Compliance and Best Practices in Family Child Care Home Education Networks Lisa Wilkin CCDAA Fall Technical Assistance Conference October 2018

Definition of a Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) A FCCHEN is a legally organized entity that contracts

with CDE/CDD. The FCCHEN provides administrative, educational, and support services to affiliated licensed family child care providers and to children and families eligible for state-subsidized child care and development services. The FCCHEN reimburses affiliated providers for child care and development services provided to eligible families.

A FCCHEN is NOT a AP model voucher program. Desired Results requirements pertain to FCCHENs, which is not true for AP voucher providers.

Contract Types & Funding Models

CFCC Contracts 70/30 – CDD reimburses the contractor for program costs – at

least 70% must be payments for direct services to providers, no more than 30% for quality assurance and administrative costs together and no more than 15% for administrative costs alone.

Providers paid the lesser of RMR or non-subsidized rate.

CCTR Contracts CDD Reimburses the contractor according to the SRR for each

child day of enrollment

Provider is paid their non-subsidized rate or agency ceiling which is usually lower

Both are funded with General Child Development dollars Both have the same Title 5 quality and educational

requirements

When Establishing a FCCHEN

Determine if the providers will be employees or independent contractors

Determine hours of operation allowed Some networks require providers to observe same days and

hours of operation as the agency Some networks allow providers to serve families based on the

parents’ needs, regardless of agency operation Non-traditional hours – how do you ensure a quality program

Determine the ages of children you will serve Infants and toddlers Preschoolers School Age Mixed age groupings

Design a workable financial model

Administrative Responsibilities for Agencies with FCCHENs

Recruit providers into the Network

Certify eligible families for services

Maintain CDD contract compliance

Assure program quality consistent with all Title 5 requirements

Provide resources and support to FCC providers

Recruit Providers Open vs. Closed Network Open Network: The parent chooses the provider and the agency

will sign an agreement/contract with the provider of the parent’s choice if that provider meets the quality requirements.

Closed Network: The agency has a limited number of affiliated providers. The parent chooses a provider within that group of providers.

Hybrid Network: The agency has a limited number of affiliated providers, but parents may select a nonaffiliated provider if there are no suitable providers already in the network. The provider would then become affiliated only if they meet the quality requirements.

Note: CDD has expressed concerns about open networks and how to effectively run a quality network that way. However, the more closed the network, the more liability you have in regard to potential employer/employee issues as well as other issues.

Recruit Providers

Interview / Contract (Agreement) Process

Probationary Period?

Child placements How are providers chosen for specific parent/child

Minimum/maximum number of children for each provider

Certify Eligible Families

Which staff will be responsible for eligibility? Some agencies have staff that only work with parents and

complete need and eligibility requirements

Some agencies split caseloads by families and providers and that staff person is responsible for everything – eligibility and provider requirements

How do you communicate family eligibility information to providers? Does the agency contact the provider directly **this is the

best practice** or send hour/contract information with the parent

Maintain Contract Compliance Separate workshop on Contract Compliance tomorrow

morning

Track and monitor attendance and absences (attendance sheets)

Annual Review Compile data from the most current DRDP’s, FCCERS

evaluations, and parent surveys and create contract wide (or separate FCCHEN) Summary of Findings for each

Develop 1-2 Agency-wide Program Goals based on findings and have multiple objectives, including many stakeholders (providers, parents, program director/staff, board)

Assuring Program Quality

Provider Qualifications & Requirements

Agency Staff & Monitoring of Providers

Child Development/Education Program (Curriculum)

Developmental Profiles & Child Portfolios

FCCERS-R Evaluations

Provider Technical Assistance/Support & Trainings

Nutrition

Parent Involvement (conferences)

Assuring Program Quality Provider Qualifications Must have and maintain a family child care license

Follow all health and safety requirements

Clearances for all adults living and/or working in the home

CPR & first aid

Follow capacity and ratio requirements

Maintain child files & immunization records

Contracting provider is the primary caregiver/teacher for the children

Must provide an education program for all ages of children served

Ideally, the provider has ECE classes and has, or qualifies for, a Child Development permit

