children of essential workers through June of 2022, and funds increased access to subsidized child care for more than 8,000 children of essential workers and at-risk children – who are not currently served in the system – through June of 2022.
  • Quadrupled Immediate Relief for Small Businesses. The agreement reflects a four-fold increase – from $500 million to more than $2 billion – for grants up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and also allocates $50 million for cultural institutions.
  • Direct Relief to Individuals and Families. The agreement incorporates the Governor’s Golden State Stimulus plan to assist California households that have borne the disproportionate economic burden of the COVID-19 Recession – those with incomes below $30,000, as well as those unfairly excluded from previous federal stimulus payments. The agreement provides $600 in one-time relief to households receiving the California EITC for 2020. In addition, the agreement provides a $600 one-time payment to taxpayers with Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs) who were precluded from receiving the $1,200 per person federal payments issues last spring and the more recent $600 federal payments.
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, 1955 bills have been introduced. Of the 1955, 1268 are Assembly Bills (ABs) and 687 Senate Bills (SBs).

Sharon Quirk-Silva AB 865 – Childcare services: alternative payment programs: direct deposits: reserve funds.
Currently, California family child care providers supporting subsidized care for working parents on variable work schedules are penalized and reimbursed based on a child's attendance and not the certificated enrollment. This creates inequities between the private pay and subsidized markets. Whereas the former receives payment regardless of attendance based on contractual agreement, the latter, subsidized providers, shoulder the costs and bear the brunt of uncertainty with regards to their budgets due to an unstable stream of payments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these uncertainties for both providers and families, further emphasizing the inequities between private pay and subsidized delivery systems and the need for immediate relief. While in the midst of a public health crisis, attendance has become more unpredictable and inconsistent than ever before. And, therefore, provider reimbursements face the same unpredictability. The result has been a continuing and growing exodus of the childcare workforce and the permanent closure of thousands of providers throughout the state.

AB 865 will address this inequity and help align child care voucher programs with practices already in place in the private pay market. The bill will also assist providers with direct deposits and allow for the greater use of technology to better serve families. Full Fact Sheet.
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva was first elected to serve California’s 65th Assembly District in 2012. In 2016, she regained her seat to serve the constituents of North Orange County. In 2018, the constituents re-elected her to serve the communities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Palma, and Stanton. Prior to her service in the State Legislature, she served in local government as a member of the Fullerton City Council from 2004 to 2012, including serving two terms as Mayor. 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

Upcoming committee hearing dates will be updated here on a rolling basis. Please note that bills must be in print for 30 days before they may be heard in committee.

  • To see upcoming legislative deadlines click here.
Tweets of the Week
Federal News
Kamala Harris: The Exodus of Women From the Workforce is National Emergency  

On February 12, 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post were she states that the approximately 2.5 million women who have lost their jobs or dropped out of the work force during the pandemic is a national emergency. She cites lack of child care as one reason for this crisis, and notes that “these workers [women working low-wage jobs], many of them women of color have been undervalued and underpaid for too long.” She talks about her own experience being taken care of by her neighbor, who became a second mother to her, growing up. She states that “without affordable and accessible child care, working mothers are forced to make an unfair choice” and that “our economy cannot fully recover unless women participate.”  

Vice President Kamala Harris cast her first tiebreaking vote on February 5th to advance the Senate reconciliation plan, which closely tracks the Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan. The reconciliation process is moving along and the hope is to pass the next relief package before March 14th, 2021, when employment insurance runs out.  

2.      No Choice: The Implications of Unmet Child Care Needs for Unemployment Assistance & Paid Leave Access During the COVID019 Pandemic  

The Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality (GCPI) and is pleased to share with you its latest brief, “No Choice: The Implications of Unmet Child Care Needs for Unemployment Assistance & Paid Leave Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which describes how unmet child care needs intersect with and can be mitigated by state and federal unemployment assistance and paid leave programs. The work was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  

The key takeaways won’t surprise you: 

·        The COVID-19 pandemic shrunk child care availability, pushing many working parents, including many women of color and women who are paid low wages, out of formal employment. 
·        Though unemployment assistance and paid (family, medical, and sick) leave can buffer income losses when parents are unable to work because they are caring for their children, the reach and generosity of these programs have been insufficient and uneven across states and territories. 
·        Federal and state policymakers can take the following steps to address and mitigate working parents’ unmet child care needs: 
·        Provide additional emergency and longer-term child care funding and ensure safe school re-openings; 
·        Establish, expand, and extend federal and state paid leave programs; and 
·        Align emergency and permanent unemployment assistance with the lived experiences of working parents. 
·        
GCPI has been working to track and chronicle the implications of access to child care for paid leave and unemployment benefits. This brief accompanies a state-by-state (including D.C. and territories) public workbook that summarizes policies on the availability of unemployment assistance and paid leave for claimants who lack needed child care.  
Most reviewed federal bills:

1.H.R.127 [117th] Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act
2.S.394 [116th] Presidential Transition Enhancement Act of 2019
3.H.R.1 [117th] For the People Act of 2021
4.H.R.5717 [116th] Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020
5.H.R.748 [116th] CARES Act
6.H.Res.24 [117th] Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
7.S.Con.Res.5 [117th ]A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2021 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2022 through 2030.
8.H.R.133 [116th] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
9.S.Res.47 [117th] A resolution to provide for related procedures concerning the article of impeachment against Donald John Trump, former President of the United States.
10.H.R.6395 [116th] National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
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.
Stipend Allocations for Direct Service and Alternative Payment Contractors- All November 2020 data must be submitted or revised no later than Wednesday, February 24, 2021.
 
In anticipation of legislation authorizing the CDE to allocate funding from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, the CDE is preparing to issue a one-time stipend in the amount of $525 per subsidized child enrolled in a Direct Service or Alternative Payment Program. These stipends are to address costs associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the case of decreased enrollment or closures, and to ensure that programs are able to remain open or reopen.
 
This communication serves to notify CDE Direct Service Programs that Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS) CDD-801A enrollment data submitted for November 2020, will be utilized to determine the number of eligible subsidized children in the program for purposes of stipend allocations. Alternative Payment Programs contracted with the CDE will receive stipend allocations based on caseload data submitted in the online CalWORKs/Alternative Payment reporting system for the month of November 2020. The CDE requests that all direct service and alternative payment contractors review their data submissions for November 2020 to ensure the accuracy of the information that has been provided.
 
Please note that this communication is to notify contractors of a need to submit or verify data, which will allow the CDE to quickly allocate these funds; allocations will not be finalized until enacted legislation provides the CDE with authority to issue stipend funding. 
 
Timeframe for Allocation Process
 
All November 2020 data must be submitted or revised no later than Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Data submitted by this date will be utilized for stipend allocations. This deadline applies to both Direct Service and Alternative Payment Programs.
The CDE will be completing allocations shortly thereafter, and apportionment payments are expected to be issued to contractors in late March 2021. Please note that these allocations will not be provided as an augmentation to a contract, but rather will be paid in a separate check sent directly to the contractor.
Additional guidance will be provided to contractors in the coming weeks. The purpose of this communication is solely to notify contractors of the stipend allocation methodology and deadlines for reporting.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this email, please contact your assigned ELCD, Program Quality Implementation Office, Regional Consultant via the ELCD Consultant Regional Assignments web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp or by phone at 916-322-6233.
We appreciate your partnership as we continue to put children first.
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. 
Management Bulletin 21-04: California State Preschool Program Free or Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Criteria to Enroll Four-Year-Old Children - NOTE: MB 21-04 has been updated to remove reference of the new recertification process from MB 21-03, and is now in alignment with MB 17-14.

Attention: Executive Officers and Program Directors of California State Preschool Programs
Management Bulletin (MB) 21-04 is available on the CDE, ELCD Management Bulletins web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/allmbs.asp.
This MB provides guidance for contractors serving transitional kindergarten- and kindergarten- age children in the California State Preschool Program.
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.
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. 
Staff at Child Development Resources' Benita Wallick Head Start Center celebrated National #RandomActsOfKindnessDay on February 17th. During the morning's 8 a.m. drop-off, each parent was presented with a CDR super cool blue tumbler.
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.



Valley Oak Children's Services:
VOCS Provider Updates, February 19, 2021


Children's Council San Francisco

Let us know what your organization is doing, we would love to feature you in the coming weeks!        
Interesting Reads
Parenting In The Pandemic: Why The Struggle Is Real For Black Mothers
By: Frankie Robertson, Essence

Today, I survived another pandemic workday. As I finish this article at 4:30 a.m. and get into bed, I reflect on how the day started. I tiptoed in to peek at my sleeping five- and two-year-old, kissed my husband as he left to work in an essential role off site, then hurried to my home office, to get in as much work time as possible before our children awakened.
Thirty minutes into my first virtual meeting, I welcomed my two tiny coworkers. Business partners know that we are a package deal, as we can’t take the risk of enrolling our children in school or daycare. Of course, this means supervising virtual kindergarten and bathroom needs while I’m on the phone, and soothing occasional toddler meltdowns—but this was, thankfully, one of my less eventful workdays.
I love being a mother and have the privilege of working remotely as a social-justice consultant. However, having no childcare and being a full-time workfrom-home mom is unsustainable. Although I got through the day, the wear and tear on my health was real, and I deserve more than trying to survive the workday while also trying to survive a deadly virus. The lack of childcare to meet my family’s needs feels very isolating, but it is a widespread issue that is creating a pandemic within a pandemic for working mothers. I know that I am not alone.
Morning Brief: Save The Child Care, Save The World
LAist


A lot of ink has been spilled in the past year about parents — mothers, mostly — hoping that the pandemic will have a silver lining: That policy-makers will finally understand how crucial child care is for society to function.
It’s not clear whether that lesson has been learned just yet, but as my colleague Mariana Dale reports, what is clear is that child care providers haven’t gotten the assistance they need — and many are shuttering facilities because of it.
Early childhood educators were struggling before the pandemic. Many who work in the industry make below minimum wage, and turnover is extremely high. But when COVID-19 hit, families with young children found themselves in incredibly unstable times. Would they keep their jobs? Could they even leave the house? And when families are unsure about their next steps, those who care for their children become unsure as well.
Between the beginning of the pandemic and the end of January, more than 3,000 California childcare providers shut down. Thousands more closed temporarily, and many that remain open are at limited capacity. That means financial stress for their owners and employees, which trickles down to the kids they care for.
Some help has come in the form of state and federal funds, but in California, $1 billion in federal relief is still tied up in bureaucratic red tape, even as providers are forced to close their doors. And across the country, early childhood education providers aren’t being included in the first rounds of vaccinations.

All the while, parents who are stuck at home with their children, trying to operate as caregivers and teachers and, sometimes, hold down jobs as well, are far past their breaking point.
“I often feel trapped,” one local mother told us last month. “There are no places to go on field trips or little adventures. We don't have play dates or birthday parties or soccer practices. I'm even skeptical about grocery runs with all three of my kids — which makes this job all the more complicated.”
February 2021 Agency Highlight
2020 was an unprecedented year.

"COVID-19 brought unexpected challenges to our community. When schools were closed and the stay-at-home order was issued, essential workers were asked to work longer hours, making child care services imperative. CDA offices were reconfigured to ensure the health and safety of our clients and essential workers. Digital platforms were rapidly implemented to prevent any interruption of services allowing for virtual program enrollment, check-ins, and recertification. CDA stepped up to the cause and administered several new programs in partnership with community organizations, leaders, philanthropists, and nonprofits to provide child care vouchers, financial grants, diapers, and other support to low income families, essential workers, and child care providers. A big shout-out to our amazing team and partners for their dedication and support to our community during this challenging time."

Learn more about how CDA Supported Low-income Families, Essential Workers, and Child Care Providers in Response to COVID-19.

If you would like to be featured, please email us!
CAPPA Member Only Benefits

Not a member?





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!

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
Become a Monday 
Morning Update Partner! 
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 Monday morning distribution is to more than 6,200 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.