Consumer Education in CalWORKs Child Care
WELCOME and INTRODUCTIONS Michele Grant Policy Manager Child Care Programs Bureau
Learning Objectives Why Consumer Education is important for CalWORKs clients Strategies to increase family engagement using consumer education resources The roles of local child care Resource and Referral agencies and Community Care Licensing in consumer education
Why is Consumer Education Important to CalWORKs Families? Beverly Parnell Policy Analyst Child Care Programs Bureau
Consumer Education is Important to CalWORKs Families Consumers have rights The right to be safe The right to choose The right to be informed The right to be heard The right to education The right to service
CalWORKs Child Care System Who are the consumers? Parents Parents are responsible for making decisions regarding the type of child care their child will receive Child Care Providers Providers are great resource for parents General Public Increases public awareness of CalWORKs Child Care services
Consumer Education enables CalWORKs families to better understand their child care options
Consumer Education is an important piece in the CalWORKs Child Care System
Consumer Education Tools and Resources Roberta Williams Child Care Advocate Community Care Licensing
COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING CHILD CARE
Child Care Advocate Program The Child Care Advocate Program (CCAP) promotes the delivery of quality child care in California since 1984. The State Legislature created CCAP to: Link between CCL and the community Provide information Providing Child Care regulatory and update information to the public, providers, provider organizations and parents Participating in special projects, and community activities Child Care Quarterly Update newsletter Parent s Guide to Choosing Child Care childcareadvocatesprogram@dss.ca.gov
Child Care Advocates Shoghig Khadarian Greater L.A. (818) 596-4118 Shoghig.khadarian@dss.ca.gov Jane Cong-Huyen Southern California (714) 705-6041 Jane.cong-huyen@dss.ca.gov Roberta Williams Central California (916) 654-1547 Roberta.williams@dss.ca.gov Natalie Dunaway Northern California (916) 654-1544 Natalie.dunaway@dss.ca.gov
Website re-design
Transparency Website Statistical data The website contains five years worth of information on facility inspections Number of visits, dates and the full reports Number of Type A & B citations Number of complaints and the reports Substantiated Unsubstantiated (formerly Inconclusive) A & B citations
Complaints & Information Hotline The Centralized Complaint & Information Bureau is the intake unit for all incoming complaints. The unit also answers any general licensing questions. Complaints are forwarded to the Regional Office for investigation. Investigation visit must be conducted in 10 days.
Consumer Education Tools and Resources Rowena Kamo Research Director California Resource and Referral Network
Presented by:
Resource and Referral (R&R)
Who are your R&Rs? Free resource for parents At least 1 in every county Alameda, San Francisco, Sonoma, Los Angeles Mandated in Education Code Section 8210-8216
What do R&Rs do? Support parents, providers, and local communities in finding, planning for, and providing affordable, quality child care. Child care referral requests Technical assistance Resource library Train the ECE workforce to ensure quality in all child care settings Continue long standing relationships with the community by being a trusted source for child care resources
My Child Care Plan
Moving from the list to a plan We provide a tool for parents to use in their search for child care that is informative and comprehensive Standard level of service across all R&Rs
Elements of My Child Care Plan Full range of child care choices Action Plan Subsidy information Resources provided
Helpful Resources Types of child care Parent Action Steps To find your local R&R: 1-800-KIDS-793
What s next
MyChildCArePlan.org
Thank you
Contact us Jigna Shah, Chief CDSS, Child Care Programs Bureau jigna.shah@dss.ca.gov Michele Grant, Program Manager CDSS, Child Care Programs Bureau michele.grant@dss.ca.gov Rowena Kamo, Research Director California Resource and Referral Network rkamo@rrnetwork.gov Beverly Parnell, Program Analyst CDSS, Child Care Programs Bureau beverly.parnell@dss.ca.gov Roberta Williams, Child Care Advocate CDSS, Community Care Licensing roberta.williams@dss.ca.gov