Assuring Program Quality Agency Staff and Monitoring Qualifications of Staff – Specialists/Caseworkers should

have a background in ECE and ideally have a CD permit Frequency and length of Visits – announced and

unannounced visits What happens during visits

DRDP/Observation/Portfolios Licensing Issues – Ratios; Health and Safety; Children’s Files Attendance Sheets FCCERS Curriculum Individualized training / technical assistance Other

How do you document visits How do you address issues

Assuring Program Quality Curriculum Focus of Teaching and Learning

Linking DRDP results with children’s activities and planning

Relationships between the agency staff, provider, children, and parents

CDD Foundations & Frameworks

English Language Learners and Non-English Speaking Providers How do we prepare preschoolers for kindergarten if they

are not exposed to standard English before they get there?

What can we do to support the providers and children?

Assuring Program Quality Completing DRDPs & Portfolios Who completes the DRDPs

Child’s portfolios / documentation of observations

How it relates back to the provider program

Summary of findings

Assuring Program Quality Completing FCCERS-R Who completes the FCCERS?

How do you provide feedback to providers?

Provider scores & improvement

Assuring Program Quality Provider TA & Trainings Provide training and professional development for all

providers in areas such as curriculum, provider/child interactions, child development theory, developmentally appropriate practices, FCCERS, DRDP’s

Regularly scheduled provider meetings

Individual technical assistance during visits

Assuring Program Quality Nutrition Require providers to contract with a CACFP or submit

menus to the agency

Staff observe and monitor nutrition in the homes and document in visit report

Assuring Program Quality Working with Families Parent conferences

PAC

Providers encourage parent participation

Provider communication with parents

Backup childcare for parents

Provide Resources and Support to Providers Lending library

Curriculum Books and Materials

Consumables

Community referrals and resources

Facilitation of Provider to Provider mentoring/coaching

Miscellaneous Best Practices

Require copies of all licensing visits and proof of annual license renewal/receipt

Keep documentation of provider enrollment to monitor capacity

Require providers to notify staff and parents when their home will be closed (in writing and signed by parent(s) is best practice)

Documentation / Forms Health Observation

Accident / Injury

Transportation Agreement

Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHENs), both CCTR and CFCC contracts, have the same contract requirements as centers (CCTR and CSPP contracts).

For this workshop we used the CDE Federal Program Monitoring 2017–18 Early Education and Support (EES) On-site 2017–18 Program Instrument

Additional resources for contract compliance: Funding Terms and Conditions

Title 5 regulations

Desired Results – DRDP-2010, Family Child Care Environmental Rating Scale – Revised, & Parent Survey

CDFS GreenBook

Desired Outcomes To provide an efficient and effective child care and development

system that meets the needs of children, their parents and their communities

Sources:

CDE Federal Program Monitoring 2017–18 Early Education and Support (EES) On-site Program Instrument

Desired Results Family Child Care Environmental Rating Scale-Revised Title 5

Funding Terms & Conditions

Program Compliance Dimensions

I. Involvement

II Governance and Administration

III. Funding

IV. Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

V. Staffing and Professional Development

VI. Opportunity and Equal Access

VII. Teaching and Learning

Parents, staff, students and community members participate in developing, implementing, and evaluating core and categorical programs.

EES 01. There is a plan for parent involvement and education, including the sharing of program goals and structure with families. The program ensures that effective, two-way, comprehensive communication between staff and parents is carried out on a regular basis throughout the program year. o Parent Orientation

o Parent education and involvement plan

o Minutes of parent advisory committee (PAC) meetings

o Notice of meetings, bulletins, and correspondence

o Open door policy statement (both agency and providers)

Policies, plans and administration of categorical programs meet statutory requirements

Identical requirements for all CCTR& CFCC contractors EES 02 & 03 Need & Eligibility – use Title 5 regulations

