\f 2013 MAAC Head Start & Early Head Start Community Needs Assessment MAAC Northern San Diego County, California September 2013
table of contents Executive Summary i Introduction 1 Needs Assessment Overview 1 Children and Families in North County, San Diego 3 Community Needs and Priorities 9 Considerations for the Future 28 Appendix I: Special Report- Satisfaction with MAAC s Head Start/Early Head Start Programs Appendix II: Community Assessment Parent Survey Questionnaire Appendix III: First 5 San Diego QPI Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire Appendix IV: Community Resources A1 A4 A9 A12
Executive Summary T he MAAC Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve over 2,000 economically disadvantaged children ages birth to 5 years and their families throughout North San Diego County. MAAC s highly individualized programs integrate a developmentally-appropriate curriculum reflecting the diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of participating families. Head Start/Early Head Start readies children for success in school while helping their families meet their early childhood education, health and wellbeing, nutrition and social services needs. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gather information about the target population to inform core services and system efforts of the project. Methods used to gather information for the needs assessment included: Two outreach surveys completed by parents; Focus groups with parents currently enrolled in MACC s Head Start and Early Head Start services; Interviews with key stakeholders in the community that work in the field of child development; and A community assessment questionnaire. The following themes emerged from the 2013 survey responses, as well as the feedback provided by interviews and focus groups. Community Profile Community Needs and Priorities Child Care There is a continued need for affordable, quality child care in North San Diego County. Children who experience high quality, early childhood education show improved academic readiness, resulting in improved academic outcomes, increased lifelong earning potential as well as numerous increased emotional and social benefits. Currently, the large proportion of children in the county, the high costs of living, and the proportion of children where both parents work all impact and may be barriers to meeting a family s child care needs. Consider the following facts: The average child care costs for a family with an infant at a Family Child Care Home (FCCH) and a preschooler at a child care center can range from 28% to 49% of the median household income depending on the location in the county. Two-thirds (62%) of all county children that need child care are potentially eligible for some type of assistance. About 35% of the children eligible for subsidized care receive some sort of support, while 65% do not receive the needed subsidy Parent focus group participants and survey responses also supported the finding of an acute need for childcare services accompanied by extending the income requirements to qualify for subsidies. In San Diego County, nearly 35.0% of all children currently fall below the age of 5 and 19.0% of these children reside within MAAC s service area. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment i
Family Income, Employment and Labor Force In 2011, Nearly 31% of all children in San Diego had neither parent in full time employment 22% had at least one working parent and a family income less than twice the federal poverty level. The cost of living for San Diego County is 31.8% above the national average, and the cost of housing more than twice the national average. Both focus group and interview participants requested the need for continued programs that assist families in finding employment and career pathways. Poverty In both 2010 and 2011: 19.0% of children in San Diego County were living below the federal poverty level. A large proportion of these children live in MAAC s North County region, and families continue to struggle to obtain employment that can meet the high cost of living in these areas. Rent in 2012 was among the highest in the county in MAAC s North County service area. Gangs Data shows a strong link between the level of connectedness to school and involvement or membership in gangs programs like MAAC s Head Start continue to foster connectedness from an early age in some of the more vulnerable populations in the county-thereby helping to curb gang membership and building potentially more safe and productive communities for children. Considerations for the Future Opportunities for Action + North San Diego County is in critical need of more infant care. + North San Diego County needs more full time subsidized center based and alternative payment slots. + North San Diego County needs to continue to identify the special needs of young children and tailor child care services for specific populations. Transportation In 2011, in San Diego County: 18,000 children under the age of 18 were living in households with no vehicle. Focus group participants identified transportation issues as a main barrier to accessing child care services. Particularly within the rural areas, there is either a lack of public transportation available or the travel time becomes a major barrier. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment ii
Introduction Understanding, documenting, and responding to the educational/child care needs in North County is a primary aim of the MAAC Head Start / Early Head Start program. MAAC is a comprehensive community action partnership (CAP) agency, with a 45-year history of service to empower people in need in San Diego County. Through a Federal Head Start and Early Head Start Grant and State Preschool Grant, MAAC offers Head Start, Early Head Start and State Preschool programs that deliver the national and state school readiness program to economically disadvantaged children and their families. Currently, MAAC serves over 2,000 economically disadvantaged children and their families throughout North San Diego County in the communities of Fallbrook, Pauma, Valley Center, Rincon, San Marcos, Escondido, Vista, Oceanside, and Carlsbad. Mission Statement As part of this process, the MAAC Head Start / Early Head Start engage in a comprehensive needs assessment every MAAC's mission is maximizing selfsufficiency with families and individuals three years. This year, MAAC selected Harder+Company Community Research to assist with the Community Needs through high-quality programs and Assessment process. As part of the 2013 grant application, advocacy in our communities. this needs assessment will help MAAC Head Start / Early Head Start identify new or underserved populations in the service area, assess and understand their needs, and identify available resources. Organization of the Needs Assessment This needs assessment is organized into three sections: Children and families in North County: What are the demographic characteristics of North San Diego County as they relate to children and families? Community needs and priorities: What are the issues of concern to children and families in the community? What is the current supply and demand for child care in San Diego County? What are the child care needs for children with special needs and children in specific populations? Considerations for the future: How can MAAC ensure that the community needs are met to the greatest extent possible? What resources are available to address the gaps in available services? Needs Assessment Overview Methods The needs assessment utilized a mixed-methods approach, collecting both primary and secondary data. Primary Data. There are four main primary data collection activities to highlight: (1) Parent Surveys: MAAC staff surveyed 2,381 of their Head Start parents. Two unique surveys were administered. These included a Parent Questionnaire previously developed by MAAC for their Annual Self-Assessment and a Quality Preschool Initiative Questionnaire (QPI). The QPI survey was Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 1
only administered to parents whose children were served through the First 5 Commission of San Diego County (a county entity that supports programs and services for children ages 0-5 through San Diego County s portion of the State s Proposition 10 tax revenues). MAAC s program parents were administered one survey or the other. Survey questions related to current child care needs, strengths and needs of community services, barriers to obtaining child care, satisfaction with MAAC s program, and availability and accessibility of community services. The questionnaires were available in English and Spanish. A total of 660 parents completed surveys. The survey questionnaires are provided in Appendix II and III. (2) Focus groups: Harder+Company worked with MAAC staff to develop a data collection protocol for three focus groups with parents currently utilizing MAAC s program services. These focus groups were conducted at the MAAC Laurel Tree Apartments Community Center in Carlsbad, the Pauma Elementary School-Multipurpose Room in Pauma, and the Child Development Administration Office in San Marcos. One group was conducted in Spanish and the other two groups were conducted in a combination of Spanish and English. Focus group questions were designed to understand parents child care needs and what parents want to see in a Head Start/Early Head Start program. MAAC staff conducted the focus groups with 10-12 parents per group. (3) Key stakeholder interviews: Harder+Company worked with MAAC staff to develop the interview protocol. MAAC CDP staff conducted 10 interviews with key stakeholders including community advocates, child development faculty members at local universities and community colleges, public entities (such as San Diego County Office of Education and Child Welfare Services), and Executive Directors of Community Child Development Centers. These key stakeholders were able to look at the MAAC from a broader, community perspective and comment on the needs of the community and MAAC s role. (4) Community Assessment: MAAC staff administered a Head Start and Early Head Start Community Assessment questionnaire to local agencies to identify any major concerns in the community, to assess childcare needs, to assess needs for children with disabilities, and to understand satisfaction with their Head Start/Early Head Start services. The questionnaire was distributed to 25 community agencies ranging from community clinics, to local non-profits, to colleges/universities and even to the Salvation Army. Secondary Data. Harder+Company reviewed the MAAC Head Start & Early Head Start 2011-13 Community Assessment Update and worked with MAAC to identify the most relevant data points to update for the 2013 Community Needs Assessment. Analysis Similar to the 2011-13 Needs Assessment Report, secondary data was analyzed (when available) by geography and child age. The geographical areas of focus for this report include the North Coastal area of San Diego (Carlsbad and Oceanside), North Inland areas (Escondido, San Marcos and Vista) and the more rural areas of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Pauma and Rincon. Preliminary data from the 2013 Needs Assessment was presented to the Governing Board as part of the total FY 2014 Grant Application for approval. Members of the Policy Council were involved through the Program and Executive Committees prior to presentation to the full Policy Council. Participants discussed the data and responded to questions related to the existing disparities, how the information can be used to inform decisionmaking, and missing data that would be helpful to tell the full story of child care needs in North, San Diego County. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 2
Children and Families in North County, San Diego Service Area In 1975, MAAC Head Start/ Early Head Start began providing opportunities for children and their families to thrive in North, San Diego County. Currently, there are 15 Head Start, 2 Early Head Start, 5 HS/EHS centers and 27 FCC homes. Along with their partnerships, MAAC s CDP bilingual, bicultural services are provided to 2,261 children (286 0-3 year olds; 1,975 3-5 year olds). Locations range from the coastal communities of Carlsbad and Oceanside, with one center located on the Camp Pendleton military base, to inland areas of Escondido, San Marcos and Vista, to the more rural areas of Fallbrook with two centers, Rincon and Pauma each with one center. Several of their sites are located in the heart of the neighborhoods with the highest needs. Examples of these sites include: The City of Vista, where the city subsidized the cost for a MAAC center in one of the poorest income neighborhoods. The Sheriff substation is around the corner and the presence of Head Start and the Substation helps provide a better sense of community and security to the families living in the area. This partnership ensures that the children with the highest need don t need to travel too far for Head Start services. Three additional MAAC centers are located in affordable housing sites. MAAC has partnered with local groups in Fallbrook, Oceanside, and San Marcos to secure these preschool centers which are available in the Affordable housing Units. Children are attending preschool right in the community where they live. Children are served through MAAC s Part Day center base, Full Day center base, Family Child Care, Home Base, Services to Pregnant Woman, and the Combination Option. Overall, MAAC serves hundreds of families to enhance the educational future of their children and promote increased participation in their role as the first teacher. MAAC works in collaboration with several other area childcare providers and services and are represented at the San Diego County Childcare Planning Council. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 3
Demographics This section of the report provides an overview of the demographic characteristics of San Diego County as they relate to children and families, honing in on North County as applicable. Benchmark data is included in most of the tables below to provide a comparison across years. Understanding trends in the population is important in order to provide proper context to the supply and demand of child care presented later in this report. Exhibit 1 compares the population in San Diego County to the specific service areas of the MAAC program. More people reside in Oceanside (169,319), Escondido (146,057), and Carlsbad (105,185) than any other service area. Exhibit 1. Population by City and County, 2010 1 85,560 95,034 105,185 146,057 169,319 3,095,313 San Marcos Vista Carlsbad Escondido Oceanside San Diego County According to the 2010 SANDAG Census Estimates, there are approximately 234,809 children age 0-5 in San Diego County with 45,301 (19.3%) of these children residing in MAAC s service area (Table 1). One-third (34.6%) of all children in San Diego County currently fall below the age of 5 (Table 2). 1 SANDAG, Current Estimates 2010 www.sandag.org Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 4
Table 1. Population by City, County and Age, 2010 2 Locale Population # Under 5 5-19 19-64 Over 65 Camp Pendleton 34,031 3,429 7,634 22,900 68 Carlsbad 105,185 6,389 21,065 60,297 13,912 Escondido 146,057 11,300 33,435 85,195 16,127 Fallbrook 43,338 2,740 8,844 24,846 6,908 Oceanside 169,319 6,377 17,754 35,788 3,131 Pauma/Pala 6,135 539 1,501 3,560 535 San Marcos 85,560 6,117 19,919 49,048 10,476 Valley Center 19,057 1,105 3,730 11,268 2,954 Vista 95,034 7,305 20,591 57,376 9,762 MAAC Service Area 703,716 45,301 134,472 350,278 63,873 San Diego County 3,095,313 234,809 651,578 1,904,274 355,613 Table 2. Child Population in San Diego County, 2013 3 Age Total Percent of total child population 0-2 Years 129,479 17.9% 3-5 Years 120,712 16.7% Total 0-17 723,080 n/a The data also show that within San Diego County, Escondido has the greatest number of children age 0-5 (11,300), followed by Vista (7,305), and Carlsbad (6,389) (Exhibit 2). 2 Ibid 3 California Dept. of Finance, Race/Ethnic Population with Age and Sex Detail, 1990-1999, 2000-2010, 2010-2060 (May 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Estimates, Vintage 2012 (June 2013). Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 5
Exhibit 2. Population of Children Age 0-5, by City, 2010 4 11,300 7,305 6,389 6,377 6,117 Escondido Vista Carlsbad Oceanside San Marcos Race/ethnicity As displayed in Table 3, the greatest percentage of San Diego County residents are White (48.5), followed by Hispanic/Latino (32.0%). Table 3. Race/Ethnicity by City, 2010 5 Locale Hispanic Black White American Indian Asian & Pacific Isl. Other San Diego County 32.0% 4.7% 48.5% 0.5% 11.0% 3.3% Camp Pendleton 21.4% 7.6% 61.1% 1.4% 4.3% 4.2% Carlsbad 13.3% 1.2% 74.9% 0.3% 7.1% 3.3% Escondido 49.8% 1.9% 39.7% 0.4% 6.0% 2.2% Fallbrook 37.2% 1.2% 56.8% 0.4% 2.4% 2.0% Oceanside 37.2% 3.9% 47.2% 0.4% 7.6% 3.7% Pauma/Pala 35.8% 1.3% 38.2% 18.8% 2.5% 3.4% San Marcos 37.2% 2.0% 48.8% 0.3% 8.7% 3.0% Valley Center 26.8% 0.5% 62.5% 4.3% 3.4% 2.5% Vista 48.0% 2.6% 41.5% 0.3% 4.8% 2.8% Table 4 shows the race/ethnicity of children age 0-5 in San Diego County. The greatest percentage of San Diego County children (age 0-5) were Hispanic/Latino (45.8%) in 2012, followed by White (33.2%). 4 SANDAG, Current Estimates 2010 www.sandag.org 5 Ibid Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 6
Table 4. Population of Children Age 0-5, by Race/Ethnicity, 2012 6 Locale Hispanic Black White American Indian Asian & Pacific Isl. Other San Diego County 45.8% 4.3% 33.2% 0.4% 9.3% 7.0% More specifically, almost all (72.9%) of those enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start in California are Hispanic or Latino, as are 78.0% of those enrolled in MAAC s Head Start/Early Head Start program (Table 5 and 6). Table 5. Ethnic Composition of those Enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start in California, (FY 10-11) 7 Ethnic Composition Percent Hispanic or Latino 72.9% Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino 27.1% Table 6. Racial Composition of those Enrolled in MAAC Head Start/Early Head Start, 2010-2011 8 Racial Composition Percent 2010 2011 Hispanic/Other 90.0% 78.0% White 2.7% 17.0% Black 2.6% 1.0% Unspecified Race 0.7% 4.0% Indian 0.6% 0.0% Asian 0.5% 0.0% Language Based on data from the 2000 Census, around 63.0% of children in San Diego County speak English and 29.0% speak Spanish. The number of children speaking Spanish varies significantly across different regions with the highest concentration of Spanish speaking children in South and Central. About three- quarters of children in the North Coastal, North Inland, and North Central speak English. In the South and Central areas, only 41% spoke English in 2000. 9 6 SANDAG, Current Estimates 2012. http://profilewarehouse.sandag.org/profiles/est/reg999est.pdf 7 California Head Start Association. http://caheadstart.org/10.11caheadstartdatareport.pdf 8 MAAC Head Start Family Profile 2010-2011 9 US Census Bureau, 2000 Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 7
