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Priority Populations Procurement FY ‘11

Priority Populations Procurement FY ‘11. Who are our Priority Populations?. Supportive Child Care: child/family involved with DCF for whom DCF has authorized access to EEC supportive care Homeless families: a child whose family is living in shelter

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Priority Populations Procurement FY ‘11

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  1. Priority Populations Procurement FY ‘11

  2. Who are our Priority Populations? • Supportive Child Care: child/family involved with DCF for whom DCF has authorized access to EEC supportive care • Homeless families: a child whose family is living in shelter • Teen Parents: a child with a parent who is younger than 20 years of age

  3. Priority Populations - Placement data • Homeless Placements • Peaked in September 2008 – 2,306 children • December 2009 – 1,556 children • By age group: total number of children younger than school age consistently highest category– currently 1,318 children placed • Teen Parent Placements • FY’09 - 2,695 children placed • December 2009 – 1,392 children placed (54 teen parents also received services) • Supportive Placements- • FY’10 Average-6,126 contracts & vouchers • FY’10 July-January Monthly Averages: 5,106 children in contracts (4,790 regular slots; 316 expansion slots); 1,019 vouchers) • December 2009: 3,514 regular contract slots, 320 expansion slots, and 1,025 9S vouchers* - Total: 4,816 *9S vouchers are expansion vouchers. Supportive contracted providers are allowed to provide supportive services in other regions and other program types where they do not have contracts

  4. Research Supporting Services to Priority Populations • Family residential stability is highly associated with educational success of children and youth and conversely, homelessness contributes to poor educational outcomes for children and youth.1 • EEC 2008 survey of supportive providers noted that mental health and domestic violence issues were the biggest areas of need for families in their programs 2 • Supportive social relationships can play an important role in buffering the stresses experienced by teenage mothers, thus positively influencing their psychological well-being and mothering ability. 3 • Scientists now know that chronic, unrelenting stress in early childhood, perhaps caused by extreme poverty, neglect, repeated abuse, or severe maternal depression, for example, can be toxic to the developing brain. 4 1 Aaronson, D. 2000 A Note on the Benefits of Homeownership. Journal of Urban Economics 47: 356-369 2 Proventive, July 2008. EEC Supportive Services Survey, Statewide Report Findings 3 Thompson, M.S., & Peebles-Wilkins, W. (1992) 4 Shonkoff, J. and Phillips, D. (EDs.). (2000) From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Source of Early Childhood Development. Washington DC: National Academy Press

  5. Supportive Child Care Eligibility • Families with active DCF protective cases • Closed referral service Only families referred by DCF or by DCF’s Family Based Services Lead Agency may be enrolled. • Supportive child care is appropriate for DCF families only when it is used in conjunction with other services as part of a family treatment plan. • Supportive Child Care services are intended to be transitional in nature. Issues/Recommendations for FY ’11 • Issue: Addressing the needs of DCF involved families whose open case has closed. • Recommendation: Provide child care for at least 6 months for family whose open case has closed, based on risk of re-engagement with DCF. • Issue: Addressing the needs of foster families who need child care to sustain placement. • Recommendation: Use income eligible or supportive slots with regional director approval, depending on the need of the family. Supportive placements would be reviewed annually to determine if the child can be placed in an income eligible slot at lower cost.

  6. Supportive Child Care Eligibility Issues/Recommendations for FY ’11 • Issue: Lack of infant/toddler placements to meet the increasing need of DCF involved families • Recommendation: Mapping of DCF involved families will inform EEC’s selection of supportive programs to meet this growing need for infant-toddler slots • Recommendation: Beyond Priority Population procurement, explore option of providing Early Head Start Programming as an additional option for supportive families. • Issue: Need for improvement of communication between programs and DCF area office • Recommendation: Application will require letter of support from appropriate DCF representative

  7. Length of Stay on DCF Supportive Waitlist- December 2009

  8. Eligibility for Homeless Families • Referral must come from Housing Authority Program (HAP) or shelter; • Current access 85 slots in 10 contracted programs.* There are no vendors in Regions 1 and 5. Homeless families who reside in shelters in the Greater Boston area or Framingham, Waltham, Worcester, Malden, and Lynn have access due to location of contracted providers. • EEC income and activity requirements must be met; activity requirements can include housing search and other shelter activities. • 6 month reassessment of individualized service plan Contractor reassesses needs of family and works with the shelter to help meet the family’s housing goals. • Length of Eligibility Continuity of care is provided at income eligible rate once goals are met. *Increased current number of contracted slots to 255 effective 2/1/10.

  9. Eligibility for Homeless Families Issues/Recommendations for FY ’11 • Issue: Even with recent expansion of slots, there continues to be a large unmet need for homeless families. • Recommendation: Increase number of contracted slots for homeless families to 600. • Issue: Need for improvement of communication between programs, shelters and Housing area offices • Recommendation: Application will require letters of support from appropriate DCHD representative responsible for placements and shelter partners • Issue: Need for access for families participating in a Division of Housing Stabilization diversion program. This is for families who are eligible for shelter but choose to take funds for another apartment or who take some solution other than shelter.  • Recommendation: EEC will provide access for these families.

  10. Homeless Placement Data

  11. Eligibility for Teens Parents • Teen parents must be under age twenty to access care. Enrolled teens who turn twenty during their enrollment year may remain in care up to age 21. • Income requirements The gross monthly income of a teen parent family must be at or below 50% of the State’s Median Income (SMI). • Service need based on the teen’s involvement in an educational program (such as attending high school or a General Equivalency Degree (GED) program) or work activities. • Enrollment Teens may enroll during their last trimester of pregnancy in order to receive support services, and to reserve a child care slot for their child. Issues/Recommendations for FY ’11 • Issue:Currently, there is no continuity of care from contract to income eligible slot for teen parents aging out. • Recommendation: Provide continuity of care if EEC income and activity requirements are met.

  12. Priority Populations Program Quality Standards The Strengthening Families Protective Factors * will serve as an overarching frame for programs working with priority populations. The Protective Factors are: • Parental resilience • Social connections • Knowledge of parenting and child development • Concrete support in times of need • Children’s social and emotional development *Center for Social Policy, Strengthening Families website http://www.strengtheningfamilies.net/index.php/main_pages/protective_factors

  13. Quality Standards align with QRIS and program characteristics evaluated in FY ‘10 Income Eligible Bid • Curriculum and Learning: curriculum, assessment, teacher child relationships and interactions, special education, children with diverse language and cultures IE Developmental Screening , Child Assessment , Curriculum • Environment: indoor, outdoor, health and safety • Workforce Qualifications and Professional Development: directors, teachers, teacher assistants, consultants IEProfessional Development • Family Involvement IE Family Engagement • Leadership, Management and Administration: administration, management and leadership, supervision, evaluation, community involvement IE Comprehensive Services, Collaborations & Shared Services All providers for Priority Populations will be expected to participate in the QRIS.

  14. Core Services for Priority Populations • Stable, nurturing and stimulating environment that meets the individual developmental, behavioral and emotional needs of children • Parent access to counseling services to inform them about community support services and public assistance benefits they may access while they seek housing and employment, including WIC and Food Stamps. • Parent access to skill building programs , such as: life skills, literacy, parenting , employment /training , academic development, money management, domestic violence prevention education, health and nutritional education counseling • Individualized service plans outlining any behavioral, developmental or emotional issues which need to be addressed while in care must be developed for each enrolled child . • Smooth transitions for children and families identifying children and families’ specific needs; linking families to appropriate community resources, including early education and care options; planning and coordinating information. • Therapeutic supports for families as necessary. Through affiliations with local licensed or accredited mental health clinics, provide access to services , such as: assessment; on-site therapy; family therapy; multi-family therapy groups; and/or consultation with Specialized Child Care Services Contractors. • Outreach to and parent involvement opportunities for families • Individualized transportation services must be provided for all priority families as needed. • Ongoing staff training related to the specific needs of the children and families in care, on topics such as: working with children with challenging behaviors, mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse and addiction and topics related specifically to homelessness and teen parenting

  15. Services Unique to each Priority Population Supportive Child Care Providers • Case Coordination with DCF Case Managers • Discharge Planning • Supporting DCF treatment goals Specialized Child Care Services for Homeless Families • Maintain affiliations with Homeless shelters Teen Parents • Regular and routine contact with local schools and DTA offices (if necessary) to monitor and document parent participation in school, or GED attendance

  16. Priority Contract add-on rates • Supportive Child Care • $15.65 per. day includes: • case management/counseling/referrals • coordination with DCF • Transportation • Teen Parent Child Care Service • $14.50 per. day includes: • case management, counseling/referrals • transportation • Up to $9.00 per. day based on need and utilization of following services for teens and their child(ren): • $3.00 per. day counseling • $3.00 per. day parent training • $3.00 home visiting • Specialized Child Care Services for Homeless Children • $8.00 - $12.00 per day depending on the proposed services to specific homeless population for case management/counseling/referrals • $6.00 - $9.00 per. day for transportation Recommendation for FY ‘11: Because expectations are similar for all contracts, we would like to establish one rate for add-on services.

  17. EEC Priority Populations Funding ***Recommendation for FY’11: Additional contracted slots for foster parents will be earmarked from the existing amount of contract slots allocated in Income Eligible. Foster children will no longer be considered a family of “1;” foster families will be required to meet EEC IE requirements and service need.

  18. Feedback from Advisory CommitteeFebruary 26, 2010 Supportive Child Care • Low income working parents should be the priority for IE -concern about using 1000 income eligible slots for foster parents • EEC response: Foster parents who access income eligible slots will have to meet IE requirements • Supportive slots should be used for foster parents – DCF should support these families not EEC IE • EEC response: All foster families do not require add-on services, but need a child care slot to maintain placement; • EEC response: Regional DCF staff will determine the appropriateness of an income eligible slot vs. a supportive slot based on individual family needs. • Rate for supportive is “eaten up” by transportation costs • EEC response: Transportation is expensive. Transportation needs must be determined on an individual family basis for two reasons: • to maximize use of add-on rate, and • to maximize engagement opportunities with families.

  19. Feedback from Advisory CouncilFebruary 26, 2010 Teen Parents • With no expansion of the existing number of slots for teen parents, teens may have to go on TAFDC to receive child care, which is not the preferred way for teen parents to access care. • EEC response: Current contract slots for teen parents are not filled; our procurement will address the potential mismatch between birth data and existing child care slots for teen parents. • EEC response: in the current fiscal climate, access through TAFDC provides another way for more teen parent families to have their child care and support service needs met. • Support for blended rate – general agreement of the Council

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