Child Action Incorporated

CAI PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES THAT INCLUDE CHILD CARE,RESOURCE AND REFERRAL, PROVIDER TRAINING AND EDUCATION, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILD CARE, PARENT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT 1 ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM: THIS PROGRAM RECEIVES ITS FUNDING FROM CONTRACTS WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, WHICH ADMINISTERS BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL MONIES. THE PROGRAM'S PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES TO INCOME-ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WHO ARE EMPLOYED, IN TRAINING, ACTIVELY SEEKING EMPLOYMENT, OR WHOSE CHILDREN ARE REFERRED FOR PROTECTIVE SERVICES. CHILD ACTION, INC. SERVED 6,110 FAMILIES AND 11,090 CHILDREN FROM JULY 1,2021 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022.

PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT 2 CHILD CARE RESOURCES AND REFERRALS: SEE SCH O

OVER 7,800 PARENTS, CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, STUDENTS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES, MEDIA, LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND EMPLOYERS RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM CHILD ACTION, INC. ON A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS TO DO WITH CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING. ASSISTANCE INCLUDES PHONE COUNSELING, DISTRIBUTION OF HANDOUTS AND RESOURCE MATERIALS, SITE VISITS, AND VIDEO AND BOOK LOANS. HEALTH TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS, IN THE AMOUNT OF 35,260, WERE PROVIDED TO THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE (385) CHILD CARE TEACHERS AND CHILD CARE HOME PROVIDERS. SEVENTY-SIX (76) HEALTH TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO LICENSE- EXEMPT CHILD CARE HOME PROVIDERS AND THREE HUNDRED NINE (309) WERE PROVIDED TO LICENSED CENTER OR FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME PROVIDERS. THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE (385) EARLY LEARNING WORKFORCE PATHWAYS GRANTS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO THE CHILD CARE EARLY LEARNING WORKFORCE. THE PURPOSE OF THE QCC WORKFORCE PATHWAYS GRANT IS TO SUPPORT INCREASED LEARNING AND HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF CALIFORNIAS YOUNG CHILDREN BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED EARLY LEARNING PROFESSIONALS AND INCREASING THE EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS, KNOWLEDGE, AND COMPETENCIES OF EXISTING EARLY LEARNING PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE STATE. WORKFORCE PATHWAYS GRANTS ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT ALLOWS EARLY LEARNING PROFESSIONALS TO MOVE ALONG THE CAREER LATTICE AND/OR SUPPORT EARLY LEARNING PROFESSIONALS TO COMPLETE UNIT-BEARING COURSEWORK AND ADVANCE ALONG A DEGREE PATHWAY. FIFTY-ONE PERCENT (51%) OF THE WORKFORCE GRANTS WERE ISSUED TO CHILD CARE CENTER STAFF AND FORTY-NINE (49%) WERE ISSUED TO FAMILY CHILD CARE PROGRAM STAFF. THE CONSULTATION TEAM, MADE UP OF CONSULTANTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND EARLY LEARNING HAVE PROVIDED TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE (285) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, AND CONSULTATION SERVICES TO CHILD CARE CENTERS AND FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES. CONSULTATION CONTACTS PROVIDE STRATEGIES, MODELING AND COACHING. WHEN POSSIBLE, CONSULTATION INCLUDED VIRTUAL VISITS. ON-GOING, REGULAR VISITS PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CONSULTANT AND THE EARLY LEARNING STAFF AT THESE PROGRAMS AND TO OBSERVE DIALOGUE AND MAKE CHANGES OVER TIME FOR BOTH THE PROGRAM AND INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN. FOUR (4) CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SEVENTY-ONE (71) FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE IN OPENING NEW CHILD CARE SERVICES, INCREASING CAPACITY OF CHILD CARE SERVICES FOR SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE (763) CHILDREN. OTHER PROGRAMS ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION: CHILD ACTION, INC. STAFF MADE PRESENTATIONS TO 232 PEOPLE AT COMMUNITY FAIRS AND MEETINGS, PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND OTHER GATHERINGS. OUR AGENCY SENT 10 ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS THIS YEAR, REACHING AN AVERAGE 13,200 COMMUNITY MEMBERS EACH MONTH. PARTICIPATION ON LOCAL BOARDS AND COMMUNITY TASK FORCES SUCH AS FIRST 5 ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SACRAMENTO COUNTY CHILDREN'S COALITION, CHILD CARE ROUNDTABLE HOSTED BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER MCCARTY, SACRAMENTO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENTS EARLY LEARNING PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND CONSORTIUM, COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, INFANT SAFE SLEEP, AND THE LOCAL PLANNING COUNCIL ALLOWED CHILD ACTION, INC. TO ADVOCATE FOR PARENTS AND CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AS WELL AS TO INFORM THEM ABOUT LOCAL PUBLIC POLICY AFFECTING THEM. THE STAND FOR CHILDREN VIRTUAL EVENT IN MAY 2022 AND R&R DAY AT THE CAPITAL PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL PARENTS TO MEET WITH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN THE STATE CAPITOL. WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING: FOUR THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN (4,767) CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX (226) WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING SESSIONS. THESE SESSIONS COVERED TOPICS OF PARENTING, CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR, STARTING A CHILD CARE BUSINESS, CONDUCTING QUALITY ASSESSMENTS, HEALTH ISSUES AND SERVICES, BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, TRAUMA INFORMED CARE, HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CHILD CARE DURING COVID-19, SAFE SLEEP, AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DURING COVID-19, INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, SCHOOL READINESS, INFANT/TODDLER CARE, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, ACADEMIC ADVISING, AND OBTAINING CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERMITS. WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING WERE OFFERED IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, ARABIC, FARSI, AND RUSSIAN LANGUAGES. WORKSHOPS WERE PROVIDED TO FOUR CULTURAL OR LINGUISTIC COMMUNITIES DURING THE YEAR: ONE HUNDRED TWELVE (112) WORKSHOPS WERE PROVIDED IN THE RUSSIAN, ARABIC, SPANISH, AND FARSI LANGUAGE ON STARTING A FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME, THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN, SPECIAL NEEDS INCLUSION, HEALTH & SAFETY, HEALTH & NUTRITION, HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CHILD CARE DURING COVID-19, SAFE SLEEP, AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DURING COVID-19, AND ADULT-CHILD INTERACTIONS. NINETEEN (19) PLAY DAY SESSIONS WERE HELD THIS YEAR. THESE SESSIONS PROVIDED ACTIVITIES FOR PROVIDERS TO ENGAGE IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, LITERACY, PERCEPTUAL, MOTOR, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT WITH CHILDREN AND INFORMATION ABOUT SETTING UP LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. NINETY-EIGHT (98) PARENTS, RELATIVES AND EXEMPT PROVIDERS ATTENDED. TRAINING ON HOW TO DEVELOP RATE SHEETS, CONTRACTS, AND POLICIES WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED AND MANY PROVIDERS SIGNED UP FOR DEEPER WORK AROUND THIS TOPIC. WITH THE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON PROGRAMS BY THE PANDEMIC, AND CHALLENGES THAT OCCURRED DUE TO COVID-19, PROVIDERS RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING CLEAR POLICIES IN PLACE. A GREAT DEAL OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED AROUND UPDATING OR CREATING POLICIES. COVID19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE: DURING THE GOVERNOR DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY IN CALIFORNIA RELATED TO COVID-19, CHILD ACTION, INC. CONTINUED TO USE NEW TOOLS AND FLEXIBILITY TO SERVE LOCAL CHILD CARE NEEDS. AS THE LEAD COORDINATOR OF THE EMERGENCY SUPPLY, DEMAND, AND REFERRAL RESPONSE FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CHILD ACTION, INC. RESOURCE & REFERRAL (R&R) COORDINATED LOCAL PARTNERS TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE PROVIDERS THROUGH FIVE (5) COMMUNITY DRIVE THROUGH DISTRIBUTION EVENTS. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THESE EVENTS CONSISTED OF DIAPERS, CLEANING SUPPLIES, COVID TEST KITS, FACE COVERINGS/MASKS, GLOVES, SANITIZERS, AND SAFETY PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING COVID-SAFE PRACTICES MATERIALS AND SMALL HEALTH & SAFETY BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. THROUGH THESE DISTRIBUTION EVENTS WE REACHED ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN (1,347) CHILD CARE PROVIDERS. 89% OF THE PROVIDERS REACHED WERE IN HOME CARE PROVIDERS 77% WERE FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME (FCCH) PROVIDERS 12% WERE FAMILY, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR (FFN) PROVIDERS 11% OF THE PROVIDERS REACHED WERE CHILD CARE CENTER PROGRAMS THE ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM PAID OUT 5,095,350 IN STIPENDS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS CARING FOR SUBSIDIZED CHILDREN. 6,168,490 WERE PROVIDED TO THE AP PROGRAM FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.