ECE System Community System Partners, Directors, Owners Gathering Minutes

Transcription

1 Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc NW 5 th Way, Suite 3400, Fort Lauderdale, FL Wednesday, September 16, :00 am Attendees: See attached roster: Early Childhood Facilities; Early Childhood Organizations; Consultants ELC Staff Attendance: Charles M. Hood, III, Chief Executive Officer, K. Lee Tirpak, Chief Program Officer, Leticia Strasser, Director of Performance and Quality Improvements, Dr. Carmen Nicholas, ECE Program Specialist, Gordia Ross, ECE Program Specialist, Brian Guerdat, Special Projects Coordinator; Janice Carter, CRRD, Amy Ungor, Provider Services Manager, Micah Mitchell, Provider Services, Inez Webb, Provider Services, Lucia Rodriguez, Provider Services, Felicia Walker, Operation Support. TOPIC Welcome and Call to Order Review and Approve Agenda Review and Approve Minutes DISCUSSION K. Lee Tirpak called the meeting to order at 10:00am and welcomed all in attendance. Special acknowledgement was extended to Debi Palmisano for allowing the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. and the System Partners to meet at her facility. The Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. is seeking a permanent venue to conduct the monthly ECE System Partners, Directors, Owners Gathering. Ms. Tirpak solicited suggestions and ideas from the System Partners for completing this task. The Agenda was approved by consensus. Minutes of June 23, 2015, approved by Ms. Donna Fong and seconded by Ms. Leah Bridgewater; unanimously approved. Correction to minutes none Page 1 of 12 ACTION NEEDED

2 Workshop PowerPoint Presentation ECE System Community System Partners Services Offered by the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. Child Care Resource and Referral K. Lee Tirpak presented a PowerPoint presentation for discussion on the following topics: Broward County ECE System Community System Partners Services offered by the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc.: Child Care Resource & Referral: Warm Line/Inclusion Eligibility Determination and Provider Payments: Broward Regional Health Planning Council (BRHPC) Provider Services: ELC Communication: ELC Providers; Providers ELC Road to Child Outcomes Child Care Wages Provider Matters VPK and Teaching Strategies Gold Logos that represented the current Broward County ECE Community System Partners were presented during the PowerPoint. Ms. Tirpak reviewed all the services offered through the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. which are: Child Care Resource & Referral Warm Line/Inclusion Services School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten and Referral Application Processing Waiting List Management Provider Payment Provider Services Road to Child Outcomes Child Care WAGE$ Stipends Ms. Tirpak introduced Francisco Isaza, Program Director of 211 Broward, the agency contracted to provide Child Care Resource & Referral services in Broward County. Mr. Isaza talked briefly about the 3 digit phone number 2-1-1, which is the number that Page 2 of 12

3 parents can easily remember to call to access Child Care Resource & Referral and other Community Resources in Broward County. Mr. Isaza talked about the services 211 Broward provides to families which are: Assistance with applying for School Readiness and VPK Services Assistance with the Redetermination Process Assistance with the Eligibility Process Assistance with the Transfer and Re-enrollment Process Assistance with scheduling appointments with an Eligibility Counselor if needed A 24 hour comprehensive crisis helpline to answer all questions to help families navigate services offered in Broward County. Mr. Isaza informed the System Partners of 211 Broward s hours of operation, which are from Monday- Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. These times extend beyond regular business hours to ease the high call volumes 211 Broward is currently experiencing during morning hours. Since July 1, 2015, 211 Broward has answered over 1,300 calls regarding Child Care Resource & Referral. 211 Broward has distributed over 500 Family Packages which included: Information on available Community Resources Referrals to Providers that will meet individual families needs 211 Broward is working to improve its automated greeting to provide more information and to make it a more simplified process for families needing services. Page 3 of 12

4 Warm Line/Inclusion Ms. Tirpak introduced Debbie Kay, Inclusion Specialist at Family Central, Inc., the agency contracted to provide these services in Broward County. Ms. Kay provides coaching and technical assistance to providers who may have children who display challenging behaviors or difficulties in the classroom environment, enabling these children to succeed in the child care setting. Before turning over the floor Ms. Tirpak spoke briefly about the Special Needs Committee on the Broward Children s Strategic Plan, which is coordinated by Children s Services Council and their Sub-Committee, Baby SNAC (Special Needs Advocacy Coalition Birth- 5). The Baby SNAC Collaborative has been working throughout Broward County to provide leadership, advocacy, guidance, and training to improve services for children ages birth through five with special needs. This committee offered six professional development workshops on these topics throughout Broward County, from January through June Ms. Kay gave an update of the professional development workshops being offered through Family Central, Inc. The first training series Say Good Bye to Challenging Behavior is scheduled on October 14, 2015, at the NSU Baudhuin Preschool. System Partners were asked to sign up as soon as registration opened because space for the training is limited. During this training there will be discussion on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: What happens after you complete the ASQ? Where is this data submitted? What is the referral process? Who should complete the ASQ? Broward Regional Health Planning Ms. Tirpak introduced Michael De Lucca, Chief Executive Officer of Broward Regional Health Planning Council; the agency contracted to provide parent and child Eligibility and Determination in Broward County. Mr. De Lucca introduced the new portal system developed by BRHPC to assist parents with navigating through the Eligibility Determination and Redetermination process. 211 Broward now serves as the gateway to Page 4 of 12

