ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: July 10, 1996
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Community Services, Social Planning
SUBJECT: 1996 Childcare Grants Allocation - Report 3 of 4
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve 26 Childcare Program Enhance-ment
Grants totalling $148,000 as listed in Appendix I, with
conditions as noted; source of funds to be the 1996
Childcare Grants Funds, 1996 Operating Budget.
B. THAT Council approve 18 Inner-city Childcare Sustaining
Grants totalling $175,000 as listed in Appendix I, with
conditions as noted; source of funds to be the 1996
Childcare Grants Funds, 1996 Operating Budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services submits A and B for
CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
On February 1, 1996, Council approved the 1996 allocation of $659,300
for the Childcare Grants Program. Approval of grant recommendations
requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report makes recommendations for the following Childcare Grant
categories:
- Childcare Program Enhancement
- Inner-city Childcare Sustaining
This is the third of four reports regarding the 1996 Childcare Grants
Program.
BACKGROUND
On February 1, 1996, City Council approved a budget of $659,300 for
the Childcare Grants Program. On May 28, 1996, Council approved
allocations totalling $323,367 from the 1996 Childcare Grants Budget.
A Program Stabilization grant of $5,000 was approved on June 27, 1996,
for the KidSafe program. The balance available is $330,933.
DISCUSSION
1. Program Enhancement Grants
The purpose of these grants (maximum $10,500 per organiza-tion)
is to provide non-profit, licensed childcare pro-grams with funds
to enhance the quality of care offered. In the 1996 Childcare
Budget Ceiling Report, it was recommended that initiatives be
related to food supplement programs, child/staff ratios, extended
hours of operation, training of volunteers and strengthened
administration. Priority is given to group daycare and
school-aged child-care programs in high need areas and/or
under-served areas of the City. Part-time preschool programs are
only eligible if exceptional need is identified. Applicants are
asked to complete a one page Phase I application form indicating
the type and estimated cost of the initiative which their
organization would like to undertake. If the application meets
the basic criteria, then the applicant is encouraged to fill in a
detailed Phase II application form.
The following factors are considered during the grant review
process:
- the size, type and location of program
- provision of services for infants and toddlers
- the level of need of the children and families
- the financial need of the service and organization
- the type of initiative proposed
- the commitment to parent involvement
- effective use of prior grant funding
In total, Phase I Enhancement grant applications were received
from 32 organizations. Three of these were determined to be
ineligible because the proposed initia-tives did not fit the
priority areas noted above, or the childcare service was clearly
serving few low income families. Twenty-eight Phase II
applications were received and reviewed by Social Planning.
Where appro-priate, applications were also considered under the
Inner-city grant category. (One applicant chose not to move
forward to the Phase II stage).
Social Planning is recommending approval of 26 Program
Enhancement Grants (see Appendix I) and 2 applications have been
transferred to the Inner-city grant category. As in previous
years, in an attempt to stretch the City dollars for the benefit
of as many high need families and programs as possible, the size
of many of the recommended allocations is significantly less than
what has been requested. Based on the information provided by
grant applicants, it is staff's best assessment that none of the
applicants who are being recommended for reduced funding will be
forced to close or drastically reduce their licensed service
because of the recommendations being put forward; however
applicants will be limited in their ability to enhance the
quality of their current program or address the very real issue
of affordability.
2. Inner-city Childcare Sustaining Grants
The purpose of this grant is to provide non-profit organizations
with up to $12,000 to offset basic operating costs such as
personnel and food expenses, so that fees in eligible high need
programs can be kept below the city-wide average. While this
does not address the larger issue of affordability for low income
families, inner-city grants are helping to stabilize fees in high
need areas of the City.
Programs eligible for inner-city funding, clearly stand out as
serving exceptionally high need, low income families. A
significant number of the children attending these programs have
been designated as "at risk" by the Ministry of Social Services
or require extra family support. All of the children are
considered to be living in high risk neighbourhood environments.
Sixteen childcare programs applied for funding under the
Inner-city category. Two programs have been transferred to this
category based upon information submitted on their Program
Enhancement applications. Site visits/interviews were conducted
by the Childcare Coordinator. Issues of poverty, illiteracy,
cultural and linguistic barriers, drug and alcohol abuse, unsafe
neighbourhoods, inadequate housing, and the need for preschool
mental health supports continue to be the most frequently cited
concerns. Centres also noted increasing needs for food
supplement, clothing exchange and family support programs.
Social Planning is recommending approval of 18 Inner-city
Childcare Sustaining grants (see Appendix I). All the Inner-city
grants recommended are at the level requested by the applicants
or equal the amount approved in 1995. The total recommended
allocations for this grant category exceed the 1996 funding
guideline by $11,000; however, this can be accommodated within
the overall Childcare Grants budget because some savings have
been achieved in other categories.
CONCLUSION
This is the third of four reports related to the allocation of the
1996 Childcare Grants. Social Planning is recommending for Council
approval:
- 26 Program Enhancement grants $148,000
- 18 Inner-city Childcare Sustaining grants $175,000
This leaves a balance of $7,933 in the 1996 Childcare Grants Fund for
allocation later this year (see Appendix II).
* * * * *
APPENDIX II
Grant Date of Proposed 1996 Recommended to
Category Report to Funding Date
Council
City-Wide Support May $245,300 $246,265
Services
Administration of May $ 62,000 $ 52,400
City-owned
Facilities
Research, Policy May/July/ $ 10,000 $ 9,702
Dev. and Innovations December
Program Development May/July/ $ 14,000 $ 10,000
December
Inner-City July $164,000 $175,000
Program Enhancement July $159,000 $148,000
Program As required $ 5,000 $ 10,000
Stabilization
TOTAL: $659,300 $651,367
BALANCE: $ 7,933