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Impact Report 2022-23

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CHILD CARERESOURCECENTERIMPACT REPORT: 2022-23Your Source for Early Childhood Information and Resources

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ASQ-3: ONLINENumber of Programs: Programs using bothASQ & ASQ - SE:Programs using onlyASQ-3:642341Providers needed access to a developmental screening tool to support children’sdevelopment. In an effort to support early childhood programs the CCRC purchased theEnterprise version of ASQ-3 Online and through a shared service model, was able tooffer this tool to child care centers and family child care homes to access for anannual fee and only the cost of the surveys sent to families. These participating programs were not able to access efficient data management,online questionnaire completion, and powerful reporting abilities, ASQ Onlinehelped build a smooth and streamlined program that screens every child andsupports every parent.What is the ASQ-3? The Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ®-3) is a developmental screeningtool that pinpoints developmental progress in children between the ages of one monthto 5 ½ years. Evidence shows that the earlier development is assessed—the greater the chance achild has to reach his or her potential. In 2013 There Was a Need Identified *2023 saw an increase of 2,055 screenings

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ASQ-3 DATA STORYWhat are the ASQ-3 Domains? Communication: Looks at language skills, both what a child understands (receptive) and whathe or she can say (expressive). Gross motor: Looks at large muscles (body, arms and legs) movement and coordination. Fine motor: Looks at hand and finger movement and coordination. Problem solving: Looks at skills playing with toys and solving problems.Personal-social: Looks at self-help skills (e.g., feeding, dressing, toileting) and interactionswith others. The Developmental area with the least concern: Gross Motor The Developmental area with the most concern: Fine Motor &Communication

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What is the ASQ-SE-2?The ASQ:SE-2 is the Ages and Stages social-emotional developmental screening tool was developed as acompanion tool to ASQ in order to address the need for age-appropriate tools to monitor the social andemotional domain of development of very young children and to determine if the parents and child wouldbenefit from behavioral supports and/or referrals.ASQ:SE-2 effectively screens 7 key social-emotional areas:Self-regulation: This area covers the child’s ability or willingness to calm down, settle down, or adjust to different physiological or environmental conditions or to stimulation.Compliance: Looks at how well the child follows directions and rules.Adaptive functioning: How does the child cope with his or her physiological needs, such as sleeping,eating, elimination, or safety?Autonomy: This area screens a child’s ability to self-initiate or respond to others without guidanceAffect: Does the child demonstrate his or her own feelings and show empathy for others?Social communication: This behavioral area focuses on whether the child expresses his or herinterests, needs, feelings, and affective or internal states by interacting with others verbally or nonverbally. Interaction with people: Items address whether the child responds to or initiates social responses withparents, other adults, and peers. ASQ:SE-21288 screenings showdeveloping on schedule175 scored as concern,recommending a referral for further evaluation141 scored as possible concern, which may warrant further evaluationEncourage and support all providers to use the ASQ:SE to ensure early identification of necessarysupports and resources in the area of social and emotional development Professional Development for teachers with a focus on knowledge and strategies to use daily in theclassroom experiences. Support programs in making referrals to ensure children receive needed support Provide educational opportunities for parents and families with a focus on knowledge & strategies touse daily their homesHow Do We Use This Data to Support Teachers and Parents?

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During the fiscal year, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) made a significantimpact, serving over 1,700 children per month across 11 counties. This widespread reachunderscores the program's commitment to ensuring access to nutritious meals forchildren in various communities. Despite being a relatively small team consisting of justtwo dedicated staff members, the CACFP center's hard work was instrumental in providingin-depth support to childcare centers.CACFP Center’s efforts were particularly focused on decreasing disallowances andincreasing the monthly reimbursement amounts for childcare centers. Throughpersonalized guidance, training, and close collaboration with childcare providers, theCACFP staff helped centers navigate complex regulations and optimize their mealprograms to ensure that children continued to receive the essential nutrition they need.During the fiscal year, the program successfully onboarded 10 new childcare centers,bringing the total number of active centers to 40. This expansion demonstrates theCACFP's dedication to extending its reach and impact within the community.CACFP FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS594,344 meals served(32,511 more than last year)$697,208 reimbursementto programs($236,990 increase from last year)1,727 is the average numberof children served monthlyBreakdown of meals served within this yearBreakfast: 174,963AM Snack: 4,217Lunch: 197,657PM Snack: 209,929Dinner: 7,578LORAINSANDUSKYDEFIANCELUCASSUMMITWOODCUYAHOGASENECAOTTAWAHURONERIECounties Served:

