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Issue 8—March/April 1996

Family Child Care

Table of Contents

up arrowFamily Child Care Supports Children and Families

With an estimated 1 million family child care providers in the United States caring for nearly 4 million children, family child care is woven into the fabric of every community. Family child care offers children of all ages care in small groups in a home setting.

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) serves as a national voice and networking system for family child care pro-viders. Deborah Eaton, NAFCC President, recently said, "As an emerging profession, family child care recognizes the need to establish leadership practices by training leaders. This encourages innovative methods and explores ways of being proactive at the community level." The NAFCC has held three region-ally sponsored leadership symposiums and trained family child care association leaders from 20 states.

Leadership development practices that have proven effective for the family child care field focus on: shared vision, involvement and col-laboration, and nurtured team spirit. According to Eaton, "For family child care, the vision includes im-proving the quality of care through professional development. It also includes facilitating the active involvement of others which fosters collaboration, mutual support, and team spirit. Leaders in the family child care profession celebrate excellence and encourage equal opportunities for leadership development for others in the field."

Across the country, efforts are underway that support quality in family child care. The importance of ongoing training and professional development is becoming widely recognized and training efforts are reaching diverse populations of pro-viders. A new accreditation system for family child care is being developed to define standards of quality and to recognize professional excellence in the field.

Family child care systems are emerging to connect and support providers while expanding the options available to parents. Systems can help providers supply a continuum of services to families as their needs change. Family child care net-works and consumer education campaigns are also receiving increased support from corporate family and work initiatives and through public/ private partnerships.

This issue of the Child Care Bulletin features topics related to supporting family child care. It highlights initiatives being implemented in states and communities through Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds. These initiatives include mobile training and resource units that serve providers in rural areas; tax preparation workshops designed for family child care providers; and data collection efforts on meeting standards and the availability of technical assistance.

Family child care is an integral part of a community that provides a broad spectrum of support for families. The Child Care Bureau applauds the hundreds of thousands of family child care providers who work hard every day to provide good care for the children of working families across the United States.

For more information about the National Association for Family Child Care, a professional organization representing family child care providers nationally, contact NAFCC at: (800) 359-3817.

up arrowAccreditation Project Promotes Excellence by Kathy Modigliani and Juliet Bromer

What does "quality family child care" mean?
How can quality be identified?

Over the next two years, the Family Child Care Accreditation Project will build consensus around the most effective way to assess the quality of family child care. The accreditation project, sponsored by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) and The Family Child Care Project at Wheelock College, is working with providers, parents, and other experts to create a new NAFCC accreditation system. Incorporat-ing current research and practice, the sys-tem will be designed to recognize and encourage commitment by family child care providers to achieve standards of excellence in providing child care services.

The accreditation project seeks to:

  • define standards of quality for family child care, and provide a basis to support higher reimbursements for higher quality care;
  • help parents and policy makers to recognize quality family child care;
  • promote providers' self-assessment and professional development; and
  • serve as a cornerstone in state pro-fessional development systems.

The accreditation system is scheduled to be ready for implementation late in 1998. Training and accreditation efforts support providers in offering quality care and services to children and their families (see "Accreditation Provides Benchmarks for Quality," in the Child Care Bulletin, May/June 1995).

The Family Child Care Accreditation Project is funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation with additional support from the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation and the Levi Strauss & Company Child Care Fund.

Kathy Modigliani is the Director, and Juliet Bromer is the Research Associate for the Family Child Care Accreditation Project. To learn more, contact Kathy or Juliet at: (617) 734-5200, ext. 291.

up arrowIndividualized Approach to Family Child Care Training

A new training program, There's No Place Like Home, has been developed to meet the needs of family child care providers serving predomi-nately low-income families. The program is divided into 12 sessions. It takes nearly 30 hours for providers to complete the training.

Some of the special features of the training are:

  1. Training is appropriate for all literacy levels.
  2. The training philosophy is based on empowering providers.
  3. The curriculum uses the diversity of the group's knowledge and experience to develop an understanding of the principles to be learned.
  4. Each session includes a practice-based homework assignment.

The Rockefeller Foundation funded a pilot test of the training curriculum in three areas of the country: the Philadelphia Early Childhood Collaborative, in Pennsylvania; the Puget Sound Educational Service District Head Start Program along with Child Care Resources in Seattle, Washington; and the Child Care Coordinating Council of Detroit/Wayne County, Inc., in Michigan.

