Grant to Reduce Childcare Costs for Needy Students

The grant funds will be used to reduce the cost of childcare for students who qualify as low-income. Some child care centers in US are active with local communities and are managed by professional people. Child care software are essential part of the systems used in the child care centers.

 

A four-year $427,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will be used to reduce the childcare costs of low-income UCCS students.Ida Bauer, director, Family Development Center, was recently notified of a first-year $106,753 award from the “Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program” from the U.S. Department of Education. The four-year grant will bring a total of $427,012 to the campus service that provides care for the young children of students, faculty, staff and community members.

This year, Bauer estimates that about 60 students will see their childcare bills reduced by 30 to 45 percent. This grant makes the UCCS Family Development Center less expensive for students than even the cheapest options available in our community,Knowing that your child is across the street from where you are taking classes, and receiving excellent care, allows students to concentrate on their studies and be successful. Joy and Jeremy Tredway recently shared their experience with the FDC.

Joy Treadway, an Air Force officer, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and Jeremy Tredway enrolled the couple’s then three-year-old daughter, Jasper at the Family Development Center so that he could attend classes at UCCS.“Knowing that my daughter was loved and cared for by my husband and the women at the FDC meant everything to me,” Joy Tredway wrote. “It meant literally everything – I couldn’t hug my baby. I couldn’t watch her grow. I could hardly talk to her on the phone. This was everything to me at the most difficult time of my life.”

The UCCS Family Development Center received the grant, in part, because of the large number of low-income students at UCCS. Student income status is verified in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment. As much as 40 percent of the freshman class will receive a Federal Pell Grant, a need-based grant for low-income undergraduate students.

Bauer will review the financial status of students who currently have children at the FDC and notify them of reduced monthly bills. She expects those notices to go out by Monday, September 22 and for a positive reaction. Most people, when they see a letter with a bill, expect the worst, this grant, and the corresponding price reduction that it creates, will help a lot of students to succeed since access to affordable, quality child care is directly linked to parental success in school. Additionally, it will reduce their need for student loans over the four years by as much as $14,000 which will also make them happy for many years.

Emergency Preparedness in Child Care Centers

You cannot predict when a disaster might strike, but you can prepare! This slogan from the American Medical Association really says it all.

The following are the list of conditions that pose immediate threat to the life or well-being of a child in the care of a child care provider that may subject a child care center or child care home to emergency or temporary closure order:

(1) Building damage due to:

• earthquake;
• flooding or water damage;
• tornado;
• severe wind;
• ice storm;
• fire;
• lead contamination; or
• asbestos.

(2) Sewage problems as follows:

• Sewage backup.
• Toilets cannot be flushed or are overflowing.
• Sewage system is not operating properly.

(3) Inadequate or unsafe water supply as follows:

• Contaminated water supply.
• Water supply not functioning.

(4) No electricity in the building.

(5) Heating system problems.

(6) Gas, carbon monoxide, or other noxious gases leak.

(7) Filthy conditions.

(8) Rodent, roach, or vermin infestation.

(9) Building renovation occurring in a room or area occupied by children.

(10) Lack of supervision, which results in the death or serious injury of a child.

If an employee or agent of the division determines that a violation in subsection (a) exists, the division shall:

• issue an emergency or another temporary order under IC 4-21.5-4 requiring the licensee to immediately cease operations of the child care center or home; and
• contact the parent or guardian of each child enrolled in the child care center or child care home to inform the parent or guardian:
• that the division has issued an order to require the licensee to cease operations of the child care center or child care home; and
• the reason for the order to cease operation

PHASES OF EMERGENCY PLANNING

1. PREPAREDNESS : Is your program ready for emergencies?

Step 1: Form a Planning Committee

Step 2: Create your plan

Step 3: Practice your plan

PREPARATION CHECKLIST

1. Create a plan to address typical disasters that could occur in your area, such as fire, flood, threatening of parent or staff.
2. Contact local first responders (fire, police) to make them aware of your plan and seek guidance.
3. Provide training for all staff members regarding your plan and staff roles and responsibilities.
4. Ensure that families are aware of your plan.
5. Conduct monthly fire drills and discuss with staff afterward.
6. Conduct full-scale disaster drills at least quarterly and discuss with staff.
7. Document, in writing, the disaster drills and post-drill discussions.
8. Encourage and support families to be prepared at home.
9. Obtain a sufficient supply of master keys, plan for storage and access.

2. RESPONSE: What actions will you take to keep children and staff safe?

Responsibilities during the Incident:

1. Obtain supplies (disaster kits) and forms. Important records to have with you are your backup flash drive/CD-ROM with backup program records and a master copy of all staff and child emergency information as well as all signed parent/guardian permission forms.

2. Assign tasks as per your plan

3. Direct and coordinate disaster operations

a. Assess the type and scope of emergency.

b. Implement the response and emergency plans.

4. Determine the need for outside assistance, and request if necessary.

5. Interact with other emergency teams from the community (e.g., the fire

department).

6. Be ultimately responsible for the safety and accountability of all children and

volunteers present.

a. Give yourself frequent breaks; trade off with someone you have

trained to take your place as needed.

b. Plan regular breaks for yourself and volunteers.

c. Release staff as able, in accordance with licensing requirements for

supervision.

After the Incident:

1. When incident is resolved, discontinue operations.

a) Ensure any unfinished action items are completed.

b) Return reusable supplies to Logistics’ Supplies and Equipment Team.

c) Close out all logs.

2. Call licensing or your local Child Care Resource and Referral program to report the incident.

3. RECOVERY : How will you operate your child care business after a disaster?

1. Assess damage to facility and equipment and contact insurance company.
2. Locate temporary emergency child care space if program cannot continue in existing facility.
3. Notify families and keep updated.
4. Request volunteers.
5. Apply for Public Assistance for Child Care Services.
6. Notify Child Care Licensing regarding reopening or opening in new facility.
7. Apply for Disaster Assistance for labor costs, facility costs and supplies costs.
8. Contact the Child Development Bureau regarding billing and payment for children receiving child care scholarship.