The QRIS National Learning Network

1. The QRIS National Learning Network Presents a webinar on: QRIS Financing 6/22/10

2. Welcome • A few logistics: • If you are experiencing audio or technical difficulties contact us via: • Instant messenger on WEBX • Questions or comments can be sent to panelists at anytime via instant messenger located on the right side of your screen • The webinar will be audio-taped and made available at: www.qrisnetwork.org A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

3. The QRIS National Learning Network • Grew out of state’s continued requests for: • QRIS related technical assistance • Opportunities to learn from others about • challenges faced and what works • Joint project of the BUILD Initiative and the Smart Start NTAC: • Coalition of states and organizations working to • improve ECE and children’s development through • QRIS • Overseen by a national advisory committee A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

4. The QRIS NLN’s Work The QRIS NLN provides: • Forums where ECE leaders and state QRIS administrators can learn from one another and from national experts about promising and innovative practices and cutting edge research • Direct and tailored technical assistance to states to assist them in developing system-focused QRIS A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

5. Activities • Website: comprehensive library of QRIS resources: • www.qrisnetwork.org • Webinar Series: • July 7th: Using QRIS to Support Children’s Social-Emotional Development : Spotlighting Louisiana's QRIS featuring Drs. Geoff Nagle and Allison Boothe of Tulane University • July 21st- Using the QRIS Resource Guide featuring Julie Shuell of the National Child Care Information Center • August (date to be determined): QRIS Quality Improvement featuring Drs. Lee Kreader and Sheila Smith of the National Center for Children in Poverty A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

6. QRIS Financing • Featuring: Louise Stoney and Anne Mitchell • Alliance for Early Childhood Finance • This webinar has been generously funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Smart Start National Technical Assistance Center A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

7. What is a QRIS? • Standards • Accountability • Program/Practitioner support • Financial Incentives • Outreach and Education A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

8. What Will the Financing Plan Include? • The cost of developing and administering a QRIS • The cost of providing high-quality ECE (e.g. on-going • financial support for participating providers) • The QRIS Cost Estimation Model (CEM) can help you • estimate these cost A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

9. Developing a QRIS Summary of Costs • Crafting and revising cross-system quality standards • (defining the QRIS steps) • Engaging stakeholders – initial focus groups and • feedback from providers, parents, others A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

10. Administering a QRIS Summary of Costs • Oversight & Management of the system • Monitoring compliance (conducting classroom • assessments and assigning program ratings) • Technical Assistance for programs • Professional Development for practitioners • Outreach and Education A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

11. Supporting the Cost of Quality • Could be supply-side interventions, such as grants or • financial awards to a particular program or priority • access to TA or professional development. • Could be demand-side interventions, such as higher • public reimbursement rates for higher quality levels; • targeted tax credits to programs, practitioners and • consumers based on quality level of program. A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

12. Two Approaches to Financial Incentives • Pennsylvania: • Stars quality supports and merit awards (Quality Grants) • Stars recruitment & retention awards (Wage Subsidy) • Child care subsidy rate add-on (Tiered Reimbursement) • Access to state prek funding • Louisiana: • Refundable tax credit for providers (similar to Quality Grant) • Refundable tax credit for practitioners (Wage Subsidy) • Refundable tax credit for parents (consumer incentive) • Refundable tax credit for contributions (investor incentive) • Child Care subsidy tiered reimbursement A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

13. Financing Strategies for Securing Funds for QRIS • Three key strategies: • Realignment of funds you currently control (such as • CCDF or TANF) • Leveraging dollars from other ECE sources/systems • Tapping new funds A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

14. Realignment • Estimate cost of QRIS (both admin & cost of quality) • using CEM or other tool • Identify all current expenditures for ECE quality- • enhancement or monitoring • Determine which existing expenditures could be • revised/re-directed to support cost of QRIS A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

15. Realignment Expenditures That Can Support QRIS • Subsidy (Tiered Reimbursement, rate add-on and/or • require participation in QRIS) • CCR&R (focus on QRIS in service & referral) • Licensing (help with admin & data) • ECE professional development system • Training/TA grants for ECE (priority access or limited • only to QRIS) A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

16. Leveraging Funds From Other ECE-Related Sources • PreK – can require QRIS participation or align PreK • standards/monitoring • Title I - can require QRIS participation or align PreK • standards/monitoring • Early Intervention/preschool special education- • QRIS could be required when a child has group early • education experience in their IEP or IFSP • Head Start – reach out to Regional Office & Head • Start T/TA system so they understand benefit of QRIS • and how they can help providers participate A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

17. Leveraging Funds From Other ECE-Related Sources • Title IV-E – could require that children receiving • protective/preventive service be placed in programs • with higher star levels • Maternal and Child Health Funding – could make • participation in QRIS a requirement for mental health • consultation, reach out to home visiting to build • partnerships with QRIS providers, etc. • Private Philanthropy – could make participation in • QRIS the ‘price of admission’ for their funding A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

18. Generating New Sources or Tapping Existing Funds • Create new state tax benefits linked to QRIS • participation • Use Federal ARRA funding • Offer tax prep help for QRIS participants (so they can • take full advantage of federal & state tax credits) • Amend law to tap Land and Mineral Trust Funds in • States that have them A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

19. Summary of Key Steps • Start by being clear about how much money you need (use the CEM) • Be conscious of funding you currently control that can be realigned to support QRIS • Look beyond your control; help your ECE funding partners understand how QRIS can help them attain their goals • Explore any new funding sources that can be tapped/linked to QRIS A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

20. For More Information The Alliance for Early Childhood Finance www.earlychildhoodfinance.org Linking Economic Development and Child Care http://government.cce.cornell.edu/doc/reports/childcare/ A joint project of the BUILD Initiative & Smart Start

21. For more information on the QRIS National Learning Network and to find an audio of today’s webinar, please visit: www.qrisnetwork.org or send us an email at: info@qrisnework.org QRIS Financing