1999 Early Education and Care Assessment

EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

CHILD CARE

Every morning in Travis County thousands of infants and young children are dropped off at child care centers, registered family homes, or at the homes of friends or relatives so their parents can go to work. Ideally, a system of care would be available with both the capacity to adequately meet the need for care and the quality to optimize the developmental capacity of the children served.

Consistent with steady increases in the number of children born each year in Travis County, and with increasing workforce participation of all parents, the need for both part- and full-time child care has grown steadily.

The need for child care slots is based upon the national estimate that 52.9% of children with one or more working parents are in formal child care settings (National League of Cities, 1992). It is assumed that the remaining children with working parents are in the care of parents who work different shifts or are in informally arranged care with relatives or friends. Table 3 shows estimates of the number of child care slots needed in Travis County. It is estimated that, in 1998, nearly one in three children under the age of six needed full-time child care. The estimates provided are likely to be understated as they are based on 1990 U.S. Census data indicating that 62% of children in Travis County had both or their only parent in the workplace. More recent national estimates indicate that this figure is closer to 70% (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996).

Table 3
Estimated Need for Child Care Slots in Travis County

1Population estimates from Texas State Data Center
2 1990 U.S. Census data estimate that 62% of children had parent(s) in the workplace.
3 From National League of Cities data indicating that 52.9% of children with working parent(s) are in formal child care

To ensure that children in out-of-home child care are in the environments that are most likely to meet their needs, quality of care is a critical consideration. The hallmark of quality for non-parental care is not very different from quality of care by mothers or fathers: warm, responsive and consistent care-giving geared to the individual needs of children. Researchers have identified specific, interrelated characteristics of center-based settings associated with high-quality early care and education which produce better results for children (Shore, 1997). These include:

• A sufficient number of adults for each child---that is, low staff-to-child ratios
• Smaller group sizes
• Higher levels of staff education and specialized training
• Low staff turnover and administrative stability
• Higher levels of staff compensation

Placing their child in a facility that is accredited is one of the ways parents can be more confident that their child is in a quality child care environment. About one in ten Austin/Travis County area licensed facilities are accredited. A number of accredited facilities offer only part-time programs.

"Licensed facilities" are licensed and monitored by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS). These facilities are given published standards they are required to follow and are routinely monitored and inspected. All child care centers and group homes are required to be licensed.

Table 4
Number of Licensed Child Care/Early Education Facilities in Travis County, 1999

Source. City of Austin Health Department

"Accredited facilities" are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) through a voluntary application process. This process involves an extensive self-study by the facility based on the National Academy of Early Childhood Program's Criteria for High Quality Early Education Programs. The self-study is reviewed by a panel of experts, and if found in compliance, the facility is granted accreditation for a three year period.

"Designated vendors" include levels of quality designated by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) for providers under the Child Care Management System (CCMS) to indicate that child care exceeds the minimum standards set by licensure requirements. Staff qualifications and training, facility physical environment, and daily activities are among the factors considered.

Preliminary findings from a survey conducted by the City of Austin in October 1999 indicated that 86 local facilities were accredited (Table 5).

Table 5
Number of Accredited Child Care Facilities and Slots* Travis County, 1999

Source. Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
* Number of available slots may vary due to possible staff shortages

Many working families have the need for subsidized care. The local Child Care Management System (CCMS), managed by the Texas Migrant Council, administers funds allocated for subsidized child care in Travis County. As of October 1999, about 2,700 children were being served with CCMS funding, an increase from the approximately 2,300 served through CCMS at the time of the previous assessment (1998).

Eligibility guidelines (set by the Capital Area Workforce Development Board) were changed as of September 1, 1999, to ensure that more families qualify for assistance. Changes in Federal regulations allowed for the upper level of income eligibility to be based on 85% of the State Median Income instead of 150% of the Federal Poverty Income Level. This translates to a significant increase in eligibility level. The previous level set the maximum allowable annual income for CCMS eligibility for a family of four at $24,675. Under the new guidelines, this amount would increase to $39,153. In an effort to ensure that the poorest families receive priority, and because resources are not available to support child care subsidies for all eligible families, two waiting lists are being maintained. One list is for families with incomes below 150% of the Federal Poverty Income Level and a second list for those above 150%, but below 85% of the State Median Income.