Additionally, in 2008, about 50 percent of students in the San Diego Unified School District spoke a language other than English at home, with nearly 80 percent speaking Spanish 10 When looking at home language spoken by those enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start in California, 51.7% spoke Spanish with 66.0% of Spanish speakers enrolled in MAAC s Head Start/Early Head Start program (Table 7). Table 7. Home Language of those Enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start in the MAAC Project 11, 12 (2010, 2011), and in California, (FY 10-11) MAAC Project Home Language: California 2010 2011 Spanish 75.3% 66.0% 51.7% English 24.7% 34.0% 42.6% Other 0.0% 0.0% 36.0% Children and Families in North San Diego County SUMMARY FINDINGS 34.6% of all children in San Diego County currently fall below the age of 5. Approximately 234,809 children age 0-5 live in San Diego County with 45,301 (19.3%) of these children residing in MAAC s service area. Within MAAC s service area, the greatest percentage of children ages 0-5 live in Escondido, followed by Vista, and Carlsbad. 10 Union Tribune. http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080924/news_1m24spanish.html 11 California Head Start Association. http://caheadstart.org/ 12 MAAC Head Start Family Profile 2010-2011 Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 8
Community Needs and Priorities Results from the parent surveys, focus groups and stakeholder interviews are presented in the following section. Through these primary data collection activities, MAAC staff identified child care (both licensed and subsidized) including child care for children with special needs, family income and employment, poverty, transportation, and gang involvement as primary community issues and needs for families. Licensed Child Care This section of the report provides information on licensed child care in San Diego County including the availability of care (supply and demand) and the cost of care. Facilities As of December 2010, the County had about 5,400 child care providers/facilities that provided about 149,500 child care spaces in total. That includes 12,700 infant spaces, 70,500 preschool spaces, and 66,300 school age spaces. Infant care makes up the smallest percentage of child care spaces with only 9% of the total. Preschool spaces make up 47% of the total supply and school age care makes up 44% of the supply. The distribution of spaces by region is generally the same throughout the County, with the North Central area having slightly more, or 19% of the total. The East and North Coastal areas each have about 15% of the total. The overall vacancy rate was only 2.9% (Table 8 and 9). 13 Table 8. Child Care Providers by Type of Child Care Facility, 2010 14 HHSA Region Small Family Child Care Home Large Family Child Care Home Child Care Centers Total Providers North Coastal 274 126 242 642 North Inland 317 153 279 749 North Central 427 150 304 881 Central 490 208 270 968 East 459 131 248 838 South 836 226 219 1,281 Total 2,803 994 1,562 5,359 Percent Distribution 52% 19% 29% 100% 13 San Diego Child Care Needs Assessment, 2010 14 Health and Human Services Agency - San Diego County; YMCA Childcare Resource Service; Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 9
Table 9. Supply for Child Care by HHSA Region, 2010 15 HHSA Region Birth to 36 months or Infant 3 to 5 or Preschool 6 to 12 or School Age Total, 0 to 12 Years Percent Distribution North Coastal 1,973 11,931 8,147 22,051 15.0% North Inland 1,765 12,167 11,545 25,478 17.0% North Central 2,635 14,168 12,307 29,110 19.0% Central 2,024 11,647 10,288 23,958 16.0% East 1,879 9,559 11,271 22,709 15.0% South 2,465 11,041 12,772 26,278 18.0% Total County 12,741 70,513 66,330 149,584 100% Percent of Total 9.0% 47.0% 44.0% 100% n/a Vacant Spaces 554 2,844 927 4,325 n/a Percent Vacant 4.3% 4.0% 1.4% 2.9% n/a Supply and Demand Table 10 shows that in 2010, there was an overall demand for about 167,000 child care spaces: 27,500 infant spaces, 63,000 preschool spaces, and 76,300 school age spaces. This demand falls fairly evenly throughout the HHSA regions. Table 10. Demand for Licensed Child Care by HHSA Region and Age, 2010 16 HHSA Region Birth to 36 months or Infant 3 to 5 or Preschool Subtotal, 0 to 5 Years 6 to 12 or School Age Total, 0 to 12 Years Percent Distribution North Coastal 5,071 11,329 16,400 12,970 29,370 18.0% North Inland 4,535 10,852 15,388 15,136 30,524 18.0% North Central 4,707 10,592 15,299 12,122 27,420 16.0% Central 4,280 9,806 14,086 11,510 25,596 15.0% East 4,427 10,437 14,864 12,934 27,799 17.0% South 4,509 10,082 14,591 11,684 26,275 16.0% Total County 27,529 63,098 90,628 76,356 166,984 100% Percent of Total 16.0% 38.0% 54.0% 46.0% 100% n/a 15 Ibid 16 Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 10
In 2010, there was an overall shortage of about 17,400 child care spaces, 12,365 in North Coastal and North Inland alone. There was a shortage of almost 15,000 infant care spaces and There is a fine balance between creating more licensed slots and ensuring that parents can pay for those slots. It 10,000 spaces available for school age is not necessarily that we need more programs just to children (Table 11). create slots; we need affordable care for families. -Key Stakeholder Table 11. Supply (Surplus or Shortfall) of Child Care by HHSA Region and Age, 2010 17 HHSA Region Birth to 36 months or Infant 3 to 5 or Preschool 6 to 12 or School Age Total, 0 to 12 Years Surplus or (Shortage) as % of Demand North Coastal (3,098) 602 (4,823) (7,319) -25.0% North Inland (2,770) 1,315 (3,591) (5,046) -17.0% North Central (2,072) 3,576 185 1,690 6.0% Central (2,256) 1,840 (1,222) (1,638) -6.0% East (2,548) (878) (1,663) (5,090) -18.0% South (2,044) 959 1,087 3 0.0% Total County (14,788) 7,414 (10,026) (17,400) -10.0% Percent of Demand Met 46% 112% 87% 90% n/a Countywide, only 46% of infant age children needing licensed care have a space available. For school age children, availability is about 13% less than demand. Preschool has about a 12% surplus overall (Table 12). Table 12. Percent of Demand Met by HHSA Region and Age, 2010 18 HHSA Region Infants Preschool School Age North Coastal 39.0% 105.0% 75.0% North Inland 39.0% 112.0% 83.0% North Central 56.0% 134.0% 106.0% Central 47.0% 119.0% 94.0% East 42.0% 92.0% 82.0% South 55.0% 110.0% 109.0% Total 46% 112% 87% 17 Ibid 18 Ibid Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 11
Overall, there is a shortage of about 25,000 spaces for infant and school age care in the County. It is clear across the County that demand for child care is not sufficiently met. Focus group participants acknowledged both the need for more infant care as well as after-school care for kindergarten children. Affordability Child care is a significant cost for families. As shown in Exhibit 3, family child care homes in San Diego County are more affordable than child care centers for both infants and preschoolers. Income guidelines and requirements are barriers to affordable, quality childcare. - Head Start Parent The annual cost for one infant in a child care center is $11,631, compared to $7,632 in a family child care home (a difference of $3,999). The annual cost for one preschooler in a child care center is $8,194, compared to $7,146 in a family child care home (a difference of $1,048). On average, child care costs about $9,000 per year for infants at Family Child Care Homes (FCCH), and about $12,700 at child care centers. Preschool averages $9,700 per year at centers and $8,000 at FCCHS. The average child care costs for a family with an infant at an FCCH and a preschooler at a child care center can range from 28% to 49% of the median household income, depending on the location in the county. For families with lower incomes, formal child care is not always an option unless child care subsidies are available. 19 Exhibit 3. Regional Market Rate, by type of Child Care, San Diego County, 2009 20 $11,631 $8,194 $7,632 $7,146 Child care center Family child care home Infant Preschool Subsidized Child Care Subsidized child care is a critical component of the overall child care market in San Diego County. This type of care assists low-income families in paying for child care. To receive subsidized care, parents must be employed, seeking employment, in school, homeless, or referred by a health professional. Children with an open child welfare case, or those that are at risk of abuse or neglect, are given priority for subsidized care. Additional criteria for enrollment in care includes family income and family size. 21 In 2010, there were a total of 36,500 children, ages 0 to 12, receiving some form of publicly subsidized child care, compared to a total need of about 103,200 children. About 6,650 of these subsidized spaces are in State 19 Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ 20 Annual Cost of Child Care, by Age Group and Type of Facility in 2009 from http://www.rrnetwork.org/rr-research-in-action/child-caredata/annual-cost-of-child-care-by.html 21 City of Davis: Community Services Child Care Subsidy. http://community-services.cityofdavis.org/child-care-services/subsidyprograms/child-care-subsidy Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 12
Preschool (which is part-day only). To be eligible for a subsidized program, a child must be living in a family that earns less than 75% of the State Median Income (SMI) for the family size. To be eligible for California center-based care subsidies, all adults in the family must also be working. Overall, about 35% of the children eligible for subsidized care receive some sort of support, while 65% do not receive the needed subsidy. 22 By region, there are some differences that should be noted. In the South area, 51% of eligible children are receiving some type of subsidy, the highest ratio of all six HHSA regions. In the North Coastal region, only 20% of children are being served with subsidized care. Table 13 shows this breakdown for each HHSA region. Table 13. Comparison of Supply of Subsidized Child Care Spaces to Total Eligible Children or Demand for Subsidized Care, 2010 23 HHSA Region Supply of Subsidized Spaces 0-12 (1) Percent Distribution Demand for Subsidized Child Care Surplus (Shortfall) Percent of Shortfall Percent of Demand Served North Coastal 3,558 10.0% 17,809 (14,251) 21.0% 20.0% North Inland 4,412 12.0% 15,603 (11,191) 17.0% 28.0% North Central 3,204 9.0% 10,676 (7,472) 11.0% 30.0% Central 11,356 31.0% 24,677 (13,321) 20.0% 46.0% East 5,202 14.0% 17,441 (12,239) 18.0% 30.0% South 8,722 24.0% 16,968 (8,246) 12.0% 51.0% Total Supply and Need for Subsidized Care 36,454 100% 103,174 (66,720) 100% 35% As shown in Table 14, approximately 57,200 children, ages 0 to 12, are neither served by nor waiting for subsidized care. As pointed out in the stakeholder interviews, many families do not know how to get onto the list. There are about 103,000 children ages 0 to 12 that are potentially eligible for some type of subsidized care. 22 Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ 23 California Department of Education, Child Development Department; SANDAG, YMCA Childcare Resource Service; San Diego County Child Care and Development Planning Council; Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 13
Table 14. Comparison of Subsidized Child Care Spaces and CEL Data to Total Eligible Children or Demand for Subsidized Care, 2010 24 HHSA Region Supply of Subsidized Spaces 0-12 (1) Children 0 to 12 on CEL Total Served & Waiting Percent of Eligible Children Unserved & Unregistere d Children North Coastal 3,558 945 4,503 25% 13,306 North Inland 4,412 1,215 5,627 36% 9,976 North Central 3,204 582 3,786 35% 6,890 Central 11,356 1,813 13,169 53% 11,508 East 5,202 2,124 7,326 42% 10,115 South 8,722 2,881 11,603 68% 5,365 Total 36,454 9,560 46,014 45% 57,160 Head Start Many children ages 0 to 5 years are assisted through Head Start. MAAC currently operates 15 Head Start, 2 Early Head Start, 5 HS/EHS centers and 27 FCC homes in North, San Diego County. Along with their partnerships, MAAC s bilingual, bicultural services are provided to 2,261 children (286 0-3 year olds; 1,975 3-5 year olds). However, MAAC Head Start only serves 7% of eligible children within the service area, and Early Head Start serves only 2% of eligible children within the service area. Exhibit 4 compares the number of children 0-5 eligible for Head Start and number of children 0-5 actually served through MAAC s Head Start programs within the specified service areas. Exhibit 4. Number of Children both Eligible for and Served by MAAC Head Start 1,736 478 205 720 1,248 603 1,132 406 930 302 780 145 694 182 40 60 Number of children 0-5 eligible Number of children 0-5 served There will continue to be a need for subsidized child care, especially Early Head Start. Early childhood educators are worried about California losing more than 5,600 Head Start slots. During the recession, 24 Ibid Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 14
California eliminated 100,000 slots. With an improving economy, people are starting to find jobs again, which means more families are needing Head Start. People are returning back to low-income jobs, and so they're less able to afford childcare and pre-school on their own. 25 As noted on the parent survey, affordable, quality preschool is one of the most valuable existing programs or services, as well as one of their community s greatest needs. According to this survey data, within MAAC s service areas, almost 60.0% (57.9%) of parents live with at least one child under the age of five. Another 35.0% of parents live with two children under the age of five (not shown). A high percentage (83.5%) of these parents have at least one child in MAAC s Head Start program (see Exhibit 5). Exhibit 5. Percent of Children in MAAC s Head Start Program, 2013 83.5% 15.5% 0.6% 0.0% 0.6% 1 2 3 4 Other (please # of children in Head Start specify) The majority of parents (67.5%) indicated the need for full day care, five days a week (not shown). Over twothirds (69.0%) requested child care for over 20 hours per week (Exhibit 6). Exhibit 6. Hours Per Week Childcare is Needed, 2013 38.1% 20.2% 9.3% 17.4% 13.5% 3.7% Less than 10 10-20 20-30 30-40 more than 40 # of hours of childcare Other (please specify) Parents identified low cost housing (63.1%) and food stamps (18.2%) as services needed, but that were not received (Exhibit 7). The main barrier reported to receiving services was work (48.4%) followed by scheduling 25 ABC News. 2013 KFSN-TV/DT. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/education&id=9213614 Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 15
(25.8%) (Exhibit 8). In accordance, focus group participants noted the need for expanded child care. More specifically, participants advocated for extended hours, even suggesting a twilight program with evening hours. Exhibit 7. Services Needed and Not Received, 2013 63.1% 9.1% 18.2% 4.0% 7.1% 9.1% 7.1% 12.1% 1.0% 2.5% Exhibit 8. Barriers to Receiving Services, 2013 48.4% 19.8% 25.8% 24.0% 21.7% Transportation Scheduling Languages Work Family It is a very rewarding experience to watch young children grow and develop, gain self-confidence, and make successful transitions to the regular educational system. The Local Education Agencies receiving MAAC s Head Start children acknowledge the progress the children exhibit coming into their kindergarten classrooms. Educators in the seven school districts, in which MAAC serves, collaborate with the Head Start/ Early Head Start program for transition services and continually express their respect and appreciation for how the program positively impacts children s school readiness. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 16
Child Care for Children with Special Needs and Specific Populations Children with Developmental Disabilities As of school year 2008-2009, there were about 34,700 children, ages 0 to 12, with disabilities in San Diego County as a whole. These children have a variety of disabilities and special needs and represent about 6% of the overall population of children ages 0 to 12 in the County. As would be expected, most of the children are of school age because the formal school setting is where most diagnosis takes place. About 14,600 (42%) children K to 12th grades have some type of specific language or language impairment; another 27% have a learning disability; and 10% having some other form of health impairment. About 9% of children with special needs have autism and 4% have some form of mental retardation. 26 Currently, within MAAC s service area, 885 children 0-3 and 946 children 3-5 with disabilities are eligible for Head Start services. Of those eligible, 29 children 0-3 and 220 children 3-5 are being served by MAAC. According to MAAC s Community Assessment Parent Survey, around 8% of MAAC s parents have a child with a diagnosed disability. In addition, according to the Community Assessment Questionnaire, over half of respondents identified the need for full day childcare for infant and toddlers under the age of 3 that have been diagnosed with a disability. MAAC s special education services support children with learning disabilities, speech/language impairments, other health impairments, and autism. Children At-Risk At-risk children are given first priority for enrollment through state-funded and federally-funded child care programs. In North San Diego County, 200 children ages 0-3 and 400 children ages 3-5 in foster care were eligible for Head Start services. Of these, 59 children 0-5 were served through MAAC s Head Start/Early Head Start program. Children of Military Families There is a continued need for more training in inclusive classroom practices and strategies supporting both at-risk children as well as those with identified special needs in our community early care and education programs. - Key Stakeholder San Diego County has the highest concentration of military personnel and military base operations of any county in the nation, with the Naval Base for the Pacific Fleet, Camp Pendleton Marine Base, the Marine Training Depot and Miramar Marine Air Station among the major installations. One of MAAC s centers is located on the Camp Pendleton Military base, where young military families are provided with all of the services Head Start has to offer. Other military families living off base are served at their Oceanside, Fallbrook and Vista sites. Currently, there are 91 military families served by MAAC Head Start and 19 served in Early Head Start. 26 Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 17
Children of Immigrant Families The percent of children in immigrant families for San Diego itself exceeds that of the state- making up over half of the population and steadily growing over time, while the percent within the state as a whole remains more constant (Table 15). Table 15. Children in Immigrant Families by Region/ Year 27 Location Data Type 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 California San Diego Number 4,552,000 4,464,000 4,555,000 4,497,000 4,440,000 Percent 49% 48% 48% 48% 48% Number 139,000 138,000 140,000 144,000 150,000 Percent 48% 49% 48% 50% 52% 27 Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Supplementary Survey, 2001 Supplementary Survey, 2002 through 2011 American Community Survey. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/115-children-in-immigrantfamilies?loc=1&loct=1#detailed/3/90/false/867,133,38,35,18/any/445,446 Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 18
Parent Focus Group Responses: Parents Express a Continued Need for MAAC Services Quality childcare enhances learning environments to support the healthy development of young children. MAAC Head Start readies children for success in school while also helping their families meet their early childhood education, health and well-being, nutrition and social services needs. MAAC provides a spectrum of unique programs designed to assist parents by engaging them in the enhancement of their own lives through lifestyle changes. The programs strive to improve parents economic standing as well as their ability to access resources available to them. Using the forum of focus groups, parents in the community identified both the importance and need to expand MAAC s existing childcare and parenting services. Parents feel MAAC Head Start/Early Head Start helps prepare their children to succeed in kindergarten and learn much faster once they are there. As one parent commented, MAAC helps foster the development of gifted and talented children. Parents noted the advantage of MAAC s partnership with local school districts to help with the transition to kindergarten. Parents feel they are better able to advocate for their children and their needs after participating in MAAC program. They expressed feeling empowered and gaining confidence through participation in the programs and interaction with MAAC staff. Parents identified information and community resources obtained through the program as being valuable, as is the availability of childcare and food during meetings to further accommodate their ability to attend and increase participation. Parents continued to express interest in being involved in their child s education. In addition, parents expressed a strong need for: Continued programs that assist families in finding employment and career pathways. A change or expansion of income requirements to allow families in need to access services (such as use of a sliding scale). A clear and understandable application process that spells out eligibility requirements. Continued awareness of resources available in the community, as well as connecting parents to each other in a social environment and encouraging sharing of resources and knowledge. The importance of offering both culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Language barriers were identified through both the focus group and stakeholder interviews. The ability to offer additional childcare services and expanded hours when organizing parent classes and workshops. As one parent stated: Offer different hours to increase parent participation. For example offer a morning meeting for parents that work second or night shift and afternoon/evening meetings for parents that work in the morning. Continued ability to engage parents, whether through parent education classes or workshops, to further support parents in becoming the best advocate for their child s needs, and their child s first teacher. Continue to train staff to increase their capacity to not only serve children and families but know how to identify and connect families to needed resources/support services. Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 19
Family Income, Employment, and Labor Force Income for households or families with children is an important indicator of whether families can afford child care. Overall, family income across California continues to increase. Vista had the highest increase in median family income across years (39.5%) followed by Oceanside (36.4%)(Table 16). However, Oceanside has the highest number of households making less than $23,550 per year (Table 17). San Diego County s jobless rate jumped to 9.8 percent in 2012, as the region lost a net 10,900 nonfarm payroll jobs. Due to various factors, many of MAAC s families are more adversely affected by the current employment downturn and this has increased the stress among families in their service area. Table 16. Median Household Income for Families with Children 18 and Under, by City/State, 2000, 2009 28 2000 2009 % Change Carlsbad $65,854 $79,303 +20.4% Escondido $43,208 $56,259 +30.2% Oceanside $46,145 $62,958 +36.4% San Marcos $45,854 $60, 903 +32.8% Vista $43,161 $60,223 +39.5% California $53,025 $58,931 +11.1% Table 17. Household Income, 2011 Poverty Guidelines [Family of 3= $19,530, 4 = $23,550] 29 Locale Less than $23,550 $23,550-29,999 Over $30,000 Total households Camp Pendleton 321 2,062 3,432 5,815 Carlsbad 4,552 2,175 33,362 40,089 Escondido 8,211 5,623 32,495 46,329 Fallbrook/Bonsall 3,567 1,790 15,423 20,780 Oceanside 9,913 4,713 31,857 46,483 Pauma/ Valley Center 974 455 6,187 7,616 San Marcos 5,909 2,950 29,607 38,466 Vista 7,618 3,691 36,311 47,960 Although Table 16 shows a positive trend in family income over the past few years, there has been an increase in unemployment. In 2007, the unemployment rate was approximately five percent in California. 28 US census bureau, 2009 American Community Survey 29 SANDAG, Current Estimates 2010 www.sandag.org Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 20
In 2012, the annual average unemployment was 10.5 percent in California, and 9.8% in San Diego County (Table 18). Table 18. Unemployment Rate, by County/State, 2007-2012 30 San Diego County 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 4.5% 6.0% 9.6% 10.5% 10.0% 9.8% California 5.4% 7.2% 11.3% 12.4% 11.8% 10.5% Employment status also impacts families in more ways than one, affecting ability to provide childcare and sufficient resources for children. In 2011, nearly one third of all children in San Diego had neither parent in full time employment (Table 19). Conversely, in 2011, 31.0% of all children in San Diego were a part of lowincome families in which parents were employed (Table 20). In those families, childcare becomes an issue, as is the lack of income to fund it. On both sides, there is a real need for support for a large percentage of San Diego children whose families struggle with issues such as these. Table 19. Children Living In Families Where No Parent Has Full-Time, Year-Round Employment 31 Location Data Type 2008 2009 2010 2011 San Diego Number 28,000 27,000 32,000 33,000 Percent 19% 19% 21% 22% Table 20. Low-Income Working Families With Children* 32 Location Data Type 2008 2009 2010 2011 San Diego Number 72,000 84,000 100,000 90,000 Percent 25% 29% 34% 31% *The share of families that met three criteria: (1) the family income was less than twice the federal poverty level; (2) at least one parent worked 50 or more weeks during the previous year; (3) there was at least one "own child" under age 18 in the family. The cost of living for San Diego County is 31.8% above the national average, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, with housing more than twice the national average. 33 The median home price in San Diego County is $342,000 (Table 21). The average rent for apartments in San Diego County is expected to rise 5.2% in 2013, while it is projected to rise only 4% nationally according to The National 30 The National University System Institute for Policy Research. www.nusinstitute.org 31 Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2011 American Community Survey. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/5043-children-living-in-families-where-no-parent-has-full-time-year-roundemployment?loc=1&loct=3#detailed/2/6/false/867,133,38,35/any/11452,11453 32 Ibid 33 ACCRA Cost of Living Index, Council for Community and Economic Research, 2012 Average Annual Data Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 21
Association of Realtors. 34 Additionally, in MAAC s North County service area, rent in 2012 was among the highest in the County, as seen in the Table 22. Over 21% of MAAC s families are in very low income status (below $15,000) and more than 70% have incomes of less than $20,000. The possibility of home ownership is no longer part of the American dream for the bulk of program participants and the rental costs are driving many families to share housing locations. According to MAAC s Community Assessment Parent Survey, 71.1% of MAAC parents currently rent with another 23.8% sharing housing with relatives or other adults. Affordability and accessibility continue to be problematic for these families as they seek to meet their childcare needs. Table 21. Average Home Prices by City, 2012-2013 35 Locale Jul 2013 Jul 2012 % Change Carlsbad $650,000 $557,000 16.7% Escondido $387,500 $305,000 27.1% Fallbrook $417,000 $330,000 26.4% Oceanside $373,000 $312,500 19.4% Valley Center $450,000 $361,000 24.7% San Marcos $428,000 $372,000 15.1% Vista $360,000 $310,000 16.1% San Diego County $420,000 $342,000 22.8% Table 22. Average Rent Prices by Locale, 2012 36 Locale Average Rent Central SD $1460 North County Coastal: $1698 South County $1205 Hwy 78 Corridor $1214 East County $1149 I-15 Corridor $1451 Poverty Children and their families which participate in MAAC s program live primarily in poverty conditions. The poverty rate reached 14.3% nationally in 2009 with over 20.7% of children under the age of 6 (5,983,000) in poverty as defined by the federal poverty level guidelines ($22,350 for a family of four). More than 28% of 34 Casden Multifamily Report. http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2012/05/09/2012-rental-update-increases-are-a-mixed-bag/ 35 Data Quick, 2013 36 San Diego Union Tribune. http://www.utsandiego.com/ Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 22
children under the age of 6 live in families with incomes that are below 130% of the federal poverty level ($29,055 for a family of four). Female headed households have a poverty rate of 54%. 37 In San Diego, the median family income for 2008 was estimated to be $75,000. About 90% of female families with children live below this level, and 63% of them are below 200% of the federal poverty level. Among male families with children, 75% are below the median family income. For married couples with children, only 41% are below the $75,000 median and only 16% live under the 200% of federal poverty level. Thus, for children in families with two parents, income pressures are not as extreme, but often depend on the number of children present and whether both parents are working. For all working parents, child care costs are a significant portion of a family s income 38. The 2009 California Kids Count Data Book indicates San Diego County has a 19.2% rate of children in lowincome households (Table 23). Table 23. Poverty and Economic Hardship in San Diego County, 2010-2011 39 Key Indicators 2010 2011 Number % of total Number % of total County residents living below the federal poverty level 446,060 14.8% 462,269 15.1% Children living below the federal poverty level 137,287 19.2% 137,084 19.1% County residents in economic hardship (200%FPL) 1,006,047 34.0% 1,039,957 34.0% As can be seen in Table 24 and 25, a large proportion of children living in poverty and economic hardship reside within North County and the areas serviced by MAAC. Table 24. Poverty and Economic Hardship in San Diego County, by Region, 2011 40 Locale All Residents Children Carlsbad 12.4% 13.0% Oceanside 13.6% 12.9% San Marcos 19.0% 16.4% Vista 20.3% 21.5% El Cajon 23.5% 34.8% Chula Vista 11.6% 15.8% San Diego County 16.0% 22.1% 37 US Census Bureau, 2008 38 Brion & Associates. http://www.brionassociates.com/ 39 The Annie E. Casey Foundation. kidscount.org 40 Center on Policy Initiatives. http://onlinecpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/poverty_template_final.pdf Prepared by Harder+Company for MAAC Needs Assessment 23