"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
October 19, 2020 | Issue #42
R&R Network and CAPPA Virtual Joint Annual Conference
HAPPENING THIS WEEK!
Come join the nearly 850 registered attendees for our R&R Network and CAPPA Virtual Joint Conference!
If you are attending, log-in information will be emailed to you today.

While we will certainly miss being able to come together in-person to share and gain information and to meet and connect with colleagues and workshop presenters, we want to create a conference event that meets as many of our members' needs as possible given the parameters that virtual conferences/workshops have. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important for our community to stay connected, stand united, and meet this challenge together.

AND INCLUDED IN YOUR REGISTRATION IS ACCESS UNTIL NOVEMBER 6TH TO THE 60 PLUS WORKSHOPS!!!

While we won't be able to meet in-person, what we hope to offer in a thoughtful, user-friendly manner, are keynote presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and connection time with vendors. It will be different this year since we cannot be in the same physical location, but assisted by technology, we can do all that. With no travel and flexibility, we look forward to new opportunities for R&R Network and CAPPA members from across the state, as well as state partners, joining us as we collectively support our children, families and communities.

CAPPA and the R&R Network would like to give a BIG thank you to our 2020 Virtual Joint Conference Partners!
What happened on Election Day?
Find out on November 12th!!

Back by popular demand is our hosted panel of experts who break down the outcomes on candidates and propositions voted on November 3. This panel will be followed up by a panel to provide input on what the impacts of the outcomes may be on issues of importance to us such as child care, housing, food insecurity and more.

Do you have a 2021 legislative idea?

If you have any legislative or bill ideas for consideration for child care, supporting whole family & child, preschool, CACFP or other, please complete this background form and submit to CAPPA.
General Election Information
Election Day - November 3, 2020
Countdown - 15 days
October 19 - TODAY!!!
Voter Guide - English

NEW: What's On The Ballot? Here's A Look At California's 2020 Propositions (includes overview and audio) - Preview your ballot and get information on registering to vote, and voting by mail or in-person with CapRadio's California 2020 Election Voter Guide.

While much of the attention on the November election is focused on the race for President, Californians are going to have a lot of other decisions to make. One (or 12) of the biggest: the statewide ballot measures.

Yes, there will be a dozen different propositions for California voters this year — Prop. 14 through Prop. 25 — on everything from expanding rent control to ending the ban on affirmative action. While we at CapRadio will be reporting on these more up until Nov. 3, we wanted to give you a quick overview now on what each measure covers and what a "yes" or "no" vote will mean. 

  • Proposition 14 - Authorizes Bonds Continuing Stem Cell Research.
  • Proposition 15 - Increases Funding Sources for Public Schools, Community Colleges and Local Government Services by Changing Tax Assessment of Commercial and Industrial Property.
  • Proposition 16 - Allows Diversity as a Factor in Public Employment, Education and Contracting Decisions.
  • Proposition 17 - Restores Right to Vote After Completion of a Prison Term.
  • Proposition 18 - Amends California Constitution to Permit 17-Year-Olds to Vote in Primary and Special Election If They Will Turn 18 by Next General Election.
  • Proposition 19 - Changes Certain Property Tax Rules.
  • Proposition 20 - Restricts Parole for Certain Offenses Currently Considered to Be Non-Violent.
  • Proposition 21 - Expands Local Governments Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property.
  • Proposition 22 - Exempts App-Based Transportation and Delivery Companies From Providing Employee Benefits to Certain Drivers.
  • Proposition 23 - Establishes State Requirements for Kidney Dialysis Clinics.
  • Proposition 24 - Amends Consumer Privacy Laws.
  • Proposition 25 - Referendum on Law That Replaced Money Bail System Based on Public Safety and Flight Risk

For more specific Voter Information, click here.
2020 Child Care and Early Education Candidate Questionnaire
To help our field become more educated about candidates running for the State Senate and Assembly, a 2020 Candidate Questionnaire with background has been put together. If you are a candidate or know someone running for the State Legislature, please have them complete the Candidate Questionnaire (for convenience in a Word format) and we will host in a future CAPPA Monday Morning Update. If you have any questions, please contact CAPPA@CAPPAONLINE.COM.