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CACFP FOR FAMILY CHILD CAREHOMES26 Counties ServedAllen Cuyahoga Defiance Erie Fulton Hancock Hardin HenryHuronLorain Lucas Mahoning Lunch72,544PM Snack70,490Breakfast68,222Dinner41,647Am Snack25,611Evening Snack17,619Medina OttawaPaulding Portage Putnam Richland SanduskySenecaStarkSummitTrumbullVan WertWilliamsWood$570,703.64 in reimbursements distributed directly to family child care providers withthe highest monthly reimbursement for providers being $699.05 an increase of $118.62per month from last fiscal year. The program, impacted over 1050 children monthly withan average daily attendance program-wide of 530 children. Average monthlyreimbursement for CCRC’s CACFP Programs is $585.68. The CCRC’s CACFP Team sawincreased growth in several counties as a result of intentional marketing efforts. Moreimportantly, we saw an increase in monthly reimbursements for child care providers dueto focused technical assistance, training and coaching our programs monthly for success.The CACFP program is more than just a nutrition program, it is about running successfulbusinesses. We are able to connect with these businesses utilizing the entire CCRC teamand collaborating with community agencies such as other regional Resource & Referralagencies and County Departments of Job and Family Service offices. All family child care home businesses were reimbursed this fiscal year at the highestreimbursement rate. Normally, family child care homes must qualify either by areaeligibility or income to receive the highest tier rate. Congress passed into law the ‘KeepKids Fed Act of 2022’ beginning July 1, 2022.The bill increased the Tier II rates (lowestreimbursed rates) for family child care to the Tier I (highest rate).The ‘Keep Kids Fed Act’also specifically increased the reimbursement rates of meals and snacks under CACFP by$0.10 for each meal. This bill expired on September 30, 2023.We work to expand our approved food options list for child care providers to allow themto showcase the many diverse foods that children like and are served in their own homes.

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Child Care Staffing Solutions is a fully automated substitute pool that is designed tohelp programs in need in the 5 counites we serve. We put goals in place in efforts toreach as many individuals as possible. In the last year, 531 sub jobs were worked,helping many of our active programs in need. That is over 50% of job placements filledfor our partner programs. Our goal each year is to raise that percentage, and help asmany programs as possible, as well as the substitutes working in our pool.CHILD CARE STAFFING SOLUTIONS15 Substitutes onboarded since June 20224 Programs fully onboarded111 Substitutes recruited (not counting recruitment events)35 Substitute recruits did not complete theonboarding processChild Care Staffing Solutions collaborates with regional partner agencies to support andmeet staffing needs of early childhood education programs in other Ohio. By joining theCCSS program, these regional partner agencies focus on providing quality care for thechildren and families in their communities.Regional Partners:YWCA of Northwest Ohio4C for ChildrenEarly Childhood Resource CenterChild Care Resource CenterAVAILABLE IN 5 REGIONS OF OHIOEach region is ready to expand!

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FOSTER CARE HUBassisting families to registercomplete required pre-service trainingsProvide FREE health/safety items for the required safety auditAnswer questions, provide support and information on fostering, adoption orkinship careBecoming a foster, adoptive or kinship family is a huge family decision and includes acommitment to step into the gap for a child who is alone, often going through traumaand needs a trusting, loving home to thrive in. The Child Care Resource Center is a Foster Care Hub for Erie, Huron, Lorain, Sanduskyand Seneca counties, assisting families through the process of becoming a HERO for achild in need. Our Foster Care Navigators team up with committed families and walk them throughthe entire process to ensure their success and preparation for becoming a FosterCare HERO! Attended 75 community events reaching over 2,500 potential resource homesFoster Care Navigators received 219 inquiries to be a resource home110 families accepted support and resources from Foster Care Navigators to begin the process (process takes 4-6 months)Once families become licensed, providing supports allow them to feel connected andencouraged to continue to provide these essential services to children. Some of theretention services provided by the CCRC are:Parent Cafe’s Triple P DiscussiongroupsDad Cafe’sVitality Cafe’sCommunity ResourceCoordinationRecertificationSupports

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LENA GROW PROGRAMIncreases teacher-child interaction.Boosts children's social-emotional development and language skills.Focuses on classroom equity.Supports future school success.Increases teacher job satisfaction.What is LENA Grow? LENA stands for Language ENvironment Analysis and it provides a way to collect andanalyze data in order to coach teachers to increase both the quality and the equity of thelanguage environment of their classrooms.A professional development program for early childhood educators that:How does LENA work?The LENA “talk pedometer” combined with the reports and individualized coachingsessions provided the perfect amount of accountability and reflection to providesuccessful outcomes. LENA GROW OUTCOMES7 highly rated child care program & 21 classrooms36 teachers participatedConversational turns increased by 29%Programs increased conversational turns per hour by +6.9100% of would recommend LENA toothers95% reported feeling more confidentin teaching abilities90% increased communicationwith families100% saw positive changes inchildren’s language developmentCenter OutcomesTeacher OutcomesEquityChildren who started out experiencing less talk compared to other peers in theirclassroom had an average increase of +9.0 turns per hour. Children who started out experiencing less talk that the national median of 15 turnsper hour had an average increase of +9.8 turns per hour.

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OHIO HEALTHY PROGRAMSThe Child Care Resource Center(CCRC) continued it collaborationwith the Lorain CountyDepartment of Health aimed atencouraging more childcarecenters within our service area tobecome designated as an OhioHealthy Program.Just as Step Up to Quality hasproviders take steps to providecare above and beyond licensingrequirements, Ohio HealthyPrograms (OHP) has providers goto the next level in the areas ofnutrition and healthy practices.OHP is a voluntary designationprogram that focuses on creatinghealthy habits, menus, policies,and family engagement inchildcare centers and earlychildhood education programs toprevent childhood obesity.Childcare centers must adhere tospecific menu requirements andimplement one new healthypolicy each year. While workingtowards this designation,providers receive training andtechnical assistance from CCRCto assist their program in creatinghealthy eating and activeenvironments. This coveteddesignation illustrates to familiesthat providers prioritize theirchild’s health and well-being, andhelps children build healthyhabits both at home and atschool.Center Outcomes35 completed pre-assessment work35 added a health or nutrition policy35 submitted their menus meeting OHP requirements21 centers had staff including administrators, cooks and lead teachers complete the required OHP Trainings21 NEW centers submitted for OHP designation14 submitted to maintain their OHP designation

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FAMILY & COMMUNITY SUPPORTSChild Care Supply Child Care Demand Child Care Deserts 13 new programs opened5 opened in underserved areas583 new child care slots werecreatedCCRC worked with 354 programs tosupport high quality careCCRC partnered to provide needsassessments, reports andrecommendation to support communitygrowth & knowledge of child care379receivedchild carereferralAssisted families infinding care fordifficult care needsConnected eligible families toavailable subsidy system fundErie County - 38 licensed programsWhere is the available child care in North Central Ohio?Huron County - 36 licensed programsLorain County - 199 licensed programsSandusky County - 57 licensed programsSeneca County - 21 licensed programsA child care desert is a geographic area where there is a lack of availablechild care options for families. Here are our child care deserts:Huron CountyErie CountyLorain CountySanduskyCountySenecaCountySouthern Lorain County (Wellington, LaGrange, Grafton), infantand toddler care throughout Lorain CountyAll of Erie County except the city of Sandusky, especially schoolage care (ages 5 – 12 years old)Huron County south of the city of Norwalk, especially non-traditional hours (after 6pm and weekends)Sandusky County – anywhere outside the city of Fremont,especially school age care (ages 5 – 12 years old)Seneca County – anywhere outside the city of Tiffin

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LORAIN COUNTY WRAPAROUND:PARENT ADVOCATEWhat is Wraparound?The Wraparound process is a wayto improve the lives of childrenwith complex needs and theirfamilies. It is a team-basedplanning process used to developplans of care that areindividualized based on thestrengths and culture of thechildren and their family.What is Parent Advocate?The CCRC’s parent advocate providesparent education and hands-onsupport in a welcoming, supportiveand strength-based environment at nocost. Our goal is to empower ourfamilies to build and strengthen theirrelationships with their children andincrease parent capacity, self-efficacy,confidence and resiliency.Served 13 individual familiesParent Advocate workImpacted 22 children with the parent advocate workAssisted families with navigating the special needs/IEP process and attended IEP meetingsSupported families at medical appointmentsConnected families to community resources for food, school clothes and children’s bedsSupported families in communicating housing needs to landlords and in locating housingChild Care Program staffing remains a significant challengePaying for child care is difficult for many families who do notqualify for the child care subsidy. The average weekly full timecost of care in North Central Ohio: for the child care industry. Many programs are unable to open all available classrooms or fully enroll to their licensed capacity or extend hours of availability due to lack of staff. The ripple effect is child care deserts throughout North Central Ohio. Infants (birth – 18 months old) $238 Toddlers (19 months – 3 yrs old) $230 Preschoolers (3 – 5 years old, not in school) $198 School Agers (5 – 12 years old, summer) $154

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PARENT CAFE’SWhat is a Parent Cafe?A parent café is a place where parents of all types can gather and share their stories,their experiences, their worries, their fears, their wisdom, and find community andstrength together. Through open communication, they become places of affirmationwhere parents can learn that they are not alone in their struggles with managing theirfamilies and households.Erie & Huron Cafe’s3 parent cafe’s held in Erie County by 49 individuals served in Erie County 3 community partners3 Parent Cafes held in Huron County50 Individuals served in Huron Countyby 3 community organizationsOver 200 children impacted by the 32 families overall received financial parent cafes supports of $95 eachCommunity Partners:Vermilion First Assembly of GodFaith ChurchNew Life ChurchERIE COUNTY:Tiny Steps Child Development CenterWillard Child Development CenterNorwalk IVYHURON COUNTY:Lorain Cafe’sCommunity Partners:10 parent cafe’s providedLorain County Community CollegeAdvocacy Resource CenterElyria City Schools - WestwoodElementary SchoolElyria City Schools - Hamilton ElementarySchoolElyria City Schools - Ely Elementary SchoolHorizon Education Center - CascadeGrafton Community PreschoolLorain with LittlesRising Titans Kindergarten ReadinessCollaborativeOpen Door Christian SchoolLorain City Schools - Lorain SuccessAcademyLORAIN COUNTY:101 individuals servedOver 250 children impacted by the parent cafe’s66 families received financial supports averaging $150 each

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PECE: POSITIVE EARLYCHILDHOOD EDUCATIONWhat is a PECE?Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) is a researched and evaluatedprogram that has helped participants experience less disruptive behaviors inthe classroom as well as increased job satisfaction, less stress, and moreteamwork. PECE is underpinned by the same principles as the evidence-based, world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program®. How were teachers supportedTeachers complete 4 hours of online learning modules and provide 2 in-person coaching sessions to guide implementation of strategies learned andgoal setting for future growth. In just four online modules, educators learn 22strategies that are surprisingly simple to put into practice. Little changes canmake a huge difference! Areas of behavior management, social-emotionaldevelopment, communication and problem-solving are discussed in the PECElearning modules. CCRC coaches then observed teachers and providedguidance for self-reflection and skill development. The program again provedto be extremely well received by teachers and administrators alike as severalnoted how helpful having individualized support in the classroom is toteachers who are struggling with challenging behaviors and keeping moralehigh. 7 child care programsparticipated27 teachers completedthe PECE Modules54 coaching sessionscompleted (each session lasted 30 - 60 minutes)24 were in LorainCounty14 were in Erie County4 were in SenecaCounty12 were in HuronCountyEach teacher identified1-2 goal to implementPECE in their classrooms

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTARPA Funds and CDA CredentialsIn 2022-2023, the CCRC was given the opportunity to use ARPA funds to supportthose who are looking to join the early childhood field. With these funds, wesupported 5 students in successfully graduating from our Child Care TrainingProgram (a pilot ! This program included the students attending the CDA Academy,apprenticeship Program) along with working in the field for the first time. By the end,all 5 of these individuals successfully earned their CDA credential. During the 2022-2023 year, the biennium was coming to an end. During this time,providers were pushing to finish their required training hours needed for licensing.The CCRC provided training for 632 childcare providers. The CCRC held 49 trainingstotal for providers during 2022-2023. The CCRC added 20 new trainings to the training catalog that can now be offered toproviders, parent and the community. We have also successfully supported 7 people in becoming new CDA PD Specialists. This addition will support future CDA candidates throughout North Central Ohio toapply and receive their credentials much faster! **Our CDA Academy includes portfolio support, and the CCRC continues to support ourstudents after they graduate from our classes to push them to earn their credential.

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ARPA Funds and Strengthening BusinessesSTRENGTHENING BUSINESSPRACTICE IN ECESupport to 17 Child Care programs or providers to strengthen their businesspractices. The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) received ARPA grant funding to strengthenbusiness practices for Child Care Programs. As part of this program, the CCRCprovided:4 Strengthening Business Trainingswere provided to 26 child care owners,administrators and leadership staff. This training series addresses basicconcepts in fiscal and operationalmanagement of center-based andfamily child care programs. These training participants alsoparticipated in a community ofpractice model that encouraged peer-to-peer and coaching support. Training MarketingMarketing supports were provided toensure that programs would know howto recruit new families to ensure thattheir program is fully enrolled.Providers understand best practice inmarketing.Providers have established socialmedia presence and basic web pagesfor their businesses.Financial Management Sharpen Financial know-how Strengthen money-management systems Strengthen their ability to do financial forecasting Make better data-driven decisionsUse of TechnologySave TimeReduce StressAutomate and streamline processesNew/Updated tech gives providersmore time to leadNew computers, printers and neededtechnology supports were provided to 12centers and 4 family child care homebusinesses. This enabled providers to:

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STEP UP TO QUALITYJune 30 2022Star 1137Star 331Star 524Star 47Star 25Star 1134Star 537Star 335Star 27Star 45June 30 2023204 total rated programs serving 10,414 children218 total rated programs serving 11,842 childrenFamily childcare providers were told that they no longer needed to participate in SUTQ.But, despite that, an overwhelming majority of the family child care providers in our fivecounty area remained in the program and providers that started their business this yearhave been working towards becoming rated. Centers were told that they only needed toparticipate in SUTQ if publicly funded children comprised 25%, or more, of their totalpopulation. Centers were also told that there was no longer a requirement for them to become highlyrated by 2025. Despite these changes, our centers have not only maintained their currentSUTQ rating, but several have also chosen to increase their rating! As a result, we have notonly been able to increase the total number of child care spots in our five counties, but alsothe number of slots available in quality programs. The number of slots in programs participating in SUTQ increased by a whopping 1,428! Weare also celebrating the fact that 13 of our programs decided to increase their quality ratingby at least one level.We currently have 59 unrated programs, 43 have no contract for publicly funded child careand are not required to participate in SUTQ.4 of the 16 remaining unrated programs received their rating after June 30, 2023. Theremaining 12 have exemptions. This past year has been a challenging one for child care providers; and in the midst of thosechallenges, changes were made to Step Up To Quality. Several of the requirements toparticipate in SUTQ were either changed or removed altogether. For example: The majority of these programs are in their first year of business and may, or may not, fall intoa category that requires them to participate. Most, however, have indicated that they wish toparticipate in SUTQ. We are encouraged to see that most new businesses are committing tohigh quality child care whether they are required to or not!

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LORAIN COUNTY CHILD CARERECRUITMENT PARTNERSHIPPartnershipCreate/Update a lasting early care and education system that serves all children inLorain County and gives them equal access to quality careIncrease the number of sustainable, high-quality child care slots for families.Specifically, to recruit, train in target areas of need (special needs, underservedpopulations or geographic areas, infant/toddlers, out-of-school-time, non-traditional hours, non-English speaking, and so on)Improve neighborhood-based early care and education programs to commensuratewith the demandProvide professional development and technical assistance and other supportservices to improve the quality of care in new programs.The CCRC partnered with the Lorain County Department of Job and Family Services toopen new child care programs. The CCRC followed five fundamental goals to guidenew child care programs through the pre-licensing system to ensure success:20 Total NEW program opened in Lorain County6 NEW program opened in Lorain County with ARPA Funds14 NEW program opened in Lorain County with LC Partnership434 NEW licensed child care slots for Lorain CountyItems provided that helped in the success of the 20 NEW Programs.Administered Business & ProgramAdministrative ScaleAge Specific Environmental ScalesBackground Check & TrainingFirst Aid & Safety SuppliesOffice SuppliesOutdoor Shade StructureLiteracy materialsDAP Equipment & MaterialsFire & Smoke Alarm SystemToys

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Some people ask, “How did you do all this with that?” Our response is simple,this work is important to each of the CCRC staff and we could do even more ifyou partnered with us today! Scan the QR code below and partner with the CCRC to support the families,child care providers and the communities we support in need.2022-23 FINANCIAL REPORTCACFP Payments Directly to Providers: $1,266,911.43$2,416,924.77$2,364,790.67

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Regional Resource And Referral Agency for:Erie, Huron, Lorain , Sandusky & Senecacounties440.242.04135350 Oberlin Ave.Lorain, Ohio 44053www.ccrcinc.comThank you!