Standards for funding subsidized child care are set by the Capital Area Workforce Development Board (CAWDB). Current local maximum rates for subsidized child care reimbursement were increased by the Capital Area Workforce Development Board (CAWDB) in September 1999 and are shown in Table 6. These monthly rates represent the maximum amount that child care providers will be reimbursed for children funded through child care vouchers for full-day care. Rates are less for part-day care. Some providers may have rates that are below or are higher than the maximum rates set by CAWDB. Reimbursement rates are higher for centers that are accredited.

Table 6
Maximum Monthly Rates for Licensed Care, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, September 1, 1999

An additional resource for low-income families is Child, Inc., the local Head Start provider. Child care and parenting education and support are provided to income-eligible families at several sites in Travis County. Two-thirds of the children served in the 3-to 5-year-old program are served during the school year only; the remaining third are in year-round programs (see Appendix E for numbers of children receiving Head Start services).

The remaining option for low-income families to access licensed child care facilities is to enroll in centers that provide sliding-scale fee structures. Several local child care centers receive funding from the City of Austin, Travis County, and United Way/Capital Area to enable them to serve low-income families on a sliding fee scale basis. Each center has its own method of administering its fee structure. A small number of children are also served through program-related funding allocations.

Because most low-income workers use non-licensed child care, it is not possible to chart the location of care and proximity to the family's residence or the parent's place of work. However, it is possible to locate licensed care in one's neighborhood via the web site of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (www.tdprs.state.tx.us). Licensed care facilities, both child care centers and licensed family homes can be accessed by zip code. Basic information about the facility is provided as well as number of slots for which the facility is licensed.

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Services for Children with Special Needs.

Providing accessible services for children who have unique needs and circumstances poses additional challenges for the community. Currently, 34 children with disabilities are receiving special CCMS subsidies. CCMS has dedicated staff resources to provide technical assistance to centers where special needs children are placed. Austin Families, Inc., a local child care information and referral service, administers vouchers funded by the City of Austin for families with children who are not eligible for CCMS funding, but have special circumstances. Funding for care is provided to children in crisis and transition, including those who are homeless, near homelessness, or for emergency situations, such as hospitalization of a parent. Openings for children with special needs are limited, but even more limited are wrap-around support services and therapies for children with special needs.

Employers and child care

Concerns around child care are also relevant for employers. With the largest segment of the workforce being of the age when most adults begin families and raise children and, with the increase in two working-parent families, most employers will have large segments of their workforce composed of parents with dependent children. As employers compete for workers, offering incentives to attract and retain workers, including instituting various 'family friendly' policies, is becoming common practice. Despite the recognition that child care issues are common employee concerns that can reduce productivity and ultimately affect profits, less than one percent of the funding for child care or child development comes from the private sector (U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1998).

As of October 1999, there were ten employer-sponsored child care centers in the Austin area having a combined capacity of about 1,300 child care slots. In its FY 2000 budget, the City of Austin allocated $570,000 to provide child care benefits to low-income city employees. In addition, funding was allocated to hire a consultant to conduct a child care needs assessment and recommend strategies to address identified needs.

An example of a local institution's efforts to support families it serves is the program started by Austin Community College (ACC). Information addressing child care resources for parents attending ACC is available on its web site (www.austincc.edu). ACC has on-site and near-site child care, offers vouchers and discounts according to income, and provides support and referral regarding child care.

Among the "family-friendly" practices that have been utilized here and elsewhere are:

Source. Family-Friendly Employer Supported Dependent Care Benefit Options, Austin Area Employers Collaborative, 1999-2000

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EARLY EDUCATION & EARLY LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

In years past, having extensive formal education was not necessarily a prerequisite for making a living wage. Well-paying jobs in factories, construction, and farming industries allowed for persons with low levels of literacy to make an adequate living. In today's technology age, that is rarely the case.