Candidate Questionnaires - Click below and read about some of those individuals running for either the state Assembly or Senate.

ASSEMBLY
SENATE
State Partner Updates
New Interactive: Find Out How Women are Doing in Your Community
When women thrive, their families and communities prosper. Yet despite decades of progress in job opportunities, earnings, and political leadership, California women – and especially women of color – still face persistent barriers to accessing economic security, physical and mental health care, and representation in elected positions that greatly improve their lives and the well-being of their families and communities. 

Today, the California Budget & Policy Center releases our new Women’s Well-Being Index. The Index provides a breakdown of women’s well-being statewide and by all 58 counties, plus information by race and ethnicity.
How are women in your community doing when it comes to earning a living wage? What do women in your county face in accessing health care, buying healthy food, and staying safe? And what opportunities do women have to lead in your local governments?
Explore the interactive and download the many fact sheets to learn more about how we must all work together to prioritize the well-being of women – and particularly women of color – in order to build a brighter California. Click here to visit the index.
Early Childhood Coalition
JOIN 40,000 CHILD CARE PROVIDERS CALLING ON STATE LEADERS TO SAVE SYSTEM IN CRISIS 
More than 5,000 child care providers have been forced out of business this year 
SACRAMENTO, CA – A coalition of 78 organizations, committed to improving child care access in California, sent a letter to Governor Newsom, President pro Tempore Atkins, and Speaker Rendon yesterday, urging the state leaders to take immediate action to save California’s child care system, and thus support California’s frontline workers as well as a just and equitable economic recovery. “We know that without COVID-19 relief and permanent economic protections for child care providers, real economic recovery in California will be impossible,” they wrote. 
 
The letter calls for state leaders to ensure that every child has access to quality early learning and care, and that family child care providers, and all early educators, receive the pay, respect, and resources they need as essential workers to provide this invaluable service during this critical time. 
 
Satomi Rash-Zeigler, President of the San Diego Coalition of Black Trade Unionists said: “If California fails to address its child care crisis, we not only risk compromising our response to COVID-19, but we also risk compromising an entire cohort of children who won’t receive the care and attention they need to thrive.”
 
The coalition of non-profit, labor, and social justice organizations stressed that California’s child care system has been in crisis since long before the state went into lockdown in March. Many family child care providers experience persistent financial hardship due to low pay and lack of access to affordable health coverage. Quality child care can also be hard to find or too expensive for working families, all while more than 1.8 million children who are eligible for state-subsidized care fail to receive it and fall through the cracks.
 
Since January of this year, over 5,200 child care providers in California have been forced to close their doors with no help or intervention from the state. One of the critical lessons learned from the 2008 financial crisis is that without immediate action, these providers will never again be able to open their doors to serve California children most in need.
 
Dr. Michael Olenick, CEO and President of The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) said: “As one of the largest childcare agencies in California, we work on the ground with thousands of family child care providers every day. We have seen firsthand the financial struggles providers are facing, leading to closures that ultimately reduce the access low income families have to care in our state. Family Child Care providers have been the heroes during this pandemic with most staying open risking their lives to ensure that essential workers have the child care they need to keep the rest of us safe. Now the state has thrown up their hands placing an effective tax on the low-income women of color who serve as the backbone of California's childcare system. It’s time our state leaders fulfill their promises to our children and early educators to support quality, affordable childcare for working families through the course of this pandemic and beyond.”
 
The letter specifically asks for:
  • Adequate reimbursement rates for children participating in distance learning
  • Financial support for providers who have to close their doors following potential COVID-19 exposure so they can reopen
  • Restoration of the unilateral cut to providers’ pay by continuing to cover families’ portion of fees for children who receive child care subsidies when families keep children home to prevent COVID-19 spread or exposure
With California’s schools closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, child care providers’ value in helping close achievement gaps is only becoming more evident. Child care providers are some of the only in-person educators right now. They are critical to making distance learning work and combating educational deficits, with no guarantee they’ll be reimbursed.
 
Jean Cohen, Interim Director of the South Bay Labor Council said: “Family child care providers find solutions to difficult problems, and we have long known that their endless support is a cornerstone in our ability as working parents to be able to successfully balance our career and our family lives.”
 
Child care providers have been rightfully deemed essential workers, but the state’s investment is needed to ensure that they can continue to support their communities who rely on access to care.
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The Region 9 Head Start Association (California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii) has recently released a new video celebrating Early Head Start’s 25th Anniversary. This video includes early childhood education pioneers Joan Lombardi, Patti Cole, Frank Fuentes and John Love. In addition, the video covers the values of Early Head Start work in local communities and aspirations for the future. Click here to view - https://youtu.be/C2VWFThWWsA
Federal Updates
Last week, Majority Leader McConnell diverged with President Trump and rejected the possibility of a $1.8 trillion to $2.2 trillion relief bill that Speaker Pelosi was in the midst of negotiating with the White House. McConnell is expected to bring a much smaller—about $500 billion—bill to the floor next week and force a vote. This smaller bill would include provisions to extend unemployment insurance and the Paycheck Protection Program and some money for hospitals and schools. It is unclear how much will be included for child care, but we do not expect it to have the $50 billion we need for our child care system. If it passes the Senate, this bill is not expected to be brought to a vote in the House. In the meantime, please continue your outreach to your federal delegations, particularly to Senate Republicans, with the same message: we need at least $50 billion in relief in the next COVID-19 package to stabilize child care.

SCOTUS Census Decision: The Supreme Court cleared the Trump administration to proceed with its plan to end enumeration for the decennial census early. The Supreme Court blocked a lower court order that required the government to continue with the data collection deadline through the October 31, 2020, as originally planned. Census data collection operations for the 2020 Census will now end on October 15, 2020.
The Politico article explains the importance of the now terminated extended deadline. Experts are concerned that a shortened timeline due to the pandemic threatened the census on two ends: both the actual enumeration and the data processing that follows. 
Click the link to access the Census Bureau Statement on 2020 Census Data Collection Ending on released on October 13.

New Report from Yale University: COVID-19 Risk Among Child Care Providers
Researchers from Yale University released findings from a survey of over 50,000 child care providers regarding community transmission of COVID-19 within the child care system. The survey, COVID-19 Transmission in U.S. Child Care Programs, is one of the largest epidemiological studies on a workforce ever conducted. 

The study found that exposure to child care was not associated with an elevated risk of spreading COVID-19 to providers, as long as programs continue to follow core health and safety practices. The study also identifies that community spread matters and that child care programs will need to be responsive to localized transmission of COVID-19, which may result in ongoing closures or other challenges.

The report illustrates that child care providers are working hard to support families and keep their communities safe, but child care cannot continue to operate safely and survive this pandemic without robust federal investment. This research supports our efforts to continue advocating for $50 billion in additional federal funding so child care providers can keep following infection mitigation efforts, and programs can be supported as they respond to fluctuating transmission rates within their communities.


#SaveChildCare Wednesdays - As we shared previously, a number of national organizations are pulling together united days of action. To ensure that Members of Congress, especially Congressional leadership, hear the need for at least $50 billion for child care in any coronavirus relief package, we are asking advocates, if you are able to, to take on a day of action each Wednesday through the November election. 

To access the report and supplemental resources from Child Care Aware® of America click here.
Most reviewed federal bills:
  1. H.Res.1154 - Condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes.
  2. H.R.8337 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act
  3. H.R.6800 - The Heroes Act
  4. H.R.748 - CARES Act
  5. S.3548 - CARES Act
  6. H.R.925 - HEROES Act
  7. H.Res.1164 - Providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1153) condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent, and providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1154) condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes.
  8. H.Res.908 - Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19.
  9. H.Res.109 - Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
  10. H.R.6666 - COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act
CCDF State Plans Published in Federal Register for Public Comment
On September 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a request for public comment in the Federal Register on “Proposed Information Collection Activity; Child Care and Development Fund Plan for States/Territories for FFY 2022-2024.” Specifically, ACF requests comments on (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. The comment period is 60 days, so comments are due on Monday, November 9, 2020.
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. 
The City of LA Child Care Provider Grant Program will provide $10K, $25K and $40K grants for licensed centers & agencies experiencing financial hardships due to #COVID19. This grant will be open starting tomorrow, from October 15 through October 22 only. The grant application is available here: www.laecefund.org

This grant program is administered by the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD), the City’s BusinessSource Centers and multiple local early care and education agencies.
Let us know what your organization is doing, we would love to feature you in the coming weeks!        
CDE Information & Updates
Management Bulletin 20-19: Guidance on Family Fees for Fiscal Year 2020-21

Purpose
This Management Bulletin (MB) is to notify and provide guidance to state-subsidized early learning and care (ELC) programs on the collection of Family Fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020–21 following the enactment of SB 820.
These requirements only apply to FY 2020–21 pursuant to Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2020.
Background
Education Code (EC) 8273–8273.3 details that the state shall establish a family fee schedule, the assessment of those fees, and the applicable exemptions.
The California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), sections 18108 through 18116 set forth family fee requirements for all ELC programs.
On September 15, 2020, contractors were reminded via an email to subscribers of the Early Learning and Care Division's (ELCD) distribution list that family fees for all families were waived for July and August 2020, pursuant to the Superintendent’s authority provided by EC Section 8209. The email also provided directives for contractors to issue a refund or a credit for future services to families that had paid fees for July and/or August 2020, based on the contractor’s internal policy for refunds/credits of those fees. Further, this email provided interim guidance on upcoming legislation to waive family fees for the months of September 2020 through June 2021, for families not receiving in-person services due to center closure, COVID-19 related limitations, or choosing to shelter-in-place.
On September 18, 2020, the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 820, which: (1) statutorily waives family fees for all subsidized children in July and August 2020, and provides additional funds to contractors to augment contracts for fees waived; (2) allows families who were disenrolled, either voluntarily or involuntarily, due to delinquent family fees to re-enroll without the need for additional eligibility documentation; (3) waives family fees for September 2020 through June 2021, for families where all children in the family enrolled in care remain at home for ELC distance learning or are sheltering-in-place, and specifies that if additional federal funds are not received, childcare providers will have to absorb those costs.
Management Bulletin 20-15A: Reimbursement and Data Collection Requirements for Alternative Payment Programs and Providers 
Attention: Executive Directors and Program Administrators of California Alternative Payment Programs (CAPPs), including California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage 2 (C2AP), CalWORKs Stage 3 (C3AP), and Migrant Alternative Payment Program (CMAP).
Management Bulletin 20-15A is available at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2015a.asp, and notifies and provides guidance to California Alternative Payment (AP) programs, including California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage 2 (C2AP), and CalWORKs Stage 3 (C3AP), and California Migrant Alternative Payment Program (CMAP) on:
  1. Guidance on parent signatures on monthly attendance records or invoices
  2. Guidance on serving school-age children during distance learning
  3. Guidance on additional days of non-operation closures due to COVID-19
  4. Additional data collection requirements for all Alternative Payment (AP) programs 
 Please note that this MB is a revision to MB 20-15. The following guidance within MB 20-15 still holds true: 
  1. Reimbursing providers based on the family's certified need
  2. Providing written notification (i.e. Child Care certificates or Notices of Action) to providers regarding changes to a family's level of services, including reimbursement amount and/or family fee
  3. New Data collection requirements for non-CalWORKs AP programs 
Upcoming Field Events
Highlights
Left without school or day care, farmworkers are bringing their kids to work

Every day after the sun rises in Limestone, Tenn., a 27-year-old Mexican farmworker walks into the barn where she washes and packs yellow squash and zucchini, her three young children carrying their backpacks next to her as she leads them straight to the break room.

Her 8-year-old and 10-year-old settle into chairs and use a hotspot to connect to the Internet. Her 4-year-old huddles over a notebook or iPad, sketching pictures and playing electronic games. Other farmworkers’ children join them, pulling out their laptops. Soon her eldest two are doing history or English exercises, logged into their classroom portal with classmates as farmworkers plunge their hands in water, rinsing off produce for eight hours near the makeshift classroom.

This arrangement has been the family’s reality for the duration of the harvest. Since the season began in May amid shuttered schools and child-care centers, the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she is undocumented, has brought her children to the farm. The coronavirus forced her kids’ school to close in March, and the farmworkers’ day-care program came to a halt in May. Unable to afford to quit working, she began bringing her children to work soon after the season began. Her boss has allowed it, she says, because he knows there are no other child-care options.

Click here to read full article.

School Is (Whisper It) a Form of Child Care

This summer, as debate raged among lawmakers, school districts and parents about whether it was safe to send kids back to school, something strange happened in Howard County, Md.
The Howard County school system decided to remain remote for at least the first semester. But to help parents deal with the lack of in-person care for their children, the county offered elementary school students a spot in parks and recreation programs, which provide “support for virtual learning assignments” along with “work sessions” and “crafts, physical activities, and games” — activities not totally unlike, say, school.
Little mention was made of the adults who will supervise the children during this child care. There was no hand-wringing about classroom configurations or safety guidelines. The catch? Unlike regular public school, which is guaranteed and free, the spots were limited — and cost $219 each week for a full day.
Click here to read the full article.
COVID-19 Risk among Child Care Providers

Read Yale University’s study on the spread of COVID-19 among child care workers and explore supplemental resources from Child Care Aware® of America.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A survey conducted by Yale University of more than 55,000 child care providers from May and June 2020 in the United States helps provide some answers to the safety of child care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As long as there were strong preventative measures in place, providing care to infants, toddlers and preschoolers didn’t seem to pose additional risk to child care workers.
Based on the results of the survey, the Yale team found that during the early months of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic, child care providers were not more likely to contract COVID-19 whether their workplace closed or stayed open.
Click here to read full report.
‘You’re so stressed you can’t sleep at night’: Parents and child-care providers are still struggling as the pandemic drags on

Welcome to the Covid Economy, CNBC Make It’s deep dive into how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting all areas of our lives, from food to housing, health care to small business. We’re focusing on North Carolina, a swing state that has seen rapid economic growth — and growing inequality — since the last recession to learn how residents are weathering the economic consequences of this once-in-a-lifetime health crisis.
Cassandra Brooks isn’t sure that she’ll be able to make the payroll for her 17 employees this month. 

″[The pandemic] has been a disaster for me,” says Brooks, who owns Little Believers Academy, a day-care business with two locations in the Raleigh, North Carolina, suburbs. 
Little Believers remained open during the state’s stay-at-home mandate, caring for the children of first responders. But after fully reopening to all families at the end of May, the centers have been plagued by three positive cases of Covid-19. 

“People are frightened to come back after that,” Brooks says. “We’re trying to build that trust back with families, to say, Hey, we are a safe place.” But it’s an uphill struggle.
 
Click here to read full article.
October 2020 Featured Agency of the Month
Catalyst Community is a non-profit organization that has provided innovative childcare solutions to support children, families, and childcare providers since 1976 in several northern California counties.
We believe that when families have the services/support they need, they will be able to raise competent, capable children. Learn more here.
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

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.

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
October 9, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-19: Guidance on Family Fees for Fiscal Year 2020-21
September 24, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-18: Reopening and Reimbursement Requirements for Direct Service Contractors
September 21, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-15A: Reimbursement and Data Collection Requirements for Alternative Payment Programs and Providers 
September 11, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-17: Requirements for Distance Learning Plans, Program Quality, and Distance Learning Services for Direct Service Contractors
September 10, 2020
Management Bulletin 20-16: Continued Funding Application Fiscal Year 2021–22
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 Action, Inc. Sacramento

Davis Street Family Resource Center, Alameda County

Solano Family and Children's Services


Colusa County Office of Education
Field Happenings
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.
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 (50 times per year) 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.