5 Council Eligibility Determination Parent and Provider Payments these services. This online resource is available for parents wanting to complete the following: New School Readiness Applications New VPK Applications School Readiness Redetermination VPK Reenrollment/Transfer School Readiness Transfers In addition to this online resource, parents are being assisted face to face at BRHPC s home office; however, this practice will soon be phased out. In the near future, BPHPC will provide Kiosk workstations in various locations throughout Broward County to make these services accessible to parents who cannot access them or who require assistance completing the online process. Mr. De Lucca introduced Cristy Kozla, Payment Manager for Broward Regional Health Planning Council. Ms. Kozla was applauded for completing the enormous task of processing VPK payment for August Ms. Kozla informed System Partners that payment occurred for over 11,099 students for the month of August for VPK and there are currently over 12,772 students enrolled in VPK. Mr. De Lucca introduced Natasha Markman, Eligibility Manager for Broward Regional Health Planning Council. Ms. Markman informed System Partners that since BRHPC s contract went into effect on September 1, 2015, over 400 children were enrolled into the School Readiness services. Ms. Markman informed System Partners of the success of BRHPC s new portal system, with over 50 new applicants in the new Redetermination Portal awaiting review. Broward Regional Ms. Markman continued to highlight the benefits of the BRHPC s new portal system. She reported that it allows parents the ability to scan and upload the required documents by using their smart phones or other computing device. She stressed the success they are having assisting parents using this new system. Ms. Markman reiterated that BRHPC Page 5 of 12

6 Health Planning Council Eligibility Determination Parent and Provider Payments continues to work with parents who require assistance with completing the online process by: Assisting parents face to face at BRHPC s home office Providing, in the near future, Kiosk workstations in various locations throughout Broward County Michele Rosiere, Division Director for Broward Regional Health Planning Council took the floor. Ms. Rosiere reviewed the PowerPoint handout that was distributed by BRHPC regarding the BrowardChildCare.org website. It was explained that in order for parents to apply for School Readiness and VPK services they must complete the application process through the Office of Early Learning Family Portal to which BRHPC s new Redetermination Portal system links parents When parents access BRHPC s Redetermination Portal they must: Create an Account using an address (cautioned against using Hotmail accounts due to spam) Read the Eligibility Requirements Ensure they meet the Eligibility Requirements Complete the Redetermination Application Submit Proof of Residency, Age and Custody Documents Submit Purpose of Care Documentation Proof of Educational Enrollment Proof of Employment/School Complete the Income Worksheet Submit Proof of Income Earned Income Unearned Income Submit Proof of Marital Status Submit Child Support Documentation Ms. Rosiere informed System Partners that for parents to remain on the Broward waiting list, they are required to update their information on Florida Office of Early Learning Page 6 of 12

7 Family Portal every six months. If a parent fails to update the required information, this is cause to remove the parent from the waiting list for services. Ms. Rosiere encouraged providers to look at their attendance page in the Provider Portal for redetermination dates on a regular basis and to remind parents of their redetermination dates so that parents can continue receiving their School Readiness funding. Ms. Rosiere acknowledged concessions for parents who were due to be re-determined between August 1, 2015 and September 16, 2015, whose services were terminated because they were not able to complete the process during the transition. BRHPC will allow these parents to complete the Redetermination Application process through the BRHPC s new portal system with a deadline to submit a complete application by Monday, September 21, Ms. Rosiere gave the floor to Ms. Markman to briefly explain the online process for transfers for School Readiness and reenrollments for VPK: Download and complete Forms Provider Transfer request for School Readiness Reenrollment Application for VPK Submit forms to BRHPC School Readiness Transfers: (attention assigned Eligibility Specialist) VPK Reenrollments: or by (VPK only) administration_fax@brhpc.org Provider Services It was explained that School Readiness transfers could only be processed if the parent has satisfactorily fulfilled the copayment obligation at the current provider. Ms. Tirpak informed System Partners that Provider Services are now managed by the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. Ms. Tirpak introduced the Provider Services staff: Page 7 of 12

8 Amy Ungor, Provider Services Manager Micah Mitchell, Provider Services Specialist Inez Webb, Provider Services Specialist Lucia Rodriguez, Provider Services Specialist Linsey Brewster, Provider Services Specialist The ELC Provider Services staff was able to review and certify 728 provider contracts since July 1, 2015, of these, 607 are providing School Readiness services and 516 are providing VPK services. Ms. Tirpak stressed the importance of providers ensuring that the most current version of all required documents listed below be maintained to avoid any non-compliance matters. Accreditation/Gold Seal Child Care Preschool License Family Child Care Home License Liability Insurance Director s Credential Teaching Credential Background Screenings Communication ELC Providers Providers ELC Provider Services staff is also responsible for ASQ Screening Coordination. The ASQ summary scores are to be entered into the Provider Portal and the ASQ Enterprise software is still available for provider use. Ms. Tirpak addressed provider concerns around the issue of communication. As a result the ELC plans to alleviate issues communicating with providers by using the provider portal through the following methods: Individual Method (Communication to individual Provider) Providers will be left written communication in the message center of the ELC Provider Portal. Providers are asked to check the acknowledgement box once communication is read. Page 8 of 12

9 Group Method (Communication to all Providers) Providers will be left Group Updates on the Log in Page. The ELC Provider Portal Dashboard contains the following information: Downloadable Documents For School Readiness, VPK, and General Forms Helpful Links Access to VPK Assessment Ordering System VPK Curriculum Webinar for Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener and VPK Readiness Rates School Readiness and VPK Statutes and Administrative Rules Florida State and Administrative Rules relate to Early Learning Insurance Changes-HOUSE BILL 7165 Q&A for HOYSE BILL 7165 General Information WARM-LINE INFO Stay Connected! Coalition Meetings and Events Calendar Customer Service Survey Grievance Form Road to Child Outcomes Providers can communicate with the ELC Broward by using the Provider portal address: Ms. Tirpak solicited feedback from providers on the effectiveness of these new processes. Ms. Tirpak discussed the Road to Child Outcomes initiatives. ELC s quality project integrates quality within 80 Early Care and Education programs. The Road to Child Outcomes is in its third year and has begun to realize the outcomes of these projects. The Audit Committee of the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. will be meeting to receive a preliminary review of the outcomes of these initiatives. The three partners of the Road to Child Outcomes are: Page 9 of 12

10 Child Care Wages Provider Matters Family Central, Inc. (North Cluster) Nova Southeastern University (Central Cluster) School Board of Broward County, Florida (South Cluster) Ms. Tirpak provided information on the Child Care Wage$ Project. Child Care Wage$ Project aims to improve child care quality by reducing turnover and encouraging the continued education of early childhood teachers. The program provides education-based salary supplements to early childhood teachers working with children ages birth to five. More information can be found at Ms. Tirpak also provided information about the T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood Scholarships Program. The state of Florida provided over three million dollars in scholarships toward continuing education in early childhood. This project offers a strategy for improving the education, compensation and retention of the early childhood teachers. The model is based on a partnership that involves sharing expenses by the teacher, director or family child care provider receiving the scholarship. The T.E.A.C.H. program works with 48 colleges, universities and vocational technical schools throughout the state as well as 14 community-based training institutions. Since 1998, more than 22,000 scholarships have been awarded. The turnover rate for these T.E.A.C.H. program participants is less than 8% - a testament to the success of this program. More information can be found at Ms. Tirpak introduced Amy Ungor, Provider Services Manager for the ELC of Broward. Ms. Ungor explained that the services provided by the Provider Services Team are driven entirely through the Provider Portal. Ms. Ungor reminded providers that once changes are completed in the Portal they should leave a message in the message center explaining the changes that occurred. Ms. Ungor reiterated that the best way for providers to contact the Provider Services Staff was by using the Provider Portal address: providerportal@elcbroward.org. Ms. Ungor reiterated that providers should be constantly logging into their accounts and reviewing: Messages Updates Expiration Dates Page 10 of 12

11 VPK and Teaching Strategies Gold Ms. Tirpak introduced Monica Pujol-Nassif Director, Early Care and Education Broward for Family Central, Inc. Ms. Pujol-Nassif provided information on the Teaching Strategies Gold for VPK. The Office of Early Learning requires the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment for VPK. Each Teaching Strategies GOLD assessor must compete: Required TSGOLD training before administering the GOLD Assessment Meet minimum qualification to be a VPK Instructor. Providers may participate in 12 hour GOLD Basic Course training: Online Instructor-led (the number of classes are minimal and the maximum class size is 20) Ms. Pujol-Nassif asked that providers make sure they can actually attend trainings before signing up because of the limited class size. Dr. Carmen Nicholas interjected, reminding providers that additional information on this topic is available to them through the ELC Provider Portal on the At-A-Glance handout. This handout covers: Who the assessment is for? What is the benefit of using these Instruments? What is the purpose? Is it required? When should it be administered? Who gives the assessment? Are there deadlines for administering and submitting data? Is there a consequence for not administering and submitting data by deadlines? Ms. Nicholas also referred providers to the Early Learning Florida website, to access the September 15, 2015 webinar: VPK Pre- and Post-Assessments and Enhancements to the Bright Beginnings Online Page 11 of 12

12 Reporting System. The webinar updates providers on what is happening to the Bright Beginning website. None Next Meeting October 21, 2015 Adjourn Meeting adjourned at 12:15pm Public Comments These minutes contain the action items of the ECE System Community System Partners Gathering. They do not contain all items discussed. A tape recording of the meeting is held in the Coalition office. Submitted by: Felicia Walker Page 12 of 12