EES 04 Program has adopted policies and procedures for recording and reporting attendance

Written policies for parents and providers

Attendance tracking and monitoring

EES 05 Assessing Family Fees – fees must be assessed and collected by the agency

EES 06 Inventory – physical check of inventory every two years– items lent to providers

Allocation and use of funds meet statutory requirements for allowable expenditures

Become familiar with the CDFS Greenbook

No additional charges to parents (monetary or in-kind) with the exception of diapers and field trips ($25 maximum per year)

Categorical programs meet state standards, are based on the assessed needs of program participants, and achieve the intended outcomes of the categorical program EES 08 The program maintains the Desired Results

Developmental Profile – 2010 and Desired Results parent survey data for children and families. The program uses the information to plan and conduct age and developmentally appropriate activities and to monitor family involvement and satisfaction

o DRDP’s (hard copies) are completed on each program child within 6 months of enrollment and every 6 months thereafter

o Children’s portfolios

o Compiled DRDP data for each provider and statement about how information is shared with the provider and used to plan activities

o Completed parent conferences (can be completed by provider or agency staff)

EES 09. The program has developed and implemented an annual evaluation plan that addresses any areas identified during the self-evaluation as needing improvement

o Annual Program Self-Evaluation

o Documented program goals/objectives

o Implementation/follow-up of program action plan

o DRDP-2010 Summary of Findings

o Summary of Findings for FCCERS-R

o Parent Survey Summary of Findings

EES 10. Each FCCH has a current license issued by the authorized licensing agency; Children receive health screening and immunizations; Parents have access to their children and the FCC Providers during normal hours of operation o Copy of each FCCH license

o Current license receipt for each provider

o Issued licensing citations (suggestion: require copies of all licensing visits from providers)

o Written policies regarding parental access (from agency and providers)

o Immunization records and licensing forms - The agency must either keep a copy of the immunization records of children or have a system of ensuring that the provider have and maintain that info

EES 11. The program has developed and implemented a staff development component o Written professional development plan linked to annual Self-Evaluation

and documentation of the implemented professional development

o Notes, meeting minutes or participant sign-in sheets for provider meetings and trainings

EES 12. All program staff is qualified for the position held o Program director permit

o Provider licenses (suggestion to collect clearances for all adults working in the provider home)

EES 13. The applicable staff ratios are met for each age group and program o Provider roster and/or visit reports

Participants have equitable access to all programs provided by the local educational contractor as required by law

EES 14. Families with children enrolled in the programs are selected according to the priorities of that program o Agency eligibility list

EES 15. The contractor complies with due process requirements o Written information for parents regarding program requirements

o Parent appeal procedures

o Completed Notice of Action (make sure copies of both sides are in the file)

o Sample of recent parent appeal with NOA and decision letter

EES 16. The program refrains from religious instruction and worship o Statement in handbook

o Posted in parent area

o Signed statement from providers (maybe include in provider agreement)

Participants receive core and categorical program services that meet their assessed needs.

EES 18. The program shall complete a FCCERS evaluation on each provider to measure program quality and shall achieve a minimum rating on each subscale) o FCCERS evaluation of providers and summary documents

o Statement about how FCCERS findings are shared with the provider including an improvement plan

EES 19. The program provides for the nutritional needs of children in attendance o Written agreement that meals/snacks are provided by the FCC Provider

o Suggestion: copy of provider contract with CACFP or menus

o Observation of healthy meals and snacks documented in provider visit reports

Questions?

For More Help

Ask CCDAA to do workshops on specific topics or attend the annual Training and Technical Assistance Conference in October each year.

Ask experienced Directors who are earning their full contracts consistently

Ask your CDE Consultant Hire a consultant

Contact Information

California Child Development Administrator Association (CCDAA)

1107 2nd St. Suite 320 Sacramento, CA 95814

800-835-3083 Toll Free Phone 916-443-5919 Local 916-443-5924 Fax

www.ccdaa.org

For information regarding CCDAA please contact:

info@ccdaa.org