"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
Issue #11                                                              March 19, 2018
A Message from State Superintendent Candidate, Assemblymember Tony Thurmond

In my life, public education was the great equalizer that allowed me to overcome humble beginnings. My mother was an immigrant from Panama who came to San Jose, California, to be a teacher. My father was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD. I grew up without my father, and when my mother lost her battle to cancer when I was 6 years old, my brother and I moved across the country to Philadelphia where we were raised by a cousin we had never met before. We struggled, and often relied on public assistance programs, but this amazing woman who raised us always made sure we got a great public education.
 
I say all the time that I could have easily ended up in California state prison, but instead, I ended up in the California State Assembly. I want that same opportunity for all of California's kids. That is why improving education is my top priority and why I am fighting for children, early childhood educators, teachers, communities, and families to receive the great education and wrap-around services they need in order to thrive. That ability to thrive starts in early education.
 
We know the reasons why early childhood education is so important. 85% of brain development occurs during the first three years of life and we must provide safe quality environments for children where they can develop their social-emotional skills and early learning. When we talk about improving education in our state, it is imperative that we are also talking about early childhood education (ECE).
 
ECE in California was hit hard by the Great Recession and it has yet to fully recover. At that time, we knew of more than  200,000 young children in California were in need of care, and 10 years later, we know that 68,000 young children still need a place to go. On top of that, early childhood educators - our children's first teachers outside the home - are still not receiving adequate wages they need and deserve.
 
As a state legislator, I have helped to increase revenue for early childhood education programs by nearly half a billion dollars and have continued to fight for resources to increase access and improve quality in ECE programs. I have introduced AB 2303, a bill that will tax private prisons and create a stable revenue stream for preschool programs and after-school programs. I am pushing forward AB 2960, the bill to mandate a statewide child care online portal meant to be resource for information regarding early childhood education organizations for all referral agencies, educators, and families across the state. We want to streamline information, create access to helpful information, and help families make the best of their choices in early childhood education.
 
But I won't stop there. By increasing ECE subsidies, we can create more childcare slots at an affordable level for working families, increase overall quality of childcare, and better train and provide competitive compensation for early childhood educators. I am proud to see so many cities across our state raising the minimum wage because of what that means for families breaking cycles of poverty. It is embarrassing that we are paying early childhood educators just a bit more than minimum wage for our children's first teachers.
 
Providing stronger, affordable, and accessible child care programs and preschools to California's students means that they are all starting off on the same foot. If all of our students have that same opportunity to the very best start to life, just imagine the ripple effect we will see on their educators, families, and communities.
 
I am determined to creating that opportunity for everyone. Will you join me?
 
Please read our full plan and sign up to receive campaign updates by visiting www.tonythurmond.com.

Full Disclosure: CAPPA neither supports nor endorses candidates. 
Quick Links
CAPPA's
2017-18 Board of Directors
President
Rick Richardson
 Child Development Associates

Vice President
Karen Marlatt
Valley Oak Children's Services

Treasurer
Beth Chiaro
Child Care Resource Center 

Secretary
LaVera Smith
Supportive Services Fresno

Past President
Martin Castro
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
Public Policy Co-Chair
Jeffrey Moreira
Crystal Stairs, Inc.

Public Policy Co-Chair
Phillip Warner
Children's Council San Francisco 

Members-at-Large
Tina Barna
Choices for Children

Abby Shull
YMCA Childcare Resource Service 
 
Amanda Al Fartosi
KinderCare Education

Jeanne Fridolfs
Community Resources for Children
 
Mike Michelon
Siskiyou Child Care Council

Marco Jimenez
Central Valley Children's Services Network

Jasmine Tijerino
San Mateo 4Cs

Michelle Graham
Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County

Joie Owen
Glenn County Office of Education

Denyne Micheletti Colburn
CAPPA CEO
EESD/CDE, DSS & CCLD Updates
March 14, 2018
The CDE Child Development Contracts office will begin e-mail distribution of fiscal year (FY) 2018-19 child
development contracts on May  21 , 2018.
February 12, 2018
Bridge Program Monthly Technical Assistance Calls
DSS will be hosting technical assistance calls on the last Tuesday of each month from 1-2 pm, beginning in February.  These calls will provide opportunities for counties to share best practices and challenges as they implement the Bridge Program. CDSS staff will also be available to answer questions and address concerns. If you have specific questions or suggestions for topics in advance of the calls, please send them to
January 25, 2018
A manual letter
(
EAS-18-03
)
containing amendments to the California Department of Social Services' Eligibility and Assistance Manual has been uploaded onto the Department's website.   
January 20, 2018
A manuel letter containing revisions CDSS' Eligibility and Assistance Standards Manual has been uploaded onto the Departments' website. Click here
 for more information.
  
Job Openings

Is Your Organization Hiring?
Post your job announcement here for thousands to see!
There is no charge for CAPPA members.
Non-members will be charged a fee of $75.
Please email us your posting!

International Institute Los Angeles

Pomona Unified School District- Child Development 
Children's Council San Francisco
Solano Family & Children's Services 
UC Berkeley
North Coast Opportunities-Lake County
Child Care Coordinating Council, Inc. of San Mateo County
Go Kids, Inc., Gilroy

Child Development Inc. is Hiring! See the Recruitment Flyer  Here.
Announcements
CAPPA Member Benefits now available on the Members Only website:
All new AP branding templates  from CAPPA's Branding Committee are now available for CAPPA members. 

The Family Factor: A Community View to Father Engagement


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Sign up  and check it out today!  Once you've signed up as a TechSoup member, you can register your organization and get started requesting donations.

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Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your support! 
Field Happenings!
The CAPPA Board has made it a priority to support our field with a coordinated calendar to note upcoming statewide conferences, federal conferences of relevance, CDE and DSS stakeholder meetings and legislative and budget deadlines and hearings.
CAPPA Monday Morning Update Partner






Our Monday Morning Update supports our Early Learning & Child Care field with timely information about what is going on in California and nationally; as well as dates to be aware and upcoming events. 

Our weekly (50 times per year) Monday morning distribution is to more than 4,000 federal and state local agencies, resource and referrals, contractors, legislators and their staffs', centers, parents, providers, state departments and advocates.  

To help support the continuation of this resource and or advertise in the Monday Morning Update, click  HERE. 

You can also make a donation to CAPPA and CAPPA Children's Foundation
The Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization (501(c)3), Taxpayer Identification Number is 
03-0521444. Your generous donation is tax deductible.
Your Action is Needed
R&R
Increase for Child Care Funding at Risk
 
Almost 3 months into the New Year and exciting things have happened! Last month, Congress passed a budget deal that doubles the Child Care and Development Block Grant to $5.9 billion. CCDBG, which helps pay for subsidized child care for families struggling to make ends meet, currently serves 1.4 million children nationwide, the lowest number in history. 


What's Happening
California 
State Legislation 
California Assembly and Senate floor sessions will convene on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. On March 22, Spring Recess begins upon adjournment of this day's session and the legislature will reconvene on April 2. 
 
Click here   to be directed to CAPPA's website to see all of the legislation that has been identified to be of interest to our field. You can find fact sheets and sample letter templates when available. On this page, CAPPA will also note legislative hearings of interest to our field.  To track and/or review legislation or to create your own tracking list,  click here.  

Here is a small sample of bills that have been identified as being of interest to the child care and early education field. You can find a more expansive list on our website. 
For child care and early education, our need and our ask is quite simple... 

WHAT DO WE WANT...
$1 BILLION FOR BABIES!!
100,000 CHILD CARE SLOTS!!!
WHEN DO WE NEED THEM...NOW!!!
  • Parents need access to 24 hour/7 days per week affordable child care options that meet the demands of full time employment.
  • Children need stable and enriching child care settings to attain greater educational outcomes.
  • Child care providers and teachers need to be reimbursed livable rates that value their profession and economic contributions.
  • Employers need a reliable workforce.
Click here to read CAPPA Policy Principles & Goals: Partnering in 2017-18.   To help support a coordinated ask from our field, CAPPA will contribute to the development of talking papers, sign on communications, and more.   The more coordinated we are in our asks and priorities, the better the outcomes for families and children.

State Budget Update
will be available to CAPPA Members and subscribers only.  On this new and improved webpage, CAPPA will begin hosting enhanced budget information and strategic communications.  Annual subscriptions will be available to non-members for $50/year. 

Upcoming Budget Hearings on Child Care and Early Education:
FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE BUDGET, VISIT OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BUDGET WEBPAGE.

Partner Update
California Budget Perspective 2018-19: Chartbook Examines Governor's Proposal
 
The California Budget & Policy Center is pleased to release California Budget Perspective 2018-19, our annual chartbook publication that takes an in-depth look at the Governor's proposed state budget and the questions that could shape this year's budget debate. This new chartbook follows a number of other Budget Center publications - including our First Look analysis - that have examined some of the Governor's key proposals for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1.

California Budget Perspective examines the social, economic, and policy context for this year's budget; discusses key elements of - and priorities reflected in - the Governor's proposal; and highlights issues to watch in the coming months. The publication features more than 20 new or updated charts on the backdrop for and contents of the proposed state budget.

 
Also: Don't forget that the California Budget & Policy Center's annual conference, Policy Insights 2018, is less than three weeks away on March 22. Nearly 300 people from around the state have already signed up. 

Federal

Top 10 Early Childhood Ideas for States in 2018  by Simon Workman, Katie Hamm, Rasheed Malik, and Cristina Novoa

Voters recognize the benefits of quality early childhood programs-including preschool, child care, Head Start programs, and voluntary home visiting programs-and want their elected officials to increase funding to make these programs available to low- and middle-income families. Despite this broad support, too many children are currently unable to access the services they need, and too many parents are left scrambling to put together a patchwork of care that meets their families' needs. States have a critical role to play in expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs. With voters prioritizing investments in young children and with 36 upcoming gubernatorial races, now is the time for bold proposals.

An investment in expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs is a clear win-win for states. Early childhood education supports new parents and their infants; helps families access high-quality child care that allows them to work and provides their children with developmentally appropriate learning environments; and improves conditions for the predominantly low-income and female early childhood workforce. 
It is time to view investments in early childhood in the same light as other economic development investments.

The policy ideas laid out in this report provide a roadmap for states to take bold action to support all families in 2018 and beyond.

SNAP Supports Workers in the Low-Wage Labor Market  by Brynne Keith-Jennings and Raheem Chaudhry

SNAP serves as an important support for many working-age individuals and their families. Most participants are working while they are participating in SNAP, have recently worked, or soon will be working. Others participate who have health conditions, caretaking responsibilities, or other conditions that make working difficult, though many have other family members who do work.

Millions of low-wage workers  are in jobs that provide low pay, can have unreliable schedules, and often lack key benefits such as paid sick leave. These workers, including many who use SNAP, are more likely than others to experience periods when they are out of work or when their monthly earnings drop. SNAP is a support to help through these difficult times.


Some policymakers suggest that further limiting SNAP participation among non-disabled adults to those who are working while participating would increase employment rates. Such proposals, however, hold little potential to increase work among this population and carry a high risk of increasing hardship among workers.
Of Interest
Upcoming CAPPA Events 

CAPPA Statewide Meeting-in partnership with CDE-Locations in the North and South!
April 5, 2018
Pomona Unified School District
1460 E. Holt Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91767
Entrance 3 
9:30am-2:30pm
June 21, 2018
University of Phoenix
2860 Gateway Oaks Drive
Bldg. B, Ste. 100
Sacramento CA  95833
Classrooms 121/122/123 
9:30am-2:30pm
To better support our field, CAPPA, in partnership with CDE, will be hosting TWO, informational trainings for our field in both Pomona and in Sacramento!  
These Statewide Meetings will bring our field together to share insights and experiences, explore ideas, shape policy, and discuss best practices.
Both locations will offer the same format, agenda and presentations. We hope you can join us!

Agenda:
9:00am
Registration
9:30am-11:00am
 Improper Payment Elimination and Recovery Act Results
 The purpose of this informational session is to present information and results regarding the Improper Payments and Elimination Recovery Act (IPERA) review for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015-16.
11:00am-12:30pm
 Overview of the Alternative Payment, CalWORKs Child Care and Family Child Care Home Education Networks Review Guide
This workshop presents an overview of the Alternative Payment review guide and provides clear written information that will be used in Alternative Payment monitoring reviews.
12:30pm
Lunch
1:00pm-2:30pm
 Attendance Recording, Reporting and Provider Payments (Alternative Payment Programs)
This workshop presents an overview of the changes to attendance reporting as prescribed in AB 274. It will provide information on provider payment requirements and parent and provider responsibilities for attendance recording for reimbursements, proration, monthly maximums, provider examples of actual calculations and how to deal with oddities like if hourly rates exceed daily rates.

A BIG Thank you to our event partners!

 

Interested in sponsoring these events?
Click Here to sponsor the Pomona Training
Click Here to sponsor the Sacramento Training

We look forward to seeing you!
Register Today for an Entire Year's Worth of Training!

 
All New Early Learning & Child Care Webinar Series for 2018!
Build or Add to your 
Resource Library!
This is Your Opportunity  to Receive Professional  Development in a Format  Convenient to You. 
CAPPA Children's Foundation, in partnership with MCT  Technology, brings you an ALL NEW Series of trainings, all for one low price per center or program location. 
 View the webinar series and be connected without ever leaving your location. This is a fabulous opportunity to train staff, providers and the community on the most requested child care topics for 2018 at an affordable price in an incredibly convenient format. 

Click Here  to see more details, topics and to  register for the all new 2018 series.

The 2010- 2017 series' are still available for purchase. Purchase the 2010, 2011 and 2012 webinar CDs for 50% off!!  For more information or to view past topics,  Click Here.
Important Message from the California Department of Education

CAPP Over-Enrollment Issues

The purpose of this informational notice is to address California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) over-enrollment in fiscal year (FY) 2017-18, and inform contracting agencies that fund sources previously available to reimburse programs for over-enrollment in FY 2016-17 and 2017-18 will not be available in FY 2018-19.
 
Previously, the EESD and the Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services (CDNFS) Office in the Fiscal and Administrative Services Division worked closely with the Department of Finance and the Legislature to secure funds in order to avoid the disenrollment of children. This partnership has continued in FY 2017-18, and the CDE continues to direct CAPP programs that are over-enrolled to continue serving currently enrolled families (do not dis-enroll families) but to not enroll any new families at this time.
 
The CDE is aware some CAPP programs have begun to enroll or are currently preparing to enroll families. If or when you begin this process, the CDE strongly advises all CAPP programs to review enrollment projections to ensure enrollment does not cause contract earnings to exceed the Maximum Reimbursable Amount (MRA). This should include an analysis of the Regional Market Rate (RMR) ceiling increase effective January 1, 2018 and its effect on contract earnings. This analysis should be performed by under- and over-enrolled programs alike, as the RMR increase may cause a currently under-earning contract to over-earn in the current and upcoming year.
 
If your program is projected to be over-enrolled, please notify your EESD Field Services Office (FSO) consultant and your CDNFS Fiscal Analyst as soon as possible if you have not already done so. The list of EESD FSO consultants can found on the CDE Consultant Regional Assignments Web page at The list of CDNFS Fiscal Analyst can be found on the CDE Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory Web page at 
 
Additionally, as FY 2018-19 approaches, agency fiscal staff should coordinate with program and enrollment staff to prepare FY 2018-19 budgets. While the CDE previously was able to utilize other fund sources to reimburse programs for over-enrollment in FY 2016-17 and 2017-18, those fund sources will not be available in FY 2018-19. Therefore, it is critical that projections and budgets prepared to ensure earnings in FY 2018-19 do not exceed the contract MRA. As a reminder, the only additional funding available is through the contingency fund application process, and contingency funds are limited in any given fiscal year. Program budgets and enrollment projections should include an analysis of family fees and attrition realized in FY 2017-18 in order to assess the effect of current year changes to the Family Fee Schedule and the implementation of 12-month eligibility. If you have questions about any potential over-enrollment or your enrollment projects, please contact your EESD field services consultant and your CDNFS Fiscal Analyst.
 
Thank you for all you do for California's young children with high needs and their families.
 
Sarah Neville-Morgan
Director, Early Education and Support Division
California Department of Education
Resources
Tax Credits and Free Tax Preparation Services for Families with Low-Income
The  Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers regardless of age or income. TCE counselors specialize in pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors ages 60 or older.
VITA and TCE sites are generally located in community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations across the country. To locate the nearest VITA or TCE site, visit https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/ or call (toll-free) 1-800-906-9887.

If there are resources you would like profiled, email CAPPA.