ARIZONA CHILD CARE ARIZONA CHILD CARE ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION

From Classrooms to the Capitol

The Voice of Private Child Care Centers

WELCOMEWELCOME

2011 Annual Meeting

James Emch – ACCA President

Valley Child Care and Learning Centers & Cactus Preschools

Bill Berk – ACCA Vice President

Outer Limits School

ACCA Board 2011ACCA Board 2011--20122012• James Emch - Valley Child Care & Cactus Preschools • Bill Berk - Outer Limits School• Robert Orsi - Sunrise Preschools and Tots Unlimited• Don DeWitt – Guiding Light School• Jeannie Chao - Creative Beginnings, Desert Skies, Kids'

Village, and Small World Preschools • Kathy Halter – KinderCare• Chris Soto - Sun Tykes and Kids Corner Preschool• Bonnie Taylor – Learning Care Group:

ChildTime, Tutor Time, and La Petite Academy• Harolyn Tussing - All Together Now • Mary Sue Watson - Premier and Children's Campus• Mark Werber - Tots Unlimited

ACCA ANNUAL MEETING ACCA ANNUAL MEETING

MAJOR SPONSORSMAJOR SPONSORS

Association for Supportive Child Care

Southwest Human Development

Rio Salado College

Slater Insurance

PARTICIPATING VENDORSPARTICIPATING VENDORS

• CompuPay

• Discovery Toys

• Epicurean Foods

• Kaplan Early Learning

• Lakeshore Learning

• TAPI – The Arizona Partnership for Immunization

• The Ear Foundation of Arizona - BASICS (Building A Screening Infrastructure for Children’s Success)

Past Year SuccessesPast Year Successes

• Increased civic participation and advocacy

• No on 302! – Overwhelming FTF support

• Children removed from waiting list (temp)

• Media and increased Public Awareness

• FTF Access and Affordability

• Grant to update Essential Orientation

• Strengthened Partnerships

Arizona Early Care and Learning Arizona Early Care and Learning

Challenges Challenges

• Economy

• AZ Unemployment Rate 9.3%

• State Revenue Increasing, but…

• “Cliff Effect”

• State Debt

• State Agency Cuts – cumulative effect

ACCA PRIORITIES and ACTIONS ACCA PRIORITIES and ACTIONS

• State Child Care Funding

• Quality and the Early Childhood System

• Regulation and Fees

• Professional and Technical Support

DES Subsidy DES Subsidy –– 3 Years of Cuts3 Years of Cuts

• Rates among lowest in nation

• Co-pays unrealistic

• Denial list continues - 6,937 October 7th

• No General Fund!

• $85 million – a 42% cut

• 5,000 fewer children by June – 50% cut

• 3,000 teacher jobs lost

Arizona Child Care Subsidy - February 2009 through June 2012

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

50000

Feb-

09Apr

-09

Jun-

09Au

g-09

Oct-0

9De

c-09

Feb-

10Apr

-10

Jun-

10Au

g-10

Oct-1

0De

c-10

Feb-

11

Apr

-11

Jun-

11Au

g-11

Oct-1

1De

c-11

Feb-

12Apr

-12

Jun-

12Number of Children Served

Total Subsidy Estimate Low Income Working Estimate

Actions and GoalActions and Goal

• Begin to restore

• ACCA Letter to Governor

• ACTION - Develop legislative champions, weigh in with elected officials, and generate public support.

• Ultimate Goal – Fully restore the program and make rates current

Quality of Care and the Early Quality of Care and the Early

Childhood SystemChildhood System

• Scholarships and Pre-K

• Quality First – Incentives and Ratings

• TEACH & Professional Reward$

• Technical Assistance & Consultation

• Health and family support services

• ACTION – Get involved and work with your Regional Council (s)

DHS Licensing & FeesDHS Licensing & Fees

• DHS EMPOWER Discount (fees still high)

• Impact of economy on facilities and capacity

• CPS clearances as a universal requirement

ACTIONS

1. Follow up on DHS fee study and keep policy makers informed

2. Continue coordination with Licensure

3. Assist members to meet regulations

Professional and Technical Support Professional and Technical Support

• Training

• Topical Forums

• Expand Professional Development opportunities

• Problem solving

• ACCA wants to hear from you!

STATE and NATIONAL STATE and NATIONAL

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES

Clarence Carter, Director, Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)

Will Humble, Director, Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS)

Eric Karolak, Executive Director

Early Care and Education Consortium

Rhian Allvin, Chief Executive Officer

First Things First

Early Care and Education Early Care and Education

Consortium (ECEC) PartnershipConsortium (ECEC) Partnership

• National Alliance For-Profit and Non-Profit

• Voice to Shape Public Policy in DC

• Members 7,500 centers in 50 states

• Members serve 1 million children

• VISIT www.ececonsortium.org

• SIGN UP for e-mails

ECEC PartnershipECEC Partnership

• Federal Policy & You

• The Scene in DC

• Updates: funding, policy, regulations

ECEC Partnership: UpdatesECEC Partnership: Updates

• Funding

– Appropriations process broke again: stopgap funding through Nov. 18

– Budget Control Act: “Super” Committee to report Nov. 23

– Threat of cuts – intentional or across the board

ECEC Partnership: UpdatesECEC Partnership: Updates

• Policy

– K-12 law: ESEA reauthorization

– Child Care: CCDBG “reform”

– Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge

• Regulation

– Office of Child Care guidance

– CPSC standard requires replacement of all cribs by 12/28/12

WHATWHAT’’S ON THE HORIZON?S ON THE HORIZON?

• Continued Risk to Public Funding

• Higher expectations

• Opportunities

• Complexity

• Partners

• ACCA - Sustained effort, long term

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

FOR YOUR

SUPPORT

www.azcca.org