4.5 Supply Building

Building a supply of high-quality child care that meets the needs and preferences of parents participating in CCDF is necessary to meet CCDF’s core purposes. Lead Agencies must support parent choice by providing some portion of direct services via grants or contracts, including at a minimum for children in underserved geographic areas, infants and toddlers, and children with disabilities. 4.5.1 Child care services available through grants or contracts Does the Lead Agency provide direct child care services through grants or contracts for child care slots? [ ] Yes, statewide. Describe how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: [ ] Yes, in some jurisdictions, but not statewide. Describe how many jurisdictions use grants or contracts for child care slots and how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: [x] No. If no, describe any Lead Agency plans to provide direct child care services through grants and contracts for child care slots: DCYF intends to apply for a waiver for this provision. DCYF will implement a contracted slots program of 100 slots for infant and toddlers involved in child welfare. If no, skip to question 4.5.2. i. If yes, identify the populations of children served through grants or contracts for child care slots (check all that apply). For each population selected, identify the number of slots allocated through grants or contracts for direct service of children receiving CCDF. [ ] Children with disabilities. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Infants and toddlers. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Children in underserved geographic areas. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Children needing non-traditional hour care. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] School-age children. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Children experiencing homelessness. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Children in urban areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: [ ] Children in rural areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: [ ] Other populations. If checked, describe: ii. If yes, how are rates for slots funded by grants and contracts determined by the Lead Agency? 4.5.2 Care in the child’s home (in-home care) The Lead Agency must allow for in-home care (i.e., care provided in the child’s own home) but may limit its use. Will the Lead Agency limit the use of in-home care in any way? [ ] Yes. [x] No. If yes, what limits will the Lead Agency set on the use of in-home care? Check all that apply. i. [ ] Restricted based on the minimum number of children in the care of the in- home provider to meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) requirements. Describe: ii. [ ] Restricted based on the in-home provider meeting a minimum age requirement. Describe: iii. [ ] Restricted based on the hours of care (i.e., certain number of hours, non- traditional work hours). Describe: iv. [ ] Restricted to care by relatives. (A relative provider must be at least 18 years of age based on the definition of eligible child care provider.) Describe: v. [ ] Restricted to care for children with special needs or a medical condition. Describe: vi. [ ] Restricted to in-home providers that meet additional health and safety requirements beyond those required by CCDF. Describe: vii. [ ] Other. Describe: 4.5.3 Shortages in the supply of child care Lead Agencies must identify shortages in the supply of child care providers that meet parents’ needs and preferences. What child care shortages has the Lead Agency identified in the State or Territory, and what is the plan to address the child care shortages? a. In infant and toddler programs: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: DCYF Child Care and Early Learning Need and Supply Data Dashboards, which relies on US Census Data, the DCYF Early Learning Data Store 2.0, DCYF subsidy data, ECEAP enrollment data, Head Start data and estimates of child care participation. ii. Method of tracking progress: The dashboard allows us to track progress over time (monthly) on access by geography (County, Legislative District, School District, and Zip Code), income, and child age category. We define as ￿extreme access deserts￿ zip codes where there are not enough child care resources to meet estimated need, and where no neighboring zip code can make up for the lack of supply. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes The dashboard and our data indicate that Statewide, families of about 280,000 children age B-5 not yet in school need child care, because all available parents in the home are working. Only about 28% of these children are served by licensed child care, preschool, and/or subsidized child care. Infant and toddler lack of access is particularly pronounced with several counties and many zip codes reporting less than 10% met demand, and a few with less than 5%. The Cost of Quality Care Study indicates subsidy base rates are inadequate, especially as to this age category, for family homes, which undermines access and parent choice. Our plan is to work with our Legislature to increase subsidy reimbursement based on the cost of quality care, with a focus on these age categories and with a goal to stabilize rates for family home providers such that they continue to be an effective component of the state's mixed delivery system and an available option for families. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The Cost of Quality Care Study indicates subsidy base rates are inadequate, especially as to infant and toddlerage categories for centers, which undermines access and parent choice. Our plan is to work with our Legislature to increase subsidy reimbursement based on the cost of quality care, with a focus on these age categories and with a goal to stabilize rates for center providers. b. In different regions of the State or Territory: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: DCYF Child Care and Early Learning Need and Supply Data Dashboards, which relies on US Census Data, the DCYF Early Learning Data Store 2.0, DCYF subsidy data, ECEAP enrollment data, Head Start data and estimates of child care participation. ii. Method of tracking progress: The dashboard allows us to track progress over time (monthly) on access by geography (County, Legislative District, School District, and Zip Code), income, and child age category. We define as ￿extreme access deserts￿ zip codes where there are not enough child care resources to meet estimated need, and where no neighboring zip code can make up for the lack of supply. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The dashboard indicates extreme access deserts across several counties (Thurston, Pierce, King, Snohomish) concentrated around the Puget Sound along the Interstate 5 corridor. Other deserts are found in the Vancouver, Tri Cities, and Spokane areas. Finally, Whitman county reports 270 children with 1.1% need met across all age groups. DCYF was directed by the Legislature in 2023 to deliver in June 2025 a plan whereby no family pays more than 7% of their income for family home child care, and providers and their staff receive a living wage and benefits. Based on data from DCYF's Cost of Quality Care and Market Rate Study, this calls for significant state investment in base rates for this provider type. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? DCYF was directed by the Legislature in 2023 to deliver in June 2025 a plan whereby no family pays more than 7% of their income for child care, and center providers and their staff receive a living wage and benefits. Based on data from DCYF's Cost of Quality Care and Market Rate Study, this calls for significant state investment in base rates for this provider type. c. In care for special populations: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: DCYF dashboards also provide information on child welfare placements of AI/AN and Black/African Children, zip codes repeatedly in the top 5 for placements over periods of years, locales with more frequent child welfare referrals for maltreatment, maltreatment persistence, and schools with high numbers of children not ready for kindergarten as indicated by the WAKids assessment, by race and ethnicity. By overlaying these data points and maps with the above discussed access deserts data, we are able to determine shortages impacting special populations. ii. Method of tracking progress: Our dashboards allow us to view the overlap of access data and special population data monthly, so we capture progress over time. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The Legislature has directed DCYF to conduct a pilot of 100 contracted slots for substance exposed infants in child welfare involved families. While this addresses just one special population and a risk factor, DCYF will use the pilot evaluation as a means to understand how a contracts-based approach might benefit other special populations. DCYF also seeks to integrate its Child Welfare Child Care Program with its CCDF subsidy program so that children in that program who currently receive shorter term child care authorizations will benefit from 12-month eligibility. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The Legislature has directed DCYF to conduct a pilot of 100 contracted slots for substance exposed infants in child welfare involved families. While this addresses just one special population and a risk factor, DCYF will use the pilot evaluation as a means to understand how a contracts-based approach might benefit other special populations. DCYF also seeks to integrate its Child Welfare Child Care Program with its CCDF subsidy program so that children in that program who currently receive shorter term child care authorizations will benefit from 12 month eligibility. 4.5.4 Strategies to increase the supply of and improve quality of child care Lead Agencies must develop and implement strategies to increase the supply of and improve the quality of child care services. These strategies must address child care in underserved geographic areas; infants and toddlers; children with disabilities, as defined by the Lead Agency; and children who receive care during non-traditional hours. How does the Lead Agency identify any gaps in the supply and quality of child care services and what strategies are used to address those gaps for: a. Underserved geographic areas. Describe: DCYF offers equity grants to support providers in underserved areas. b. Infants and toddlers. Describe: DCYF provides an infant rate enhancement of $300 for licensed home and licensed centers serving infants who receive subsidy. DCYF also offers a rate equivalent to the infant rate for ￿Enhanced toddlers￿ enrolled in licensed family homes. The enhanced toddler rate is equivalent to the infant rate and paid for toddlers who are 12-17 months old. c. Children with disabilities. Describe: DCYF pays for additional provider supports for children with a documented special need under WAC 110-15-0220. Additional supports can be things such as assistance with mobility due to being wheelchair bound, assistance with toileting, or providing 1-on-1 care. d. Children who receive care during non-traditional hours. Describe: DCYF pays a bonus of $150 per month to child care centers and licensed family homes for providing at least 30 hours of nonstandard care (nights/weekends) per month under WAC 110-15-0249. e. Other. Specify what population is being focused on to increase supply or improve quality. Describe: 4.5.5 Prioritization of investments in areas of concentrated poverty and unemployment Lead Agencies must prioritize investments for increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and do not currently have sufficient numbers of such programs. Describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and that do not have access to high-quality programs. DCYF partners with the Department of Commerce to provide Early Learning Facility grants to support capital needs to increase capacity in areas of need. Additionally, DCYF provides equity grants to providers with priorities to those providers in areas of greatest need. DCYF also provides a monthly cost of care rate enhancements of $2,100 for licensed family homes participating in child care subsidy. 5 Health and Safety of Child Care Settings Child care health and safety standards and enforcement practices are essential to protect the health and safety of children while out of their parents’ care. CCDF provides a minimum threshold for child care health and safety policies and practices but leaves authority to Lead Agencies to design standards that appropriately protect children’s safety and promote nurturing environments that support their healthy growth and development. Lead Agencies should set standards for ratios, group size limits, and provider qualifications that help ensure that the child care environment is conducive to safety and learning and enable caregivers to promote all domains of children’s development. CCDF health and safety standards help set clear expectations for CCDF providers, form the foundation for health and safety training for child care workers, and establish the baseline for monitoring to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. These health and safety requirements apply to all providers serving children receiving CCDF services – whether the providers are licensed or license-exempt, must be appropriate to the provider setting and age of the children served, must include specific topics and training on those topics, and are subject to monitoring and enforcement procedures by the Lead Agency. CCDF-required annual monitoring and enforcement actions help ensure that CCDF providers are adopting and implementing health and safety requirements. Through child care licensing, Lead Agencies set minimum requirements, including health and safety requirements, that child care providers must meet to legally operate in that State or Territory. In some cases, CCDF health and safety requirements may be integrated within the licensing system for licensed providers and may be separate for CCDF providers who are license- exempt. This section addresses CCDF health and safety requirements, Lead Agency licensing requirements and exemptions, and comprehensive background checks. When responding to questions in this section, OCC recognizes that each Lead Agency identifies and defines its own categories of care. OCC does not expect Lead Agencies to change their definitions to fit the CCDF-defined categories of care. For these questions, provide responses that best match the CCDF categories of care.