Supporting Families Together Association

Emphasis on Prevention High Quality Family Support Emphasis on Prevention Evidence-Based Home Visiting Evidence-Based Parent Education Infant Mental Health Consultation High Quality Early Education Access for Families Investment in Early Educators Continuity of Care Improving & Sustaining Quality Goal: Seamless system of family support in Wisconsin – right now very fragmented Goal: Sustain our system of early education

Primary Universal Secondary Selective Tertiary Indicated Primary: Entire Population to reduce or mitigate risk Secondary: efforts to prevent among those with risk factors Tertiary: Prevent reoccurrence

Tiered Supports based on need We know at least 31 organizations in Wisconsin are providing evidence-based parent ed

Wisconsin’s Family Foundations Home Visiting Program (FFHV) provides expectant and new parents with voluntary, in-home supports and mentoring through their children’s first years. Home visitors are highly trained professionals who partner with mothers and fathers to support healthy pregnancy and positive birth outcomes, reduce the risks of child injury, abuse, and neglect, and promote child growth, development, and school readiness. Wisconsin is using federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) funds, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, and General Purpose Revenue (GPR) to increase the number of families receiving evidence-based home visiting services and to improve the quality of those services through training and support. Evidence shows the impact: example – NFP has demonstrated a 50% reduction in child abuse and neglect

IECMHC is a multilevel preventive intervention to improve children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health and development. A mental health professional partners with an early childhood professional or program staff to infuse activities and interactions that promote healthy social and emotional development, prevent the development of problem behaviors, and intervene to reduce the occurrence of challenging behaviors.4 - Zero to Three InBrief http://www.joiningforcesforchildren.org/

Policy Levers in Family Support Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Community-Based Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention (CBCAP) Family First Prevention Services Act Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Medicaid & Private Health Insurance Early Childhood Advisory Committee Local Human Services or Public Health Common theme: Most of the funding is federal – but state makes decisions on how to use Local Communities have also made decisions to invest locally

↑ Programs are taking a formal rating to earn 4 or 5 Stars There are approximately 4,800 regulated child care programs in Wisconsin. ↑ Programs are taking a formal rating to earn 4 or 5 Stars  Programs are taking an automated 2 Star rating 78% of regulated child care providers in Wisconsin are participating in YoungStar, Wisconsin’s Quality Rating & Improvement System. 13% increase in formally rated programs YoungStar has increased the availability of quality and professionalism of the field Evaluation Criteria serve as a policy lever - Example of Developmentally Appropriate Practice Environments Point

Starting October 1, 2018 The maximum Wisconsin Shares rates for children birth through three years old will be increased by 5% statewide In addition, any licensed county maximum infant rates that remain below $5 per hour will be raised to $5 per hour Families who select 2 Star programs will only see a 1% reduction from their Wisconsin Shares subsidy amount, a significant decrease from the current 5% reduction Child Care Development Fund makes the most significant investment into child care programs/educators (WI Shares Reimbursements, YoungStar Adjustments, YoungStar Micro-Grants, T.E.A.C.H./REWARD) Recent changes from the Governor’s office (analyze pros and cons) - Means even with a 5% increase across the board, the floor was still less than $5 per hour You can rework how the investment is made, but without more investment, the issues with the child care system won’t be fixed. Tax Policy – Other states have implemented packages of child care tax credits Deduction vs. Nonrefundable vs. Refundable Families, Early Educators, Families, Businesses, Nonprofits

What is the 4K Community Approach? Impact of 4K on Child Care Three Types of Community Approaches Why this matters? Appropriate Environment Lower ratios Investment in entire early childhood system Balances cost of infant care Hearing from communities that the Trend has moved away from this, but why? Early Expulsion: A child or family is asked or made to leave for reasons other than inability to pay 20% of providers reported expelling in the trailing 12 months 72% of expulsion cases were cited as being due to challenging behaviors CCDBG now requiring states to have an expulsion policy

The Child Care Trilemma Drop in Child Care Access: in 2007, 6,800 family child care programs, in 2016 there were 2,800. Infant cost in a child care center = Approximately $12,000 per year Quality does come with a cost Father of story who had WI Shares – baby at 5 Star program. When this tension becomes unbearable for parents – they go to unregulated care. Families piece together caregivers to make life work. One family reported up to seven different placement for the child.

Child Care Development Block Grant Reauthorizations Preschool Development Grant WI Shares YoungStar & YoungStar Adjustments Tax Policy Early Childhood Advisory Committee School Districts City and County Governments Highlight Preschool Development Grant here! Local Examples Community Development Funds – Child Care Scholarships City of Madison Accreditation Property Tax Investment?