Findings of the Pilot Study

As a result of the training, providers reported an increased sense of professionalism, enthusiasm, and improved self-esteem. Viewing themselves as business owners, they improved their re-cord keeping and communication with parents about business matters. Providers im-proved the quality of their services, which were mea-sured by 31 indicators. The providers' plans for professional development became more goal-directed, such as obtaining a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and attending college or other formal training programs.

Recommendations

The study included recommendations about the way training is structured and delivered:

  • Training agencies should develop outreach plans to attract low-income providers.
  • It is important to develop strategies to overcome barriers to training for providers.
  • Trainers must have content knowledge of child develop-ment, as well as a good understanding of adult learning skills.
  • Opportunities for training family child care providers need to go beyond one-time workshops. Providers indicate that they are willing to make the investment of time to obtain knowledge and skills.

This information has been excerpted with permission from the Rockefeller Foundation and Collaborative Ventures, Inc. For more information on the pilot test study, contact Heidi Ferrar, Collaborative Ventures, Inc., at: (908) 789-2547.

For information on the availability of the There's No Place Like Home training curriculum, contact Kathy Modigliani, Director of the Family Child Care Accreditation Project, at: (617) 734-5200, ext. 291.

up arrowChild Care Aware: Improving Quality in Family Child Care by Denise Fogarty

Education is a key to improving quality. By promoting training and professional development for family child care providers and supporting consumer education efforts to help parents find and recognize quality child care, Child Care Aware is improving the quality of care.

The Child Care Aware initiative began in 1988 as a program of the Dayton Hudson Corporation (DHC), including its Target, Mervyn's, and The Department Store Division (of Dayton's, Hudson's, and Marshall Field's) and the Dayton Hudson Foundation. In 1992, the Child Care Action Campaign, the National Association for Family Child Care, and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies joined DHC as an ongoing nationwide consumer education effort was launched.

Through grants to local non-profit agencies, Child Care Aware focuses on four strategies to improve the quality of family child care: training, promoting accreditation, supporting provider associations, and funding and supporting local, state, and national level consumer education programs.

Family-to-Family is the provider training and resource program of Child Care Aware. The training requires a minimum of 15 hours covering child development, age appropriate activities, guidance and discipline, children with special needs, business practices, parent-provider relationships, and other topics.

The results of the training have been encouraging. In 1995, the Families and Work Institute released The Family Child Care Training Study. The study found that following Family-to-Family training:

  • Children were more secure with their providers and more engaged in activities.
  • Quality improved overall in the sites after training.

Child Care Aware operates in 40 communities in 18 states. In the past seven years, Child Care Aware funded projects have trained more than 16,000 family child care providers and assisted more than 700 caregivers in attaining accreditation. Family child care provider associations have been established and strengthened through Child Care Aware's supportive efforts.

In increasing numbers, providers in Child Care Aware communities report viewing themselves as professionals committed to offering quality care. They are emerging as leaders in the ongoing work of improving quality by chairing provider associations, training other family child care providers, testifying at hearings and serving on community-wide task forces involving child care issues.

  • Child Care Aware's toll-free information line, (800) 424-2246, connects parents with their local child care resource and referral agencies.
  • Child Care Aware has publications on promoting professional development and consumer education strategies, as well as research reports and other materials. To request a Resource Catalog, contact Child Care Aware at: (507) 287-2220.

Denise Fogarty is Program Director for Child Care Aware. To learn more, contact Denise at: (507) 287-2220.

Helping Parents Become Better Child Care Consumers

In January, seven child care organizations and resource and referral agencies received grants from Child Care Aware of up to $19,000 each.

Child Care Aware makes annual awards to community organizations for communication programs that help parents to understand the importance of high-quality child care and to recognize and choose the best care for their children. Grant recipients were selected based on comprehensiveness, cost-effectiveness and replicability of programs, with priority given to those programs working to reach underserved populations. Ninety-two organizations applied for this year's Child Care Aware Consumer Education Grants. Those programs funded were:

  • Initiatives for Children, Houston, TX
  • Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network
  • Crystal Stairs, Los Angeles, CA
  • North Coast Opportunities, Ukiah, CA
  • Programs for Parents, Verona, NJ
  • Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children, Philadelphia, PA
  • Child Care Resources, New Orleans, LA

up arrowEarly Head Start Model Utilizes Family Child Care by Roberta Malavenda

Last October, Save the Children Child Care Support Center (CCSC) became one of 68 local agencies nationwide to receive a five year Early Head Start (EHS) grant (see "Early Head Start Focuses on Successful Models for Care," in the Child Care Bulletin, January/February 1996).

