Presented by Debbie Moore

1
Family Child CareThe Big Picture

• Presented by Debbie Moore
• Senior Policy Analyst,
• Maryland Committee for Children
• June 3, 2009

2
Children in Child Care(Birth age 5)

• 60 of US children under age 6 are cared for
  regularly (at least 1x/wk) by someone other than
  a parent
• 51 of children under age 3
• 73 of children age 3 to 5

Source Human Services Policy Center, Fact Sheet
Percent of All Non-Parental Child Care Hours by
Type of Child Care, Winter 2006/2007
3
Children in Child Care (Birth - age 5)

• 36 of children 0-5 are in center care for an
  average of 29 hrs/wk (49 of all child care
  hours)
• 9 of children 0-5 are in FCC for an average of
  36 hrs/wk (16 of all child care hours)
• 24 of children 0-5 are in FFN care for an
  average of 31 hrs/wk (35 of all child care
  hours)

Source Human Services Policy Center, Fact Sheet
Percent of All Non-Parental Child Care Hours by
Type of Child Care, Winter 2006/2007
4
MA Child Care Usage

• 31 of children in care are in full time center
  based programs
• 29 of children in care are in SACC
• 26 of children in care are in part time center
  based programs
• 14 of children in care are in FCC (33 of full
  time care)

Source MA CCRR Network, Inc. Data Report 2007
5
Why Parents Choose FCC

• Small group size, individual attention
• Ongoing relationship with 1 provider from infancy
  through middle school
• Siblings stay together in mixed age group
• Want a provider who shares their language and
  culture
• Flexible hours neighborhood location

Source NAFCC, Why Choose Family Child Care?
6
Why Providers Choose FCC

• We want to work with children
• We can be home with our own children while
  earning income
• We were unhappy with a previous work situation
  and want to be our own boss

Source MCC, Family Child Care Providers in
Maryland, 2006.
7
Some Reasons Why Providers Leave FCC

• Need more income or benefits
• Family needs no longer compatible with FCC (New
  home/job/school)
• Burnout/stress/issues with clients
• Issues with regulations
• Retirement (won the lottery!)

Source MCC, Family Child Care Providers in
Maryland, 2006.
8
Who are FCC Providers?

• We represent the diversity of our communities
  (race, language, age, educational attainment,
  marital socioeconomic status)
• We are 95 female
• 90 of us are parents, and 1/3 of us currently
  have our own children in our care

Source Morrissey, 2007
9
Who are Providers?

• Very few providers are under 30 or over 60
• Some see FCC as their career, others only want to
  be home until their children go to school
• Work experiences prior to FCC are vastly varied

10
Mass. FCC Providers Educational Attainment
Source MA CCRR Network, Inc. Data Report 2007
11
FCC Working Conditions

• Long hours
• Low pay
• Benefits hugs and giggles
• Easy to get to work in the morning, hard to go
  home at end of the day
• Need to find a network of colleagues for support
  outside of the workplace

12
FCC Working Conditions

• FCC providers are business owners who make their
  own decisions about their contractual
  relationships with clients, within the limits of
  what parents can afford to pay and what
  government regulations require of them

13
Some Indicators of Quality in FCC

• Intentionality
• Responsiveness
• Regulatory compliance accreditation
• Education and ECE specific training
• Association membership/peer support and mentoring
• Use of observation and assessment to inform
  curriculum

14
What Quality FCC Looks Like

• Home
• Play
• Happy children
• Engaged provider
• Balance of activities
• Nutritious meals

15
State Family Child Care Licensing

• Source The 2007 Child Care Licensing Study,
  NCCIC NARA, February, 2009

16
Declining Numbers

• Why has there been a steady decline in number of
  regulated FCC providers
• Are there any policy decisions contributing to it
• Who is out and who is in
• Who will never want to come in, who can be helped
  to come in

17
Number of MA FCC Providers
Source MA CCRR Network, Inc. Data Report 2007
18
State Thresholds for Family Child Care Licensing
Source NACCRRAs Ranking of State Small Family
Child Care Homes, 2008
19
State Thresholds for Family Child Care Licensing
(continued)
Source NACCRRAs Ranking of State Small Family
Child Care Homes, 2008
20
State Thresholds for Family Child Care Licensing
(continued)
Source NACCRRAs Ranking of State Small Family
Child Care Homes, 2008
21
State Thresholds for Family Child Care
LicensingKey

• Using NACCRRAs system of adding one child if
  the state does not include the providers own
  children and one for each family exempted before
  licensing begins
• States includes DC and the DoD
• Regulated as centers
• Regulated as large or group family child
  care homes

Source NACCRRAs Ranking of State Small Family
Child Care Homes, 2008
22
NACCRRAS 2008 Ranking of State FCC Regulations

• 1. Oklahoma
• Washington
• Massachusetts
• Department of Defense
• Alabama

• District of Columbia
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• Colorado
• Connecticut

Source NACCRRAs Ranking of State Small Family
Child Care Homes, 2008
23
Limitations of Licensing

• 9 states do not require an inspection before
  granting an initial license
• 29 states have no minimum education requirement
• 11 states have no pre-service training requirement

See the Vision for Child Care at www.naccrra.org
under Public Policy Agenda
24
Licensing Fees

• 25 of 44 states charge fees for small FCC homes
• 20 flat fee, 3 based on children, 2 other
• 21 of 39 states charge fees for large/group FCC
  homes
• 13 flat fee, 3 based on children, 2 both types,
  3 other

Source The 2007 Child Care Licensing Study,
NCCIC NARA, February, 2009
25
Local Permits and Fees

• Zoning permits for use and occupancy
• Business permits
• Inspection fees for fire, health, environment
• Please see NAFCC Position Statement on Zoning and
  Restrictive Covenants

26
Child Care Subsidy by type of care used
Source FFY 2005 CCDF Data Tables
27
Child Care Subsidy

• 10 states have reimbursement rates equal to or
  above the 75th percentile of current market rates
  in 2008
• AR, IN, ME, MT, NY, OR, SC, SD, UT, WY
• 12 states do not allow providers to charge
  parents difference between subsidy and private
  pay rate
• CO, DC, IA, ME, MA, NE, NM, OH, OK, RI, WA, WV

Source NWLC State Child Care Assistance Policies
2008
28
CACFP

• In 2008
• 872 sponsor organizations enrolled
• 141,535 family child care homes serving
• 849,000 children
• And 78 of the meals served qualified for Tier 1

Source H. Res. 442 passed by the US House 5/18/09
29
CACFP

• 2008-2009 rates are as follows
• Tier 1 Breakfast 1.31 Snack/Supplements 0.65
  Lunch/Dinner 2.18
• Tier 2 Breakfast 0.43 Snacks/Supplements 0.18
  Lunch/Dinner 1.54

30
QRIS

• Quality Rating and Improvement Systems must
  include FCC
• How do we measure quality in FCC?
• What are the challenges to quality FCC?
• What strategies will help overcome the challenges
  for providers?
• How do we get provider buy in for QRIS

31
Quality FCC

• NAFCC Quality Standards emphasize the importance
  of relationships in high quality FCC programs
• Providers need to learn that curriculum isnt
  something that comes in a box, ready to be cut,
  glued and glittered

32
Quality FCC

• Training needs to be FCC specific, covering core
  knowledge/competency
• Most FCC providers need a path that can lead to a
  college degree but will result in quality
  improvement at every step
• Barriers to degrees include cost, schedule,
  language, practicum requirement, and fear

33
QRIS Strategies for FCC

• Enough levels so that no step is too big
• Recognition and rewards at each new step
• Include training, T/A and peer mentoring
• Include strategies to support the diverse needs
  of all FCC providers

34
FCC and Preschool for All

• Quality FCC can offer children the learning
  experiences they need to be ready to succeed in
  school
• Several states include FCC in public pre-K
  programs, using a variety of models
• FCC Head Start and Early Head Start can also be
  used as models

35
FCC Leadership Development

• FCC providers will be your best guides to
  effective quality improvements
• Support provider organizations and leadership
  development, including networking with peers from
  other communities and other states

36
Essential Partners

• FCC leaders, wherever you can identify them
• Communities, networks, associations, unions
• FCC serving agencies
• Networks, CACFP sponsors, CCRRs
• Licensing, Subsidy, Pre-K administrators
• Advocates
• Policy Makers
• Governor, regulators, legislators, local
  officials

37
4 Reasons ECE is Essential

• Moral argument all kids deserve quality
  education beginning at birth
• Workforce productivity argument working parents
  cant work without it
• Brain research argument early years are critical
  for success in school life
• Return on investment argument invest now to save
  later

Anne W. Mitchell, Why ECE is not just important,
but essential. Exchange, May/June 2009