If you are running or managing a daycare center, there are a number of things you need to be aware of. Hiring competent staff and designing a curriculum for the children are just the basics. You also need to ensure that you have the proper licensing, prepare a budget in advance, and learn about all the necessary rules and regulations for running a daycare center.
One such thing that you must be aware of is the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Read on to learn everything you need to know about CCDF if you’re managing a daycare center.
Everything about Child Care and Development Fund
In an ideal world, all kids would have equal opportunities to get an education so they can learn and explore as they grow. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Some kids born in low-income households do not always get the opportunity to continue, or even begin proper education. This is where CCDF steps in.
The purpose of this program is to assist low-income families and provide them with the financial resources required to afford quality child care. In addition to that, the CCDF program also actively works to increase the reach of the program so that more and more people can benefit from it.
Background
The program was introduced in 2018 in order to ensure that kids from low-income families can have access to affordable childcare and education without compromising on the quality or the education. However, only 14% of the eligible children participated in the program that year.
This allows the county governments with increased flexibility to reassess the eligibility as well as the federal resources to meet the demand. They also worked to receive additional funding to meet licensing and quality standards.
In March 2022, The Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2022 was introduced by the Senate Republicans to change the eligibility to increase reimbursement rates for childcare providers as well as capping co-pay costs for certain low-income costs.
Meanwhile, an improved framework was released by Senate Democrats in May, 2022, to expand access to affordable child care. According to this framework, the funding could increase up to three times in 6 years.
Currently, the program is available in New York, Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina, North Dakota, Minnesota, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
How to Help As a Daycare Manager or Staff
The CCDF program applies to children between the ages of 12 to 18 (and beyond in some special cases). If you’re part of a daycare center, you’re likely not dealing with children of that age. However, you can still provide the necessary assistance to the children.
As discussed earlier, most children who are eligible for the program are still not participating in it. This means that a lot of people are still unaware of the existence of the program in the first place. If you’re working in a daycare center, you will likely come across children of all ages. This will provide you with the opportunity to figure out what students may be eligible for the program as they grow older.
If you feel that a child may be eligible for the program in the future, discuss it with the parents and help them understand all the benefits they may experience during the child’s adolescent years.
If possible, you can also hold seminars or meetings with parents to make them aware of the opportunity. Remember, the important thing is to educate the parents about the opportunity. Afterward, it’s there decision whether they opt for it or not.
Final Words
In order to increase the reach of the program, it is important that more and more parents are aware of it. So make sure that you do your part in increasing the reach as much as possible.
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