CCSC has developed an EHS model which combines home visits, parent education and family support services. The model utilizes a network of family child care providers for the delivery of EHS services to infants and toddlers. The Early Head Start Network will offer services in areas of metropolitan Atlanta where many low-income families reside.

The Early Head Start services include training providers in parent involvement and infant and toddler care, as well as assisting caregivers in pursuing the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, and providing individualized technical assis-tance through regular home visits.

There are several advantages of this model as a way to deliver Head Start services. By providing full-day care, CCSC's model encourages the participation of working families. Low-income parents often work non-traditional hours that can include evenings, weekends, and split shifts. Because family child care providers tend to be flexible in their hours, this model responds to these fami-lies' needs.

The CCSC program model uses a community-based, collaborative approach to meeting the needs of children and their families. By uti-lizing family child care providers, it involves members of the neighbor-hood in a child care system and encourages adults to share responsi-bility for the care of children in the community.

Through the DeKalb Initiative for Children and Families, several neighborhood committees have been established to pilot new forms of governance, financing, and service delivery. These committees have created family resource centers as a hub for a coordinated system of sup-ports to be delivered to Early Head Start families and child care pro-viders.

The Child Care Support Center's model incorporates parent in-volvement through the Parent Services Project. A variety of family, parent-only, and parent/provider/neighborhood activities ensure that parents receive a spectrum of family support services and are active partners in their child's development. It also encourages parents to become key decision-makers in program planning and community services.

An evaluation conducted by an independent research firm will document the program model and eval-uate its success. Dissemination ma-terials will be developed to assist other organizations who wish to replicate the Child Care Support Center's Early Head Start program.

Roberta Malavenda is Deputy Director for Community Development and Policy for Save the Children's Child Care Support Center. To learn more, call Roberta at: (404) 885-1578.

up arrowSpotlight on . . .

Save the Children Federation began its work in Appalachia during the Depression. Today, the interna-tional organization promotes community partnerships that lead to positive changes in the lives of children. Save the Children's primary national program is the Child Care Support Center (CCSC) in Atlanta, Georgia. It operates several initiatives that provide training, technical assistance, and materials development, as well as profes-sional and community development activities. The CCSC programs that focus on family child care include:

  • The Family Child Care Health and Safety Project recruits unregistered and/or professionally isolated family child care providers into the system of registration, training and support. They help to improve the ability of providers to serve as a health information resource for parents.
  • The Neighborhood Child Care Network (NCCN) works in Atlanta to improve the quality of child care through community partnerships. The NCCN supports community development, direct services for parents, after-school child care, and services for family child care providers. These services include assistance with professional development, accreditation, management techniques, health and safety resources, and networking.
  • The National Child Care Initiative is a process that increases the supply of quality, reliable child care by organizing caregiver networks and using community partnerships to recruit, train, and support caregivers. CCSC staff provide consultation to states, counties, and communities. One example is the Choctaw Child Care Project which works in several Native American communities in Mississippi.
  • The Family Child Care Technical Assistance Conference, an annual event that is now in its 19th year, provides a national exchange of professional information and expertise for family child care providers and the other professionals and organizations which support their work.

H&R Block of Springfield, Missouri offers tax preparation assistance for family child care providers. Two years ago, Susan Jackson, Director of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) Services of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks, contacted H&R Block about assisting family child care providers with tax information. Since that time, H&R Block has been offering their expertise on tax preparation in free workshops coordinated through CCRR. This year H&R Block awarded CCRR 1,000 certificates, each good for preparation of a Schedule C or C-EZ, free of charge for family child care providers.

Child Care Resource and Referral Services operates with the support of CCDBG funds administered through the Missouri Department of Health. For more information, contact: Susan Jackson, CCRR Director, at: (800) 743-8497. The Infant/Toddler Family Day Care of Northern Virginia, Inc., a licensed Family Day Care System, has been operating since 1983 to meet the child care needs of families with young children. Family Child Care providers participating in this service delivery model receive preservice and ongoing training, as well as group health and liability insurance. Providers are eligible to participate in the U.S.D.A. Child Care Food Program. Currently there are 140 providers caring for 450 children.

