6.1 Supporting the Child Care Workforce

Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to implement policies and practices to support the child care workforce. 6.1.1 Strategies to improve recruitment, retention, compensation, and well-being a. Identify any Lead Agency activities related to strengthening workforce recruitment and retention of child care providers. Check all that apply: i. [ ] Providing program-level grants to support investments in staff compensation. ii. [ ] Providing bonuses or stipends paid directly to staff, like sign-on or retention bonuses. iii. [ ] Connecting family child care providers and center-based child care staff to health insurance or supporting premiums in the Marketplace. iv. [ ] Subsidizing family child care provider and center-based child care staff retirement benefits. v. [ ] Providing paid sick, personal, and parental leave for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vi. [ ] Providing student loan debt relief or loan repayment for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vii. [x] Providing scholarships or tuition support for center-based child care staff and family child care providers. viii. [x] Other. Describe: Through the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement and Stipend program, individuals working in a licensed child care program within the state may receive up to two $600 awards annually upon successful completion of thirty clock-hours within targeted areas as identified by the Lead Agency. This program is administered through quality contracts with the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CEPCD). b. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to assess and improve the compensation of the child care workforce in the State or Territory, including increasing wages, bonuses, and stipends. The Lead Agency plans to expand compensation for professional development expansion, with additional plans to increase targeted professional development stipends for registry participants working within the field. c. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to expand access to benefits, including health insurance, paid sick, personal, and parental leave, and retirement benefits. At this time, the Lead Agency has no plans to support these efforts due to lack of funding. d. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to support the mental health and well-being of the child care workforce. The Lead Agency provides mental health supports to individuals working in the child care field by access to the Oklahoma Child Care Warmline. This access allows for mental health resources to be provided as well as referral to programs outside the Child Care Services funded initiatives. In addition, there are multiple professional development opportunities that support the mental health through the Oklahoma Child Care Professional Development Registry (OPDR) through the CECPD quality contract. These include a number of topics specific to mental health and families. Supported through quality contracts, the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement and Stipend program, allows for an area of concentration in Cultivating Growth & Well Being which includes self-care topics for providers working in the child care industry. Through the Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA) quality contract, the Lead Agency supports the OK Shared Services which includes resources free of charge to registered participants. These free services include a Tele Therapy at no cost. e. Describe any other strategies the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to support providers’ recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. The Lead Agency has no plans for additional supports within this area at this time. 6.1.2 Strategies to support provider business practices a. Describe other strategies that the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to strengthen child care providers’ business management and administrative practices. The Lead Agency Supports through a quality contract with the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CEPD), a multitude of professional development courses are offered to assist with business management and growth. Also, an Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program is available to anyone working in the child care industry title Better Business for Family Care. Also supported by the Lead Agency, the Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (OCCRRA) provides support to Family Child Care Home providers through the Oklahoma Thrive Network. These supports include the Bright Wheel child care management software and access to resources in the use of. Each one of the eight regional OCCRA has a business coach. The position of the business coach is to provide support to the Thrive family child care home network, as well as providing training and technical assistance to all programs and providers supporting better business practices. b. Check the topics addressed in the Lead Agency’s strategies for strengthening child care providers’ administrative business practices. Check all that apply: i. [x] Fiscal management. ii. [x] Budgeting. iii. [x] Recordkeeping. iv. [x] Hiring, developing, and retaining qualified staff. v. [x] Risk management. vi. [x] Community relationships. vii. [x] Marketing and public relations. viii. [x] Parent-provider communications. ix. [x] Use of technology in business administration. x. [x] Compliance with employment and labor laws. xi. [ ] Other. Describe any other efforts to strengthen providers’ administrative business: 6.1.3 Strategies to support provider participation Lead Agencies must facilitate participation of child care providers and staff with limited English proficiency and disabilities in the child care subsidy system. Describe how the Lead Agency will facilitate this participation, including engagement with providers to identify barriers and specific strategies used to support their participation: a. Providers and staff with limited English proficiency: The Lead Agency contracts with the Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral (OCCRRA) for Hispanic outreach services. This includes services to families and providers. Through the resource and referral and Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD), an annual conference is held to exclusively meet the needs of Spanish language providers throughout the state. Also, through the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry, multiple courses are available in Spanish with a commitment for continued translation and availability. These courses include required entry level training for program directors and personnel, with the family child care home entry level training translation completion expected within the year. Also, recent additions include the Pyramid Model of Social and Emotional Development available in Spanish. All of these efforts are to support Hispanic providers and increase participation. b. Providers and staff who have disabilities: The Lead Agency website is 508 compliant. Licensing requirements are inclusive of all abilities when qualifications are met. Sign language interpreter services are available. Through the CECPD, individuals with disabilities may request accommodations through the educators to include sign language translator services. Other resources include availability of the transcript button on some individual on-line courses through the CECPD.