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Child Care Terms

Accreditation:
Formal recognition that a licensed child care center or family child care home has met nationally accepted standards for high quality service as defined by professional child care and development associations. The process involves a self-study/assessment, visits by the accrediting association and their final validation that the program meets standards for accreditation. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) are the major accrediting organizations.
After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Partnership Program (ASLSNPP):
The ASLSNPP funds local after school enrichment programs at participating school sites. The programs provide academic and literacy support and safe, constructive alternatives for students in kindergarten through 9th grade.
Allocation:
A specific amount of funding set aside by state agencies for each county/locality to use to operate its child care or children’s services program. Allocations are normally made on an annual basis and claimed on a quarterly basis.
Alternative Payment (AP) Program:
AP subsidy programs allow parents to use a licensed or license-exempt child care provider of their choice for children enrolled on the program. These services most often take the form of a payment issued monthly to providers selected by the family. The AP program is intended to increase family self-sufficiency and accommodate the individual needs of children and their families. Funded by the California Department of Education (CDE), these programs are available statewide and operated by nonprofit agencies, school districts, public agencies and local governments. AP programs also administer various stages of the CalWORKs child care program.
Apportionment Schedule:
The apportionment schedule is the method by which the California Department of Education (CDE) reimburses child care and development contractors for child care and development services. The reimbursement is usually a pro-rated monthly amount, which is either paid in advance or in arrears.
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs):
CalWORKs is California’s program to implement the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the federal welfare reform law enacted in 1996. Administered by the California Department of Social Services (DSS), CalWORKs is a “work first” program that provides employment assistance, job training and support services to help recipients move from welfare to work and toward self-sufficiency. CalWORKs gives much of the responsibility and authority for operation of the program to California’s 58 counties, increasing local flexibility and financial accountability. Payment for child care is a major support service available to CalWORKs participants.
California Child Care Initiative Project (CCCIP):
This project, administered by the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, is designed to provide information and training to expand the availability of licensed family child care home providers. Initiative funds provided by the state have been matched at a 1:2 ratio by various private agencies and foundations. Projects are operated by local child care resource and referral agencies (R&Rs).
Certificate:
A certificate is an authorization issued to a parent by a child care subsidy agency (AP). It is given to the parent’s child care providers as verification that the agency will pay for children enrolled in their programs.
Child Care Advocate Program:
The Child Care Advocate Program (formerly the Ombudsman Program) is administered by the California Department of Social Services and facilitates communication between child care providers, licensing officials and the public. Additional responsibilities include providing information on child care licensing and regulations, as well as assistance in the coordination and investigation of concerns and complaints regarding children served by a child care facility.
Child Development Center:
A child development center is a non-residential facility specifically designed and licensed to provide child care. A child development center may serve children from infancy through school-age and range in size from 20 to over 200 children. Physical and staffing requirements are state-regulated (see Title 22). The Community Care Licensing (CCL) division of the State Department of Social Services (DSS) is responsible for licensing and monitoring these facilities. Child development centers that serve a majority of children funded by state contracts are governed and monitored according to the California Department of Education’s regulations (see Title 5).
Compensation and Retention Encourage Stability (CARES) Program:
The CARES program, established in 2000 by California law, rewards the pursuit of child development training among new child care professionals and promotes retention of committed, qualified child care teachers and providers. CARES includes two programs: the Child Development Corps and Resources for Retention. Child care providers who become members of the Child Development Corps and fulfill its requirements would receive annual quality improvement grants for child care programs that meet the criteria.
Employer-Supported Child Care (ESCC):
These programs range from company child care policies to the direct provision of child care. Child care policies may include flextime, job sharing, parental leave, paid family sick leave, and various child care benefits. The employer may also subsidize care directly through the provision of on-site or off-site child care, vendor payments to local child care providers, voucher payments to parents, or the establishment of a dependent care assistance plan.
Exempt Care:
Exempt child care, also known as license-exempt care, is care delivered by a provider that is exempt from the Title 22 and Title 5 licensing requirements. Exempt providers are: a child’s relatives, guardians, or conservators; an adult who cares for the children of only one other family besides his/her own; or schools registered with the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide before/ after programs for their own students.
Family Child Care (FCC):
Family Child Care providers are licensed to care for children who come to their homes. When certain conditions are met, small family homes can care for up to six children, or up to eight if two of them are school-age children. Large family child care homes must have a minimum of two adult providers in order to care for up to twelve children, and up to fourteen if two of them are school-age children and additional requirements are met. Family child care homes are regulated by state law (Title 22). They are licensed and monitored by either the state or the county in which they are located.
Family Day Care Home Network:
A Family Day Care Home Network is a cluster of licensed family child care homes with centralized activities, which may include information and referral, group purchasing, administration, fiscal procedures, training, or other activities. This program is funded by the California Department of Education through contracts awarded to local agencies to administer these services.
General Child Care and Development (GCC):
The program, operated by CDE, utilizes centers and occasionally family child care homes in the provision of subsidized child care and development services. Services range from infant through school-age care. Programs provide basic supervision, age- and developmentally-appropriate activities, nutrition, parent education, staff development, and social services. These programs are governed by Title 5 regulations.
Group Size:
Group size refers to the state regulation governing the number of children/adults who can occupy a specific physical space in a child care center. According to nationwide surveys, group size is a key indicator of quality.
Head Start Program:
Head Start, administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is a comprehensive preschool program that prepares children to enter school ready to learn. Head Start combines basic skill development with health, nutrition, social services, and parental involvement in a family-centered approach. Head Start programs largely serve children from low-income families.
Latchkey:
Also known as the School-Age Community Child Care Programs. The programs administered by the Department of Education provide a safe environment with age- and developmentally-appropriate activities for school-age children during the hours immediately before and after the normal school day and during school vacations. Most programs are operated by school districts and private non-profit agencies.
License Exempt Care:
Please see Exempt Care.
Local Child Care Planning Councils (LPCs):
There are currently 58 Local Child Care Planning Councils (LPCs) representing each county in California. The primary mission of the LPC's is to plan for child care and development services based on the needs of families in the local community and to determine local priorities for new state and federal funds. LPC’s can also undertake special projects geared to the child care needs in their areas. LPC's are intended to serve as a forum to address the child care needs of all families in the community and to include all child care programs, both subsidized and non-subsidized
Private Child Care Centers (Non-Subsidized):
These programs have a variety of names: child care center, day care center, preschool, nursery school, or day nursery. Various groups administer private child care centers, including non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, faith-based organizations, military, and public or private sector employers. These programs must operate according to applicable state licensing regulations (Title 22).
Proposition 10 (Prop. 10):
In November 1998, voters passed a statewide ballot initiative (Prop. 10) to add a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes. The monies collected are used to fund education, health and child care programs that promote early childhood development, from prenatal to age 5. Programs are funded at the county level to best meet local needs as determined by each community. The intent is for all California children to be healthy, to live in a healthy and supportive family environment and to enter school ready to learn.
Proposition 98 (Prop. 98):
Prop. 98 established a minimum funding level or guarantee for K-12 education and community colleges. The guarantee also applies to county offices of education and child development programs administered through the California Department of Education.
Regional Resource Centers (RRCs):
Regional Resource Centers are funded by the California Department of Education to develop child care capacity in high need areas. Statewide, there are ten RRCs and all but one, Los Angeles, serve diverse, multi-county areas. They work collaboratively with other child care groups (e.g., LPCs, R&Rs, provider associations) and offer a variety of services including: information, resources, training, technical assistance and networking support.
Resource and Referral Programs (R&R):
Resource and Referral programs, funded through the California Department of Education, are available in every county. R&Rs provide referrals and information to parents seeking child care, assist potential providers in the licensing process, offer workshops and training, conduct special projects to address specific child care needs in their communities, disseminate information, and coordinate community resources for the benefit of parents and local child care providers. Many of these agencies also operate child development centers and Alternative Payment Programs.
School-Age Community Child Care Programs (Latchkey):
Please see Latchkey.
State Preschool Program:
Funded through the California Department of Education (CDE), Child Development Division (CDD), this developmental preschool program is modeled after the federal Head Start program. It offers part-day child care services to 3-and 4-year olds in low income families, as well as social, nutritional, health and mental health services. Parental involvement in various aspects of the program is also encouraged. State Preschool Programs are administered through school districts, colleges, community action agencies, and private non-profit agencies. Many programs offer bilingual services.
Stipend:
A fixed sum of money given to an individual to help defray expenses incurred in pursuing some course of activity, usually education or training. Stipends, unlike loans, are not required to be repaid.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):
TANF, formerly Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), was signed into federal law on August 22, 1996 as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This welfare reform measure repeals and amends several major public assistance programs, replaces certain programs with block grants, limits time on welfare to five years, has stringent work requirements for participants, and performance targets for state administering agencies. The program also offers significant supports to employment such as child care, transportation, substance abuse services, and domestic violence counseling. (See CalWORKs.)
Title 5 Regulations:
These regulations govern pre-school child development programs contracting directly with the California Department of Education. Their staffing, facility and program requirements are designed to meet the developmental needs of low income and at risk children. Key features of Title 5 in comparison to Title 22 include higher staff to child ratios and more extensive educational requirements for staff.
Title 22 Regulations:
Public and private child care centers and family child care homes are licensed under these regulations. They are designed to assure basic safety and adequate supervision of children in a clean and healthy environment.
TrustLine:
TrustLine is the California registry of license-exempt child care providers who have passed a background screening. All caregivers listed with TrustLine have been cleared through a fingerprint check of records at the Department of Justice. This means they have no disqualifying criminal convictions or substantiated child abuse reports in California. TrustLine registry is required for all license-exempt child care providers (except aunts, uncles and grandparents) paid by Alternative Payment Program contractors with State General Funds or Federal Block Grant funds. Child care payment may not be made to an exempt provider until the provider has applied for TrustLine registration.
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC):
The 21st CCLC Program is a key component of our national efforts to keep school-age children safe, to provide academic enrichment and other recreational and enrichment opportunities, and to provide life-long learning opportunities for community members.
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