For additional information, contact Phyllis Cassell and Ilene Hoffman, Co-Directors, at: (703) 352-3449.

up arrowFamily Child Care Systems Expand Community Services by Bruce Hershfield

Family child care systems can help to build and expand child care capacity in communities through a formal network that supports providers. They offer training, technical assistance, monitoring, and other supports such as equipment purchasing plans, alternative care arrangements for when a provider is ill, and access to child care food programs. The Child Welfare League of America's (CWLA) Child Day Care Task Force is working with CWLA members to develop and expand family child care systems.

One model of a family child care system is currently operated by Graham-Windham Services to Families and Children, a comprehensive child welfare agency in New York City. Caring for about 400 children in approximately 100 family child care homes, the system's services are offered on a sliding fee scale, supported by the city's Administration for Child Development.

The Graham-Windham agency administers the enrollment and certification process. Children receive care in the home of an experienced provider, in a location close to the family's neighborhood. Up to six children may be cared for in a provider's home, if all of them are over two years of age. If there are two infants in care, then the total number of children is limited to five.

Providers are visited on an ongoing basis by the agency's system staff, who support the providers with technical assistance through workshops and individualized training on topics such as nutrition, child development, health and safety, and recognizing child abuse and neglect. In New York City, the Department of Health issues the initial registration which requires that providers acquire 15 hours of training within the first year. For subsequent renewal of their registration, family child care providers must receive 15 hours of training in a two-year period.

Studies support the development of family child care systems. The 1994 Families and Work Institute's Study of Children in Family Child Care and Relative Care found that providers are more likely to be rated as having higher global quality scores when they are more involved with other providers. One of the study's recommendations is to explore the potential for developing systems with family child care homes as satellites to child care centers and other community agencies.

Bruce Hershfield is the Director of Child Day Care Services for the Child Welfare League of America. For more information about family child care systems, contact Bruce at: (202) 638-2952.

up arrowArmy Family Child Care: Largest System in the World by Joe Perreault

More than 27,000 children were served in Army family child care homes last year. The Army's Family Child Care System works with providers to address issues of supply, affordability, quality, and professional development. A system at an installation is man-aged by a Family Child Care Director who is re-sponsible for ensuring that there is a mix of homes (ages served and hours of operation) which can meet the number of requests for care. The Dir-ector shares information with providers about child care demand and average rates. Providers may be offered financial incentives for services such as infant care and for keeping rates afford-able for younger soldiers.

Family child care on Army property is reg-ulated through a certification process which includes a precertification in-home family inter-view. Other quality assurance factors include background screening of the provider and other adult family members, along with home inspections by fire, health, and safety representatives. Army civilian staff members help potential pro-viders meet certification standards through home visits and a free 40 hour orientation on child development, health, safety, and business topics.

In the Army Family Child Care System, new providers participate in a baseline training program which utilizes the Child Development As-sociate (CDA) competencies. The training includes 15 self-paced modules that require about two hours per month to complete. Providers are expected to finish the training within 12 to 18 months.

After concluding the initial training, pro-viders complete 24 continuing education training units per year. The Army is working to expand professional development opportunities for pro-viders through initiatives which promote mentoring, achievement of the CDA credential, participation in family child care support groups, and the development of an Army family child care provider accreditation program.

Joe Perreault is the U.S. Army Family Child Care Program Manager. For more information, contact Joe at: (703) 325-0710.

up arrowChild Care Initiatives Across the Country

Alabama: On the Right Road

Family child care providers in rural areas are often isolated from their peers and do not have access to materials that would enhance children's learning. With few training opportunities and educational resources to help them, many rural family child care providers do not have the information they need to improve their services.

In a rural, seven-county area of southern Alabama, the WOWmobile is a "workshop on wheels," bringing program support to providers. Designed with children's learning centers on board, the WOWmobile is a 34 foot, customized mobile unit that is equipped with children's learning materials and training resources for providers. The WOWmobile travels to family child care homes. It visits each provider once a month as part of a six month, six module training series. The WOWmobile visits one to three family child care homes each day, spending about two hours at each site.

Once the visit ends, training resource packets are left with the family child care provider. The information complements the WOWmobile visit, and includes books, suggested activities, and additional training resources such as audio and video-tapes. Providers can also borrow educational toys and program resources to enrich their family child care environments until the WOWmobile's next visit. The project is popular with providers, linking them with child care professionals and training opportunities, and supporting them in improving their caregiving skills.

