ccap policy initiative
Research clearly demonstrates the benefits of enrolling children in high quality programs. Unfortunately, working families dependent on assistance through the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) often have trouble accessing the highest quality care.
Approval for assistance is based on a parent’s actual work schedule. This conflicts with how high quality programs enroll and charge for care. The only way a family a enroll their child in most high quality centers is to enroll their child full time, forcing them to pay “out of pocket” for the days not covered by CCAP. Since most families can’t afford this, they must choose other child care options.
At the same time, a policy that covers only part of a family’s care schedule, challenges programs financially in their efforts to achieve and maintain the Circle of Quality rating they desire.
As part of its Connect 4 Success Initiative, the Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families is implementing a CCAP Policy Pilot Program designed to overcome the barriers for families wanting to enroll their children in ExeleRate Circle of Quality programs. By implementing a system of CCAP policy options available only to these highly rate programs, children are able to participate in consistent learning activities and programs are able to maintain a more stable enrollment with consistent funding making it easier to maintain quality programming.In exchange for increased eligibility the parent must agree to participate in a number of family engagement activities.
The CCAP policy pilot includes data collection that will help measure impact and cost. to measure impact and track specific data. This information will be critical to increasing access to higher quality programs and in educating other programs on the actual fiscal impact of the proposed.
Policy options vary according to the Circle of Quality attained by the program.
Approval for assistance is based on a parent’s actual work schedule. This conflicts with how high quality programs enroll and charge for care. The only way a family a enroll their child in most high quality centers is to enroll their child full time, forcing them to pay “out of pocket” for the days not covered by CCAP. Since most families can’t afford this, they must choose other child care options.
At the same time, a policy that covers only part of a family’s care schedule, challenges programs financially in their efforts to achieve and maintain the Circle of Quality rating they desire.
As part of its Connect 4 Success Initiative, the Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families is implementing a CCAP Policy Pilot Program designed to overcome the barriers for families wanting to enroll their children in ExeleRate Circle of Quality programs. By implementing a system of CCAP policy options available only to these highly rate programs, children are able to participate in consistent learning activities and programs are able to maintain a more stable enrollment with consistent funding making it easier to maintain quality programming.In exchange for increased eligibility the parent must agree to participate in a number of family engagement activities.
The CCAP policy pilot includes data collection that will help measure impact and cost. to measure impact and track specific data. This information will be critical to increasing access to higher quality programs and in educating other programs on the actual fiscal impact of the proposed.
Policy options vary according to the Circle of Quality attained by the program.
To increase these families eligibility from part time to full time, providers must complete a request form.
The families eligible for participation in the CCAP Policy Pilot include:
a) Children living in poverty or deep poverty (100% of poverty or less) or
b) Children who have a disability – child must have an IEP
c) Homeless children- documented by a case manager or agency professional
d) Children who are rurally isolated*, a target population not included in the list provided by the Illinois Early Learning Council but identified by members of the Task Force as critical to address
The families eligible for participation in the CCAP Policy Pilot include:
a) Children living in poverty or deep poverty (100% of poverty or less) or
b) Children who have a disability – child must have an IEP
c) Homeless children- documented by a case manager or agency professional
d) Children who are rurally isolated*, a target population not included in the list provided by the Illinois Early Learning Council but identified by members of the Task Force as critical to address
*The pilot is scheduled to end in December 2016
