Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director of Community Services, Social Planning

SUBJECT:

1998 Childcare Grants Allocation Report 3 of 3

 

CONSIDERATION

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On February 5, 1998, Council approved the 1998 allocation of $672,600 for the Childcare Grants Program.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to recommend approval of four Childcare Research, Policy Development and Innovations grants. This is the third of three childcare grant reports for 1998.

BACKGROUND

On February 5, 1998, Council approved the 1998 allocation of $672,600 for the Childcare Grants Program. To date, Council has approved allocations totalling $640,194, leaving a remaining balance of $32,406 for the third and final grant review. The 1998 Childcare Grants Ceiling Report identified the priorities and granting process for the childcare grant category described in this report.

DISCUSSION

The purpose of the Childcare Research, Policy Development and Innovations Fund is to encourage and fund two or three new initiatives each year. The February Grant Ceiling Report identified projects which focus on the sustainability and adaptability of childcare as a priority for 1998. Expansion of culturally appropriate family childcare options also remains a key area of interest. Any projects must be seen to have city-wide benefits and to further the objectives of the Civic Childcare Strategy. Through the ongoing work of the City Childcare Co-ordinator, four projects have been identified as meeting these criteria.

1. “Hub” Project: sponsored by Britannia Community Centre - $5,000

The legal, financial, human resource and family support aspects of childcare have become increasingly complex in the past ten years. Multi-service agencies such as neighborhood houses and community centres, are increasingly being approached by small parent-run childcare societies in their neighborhoods, requesting administrative and management support and/or partnerships. As well, these multi-service agencies have been expanding their own continuum of childcare services in response to obvious community needs. Further these same agencies are being called upon to take a leadership role in the planning and implementation of initiatives such as the provincial Supported Childcare approach for special needs children. Experience is showing that these emerging “childcare activity hubs” are helping to stabilize existing services and they are improving the availability and quality of childcare, particularly in “high need” areas of the city, however the funding is currently not available to cover the planning, management, administration and co-ordination responsibilities involved. Britannia Community Centre, on behalf of several of the multi-service agencies is requesting $5,000 to hire a consultant to work with the “hubs” to examine the support and resources required to sustain this work and to develop a strategy for approaching senior levels of government and community funders. This request is recommended.

2. Infant/Toddler Enrollment/Attendance project: sponsored by the Vancouver YWCA -$1,500

Childcare programs are limited as to the number of children they can serve because the maximum group size and staff: child ratios for every type of licensed program are clearly prescribed in the provincial Child Care Licensing Regulation. This in turn, limits the amount of revenue that can be expected through childcare fees without increasing the actual amount each family pays monthly. However, it has been identified by the YWCA, that in infant/toddler care programs there seems to be a pattern of daily attendance fluctuations which may provide an opportunity to generate additional revenue and hence help to increase the sustainability of these high cost programs. The YWCA is requesting $1,500 to review their children’s attendance records, their staff schedules and their usage of outside amenity space to see whether it is possible to over enroll by one or two children for part or all of their hours of operation. Drawing upon this experience, the YWCA will develop a set of tools that would expedite this analysis for other childcare operators. Given the funding and affordability issues facing infant/toddler care, it is recommended that this grant request be approved.

3. Infant/Toddler “Clustering” project: sponsored by the Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres - $5,000

In Vancouver, the existing infant/toddler centres do not exceed 24 spaces at any one location and each program is generally open 10 - 11 hours per day. The actual cost of operating these programs significantly exceeds the amount of revenue that can be generated solely through parent fees. Given that the current funding and affordability barriers are clearly limiting future expansion of this type of care, Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres(VSOCC) proposes to investigate whether a clustering of up to six infant/toddler programs at one site achieves any significant cost savings and/or program quality benefits. The project would include financial projections of clustering scenarios, interviews with key informants from outside of British Columbia to discover whether “clustering” or other potentially sustainable infant/toddler models have been developed in jurisdictions with similar licensing parameters and discussions with local licensing consultants. Staff recommend that this grant be approved.

4. Aboriginal Family Childcare Training Pilot Project: sponsored by Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre in partnership with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre - $10,000

The Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre and Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre, have identified an urgent need for culturally appropriate family childcare training and resources for the aboriginal community. With the advice and support of other Vancouver aboriginal groups who are interested in early childhood issues, the two agencies will work together to develop and design a family childcare training program by adapting, changing and enhancing existing resources so the course content, class materials and the delivery model will encourage and support participation and success of aboriginal students. An aboriginal family childcare instructor will be recruited and training/mentorship and support will be provided as needed by Westcoast staff. The course will be offered to up to 20 students at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre and will be evaluated by the participants and the project advisors. The final training package and a short report documenting the learnings of the pilot, will be shared with interested groups. Staff recommend that a grant of $10,000 be approved for this project.

CONCLUSION

This report recommends approval of four Research, Policy Development and Innovations grants totalling $21,500.

These are the final allocations under the 1998 Childcare Grants budget. There is $10,906 remaining (refer to Appendix I).

APPENDIX I

Grant Category

Date of Report to Council

Proposed 1998 Funding

Recommended to Date

City-Wide Support Services

May

$257,000

$252,294

Administration of City-owned Facilities

May

$ 64,100

$ 64,100

Research, Policy Dev. and Innovations

May/July/December

$ 15,500

$ 21,500

Program Development

May/July/December

$ 0

$ 0

Inner-City

July

$201,000

$204,800

Program Enhancement

July

$130,000

$119,000

Program Stabilization

As required

$ 5,000

$ 0

TOTAL

  

$672,600

$661,694

Balance

    

$ 10,906

* * * * *

ag981208.htm

Comments or questions? You can send us email.
[City Homepage] [Get In Touch]

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver