Child Care Advisory Council Recommendation Synopsis - Sections 3, 4, and 8
The Child Care Advisory Council Policy Committee reviewed three sections of the State plan:
- Section 3 - Provide Stable Child Care Financial Assistance to Families
- Section 4 - Ensure Equal Access to Child Care for Low-Income Children
- Section 8 - Ensure Grantee Integrity and Accountability
The committee developed several recommendations for sections 3 and 4; no recommendations came forward for section 8.
In section 3, we concentrated on stumbling blocks families face when accessing the CCAP program, specifically looking at those families in priority populations including families who have children with a demonstrated disability and families experiencing homelessness. For those priority populations we recommended enhanced child care referrals, higher provider rates (20% add-on), full 12-month eligibility, coordinated outreach and enrollment, and an increase in grants or contracts to serve priority population families.
For eligibility determination, we recommend a 90-day approval for job search, CCAP eligibility for single parents with physical or mental disability, CCAP eligibility for single parents participating in a substance abuse disorder rehabilitation program, reducing copayments to 3% of earned income and copayments waived for families at or under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. Finally, to really look at family's ability access and continue with the CCAP program, we recommend income guidelines be increased to 85% of State Median Income and 12-month eligibility regardless of breaks in activity.
In section 4, we proposed a series of recommendation to increase access to the CCAP program and to increase rates to close the gap between the CCAP rate the cost to provide quality child care. These recommendations include:
- Increasing CCAP child care provider rates to at least 75% of the market rate.
- Reinstituting the COVID-19 attendance exemption through FY22.
- Instituting a program to help providers with start-up funding for child care providers who will serve priority populations
- Providing CCAP providers with access to a nurse/health consultant.
- Establishing inclusion support for children with special needs within the CCR&R system.
- Include blended learning models where parents and caregivers have the option for their children to receive educational opportunities in child care facilities and at home as a CCAP eligible model of care.
