Child Care Initiatives
The Southern Regional Initiative on Child Care (SRICC)
The Southern Institute on Children and Families established the Southern
Regional Initiative on Child Care in January
2000 with support from The
David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Initiative is guided
by a 24-member Southern
Regional Task Force on Child Care composed of gubernatorial representatives
from 17 southern states, a mayoral appointee
representing the District of Columbia, a representative
of the Southern Growth Policies Board
and representatives appointed by the Southern
Institute. States participating in the Initiative
are Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,
Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and
West Virginia.
A Staff Work Group of child care experts and policy staff from southern
regional organizations provide expertise on issues addressed by the
Task Force. The Southern Institute commissioned consultants to conduct
surveys and additional research needed to assist with the deliberations
of the Task Force and to conduct research on several issues identified
during 13 state site visits.
The initial charge to the Task Force was to collaborate in the development
of a plan of action to improve access to child care assistance for
low-income families in the southern region. Once this action plan
was completed and implementation activities were underway, the Task
Force then embarked upon the development of a southern regional action
plan to improve child care quality. The Southern Institute on Children
and Families is now tracking the progress of the southern states as
they endeavor to implement both the Action Plan to Improve Access
to Child Care Assistance for Low-Income Families in the South and
the Southern Regional Action Plan to Improve the Quality of Early
Care and Education.
In December 2000, the Task Force released its first report titled
Sound Investments: Financial Support for Child Care Builds Workforce
Capacity and Promotes School Readiness. The Task Force set forth 10
goals and 52 action steps to improve access to child care financial
aid. Site visits were hosted by Task Force members in 13 southern
states to provide the Southern Institute the opportunity to brief
public and private officials on the action plan. During 2001 and 2002,
state surveys were conducted to track actions taken by states as a
result of the action plan. Findings from the state surveys on implementation
of the Action Plan to Improve Access to Child Care Assistance for
Low-Income Families in the South were published by the Southern Institute
on Children and Families.
The Southern Regional Initiative on Child Care Forum on Child Care
Financial Aid Issues was held in February 2002 in Washington, DC.
The Forum was designed to address issues related to Goal 1 in the
Action Plan to Improve Access to Child Care Assistance for Low-Income
Families in the South, which calls for adequate funding to meet 100%
of the need for direct child care assistance based on the federal
eligibility policy of 85% of the State Median Income. The DC Forum
focused on reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Fund
(CCDF) block grant, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
block grant and reauthorization impact on the child care subsidy system.
It examined legal issues related to implementing goals of the child
care financial aid action plan and held a stimulating dialogue on
federal and state roles in supporting affordable child care for working
families.
The action plan for quality early care and education was released
in October 2002. The Southern Regional Action Plan to Improve the
Quality of Early Care and Education contains seven goals and 39 action
steps. The action plan was developed through Staff Work Group analysis
and Task Force deliberations on survey results outlining the status
of child care standards in the southern states, as compared with the
quality standards set forth by the National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC).
The Second Annual Southern Regional Forum on Child Care was held
in October 2002 in Charleston, South Carolina. Public and private
sector representatives attended the Forum from 16 southern states,
the District of Columbia and regional policy organizations. The Forum
was the setting for release of the Southern Regional Action Plan to
Improve the Quality of Early Care and Education. The Forum agenda
also included presentations and dialogue on implementation of the
Action Plan to Improve Access to Child Care Assistance for Low-Income
Families in the South.
Collaboration across early care and education programs was identified
as a goal in both the child care financial aid action plan and the
quality action plan. Two reports commissioned by the Southern Institute
to examine issues related to collaboration across CCDF, Head Start,
Pre-kindergarten and TANF child care programs were published by the
Southern Institute on Children and Families. The first report, titled
Analysis of Potential Barriers to Creating Coordinated Absence Policies
for Collaborations Between Head Start and CCDF and TANF-Funded Programs,
was prepared by Rachel Schumacher, Jennifer Mezey and Mark Greenberg
at the Center for Law and Social Policy. The second report, titled
Collaboration Among Child Care, Head Start and Pre-kindergarten: A
Telephone Survey of Selected Southern States, was prepared by Dottie
C. Campbell.
All reports, both action plans and results of state surveys can be
found on our website.
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