Whether a child is being cared for inside or outside of the home, a stimulating environment is crucial to the child's optimal development. Local data is limited regarding parental knowledge and practices related to reading and other enrichment activities with children.

Today, higher standards of literacy and numeracy are necessary to obtain jobs in the modern economy. They are also essential to the full exercise of citizenship in a complex, democratic society. The quantitative skills and scientific thinking required for the most desirable vocations will only rise further in the foreseeable future. If students from very poor and socially depreciated areas have difficulty today meeting the minimal standards of education, they will be even less likely in the next century to master the skills and knowledge essential for mainstream opportunities - unless broad ameliorative action is taken now.

David A. Hamburg, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York From "Children of Urban Poverty: Approaches to a Critical American Problem."

Public early childhood, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten programs

In an effort to address the need for strengthening early educational opportunities, especially for low-income children, public educational systems have increased the scope of services to include early childhood and pre-kindergarten programs. The result has been a steady increase in enrollment for children in the early childhood special education, pre- kindergarten, and kindergarten classes for the public school districts that comprise Travis County. (Table 7).

Table 7
Number of Children Enrolled in Travis County Public Schools for Selected Grades

Other programs with an emphasis on promoting early literacy and fostering success in school are Reading is Fundamental, Parents As Teachers, and HIPPY programs, which are described briefly in the Current Efforts section of this assessment. The local libraries, the Austin Children's Museum, and KLRU are also community resources that promote early education and early literacy. Día de los niños/ Día de los libros, with support from many organizations, is an annual community event supporting early literacy, especially targeting Spanish speaking families.

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PARENTING EDUCATION

The caregiver-child relationship, usually the relationship between the parent and the child, especially during the early years of life, has been proven to be the strongest predictor of later child outcomes. Many parents are hesitant to admit that they would benefit from learning more about children and parenting. It is often assumed that parenting skills come naturally; yet every parent will, at some point, acknowledge feelings of inadequacy when faced with the day-to-day challenges of parenting.

While it is acknowledged that "many - perhaps most - parents could benefit from parent education and support, parent-to-parent support, or both" (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 1994), it is not known how many actually access formal parenting education resources. Those deemed to have the highest need for parenting education and support include teen parents and single parents. Programs such as Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers have criteria for eligibility, while other parenting resources are open to any parent who may desire services.

One criteria to assess potential need for parenting services in Austin/Travis County is to determine the number of births to first-time parents. For example, in 1997, 5,275 births (44.2% of the 11,934 Travis County births) were to first-time parents. Teen parents are also noted to be in need of parenting services. In Travis County 1997, there were 1,086 births to teen mothers.

The development of curriculum-based parenting programs has been a popular endeavor in recent years, with a number of such programs now being widely available to parents. Parenting programs are typically either site-based or home-based. As the needs of parents and children vary widely, so do the structure and content of parenting education and support activities.

Key elements of successful parenting programs include:

• They establish and sustain relationships with parents.
• They are geared to the strengths, styles, interests, and needs of families served.
• They increase understanding of child development and of parent-child relationships.
• They provide and demonstrate models of parenting.
• They teach new parenting skills.
• They provide a network of social support with other parents.
• They facilitate access to community resources

  Source. Carnegie Corporation of New York, 1994

Goals of parenting programs include improving parental attitudes and behavior toward the child as a means of enhancing the child's successful and optimal development. Among the proven benefits of parenting programs are consistent and lasting benefits to parental behavior and to the cognitive development of children. Additional benefits include increased confidence and satisfaction of parents (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 1994).

Recent evaluations of home-based parenting programs as vehicles to prevent child abuse or to impact children have shown mixed results (Gomby, Culross, and Behrman, 1999). Reviews of these findings have led to recommendations that home visiting programs improve the quality and consistency of service delivery, adopt more modest expectations of what they are able to accomplish, develop new service models such as child-focused services, and improve evaluation procedures.

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