The WOWmobile program, developed in 1993 by Gulf Regional Childcare Management Agency, is funded with a training grant from the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Due to the success of the WOWmobile, another mobile training vehicle, "Training Wheels," is being sponsored by Child Care Central, a resource and referral agency. They are replicating the mobile training concept in four rural counties in east central Alabama. Both programs are offered free to providers who serve children through Alabama's subsidized child care system.

For more information, contact Kim Collins, Gulf Regional Childcare Management Agency, at: (334) 473-1060, ext. 162.

Mississippi: Resources on Wheels

Question: What is 29 feet long, weighs seven tons, and represents the latest in training and support for child care providers?

Answer: The "Child Care Connections" mobile resource unit.

Developed by the Mississippi Forum on Children and Families, the mobile resource unit is funded by quality improvement funds from the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) through the Office for Children and Youth, Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Making its public debut last October, "Child Care Connections" is a customized recreational vehicle outfitted with the latest in materials and equipment for child care providers. The unit carries a copier, laminator, die cut machine, book binder, and a collection of activities and resource materials for providers. The equipment is particularly helpful in rural Mississippi where providers do not always have access to or funding for equipment such as the laminator and die cut machine.

On its first tour of the counties chosen to pilot the project, the unit was greeted with enthusiasm from providers. Through "Child Care Connections," providers will be able to benefit from having the latest teaching techniques brought directly to their community. Along with the resource materials and equipment, the unit contains a model classroom area for training sessions.

For more information, contact Ronnie McGinnis, Director, Office for Children and Youth, at: (601) 359-4555, or John Sewell, Mississippi Forum on Children & Families, at: (601) 366-9083.

Massachusetts: Services for Teens with Children

The Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS) has awarded nearly $7 million in contracts to provide comprehensive programs to increase the availability and quality of services to teen parents with infants and toddlers. The two generational model, Services to Teen Parents and Their Children, includes child care and family support services. The program is primarily for teen parents enrolled in school or in General Equivalency Degree (GED) programs. Priority for the contract awards was given to programs with formal links to local high schools.

The STPC program is comprised of social services, health and nutrition services, case management, and family support services, as well as parenting skills development and infant and toddler care that is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAECP). Active participation of both teen fathers and mothers is an important aspect of the program. The progress of children and teen parents, and the family support and social services needs of the family are monitored.

The contract awards are linked to a training initiative focused on enhancing the capacity of staff to serve the STPC population. The STPC program aims to increase the likelihood that at-risk infants and toddlers will thrive and improve their chances for optimal development. The program will support teen parents in achieving higher rates of high school completion, strengthen families by increasing the teens' parenting and life skills, and promote the development of a more nurturing relationship between parent and child.

To learn more, call either Joyce Butler or Sherrie Lookner in the Massachusetts Department of Social Services Child Care Unit, at: (617) 727-0900.

Georgia: Quality Family Child Care Efforts

Collaborative efforts among the state regulatory agency, community agencies, funding sources, and providers are improving the quality of care offered in Georgia's registered family child care homes. The state Department of Human Resources (DHR) has revised regulations to require lower child to adult ratios, first aid and CPR certification, 10 hours of annual training, and improved health and safety standards.

The Georgia Child Care Council (GCCC) allocates the quality portion of the state's CCDBG funding. They have sponsored various scholarships for training, accreditation, and obtaining CDA credentials. They have also funded the development of a technical assistance manual to help providers meet DHR regulations, and the Community Family Child Care Quality Project which offers mentoring to providers in three communities. The GCCC offers mini-grants so that family child care providers serving low-income families or children with special needs may obtain equipment needed to meet DHR and ADA requirements.

Another initiative supported by CCDBG funds is the Assistance in Meeting Standards (AIMS) Project. This project compared compliance with regulations in family child care homes that did and did not have access to technical assistance. The AIMS Project has collected much needed data about family child care settings.

Family child care providers have also been represented in child care professional development planning efforts. These plans include professional competencies for caregivers in a career lattice system.

For more information, contact Sandy Byrd, Georgia Association for Family Day Care, at: (770) 384-0397.

Muscogee (Creek) Nation: Children's Well Being is First Priority

Recognizing the importance of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in combination with the objectives of tribal programs, Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, R. Perry Beaver, has designated the health and welfare of tribal children as a top priority and has established the tribe's Office of Child Care. Janet Wise, who also serves as the President of the National Indian Child Care Association, was named as its Manager.

In addition, two new staff positions have been added to the Office of Child Care. A Resource and Referral Specialist works with parents to inform them of child care choices, match families with providers, develop quarterly parent newsletters, and provide public relations and outreach activities. A Provider Trainer implements a training curriculum for CCDBG providers and organizes workshops for special conferences and events.

