I-CAN Service Expansion

1. I-CAN Service Expansion Project Overview

2. Background • 2007 study on economic impact of child care sector • Subsequent plan to engage business and economic development leaders in activities to: • Position the child care sector as a key player in the health of the local economy. • Stabilize the local child care industry • Influence legislation to positively affect the quality, affordability and accessibility of child care. • Increase potential for young children to access quality child care. • Facilitate access to high quality programs for underserved families.

3. 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

4. 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

5. WE HAVE A PLAN

6. 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

7. I-CAN Expansion: Background Membership-based Integrated Care & Assistance Network (I-CAN) Existing Services: • 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. I-CAN Expansion: The Plan CHILD CARE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Features • Comprehensive operating system for child-care 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

11. 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 year-end 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. PLAN MEETS REALITY

16. 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

17. 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: • Claim home depreciation • Spouse is also self-employed • Household income is higher than $50,000 per year • Have farm or rental income

18. PROVIDERS RESIST JOINING THE NEW I-CAN

19. I-CAN Expansion: The Reality • Provider resistance due to: • Crisis of low census • Concern over “joining” and paying dues to two organizations • Don’t view themselves as business people

20. RE-CENTERED FOCUS

21. 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)

22. 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

23. 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: • 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

24. 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!

25. 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: • Staff explain intentions and motivations behind project • Providers talk about their needs, wants and aspirations

26. A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS