Child Care Services

Providers Weighing in to Improve Child Care Services!

Provider input is needed to make sure improvements that are currently being discussed to streamline and simplify child care services make sense for your work and families you serve. Please answer the following questions about possible improvements to how child care works!

Reimbursement rates: California's reimbursement rate system is complex. This means many providers can be unsure they are receiving the reimbursement that they expect, and agencies use a lot of staff's time to calculate payments. What changes would help address without lowering providers' reimbursements?

Question Title

* Question 1: Which of the following rate schedules do you tend to charge most clients (choose one)?

HOURLY

DAILY

WEEKLY

MONTHLY

Question Title

* Question 2: Do you currently provide special needs or after hours care for which you charge a separate rate to any of your families?

YES

Question Title

* Question 3: Rate how important it is for you to be able to continue charging the following rates, with 1 being very important, 2 being somewhat important, and 3 being not at all important.

	1- Very important	2- Somewhat important	3- Not at all important
Infant care	Infant care 1- Very important	Infant care 2- Somewhat important	Infant care 3- Not at all important
After hours care	After hours care 1- Very important	After hours care 2- Somewhat important	After hours care 3- Not at all important
Preschool age care	Preschool age care 1- Very important	Preschool age care 2- Somewhat important	Preschool age care 3- Not at all important
Special Needs care	Special Needs care 1- Very important	Special Needs care 2- Somewhat important	Special Needs care 3- Not at all important
School age care	School age care 1- Very important	School age care 2- Somewhat important	School age care 3- Not at all important
Part-time rate	Part-time rate 1- Very important	Part-time rate 2- Somewhat important	Part-time rate 3- Not at all important

Question Title

* Family fees: across the state, either AP agencies or providers collect family fees, which parents start paying when they meet certain income levels.

Question 4: As a family child care provider, would you prefer to (choose one):

a) Collect family fees yourself

b) Require agencies to collect the family fees?

Question Title

* Question 5: In general, do you think the amount of fees the families that you serve pay is too high, too low, or just right (choose one)?

TOO HIGH

TOO LOW

JUST RIGHT

Question Title

* Program Oversight: Currently, the California Department of Education oversees nearly all child care programs. The Governor has proposed to change this -- shifting child care programs to Department of Social Services, county offices like welfare departments, or a new agency.

Question 6: Rate how the current child care system meets these goals, with 1=very well, 2= somewhat well, and 3 = not well at all:

	1 = very well	2 = somewhat well	3 = not well at all
Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 1 = very well	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 2 = somewhat well	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 3 = not well at all
Treats families and providers with respect	Treats families and providers with respect 1 = very well	Treats families and providers with respect 2 = somewhat well	Treats families and providers with respect 3 = not well at all
Provides strict oversight of public funds for child care	Provides strict oversight of public funds for child care 1 = very well	Provides strict oversight of public funds for child care 2 = somewhat well	Provides strict oversight of public funds for child care 3 = not well at all
Clear and timely communication with providers and families	Clear and timely communication with providers and families 1 = very well	Clear and timely communication with providers and families 2 = somewhat well	Clear and timely communication with providers and families 3 = not well at all
Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 1 = very well	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 2 = somewhat well	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 3 = not well at all
Link with K-12 system to ensure quality in child care programs	Link with K-12 system to ensure quality in child care programs 1 = very well	Link with K-12 system to ensure quality in child care programs 2 = somewhat well	Link with K-12 system to ensure quality in child care programs 3 = not well at all
Utilizing community agencies like APs, R&R Networks, and Networks	Utilizing community agencies like APs, R&R Networks, and Networks 1 = very well	Utilizing community agencies like APs, R&R Networks, and Networks 2 = somewhat well	Utilizing community agencies like APs, R&R Networks, and Networks 3 = not well at all

Other goal for child care system:

Question Title

* Question 7: From the list below number 1 to 5 from which goal is the most important to the least important. Put a "1" beside the goal you think is the most important to fight for, and number on down to a "5" beside the goal you think is the least important to fight for if the system is reformed:

	1 = Most important	2	3	4	5 = Least important
Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 1 = Most important	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 2	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 3	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 4	Timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers 5 = Least important
Treat families and providers with respect	Treat families and providers with respect 1 = Most important	Treat families and providers with respect 2	Treat families and providers with respect 3	Treat families and providers with respect 4	Treat families and providers with respect 5 = Least important
Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care	Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care 1 = Most important	Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care 2	Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care 3	Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care 4	Ensure strict oversight of public funds for child care 5 = Least important
Clear and timely communication with providers	Clear and timely communication with providers 1 = Most important	Clear and timely communication with providers 2	Clear and timely communication with providers 3	Clear and timely communication with providers 4	Clear and timely communication with providers 5 = Least important
Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 1 = Most important	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 2	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 3	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 4	Consistent rules regarding family fee collection, provider payments, and eligibility determination 5 = Least important

Question Title

* Question 8: If there are minimum standards for child care services are established, does it matter to you which agency (California Department of Education, Department of Social Services, or another agency) oversees child care programs and funding?

YES

Question Title

* Contractor Reform: California funds 87 separate Alternative Payment agencies and more than 35 Family Child Care Home Education Networks, all of which set policies and procedures for work with providers and family. What are ways to streamline and standardize?

Question 9: Rate how important do you think each of the following reforms are for improving the child care system, with 1 being very important, 2 being somewhat important and 3 being not at all important/oppose:

	1 = very important	2 = somewhat important	3 = not at all important/oppose
Require a direct deposit option for providers.	Require a direct deposit option for providers. 1 = very important	Require a direct deposit option for providers. 2 = somewhat important	Require a direct deposit option for providers. 3 = not at all important/oppose
Set performance standards that AP agencies and other contractors meet as a condition for funding, such as timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers.	Set performance standards that AP agencies and other contractors meet as a condition for funding, such as timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers. 1 = very important	Set performance standards that AP agencies and other contractors meet as a condition for funding, such as timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers. 2 = somewhat important	Set performance standards that AP agencies and other contractors meet as a condition for funding, such as timeliness and accuracy of payments to providers. 3 = not at all important/oppose
Reduce the number of AP agencies that are in operation.	Reduce the number of AP agencies that are in operation. 1 = very important	Reduce the number of AP agencies that are in operation. 2 = somewhat important	Reduce the number of AP agencies that are in operation. 3 = not at all important/oppose
Eliminate Networks and transfer their funding to AP agencies.	Eliminate Networks and transfer their funding to AP agencies. 1 = very important	Eliminate Networks and transfer their funding to AP agencies. 2 = somewhat important	Eliminate Networks and transfer their funding to AP agencies. 3 = not at all important/oppose
Require state agency to guarantee family service and provider pay in the event an AP agency or other contractor cannot fulfill its contract.	Require state agency to guarantee family service and provider pay in the event an AP agency or other contractor cannot fulfill its contract. 1 = very important	Require state agency to guarantee family service and provider pay in the event an AP agency or other contractor cannot fulfill its contract. 2 = somewhat important	Require state agency to guarantee family service and provider pay in the event an AP agency or other contractor cannot fulfill its contract. 3 = not at all important/oppose

Question Title

* IT/Data Systems: Automation could standardize and speed up provider payments and other aspects of child care system.

Question 10: What would you pay toward the purchase of electronic equipment at your facility to enable parent sign-in that eliminates the need for ink signatures and paper timesheets and speeds up payment:

Nothing

$50

$100

$200

Other amount: $

Question Title

* Are you interested in working with other providers as part of Child Care Providers United’s work to find solutions to reforming how our child care system works?

YES

Question Title

* Please enter your email address to subscribe to our email list:

Question Title

* Thanks for your input. Child Care Providers United will continue to need provider involvement to make difficult changes to improve how California’s child care system better serves families. Join our work!

Your first name:

Your last name:

County:

Phone (optional):

Question Title

* Question 1: Which of the following rate schedules do you tend to charge most clients (choose one)?

Question Title

* Question 2: Do you currently provide special needs or after hours care for which you charge a separate rate to any of your families?

Question Title

* Question 3: Rate how important it is for you to be able to continue charging the following rates, with 1 being very important, 2 being somewhat important, and 3 being not at all important.

Question Title

* Family fees: across the state, either AP agencies or providers collect family fees, which parents start paying when they meet certain income levels. Question 4: As a family child care provider, would you prefer to (choose one):

Question Title

* Question 5: In general, do you think the amount of fees the families that you serve pay is too high, too low, or just right (choose one)?

Question Title

Question Title

* Question 7: From the list below number 1 to 5 from which goal is the most important to the least important. Put a "1" beside the goal you think is the most important to fight for, and number on down to a "5" beside the goal you think is the least important to fight for if the system is reformed:

Question Title

* Question 8: If there are minimum standards for child care services are established, does it matter to you which agency (California Department of Education, Department of Social Services, or another agency) oversees child care programs and funding?

Question Title

Question Title

Question Title

* Are you interested in working with other providers as part of Child Care Providers United’s work to find solutions to reforming how our child care system works?

Question Title

* Please enter your email address to subscribe to our email list:

Question Title

* Thanks for your input. Child Care Providers United will continue to need provider involvement to make difficult changes to improve how California’s child care system better serves families. Join our work!

* Family fees: across the state, either AP agencies or providers collect family fees, which parents start paying when they meet certain income levels.

Question 4: As a family child care provider, would you prefer to (choose one):