A tribal facility has been selected for renovation to become the Tribal Child Development Center. Renovations are to be completed and the center is to begin serving children within the next several months.

For more information, contact Janet Wise, Manager of the Office of Child Care for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and President of the National Indian Child Care Association, at: (918) 758-1463.

Missouri: Educare Supports Providers

Missouri's Educare initiative is designed to improve the nurturing environment of children ages birth to three who are from low-income families. The initiative is supported by $1 million in state general revenue funds.

Educare programs link with public schools to develop customized training and support systems unique to each community. The common components of Educare programs include: providing outreach and training to family child care providers; building networks to disseminate information and provide professional development opportunities; linking children and families with health, educational, and other services; and providing technical assistance to providers on achieving licensing and accreditation.

In Springfield, the Educare program provides support, training, and professional development opportunities for approximately 120 family child care providers who serve at-risk children. In another community, the Ritenour Educare Program focuses on providers serving an at-risk population living in an area of rental housing. Outreach workers recruit caregivers for the program and inform residents of other services available at the Ritenour Family Resource Center operated by the local school district.

For more information, contact Candace Cheatem, Educare of Greater Kansas City, at: (816) 889-3160.

Blackfeet Tribe: Culturally Responsive Care

On the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana, CCDBG funds provide support for both center-based and family child care. Preserving cultural and traditional values is a vital part of child care that is developmentally appropriate. At the seven centers operated by Blackfeet Community Child Care, culture, language, and native issues are introduced to children on many levels. Infants and toddlers go to sleep listening to flute and drum music. Children learn colors and directions in both Blackfeet and English. Relatives, elders, and community members visit the centers to share their knowledge of tribal history and traditional ways.

For providers in family child care settings, cultural training is offered through the Child Care program, Moccasin Flat School, and the Blackfeet Head Start program. A handbook is given to parents and family child care providers to help with parenting skills and communicating with children about responsibilities, respect, and other values. Providers can also access culturally and developmentally appropriate materials from a resource library at the Child Care office.

Recently, the Blackfeet Tribe received funding for a Comprehensive Early Childhood Demonstration Project sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services. The funds will supplement ongoing services such as home safety visits and training for family child care providers, as well as to provide new services, such as child care transportation, immunization tracking, and parent education about child health issues.

Students at the Blackfeet Community College currently have some access to hourly child care. A needs assessment found that nearly 90 percent of young parents need child care in order to attend school or training programs. Options for providing full-day child care are being planned as part of a new housing project aimed at self-sufficiency for young or single parents.

To learn more, call Doris Running Crane, Block Grant Manager, (406) 338-2229, or Doug Gilham, E. C. Education/CDA Trainer, (406) 338-2626.

Tennessee: Partnerships Support Family Child Care

An initial grant of $28,500 from the Junior League of Chattanooga was used to leverage funds from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to establish the Childcare Resource Center at Signal Centers, Inc., a United Cerebral Palsy Association organization. The Childcare Resource Center provides services, referrals, training, and materials to providers and is a pilot model which could be replicated in other areas of the state.

The Junior League has been actively involved in assisting family child care providers. Through a "skills bank" survey, league members with particular expertise offer assistance to providers, such as an accountant assisting a family child care provider in setting up a budget; an interior decorator assisting with facilities design; and medical personnel providing first aid and CPR training. Workshops and individual training sessions that address the specific needs of caregivers have also been provided by Childcare Resource Center staff. In some cases, a trainer will work directly with a provider in her home. A fairly common provider request has been to assist with information, training, and technical assistance in serving children with disabilities. Through the Childcare Resource Center, adapted toys and equipment are available to loan to these providers.

The Childcare Resource Center is in its second year of existence. In 1995, the Resource Center received 720 information and technical assistance requests. They conducted 26 workshops that reached more than 600 individuals.

For more information about Signal Centers, Inc. and the Childcare Resource Center, contact Linda McReynolds or Marguerite Hullander, at: (423) 698-8528.

up arrowMaking It Happen ... Corporate Support for Family Child Care Networks

Steelcase Incorporated, an office environment manufacturer with head-quarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has had a Child Care Services program for 16 years. Steelcase offers consultation to employees and their families, workshops on child care and child development, and a work and family lending library. They offer referrals to centers and pre-screened licensed or registered family child care homes. Steelcase also sponsors a Family Child Care Network of about 100 providers. They offer infant equipment to providers on a loan ba-sis, free workshops, and a provider newsletter.

