Program Support
THE QUALITY PERSPECTIVE
The Program Support Unit within the Division provides developmental services to child-care programs, staff and parents through several methods. Developing programs for young children includes developmental and implementation of new programs, expansion of currently operating programs and improvement of all child-care programs. The professional developmental activities include training and technical assistance services, which encourage and ensure quality child-care services for young children. The professional and program developmental activities are inherent to ensuring quality child-care for Arkansas children. Specific program activities include:
BASIC ORIENTATION COURSE FOR CHILD-CARE STAFF/CHILD-CARE ORIENTATION TRAINING (CCOT)
Developed through the Vocation-Technical Education Division (now Department of Workforce Education), funding is provided by DCC&ECE to support basic health/safety and orientation training to new staff and providers in child-care. The training system utilizes secondary vocational centers, post-secondary vocational schools, technical colleges, colleges, and universities as training sites throughout the state. There is no charge for the 20-hour course.
Grants are made available to providers for the purchase of equipment, materials and supplies to enhance program quality and assist with maintaining of licensing standards. Providers must demonstrate age-appropriate immunizations for all children in care to qualify for grants. Grants are available to assist newly operating programs as start-up resources and to improve the quality of care provided in child-care settings in the state.
In 1998-99, total grants awarded of $514,780 affected
the care of 19,693 children in licensed and registered child-care
settings. Sixty-five (65) grants were
awarded for newly established programs to assist in start-up support for
expansion of capacity of care. Care was
increased by 1,694 children in these locations.
Training grants are available to assist providers
in accessing training for CPR and Red Cross Safety. CPR training is required
for licensure and this grant assists providers in paying for this required
training. Three hundred fifty (350)
child-care providers accessed CPR/Red Cross training through support from the
DCC&ECE.
Scholarships are made available to individuals
working in child-care programs to assist in training which leads to
certification under the Child Development Associate Credential. This nationally recognized credential
provides a practicum for child-care workers and assists them in improving the
learning environment for children in care.
Arkansas currently has a total of 3,114 persons with the
Child Development Associate Credential.
This number has steadily increased in the past 5 years with the
availability of CDA Scholarship funds.
Professional development sessions, seminars, workshops and training opportunities are being funded through the DCC&ECE, allowing child-care professionals throughout the state to participate in improving their skills. Contracts for these professional development activities offer a wide variety of training for all levels of caregivers. Support is also given to on-going associations offering conferences on early childhood issues.
The annual Administrator’s Seminar is held in cooperation with the Arkansas Child-Care Providers Association and the UALR Small Business Development Center. Other business management sessions are held in different areas of the state to encourage child-care providers to implement good business practices in their small businesses.
Technical assistance is available by self-referral
or referral from the licensing office to all child-care programs in the
state. Childhood Services, affiliated
with Arkansas State University, has established a group of early childhood
professionals to offer this assistance at no charge to providers.
ARKANSAS CHILD-CARE FACILITIES LOAN GUARANTEE FUND
Loan grantees are made to assist with the
development of new facilities or expansion of existing facilities, particularly
in low-income, rural areas that demonstrate a need for additional quality child
care. Guarantees are available to a
maximum of $25,000 and may be used for operating capital, as well as capital
outlay.
Program Support
ARKANSAS
CHILD-CARE FACILITIES GUARANTEE LOAN FISCAL REPORT
(Comparison
By Year)
Program Support
CHILD-CARE FACILITIES
FUNDING/ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT FUNDING
DCC&ECE and ADED have a working partnership to assist in the development of quality child-care programs in Arkansas. DCC&ECE provides the pre-application review for ADED to determine the viability of potential child-care projects. ADED provides grant funding for construction or renovation of child-care facilities which will serve a majority of low to moderate-income children. These grants are available only to city or county governments. During SFY 1998-99, projects for renovation/construction were finalized in the following locations: Harrisburg, Piggott, Dumas, Marmaduke and Marshall.
The Child-Care Resource Center is a lending
library and resource center for child-care providers throughout the state. All licensed and registered child-care
providers may apply for a user card and will receive a catalog of resources
available. The resource center is
available for use by providers for training and staff development
activities. During 1998-99, a total of
775 child-care providers visited the resource center, an additional 500
accessed the materials through the 1-800 line and materials were mailed to the
child-care program.
For child-care providers outside the central Arkansas area, the 15 Educational Service Cooperatives offer access for early childhood providers to the Teacher Resource Centers. Services available include: access to equipment, materials, books and personnel to assist in developing quality instructional materials. Support for preschool materials/curriculum is provided by DCC&ECE.
This system identifies programs which demonstrate a quality educational program for young children. Programs, which are funded through Arkansas Better Chance funds, and programs which receive contract funds through DCC&ECE must comply with the approval standards. Approval as a quality educational program is available for child-care centers and child-care family homes. Programs, which meet the approval standards (state accreditation) or a nationally recognized accreditation, provide parents access to a tax credit which doubles the state child-care tax credit available through the state tax system.
Program Support
ACCREDITATION/APPROVAL SYSTEM (continued)
Parents can access information on all
licensed/registered child-care homes and centers by accessing the DCC&ECE
web site at: www.state.ar.us/childcare
or through the 1-800-445-3316 line. All licensed and registered homes and
centers are included in the referral database.
This web site also includes information on all services available
throughout the division, including information for parents on selecting
child-care programs.
Program Support
ARKANSAS BETTER CHANCE PROGRAMS
DCC&ECE, in cooperation with the Arkansas
Department of Education and the Arkansas State Board of Education, administers
the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Programs.
Funded by the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, ABC programs are
intended to serve educationally deprived children. Children’s ages range from birth through five years of age. Children are placed in developmentally
appropriate programs, including HIPPY (Home Instruction Program for Preschool
Youngster). Eligible students must have
at least one of the following characteristics: low-income family, parents with
low educational level, low birth weight, child to a teen mother, a family with
a history of substance abuse/addiction, eligibility for Title I services,
eligibility for services under Public Law 99-457, (a family with a history of
abuse or neglect or be a victim of abuse or neglect or have demonstrable
developmental delays as identified through an appropriate screening). ABC programs are operated by local school
districts, Educational Service Cooperatives, community-based non-profit
centers, Head Start programs and University programs. Services may be home-based, such as the HIPPY program or Parents
as Teachers (PAT), or center-based programs.
Source: Program Support Unit