ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: April 17, 2000
Author/Local: C.A. Young/J. Brooks/

871-6042/871-6643

RTS No. 1402
CC File No. 2402

Council: May 2, 2000

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Services, Social Planning
SUBJECT:	2000 Childcare Grants Allocation - Report 1 of 3

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council approve 11 City-wide Childcare Support Service grants totalling $249,663 as listed in this report; source of funds: 2000 Childcare Grants Funds, 2000 Operating Budget;

B. THAT Council approve one Administration of City-owned Childcare Facilities grant of $ 64,750 to the Vancouver Society of Children's Centres; source of funds: 2000 Childcare Grants Funds, 2000 Operating Budget.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and B.

COUNCIL POLICY

On February 17, 2000, Council approved the 2000 allocation of $679,300 for the Childcare Grants Program.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to recommend approval of:

11 City-wide Childcare Support Services grants;
1 Administration of City-owned Childcare facilities grant;

as part of the first of three reports to Council on the 2000 Childcare Grants Program.

BACKGROUND

The February 17, 2000, Childcare Grants Ceiling Report identified the priorities, granting process and funding guidelines for the two childcare grants described in this report.

DISCUSSION

1. City-wide Childcare Support Services Grants

This grant category was established in 1992 to fund the basic infrastructure that is integral to developing and maintaining a viable, effective, high quality childcare system in Vancouver:

- information and referral services for parents seeking childcare,
- financial and administrative consultation services for childcare boards and staff,
- information, consultation and training regarding ESL, multicultural and diversity issues in childcare settings,
- ongoing in-service training and networking opportunities
- information and resource materials for those designing, building and opening new childcare services.

In 1999, Council also approved grant allocations from this category to support the development of childcare leadership and collaboration activities in each of the six MCF/Health Board network areas so that childcare issues could be adequately represented in Ministry, Health Board and community discussions. This new network based structure proved invaluable when recently it was necessary to mobilize the childcare community in Vancouver very quickly to respond to the provincial government's childcare discussion paper. The network structure has also helped to improve neighbourhood dialogue and collaboration between centre and family childcare providers.

For 2000, the funding guideline for the City-wide Childcare Support Services grant category was set at $250,000. Four applications for city-wide support services have been received and reviewed (see Appendix I). During the grant interviews applicants were required to:

- highlight the key outcomes achieved during the past year,
- report on evaluation results,
- identify emerging and new needs of families and childcare providers,
- indicate how their proposed workplans for 2000 would address these needs and continue to further the City's childcare objectives and complement city-wide initiatives such as the Windows of Opportunity project.

As in 1999, six network based agencies have also applied for funds under this grant category to continue the development of childcare leadership, co-ordination and collaboration within their respective network areas. These agencies have the support of the other childcare providers within their respective networks and have demonstrated the administrative capacity to administer the network funds and co-ordinate the network based activities. At a meeting in December 1999 called by the Childcare Co-ordinator, it was agreed that there was also a need for a city-wide childcare committee with representation from the networks, to provide transition support to the new City Childcare Co-ordinator and build strong links with the local Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security staff who have recently taken over the responsibility for the provincial childcare mandate from the Ministry for Children and Families. Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre agreed to chair this city-wide childcare committee for 2000.

For 2000, it is recommended that the City-wide Childcare Support Services grant funds be allocated as follows:

Grant Recommendations

Multicultural & Diversity Services $43,712
Information Daycare $33,801
Child Care Financial & Admin Services $64,983
Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre
1. Core support services application $90,667
2. City-wide childcare committee $ 1,500
Network 1: Vancouver Society of Children's Centres $ 2,500
Network 2: Britannia Community Centre Assoc $ 2,500
Network 3: Collingwood Neighbourhood House $ 2,500
Network 4: Bayview Community School Association $ 2,500
Network 5: Little Mountain Neighbourhood House $ 2,500
Network 6: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House $ 2,500

TOTAL $249,663

2. Administration of City-owned Childcare Facilities Grant

The Civic Childcare Strategy called for development and support of a single-purpose, non-profit childcare organization to manage those new City-owned/leased facilities in the Downtown area resulting from rezoning negotiations or City projects. This grant category was established to fund the administrative costs of this society.

In December 1994, the Vancouver Society of Children's Centres (VSOCC) was incorporated. VSOCC now operates three children's centres which include 155 childcarespaces and a family place program, serving over 400 families. Two other facilities are in the design phase. The overall annual operating budget now exceeds $ 1.6 million.

VSOCC's Year Six Workplan includes:

- ongoing management and program enhancement of the existing three facilities
- expansion of the family place drop-in programs to accommodate requests for non-traditional hours of operation
- working with the Vancouver School Board to co-ordinate the development of the Roundhouse Elementary School as an addition to the Dorothy Lam Children's Centre
- working with City staff to develop a new strategic plan for further childcare development in the downtown in light of the limitations of City Childcare Endowment Reserve Funding
- preliminary planning for the Beach Neighbourhood and Coal Harbour Phase I childcare facilities
- finalizing collective bargaining with BCGEU
- ongoing resource development planning to diversify funding base
- continued representation on the Vancouver Supported Child Care Society Board (provides services to special needs children in childcare settings)
- continued leadership re: Network 1 interagency and childcare specific activities and initiatives

This work fits with the expectations under the Administration of City-owned Childcare Facilities grant category. It is therefore recommended that VSOCC's request for $64,750 be approved by Council.

CONCLUSION

This report recommends approval of :

11 City-wide Childcare support services grants totalling $249,663
1 Administration of City-owned Childcare Facilities grant of $64,750.

This leaves $364,887 still remaining in the 2000 Childcare Grants Budget for allocation to grant categories which are reported in July and/or November (see Appendix II).

- - - - -

Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre
210 West Broadway, 3rd Floor
Vancouver, BC V5Y 3W2

Overview of City Services
April 1, 1999 - March 31, 2000

Westcoast Resource and Information Services (RIS)

· Funded by the City of Vancouver, BC Ministry of Social Development and agency fundraising.

· Provided consultation, information, resource and referral services by telephone, in person and through a comprehensive resource library to Vancouver citizens, predominantly child care providers, instructors, researchers, students, businesses, and families with young children.

· Responded to approximately 900 enquiries during the April to September period. Contacts are estimated at 1800 enquiries to fiscal year end. 53% of contacts are from Vancouver.
· Developed and distributed print resources such as the WC Post, Child Care Facility Equipment Lists and Cost Estimates, as well as a consultants list.
· Maintained the Westcoast web site which is a growing in popularity.
· Offered 10 Saturday Morning Workshops to child care community on topics such as "Early Brain Development", "Raising Capable Children", and "Working with ESL Children".
· Actively participated on the City Wide Training Committee which offers and plans professional development opportunities for the child care community by collaborating with other organizations in the City who also offer training. In November they hosted a well attended workshop called " Cross Cultural Child Rearing".
· Participated in Vancouver network meetings pertaining to MCF Regionalization and Windows of Opportunity project.

· Provided Visitor and Reception services to agency programs, affiliate organizations and co-locators for all incoming calls, visitors, and facilitated photocopying and laminating services as well as room bookings for Westcoast programs and the community.

· Responded to 12,000 calls during April to September period, with a projection of 24,000 calls at fiscal year end.
· Saturday openings will have greeted more than 1000 visitors by fiscal year end.
· Room bookings were facilitated for 261 meetings for child care organizations and inter-agency committees with over 2648 people attending in the first 6 months (April to September).

· Provided Multilingual Child Care Resources offering translations and interpretation services on a fee for service basis to the child care community and continued to produced all Westcoast's own publications in languages other than English.

· Provided public access to the Westcoast Library which has a comprehensive collection of materials including books, magazines, video tapes and posters. Over 10,000 items are catalogued. The library is currently funded by the BC Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security, and agency fundraising.

· This past year the Library collaborated with the Learning Disabilities Association -Vancouver Chapter, with funding from the McDonald Foundation to incorporate their collection with the Westcoast collection.

Westcoast Multicultural and Diversity Services (WMDS)

· Funded by the City of Vancouver, Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security, and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism and Immigration, with project funding from City of Vancouver Cross Cultural Expertise Grants and agency fundraising.

· Provided resources, consultation and information to the child care community and the public on multicultural, anti-bias, diversity early childhood education

· WMDS averages 313 contacts per month (over 3700 per year)
· 64% of contacts are with clients from Vancouver, 36% are outside of Vancouver
· 63% of contacts are by phone, fax or mail, 37% are walk-in visitors

· Provided 15 outreach visits involving children and staff in 5 of Vancouver's child care centres and preschools, serving 71 children and 18 staff. This direct work with children and staff in Vancouver continues to be vital to our planing as it informs our practice, which has a direct impact on the materials and resources we acquire and develop.

· Offered Neighbourhood Site Lending (NSL) in three Networks in order to bring resources to child care providers closer to where they work. At the three sites NSL lent play materials to 18 programs. Child care staff made 47 visits, providing resources for 565 children and a total of 50 staff. A total of 295 items were borrowed over a five month period (April-November 1999).

· Provided professional development to the child care community, parents, government and community program staff. Topics include Bullying Prevention, Helping Children Resist Bias and Discrimination, Cross-Cultural Child Rearing.

· 12 workshops and 11 orientations were offered to 324 people in Vancouver

· Developed original curriculum and teacher training materials.

· Collaborated with local, provincial and national groups to address multicultural and anti-bias issues. Such connections include: Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA); Windows of Opportunity - Ethno-Cultural Group; Circle of Change Project(ISS).

Westcoast Information Daycare (ID)

· Funded by the City of Vancouver and the BC Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security as well as agency fundraising.

· Supported parents in making personal decisions about child care by providing up-to-date information on child care choices in Vancouver. Provided referrals to the continuum of child care options including licensed and license-not-required child care programs, family places, neighbourhood houses, community centres and preschools and general information on child care regulations, training programs for child care providers, Provincial Child Care Subsidy Program and in-home child care.

· Responded to an average of 650 calls per month
· Delivered 30 workshops, several in languages other than English, to 400 parents about child care options and quality in child care
· Maintained an accurate and effective child care referral service on approximately 500 child care programs

· Responded to many requests from the child care community and the public on child care topics including enhancing quality, fees, recent trends and vacancy rates.

· Continued promotion of Westcoast Information Daycare services in the Chinese and Indo-Canadian communities.

Child Care Financial and Administrative Services ( CCFAS)

· Funded by the City of Vancouver, fees for service, and agency fundraising.

· Shared information and expertise on administration, financial management and non-profit management with 25 independent, parent/community managed child care societies with a total licensed capacity of 1200 (infants, toddlers, 3-5 and school aged child care):

· addressed questions related to administrative responsibilities, human resources issues, legislation, organizational and child care policies and procedures, and roles and responsibilities related to management by and governance of parent/community non-profit boards.

· collaborated with Westcoast Child Care INFORM (a provincially funded program of Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre) to provide print resources which focus on administration, financial management and non-profit management.

· hosted and facilitated the Sr. Supervisors Roundtable which provided an opportunity for senior child care staff to network, keep informed about administration and initiatives that impact on child care, and participate in consultation.

· collaborated to present training opportunities for senior staff and board members on board orientation, preparing budgets and developing a child care board manual.

· Provided professional accounting services to 17 centres who operate licensed child care services with a capacity to operate a total of 590 licensed spaces.

· Contracted fees for service include : payroll, payables and related tasks; monthly and year end financial statements (unaudited); provincial and federal government financial reporting (e.g., GST return, Charities Return, Compensation Contribution Program - CCP); budget consultation and preparation of annual operating budgets for each child care society.

· Finalized service delivery reorganization to increase CCFAS collaboration, to improve efficiencies and move to a cost recovery financial plan, and started with phased in implementation of reorganization.

Prepared April 10, 2000
Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre

APPENDIX II

Grant Category	Date of Report to Council	Proposed 2000 Funding	Recommended to Date
City-Wide Support Services	May	$250,000	$249,663
Administration of City-owned Facilities	May	$64,750	$64,750
Research, Policy Development & Innovations	May/July/December	$16,550
Program Development	May/July/December	$5,000
Inner-City Sustaining	July	$218,000
Program Enhancement	July	$120,000
Program Stabilization	as required	$5,000
TOTAL		$679,300	$314,413
BALANCE:			$364,887

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver