ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 28, 2001
Author/Local: Carol Ann Young/871-6042

RTS No. 2413

CC File No. 2402

CS&B: December 13, 2001

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:	Director of Social Planning
SUBJECT:	2001 Childcare Grants Allocation - Report 4 of 4

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council approve 1 Childcare Program Development Grant totalling $5,020 to the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre for Sundance Childcare as listed in Appendix I; source of funds: 2001 Childcare Grants Funds, 2001 Operating Budget;

B. THAT Council approve 1 Childcare Stabilization Grant to Boat Daycare totalling $5,050 as listed in Appendix I; source of funds: 2001 Childcare Grants Funds, 2001 Operating Budget;

C. THAT Council approve a grant of $14,000 to Kiwassa Neighbourhood House for the second phase of the quality improvement childcare pilot project; source of funds: 2001 Childcare Grants Fund, 2001 Operating Budget.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

On March 15, 2001, City Council approved the 2001 Operating Budget-Interim Estimates which included an adjustment that limited the inflationary increase for the City Grants programs to 1%. Consequently, the 2001 budget for Civic Childcare Grants is $682,700.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report makes recommendations for the following childcare Grant categories;
- Program Development Grant
- Program Stabilization Grant
- Research, Policy Development and Innovation Grant

This is the fourth of four reports regarding the 2001 Childcare Grants Program.

DISCUSSION

1. Program Development Grant

This grant category provides some assistance to non-profit societies with the non-capital costs to assess community needs, incorporate and license a centre, organize the program and operate during the start up phase, particularly in high need areas of the city. However, some small expansions within existing facilities may be considered.

The Sundance Childcare Centre located in the Aboriginal Friendship Centre has a licensed capacity for 25 children, however, generally realizes an enrollment of 14-17 children. While the program has had consistent staffing for a number of years, the senior management of the organization has changed a number of times over the past few years, often leaving the childcare centre to manage day to day administrative business while running the program. As a result, the childcare program has found it difficult to realign its program philosophy and policies to meet the expectations of a new generation of parents. It has also found it challenging to meet the ongoing demands of licensing.

The Childcare Coordinator is proposing a one time grant of $5,020 for the Sundance Childcare Centre to contract with a childcare consultant to assist the centre in developing a program philosophy, policies and program which will facilitate a more viable, high quality program that is responsive to the aboriginal communities needs. The consultant would also assist the program in developing strategies to support the organization in achieving and maintaining full enrollment.

2. Program Stabilization Grant

This grant program has in the past been very effective in preventing the closure of parent run, non-profit childcare centres which experience financial difficulties. Grants help non-profit centres stabilize their financial situation, restructure their financial systems, and do long term financial planning. Reports to Council for this category are brought forward as required.

Boat Day Care is a stand alone parent run non-profit childcare society. It is licensed for 25 children ages 3 to 5 years, and is located at Victoria Drive and East 14th. The program is currently operating at a deficit and the board has expressed an interest in pursuing alternative administrative options. The City Childcare Coordinator has agreed to work with the board and facilitate a community meeting with three potential multiservice organizations who may be interested in taking on the administrative responsibilities of Boat Day Care. In the case of other non-profit stand alone childcare programs, being administered by a larger umbrella organization has proved successful. Such a process however, will require the board and staff to participate in a number of meetings and will require some modest legal costs. To help offset these additional expenses, Council is being asked to consider a one time grant of $5,050 for Boat Day Care.

3. Research, Policy Development and Innovation

The purpose of this grant is to encourage and support necessary childcare research, policy development and innovation, to further develop childcare. During the grants review process over the past two years, the childcare coordinator has observed a significant variation in the quality of childcare programs throughout the city. In addition, the proposed strategic plan, "Moving Forward", sets out the need to examine ways to assist childcare operators in systematically improving quality in their childcare programs.

Last year, Council approved start up funding to develop and test a continuous quality improvement process. Kiwassa Neighbourhood House agreed to be the host organization as an administrator of childcare services. Growing interest in the project and a need to examine a strategy suitable for wide spread use in the city, prompted the City's Childcare Coordinator to broaden the scope of the project and invite two additional childcare organizations to participate in the pilot. This provided not only a broader base of service provider types, but an opportunity to look at quality improvement strategies in infant/toddler, 3 to 5 and out of school care. The three pilot organizations are Vancouver Society for Children's Centres, the YMCA and Kiwassa Neighbourhood House. All three organizations have received significant city funding in the past.

The first phase of the project included the development of an advisory committee (see terms of reference - Appendix II), gathering of various resources and materials relevant to quality improvement, identification of the components of a preferred quality process, hiring of a consultant to conduct a pre test evaluation using a standardized quality rating scale and preparation of a draft set of tools for training and testing within the three organizations.

The second phase, for which this grant of $14,000 is targeted, is to conduct staff training on usage of the tools, revise materials based on staff input after a 6 month trial period, documentation of the process and a post evaluation to compare ratings. A final report will be prepared and circulated to Council at the completion of the pilot and will advise future grant criteria.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The 2001 budget for Civic Childcare Grants was $682,700. Council previously approved grants totalling $658,630. Approval of the three grants recommended in this report will leave a balance of $0 in the 2001 Childcare Grants fund. The grants recommended for Council's approval are:

Program Development Grant $ 5,020
Program Stabilization Grant $ 5,050
Research and Innovation Grant $14,000
Total $24,070

CONCLUSION

This is the fourth of four reports related to the allocation of the 2001 Childcare Grants. Social Planning is recommending for Council approval three grants totalling $24,070 leaving a balance of $0 in the Childcare Grants Fund (see Appendix I).

* * * * *

	Date of Report to Council	Proposed 2001 Guidelines	Recommended To Date
City-wide Childcare Support	June		$184,680
	November	$249,663	$64,983
Admin. of City-owned	June	$64,750	$64,750
Program Enhancement	July	$121,200	$110,700
Inner-city Childcare	July	$223,017	$233,517
Program Stabilization	December	$5,050	$5,050
Program Development	December	$5,020	$5,020
Research/Policy Dev./Innovations	December	$14,000	$14,000
TOTAL		$682,700	$682,700
BALANCE			$0

Terms of Reference
Quality Childcare Pilot Project

Purpose: The purpose of this committee is to guide the development of a continuous quality improvement pilot with a maximum of 3 childcare programs in Vancouver.

Membership: Representation from three community organizations, namely, VSOCC, YMCA, Supported Child Care, V/RHB and Kiwassa, City of Vancouver - Childcare Coordinator, Vancouver Community College and Provincial representative. The three childcare organizations will recruit representatives from the board, a parent and/or provider group. Maximum membership of 15 persons.

Duration of the Committee: The committee will meet for a one year period. At this time the continuance of the committee will be reviewed in the context of funding and feasibility.

Leadership: The committee will be co-chaired by the City of Vancouver Childcare Coordinator and a member of the group.

Objectives:
1. To advise on the scope and parameters of the quality pilot process.

2. To determine the mix of programs to participate in the pilot process.

3. To review existing materials and build on experiences of the committee to determine preferred elements of a quality process.

4. To guide the work of an external consultant in preparing a summary of quality tools and conducting pre and post tests on 3 sites.

5. To identify strategies for sharing the learning of the project with the broader community.

6. To identify a strategy for continuance of the pilot project into 2002.

Deliverables/Outcomes:
1. A documented process for a continuous quality approach in a select group of pilot sites.

2. Pretest results for three site.

3. Development or adoption of a user friendly process, including tools, for continuous quality improvement.

4. Plan for continuance of pilot project.

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver