Child Care Provider Survey

1. Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative Child Care Provider Survey 2010

2. Survey Participants • 104 Surveys Collected • Central Mississippi PDD: 20 out of 234 • East Central PDD: 9 out of 68 • Golden Triangle PDD: 10 out of 71 • ICS: 17 out of 187 • North Central PDD: 5 out of 49 • Northeast Mississippi PDD: 4 out of 22 • South Delta PDD: 11 out of 105 • South Mississippi PDD: 20 out of 231 • Southwest Mississippi PDD: 13 out of 63 • *Note. Five people named more than one region.

3. Experience with the child care certificate program Survey Questionnaire Part I

4. Program Experience • The 104 providers serve an average of 61 children in their center, ranging from a low of 14 to a high of 210. • On average 24 children per center receive certificates.

5. Program Experience How long do children generally keep their certificates? 61% keep it for a year or less n=91

6. Program Experience Why do children lose their certificates? • 91 answers given; many pertain to failure to turn in paperwork or a change in circumstances. Answers include: • “child support record; working 24 hours instead of 25; client has to go to work and school fulltime; a student is dropped in May without allowing the parent to work on the TANF program until school starts again” • “lose job or finish school” • “paperwork” • “parents fail to submit paperwork in timely fashion and/or lose jobs”

7. Program Experience • 24% of providers in the survey said a child with a certificate lost the certificate because someone with a higher priority submitted an application.

8. Program Experience • Have any parents in your center submitted an application for a certificate that was denied? • Nearly three-fourths said yes n=101

9. Program Experience On average 5 parents per center are denied child care certificates, according to providers in the survey.

10. Program Experience 11% of providers in the survey said a parent in their center was denied a certificate because of failure to provide their social security number.

11. Program Experience Other reasons certificates were denied: • 73 different answers given; many pertain to parental income, lack of funding, and lack of hours at work. Answers include: • “not working enough hours; not supplying requested info, such as child support” • “income & failure to put fathers on child support” • “too much income” • “By the time the application was processed, check stubs no longer current. Parent has submitted 3 times. She qualifies, but there is always one more form needed. Generally, denials are because of child support.”

12. Program Experience • Are any children in your center currently on the waiting list for a certificate? • 36% of providers said yes n=99

13. Program Experience On average 6 children per center are on the waiting list for certificates, according to providers in the survey.

14. Program Experience • Length of time on waiting list for a certificate • 56% of providers who could provide information said children at their center spend 3 months or longer on the waiting list. n=25 This chart pertains to the 25 providers who gave a specific estimate

15. Program Experience • Have any parents at your center not applied for a certificate even though they meet the income requirements for CCDF? • 56% of providers said yes n=98

16. Program Experience On average 5 parents per center meet the CCDF income requirements but have not applied for a certificate, according to the providers in the survey.

17. Program Experience Reasons parents have not applied: • 41 different answers given; the most common reason is child support. Answers include: • “not working the minimum number of hours for fulltime students” • “not getting all the paperwork in on time; change of income” • “lack of knowledge about program” • “aren't willing to go through the headaches they've witnessed all the previous applicants go through”

18. Program Experience • Do parents automatically get a CCDF child care certificate when they stop getting TANF child care? • 68% of providers said no n=76

19. Program Experience • Length of time parent can keep child care certificate after losing job • 67% of providers said parent loses certificate within 30 days n=71

20. Program Experience • Length of time for certificate application to be approved or denied • 60% of providers who could provide information said certificate decision is made in 4 weeks or less n=40 This chart pertains to the 40 providers who gave a specific estimate

21. Program Experience • Length of time for rollover process in the fall • 60% of providers who could provide information said the rollover process takes 1 month or less n=59 This chart pertains to the 59 providers who gave a specific estimate

22. Program Experience • Do parents lose certificates at the 6-month redetermination period? • 62% of providers said yes n=90

23. Program Experience • Have parents become ineligible at redetermination period? • 54% of providers said yes n=92

24. Program Experience • Does redetermination cause a disruption in services? • 81% of providers said yes n=84

25. Program Experience Given a choice between redetermination at 6 months and 1 year, 81% of providers in the survey recommend 1 year.

26. Program Experience • Would you apply for slot-based contracts if more were available? • 87% of providers said yes n=92

27. Program Experience Providers’ suggestions for changing the child care certificate program (83 suggestions made) • Example comments: • “Cut a lot of the red tape that causes parents not to be able to receive certificates” • “If parent is in school they should not have to work; if they marry and child doesn't belong to step-parent, shouldn’t count his income” • “When a parent has a new baby, she should be allowed a month to get birth certificate and social security card; total work hours should be 20-25/week” • “Change redetermination to one year; change to slot-based; less time completing rollover”

28. Stimulus Money • Did more of your children get certificates after stimulus money was put into Mississippi last spring? • 63% of providers said yes n=100

29. Stimulus Money Providers report that on average 7 children received certificates as a result of stimulus money in the State of Mississippi. n=52

30. Child Support Requirement • Is the requirement to file for child support a deterrent to applying for certificate? • 74% of providers said yes n=100

31. Child Support Requirement Providers report that on average 6 mothers in their center haven’t applied for certificates because they don’t want to file for child support. n=65

32. Head Start • Do you provide services for Head Start kids? • 58% of providers said yes n=102

33. Head Start • 69% of providers give before and after-school care to Head Start kids in their center • Only 6% of providers receive money from Head Start for the services they provide to Head Start kids • The providers say that on average 4-5 children from their center go to Head Start

34. Head Start • Have you attempted to create a partnership with the local Head Start agency? • 54% of providers said yes n=71

35. Head Start Providers’ description of partnership attempts with Head Start (37 comments made) • Example comments: • “At one time, they agreed to partnership, but we're doing it right and they give nothing.” • “Good relationship with Head Start. They let us know when they're out of school.” • “Sometimes go to Head Start campus and read stories to the children; provide a monthly parent pages publication to teachers.” • “Head Start agency not a team player.”

36. Designated Agent • Have you been able to speak to someone in the Designated Agent’s office with your questions about certificates? • 80% of providers said yes n=102

37. Designated Agent • Does the Designated Agent have translators for parents who don’t speak English? • 48% of providers said yes n=79

38. Designated Agent • Do you assist parents in filling out their application forms or redetermination forms? • 64% of providers said yes n=104

39. Designated Agent One-third of providers report that the Designated Agent has “had a reaction” to finding out the provider assisted parents in getting a certificate. n=63

40. Designated Agent Documents required with redetermination application, according to providers (68 responses given) • Example comments: • “Check stubs” • “Proof of child support and income” • “Proof of enrollment in school”

41. Designated Agent • Are you aware of any cases where the Designated Agent lost documents or made mistakes in processing the application? • 49% of providers said yes n=97

42. Designated Agent Situations where Designated Agent lost documents or made mistakes processing application (68 responses given) • Example comments: • “Misread paycheck stubs as being one week's pay instead of 2 weeks--promptly fixed error as soon as it was pointed out.” • “They stated it to be one price and then it went from $16/mo to $31/month. Had 2 children at same facility.” • “2008 SWPDD lost several envelopes with over 19 individuals’ roll over information, causing parents to lose certificates and roll off the program.”

43. Designated Agent • Are you aware of any cases where parents or providers were barred from participation in the certificate program? • 18% of providers said yes n=103

44. Designated Agent Situations where parents or providers were barred from participation in the child care certificate program • Example comments: • “Parents did not know that they had to continuously supply child support info; they were barred from program” • “Sign-out sheets disqualify child attendance if parent does not sign in/out correctly--must be better way.” • “If they don't report info in timely manner; if they are rude to PDD agents; if they question agents (at least it's better than in past years).”

45. Designated Agent • Are deadlines ever extended for parents who don’t have all of the required documentation? • 72% of providers said yes n=90

46. Designated Agent • Does the Designated Agent provide annual training for you? • 90% of providers said yes n=102

47. Designated Agent Training Programs • 91% of providers in the survey say they attend the Designated Agent’s annual training • 92% says it’s helpful • They offered numerous suggestions for training topics

48. Designated Agent Providers’ descriptions of how parents are treated by the Designated Agent in the application and redetermination processes (77 responses) • Example comments: • “Sometimes with indifference or no compassion” • “OK” • “Good and fair” • “Some parents state case worker is professional and some parents complain case worker is not” • “Stigmatizing and degrading process”

49. MCCQSS • Do you participate in the quality ratings system? • 45% of providers said yes n=101

50. MCCQSS Providers’ explained what motivated them to participate in the program (41 responses) • The most common answer was to improve the quality of childcare. Other common answers were funding and a desire to do what’s best for the center and kids.