Transcript I-CAN Service Expansion

Project Overview
I-CAN Service Expansion
Background
• 2007 study on economic impact of child care
sector
• Subsequent plan to engage business and
economic development leaders in activities
to:
1. Position the child care sector as a key player in the
health of the local economy.
2. Stabilize the local child care industry
3. Influence legislation to positively affect the quality,
affordability and accessibility of child care.
4. Increase potential for young children to access quality
child care.
5. Facilitate access to high quality programs for
underserved families.
Background
• A key activity for industry stabilization was
to investigate a collective management or
shared services offering
– Kellogg Foundation Venture Grant provided funding for
feasibility study and pursuit of funds for start-up
• Applied to Appalachian Regional
Commission for start-up funds in June 2008
– Received word of award in September 2009
Why Shared Sevices?
• Stabilize enrollment
• Improve rate of fee collection
• Improve provider business management
skills
• Upgrade provider business management
tools
• Achieve greater consistency in quality
among providers in:
– Business management practices
– Program delivery in the area of early literacy
WE HAVE A PLAN
I-CAN Expansion:
Background
Steuben Child Care Project Existing Services:
– Provider state licensing and registration
– Child care resource and referral for families
– FDA Food Program claim management for
providers
– Professional development provider training
– Child care subsidy administration for Steuben
County
I-CAN Expansion:
Background
Membership-based Integrated Care &
Assistance Network (I-CAN) Existing
Services:
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Discounted professional training
Office equipment resource center
Curriculum support tools
Discounted purchasing of arts and crafts supplies
Discounted purchasing of food
Lending library of books for providers and
children
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
Shared Services strategy to expand existing
I-CAN services to include:
– Marketing, recruitment and enrollment of
families/children
– Centralized billing and fee collection OR group
access to child care management software
– Tax preparation assistance
– Early Literacy curriculum and training
– Possible access to on-call substitute(s) through
cross-training of I-CAN administrative staff
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
MARKETING, RECRUITMENT & ENROLLMENT
Features
– Promotion of I-CAN child care provider network,
matching of families, administrative management
of family enrollment and orientation for
“premium” members who have achieved 5
or better on FCCERS.
Benefits
– More stable program census (and therefore
income), more time to focus on program
provision, less paperwork.
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
CHILD CARE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Features
• Comprehensive operating system for childcare specific tasks (Minute Menu Pro)
– Menu planning and meal tracking
– Billing/invoicing, automatic bill-paying service, multiple
fee schedules
– Complete record on every child (basic, immunization,
health)
– Time/use and expense tracking for tax purposes
– Daily parent communication sheet
– Activity planning & scheduling
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
CHILD CARE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Benefits
• Well-managed, successful business
– Easy invoicing and more stable fee collection
– Easy and comprehensive record-keeping will help
providers access their full tax refund
– Great customer service with daily parent
communication sheet, automated bill-paying and yearend statement report for parent tax records.
– Automated invoicing and parent bill-paying creates a
buffer zone between providers and parents where fee
collection is concerned.
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
TAX PREPARATION ASSISTANCE
Features
– Early-in-season skilled tax preparation and e-filing
at no cost to the self-employed child care provider.
Benefits
– Reporting of all eligible deductions and claiming of
all eligible credits through no-cost skilled tax
preparation means a higher refund; tax preparation
early in the season and e-filing gets refunds in
provider accounts fast.
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
EARLY LITERACY CURRICULUM AND TRAINING
Features
– I-CAN premium members would receive materials
and training on the pre-school component of the
research-based curriculum used by their local school
district or the one used by Steuben County Head
Start.
Benefits
– Consistency in school readiness curriculum delivery
throughout the county to the many children
receiving care in family child care settings.
I-CAN Expansion:
The Plan
SUBSTITUTE SERVICES
Features
– One or two I-CAN administrative staff members
would be cross-trained, certified and credentialed
as child care substitutes and could be deployed as
“last resort” substitutes when providers cannot find
coverage through the usual channels.
Benefits
– Eliminates provider stress over disappointing
customers because of an inability to fill a staffing
gap.
PLAN MEETS REALITY
I-CAN Expansion:
The Reality
• Unemployment rate doubled between June
of 2008 (grant submission) February 2010
(4 months into grant year)
– 5.6% in June of 2008; 11 % in February 2010
– Providers lost census
• State subsidy allocation dropped causing:
– County eligibility level decrease from 200% to 120% FPL
– Families of 131 children lost subsidy
– Enormous waiting list for fee assistance (424 as of April
2010)
– Providers lost census
I-CAN Expansion:
The Reality
• CSEA VOICE Union
– Fair share dues deduction from subsidy
reimbursement
• Provider reluctance to pay dues to two
organizations
• C.A.$.H. Partnership Limitations.
– Providers ineligible for assistance if:
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Claim home depreciation
Spouse is also self-employed
Household income is higher than $50,000 per year
Have farm or rental income
PROVIDERS RESIST
JOINING THE NEW I-CAN
I-CAN Expansion:
The Reality
• Provider resistance due to:
1. Crisis of low census
2. Concern over “joining” and paying dues to
two organizations
3. Don’t view themselves as business people
RE-CENTERED FOCUS
I-CAN Expansion:
Tight Focus on Quality
• De-emphasize membership
– Remove tiered membership
– Promote basic membership
• Focus on quality improvement
– FCCERS assessments
• Cash incentives for those who complete it (target 16
in process by year-end)
– Early literacy curriculum & training FOR ALL
• Adapted from Head Start for home-based, multi-age
setting
– Minute Menu Pro license & training FOR ALL
• Reduce barriers to participation through technology
grants (possible new funding)
I-CAN Expansion:
Re-upped Efforts For Stability
• Bridge fund
– Assistance for families who lose subsidy
eligibility when:
• Eligibility limits change
• Income increases
• They are between jobs
– Funds go through parents to providers
– Tied to quality: available only for use with
quality-rated providers
• Generates parent demand for quality
I-CAN Expansion:
Re-upped Efforts For Stability
• Business Engagement
– June 17th event
• Business Champions for Early Learning
– Follow-up communications to alert champions
of opportunities:
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Author op-eds
Call on elected officials
Include child care in plans
Provide financial support
– Chamber of Commerce Roundtable
• Invited to educate group about child care issues
I-CAN Expansion:
Keeping Up The Good Work
• Continue offering popular supports
– Contract and policy review and update
• Prompted providers to improve business and program
practices
• Taking a fresh look at their rights and status as the
business owner
– Minute Menu Pro
• Those using it LOVE it!
I-CAN Expansion:
Generating Provider Interest
• Lacking time and resources, a crucial
step was skipped in planning process …
INVOLVING PROVIDERS!
• September Roundtable
– Food, free training incentives offered
– Open, two-way exchange of ideas about
shared services:
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Staff explain intentions and motivations behind
project
Providers talk about their needs, wants and
aspirations
A RISING TIDE
LIFTS ALL BOATS