The network also monitors child care homes. The benefits of this include a decreased risk of liability through the documentation of measurable standards and a high degree of parental satisfaction with care arrangements which, in turn, decreases employee time away from work. Steelcase reviews the usage of their resource and referral services and family child care etwork. The studies show that employees tend to choose family child care over other forms of care, particularly those employees who work odd-hour shifts.

For more information, contact Deb VanderMolen, Supervisor, Steelcase Family Services, at: (616) 247-2139.

When the Whirlpool Corporation needed help finding non-traditional child care arrangements, such as flexible hours and infant care for their employees, they turned to the Mississippi Forum on Children and Families. Identifying and recruiting providers through its family child care network is one of the Forum's goals. Brochures and posters have been placed in businesses and churches in the area. The application process includes a home safety inspection and background check. Those who become providers receive training in child development, pediatric CPR, first aid, and business management, all prior to an inspection by the health department.

The Mississippi Forum on Children and Families will assist other companies in improving their recruitment and retention rates through child care solutions for their employees.

To learn more, contact Sandra Lambert, Mississippi Forum on Children and Families, at: (601) 366-9083.

As part of its negotiated child care benefit, the Canadian Auto Workers Union (C.A.W.) runs a licensed In-Home Child Care Program. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors pay "4 cents per hour" worked into a Child Care Fund. The program is for shift workers who want their children in a home-like setting. Providers are employees of C.A.W. with health and pension benefits, paid vacation and sick time, and over-time pay. Their wages are also enhanced by a grant program for child care workers from the province of Ontario. Providers care for groups of children in the worker's or provider's home. The program is subsidized for union members. (Canadian Auto Workers)

Excerpted with permission from Labor News for Working Families, the newsletter of the Labor Project for Working Families which provides resources to unions to develop workplace policies for families, including child care, elder care, family leave, and related issues. For more information, contact Netsy Firestein, Editor/Director at: (510) 643-6814, or E-mail: netsy@violet.berkeley.edu

up arrowHealthy Child Care America Update: North Carolina

The Healthy Child Care North Carolina Campaign en-hances the availability of health and safety consultation for the child care community. Created in response to the national Healthy Child Care America campaign and Governor Hunt's Smart Start program, the North Carolina campaign represents a partnership between the North Caro-lina Pediatric Society and the Division of Maternal and Child Health, in collaboration with the Division of Child Development. The campaign seeks to build upon existing resources to forge new partnerships within communities among child care providers, health consultants, and consumers.

An Advisory Committee on Public Health Issues and Child Care provides guidance for the initiative. Members come from both the private and public sectors, and include state agencies, primary care providers, universities, professional associations, and child care providers.

Healthy Child Care North Carolina incorporates a wide range of activities, including education, and technical assistance. Local health departments and a network of regional pediatricians promote quality child care with direct consultation to providers.

The campaign also supports research efforts through the Division of Maternal and Child Health and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health in the Data Utilization Skills Development Initiative.

Healthy Child Care North Carolina is planning a statewide, toll-free number to access health and safety consultation, in conjunction with the Child Care Resource and Referral Network. A resource library makes videos and printed materials available to health consultants. A newsletter for family child care providers and a child care health calendar are planned for late 1996.

To learn more, contact Kathryn Brownfield, R.N., M.Ed., Child Care consultant, at: (919) 715-3429.

up arrowCalifornia Child Care Initiative Supports Family Child Care Providers by Jan Brown and Ted Lee

In the past 10 years, the Child Care Initiative Project in California has raised nearly $7 million for community-based projects to re-cruit, train, and provide support to family child care providers.

The Initiative has funded selected resource and referral agencies to conduct a child care supply building process that involves:

  • assessing supply and demand, and identifying priority areas;
  • recruiting potential licensed family child care providers;
  • training providers to deliver quality child care;
  • providing technical assistance to help in obtaining a license; and
  • providing ongoing business management support.

The Initiative has developed materials for providers, including publishing the Family Day Care Handbook, one of the first such training manuals in the country. Most recently, a new training manual, El Comienzo, was published as part of a demonstration project to bring training to Spanish-speaking providers.

In the past decade, the Initiative's efforts have resulted in more than 4,000 new family child care homes, which has made more than 16,000 new child care spaces available for working families. More than 28,000 providers have received basic and advanced training in business skills and providing safe, high quality child care. By involving stakeholders and using a community-based approach, the Initiative has demonstrated that resource and referral agencies can quickly improve both the supply and quality of child care.

Jan Brown is the Program Manager of the California Child Care Initiative Project. Ted Lee is the Office Coordinator for the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network and Staff Writer for the quarterly publication, Network News. For more information about the Initiative, contact Jan Brown at: (213) 427-2755.

up arrowShort Items

ACF Tribal Conference

The Child Care Bureau is sponsoring the third annual National Tribal Child Care Conference, August 4-8, 1996 in Denver, Colorado.

The conference will provide a forum for discussing the use of emerging technologies and leadership planning for child care, as well as the common challenges that face Indian and Alaskan Native communities, children, and families.

For more information, contact Pattie Howell, Child Care Technical Assistance Project, at: (202) 639-4465, or Roger Iron Cloud, Child Care Bureau, at: (202) 690-6244.

Early Childhood Public Awareness Campaign

A coalition of individuals and organizations spanning entertainment, national media, foundations, and the early childhood community are launching a public awareness campaign focused on the first three years of life. The campaign builds on Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children, the landmark report of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. One of the campaign's goals is to motivate actions that increase family and community involvement in young children's healthy development and education.

Campaign components will include an hour-long ABC prime time special being produced by Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner; documentaries on topics related to early development; public service announce-ments being produced by the Ad Council with funding from the AT&T Foundation; and an 800 number and resource materials being coordinated by the Families and Work Institute.

Additional components and follow up activities are being planned. Organizers would like your suggestions about the campaign and how your organization can help.

Please send ideas to: Early Childhood Public Awareness and Engagement Campaign, c/o Families and Work Institute, 330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, call: (212) 465-2044, or fax: (212) 465-8637.

up arrowResources in Child Care

With each issue, the Child Care Bulletin will highlight resources available to the child care community. We encourage providers, parents, administrators, and other readers to share your knowledge of what is available so that we can pass it on to the field.

Video

How to Start a Family Day Care (video)
Doris Raphael and Douglas Weisman, producers
Filmed on location in licensed family child care homes, this video illustrates aspects of planning and operating a high-quality program. (Available for $69.95 from Day Care Video Programs, P.O. Box 396, Boston, MA 02258, or call: (617) 251-0720).

Publications

The 1996 National Directory of Family Child Care Associations, Support Groups, and Support Agencies
The Children's Foundation
Organized by state, this directory includes associations and other sources of support for family child care providers, parents, and others actively involved in pro-moting quality child care. (Available for $17.25 from The Children's Foundation, 725 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 505, Washington, DC 20005-2109, or call: (202) 347-3300).

Creating A Rational Policy Framework for License-Exempt Family Child Care
Child Care Law Center (CCLC)
The CCLC is publishing a policy report that outlines is-sues and directions related to regulating family child care. It is based on a project that examined the standards states have imposed when paying for unregulated family child care and methods that have been effective in meet-ing the goals of parental choice and safeguarding children. (The report is to be published in Spring 1996, and available from the Child Care Law Center, 22 Second Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94105, or call: (415) 495-5498).

Developing Family Day Care in Latino Communities: Experiences of the California Child Care Initiative
California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
This publication highlights key considerations for groups planning to develop culturally responsive services to meet the child care needs of Latino families. It represents the culmination of nearly four years of developing and managing El Comienzo projects. (Available for $15 from the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, 111 New Montgomery Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, or call: (415) 882-0234).

How To Turn Research Into Action

Knowing how to use research findings to promote quality care can benefit providers, children, and the community in many ways. A new publication, Turning Research Into Action: How Family Child Care Associations Can Promote High Quality Family Child Care helps family child care associations use research findings to improve the quality of care in their communities. A collaborative effort between Amy Laura Dombro of Families and Work Institute (FWI) and Debra Cundiff-Stith of the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), the guide takes associations through these steps: obtaining the study, analyzing the findings, devel-oping a message and plans to share it, and working with the local association, parents, the community, and the media, as well as promoting further research.

To get copies of Turning Research Into Action: How Family Child Care Associations Can Promote High Quality Care, contact The National Association for Family Child Care, at: (800) 359-3817.

For more information about the development of this publication, contact Amy Laura Dombro at: (212) 465-2044, ext. 231.

This page is being maintained on the NCCIC web site for historical purposes. As a result, not all information may be current.

 
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