Tulare County Child Care Planning Council
  Strategic Plan 2000-2003
June 2000


MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL

This Strategic Plan represents a major step forward for the Tulare County Child Care Planning Council. It is our commitment to reaching our vision, in part through the implementation of this plan, that will further strengthen and improve the way we fulfill our mission. This plan serves as our road map to the future - a guide to give us a common direction.

Our plan has been created through the talents and dedication of our diverse membership. Their continued dedication and effort will ensure the plan is used as a tool to assist us in achieving our goals and objectives.

We would also like to thank all of those persons who participated and gave their time in formulating the strategic plan. Their insightful ideas gave us key elements necessary to look to our future.

Accomplishing our planned goals in the years to come will be challenging. It is the successful implementation of the Plan's strategies that will allow us to maintain a steady course over the next several years.


PLAN DEVELOPMENT

The Tulare County Child Care Planning Council embarked upon the strategic planning process to develop an accurate and visionary guide for the future.

After an exhaustive examination of the mission, critical community issues, needs assessment, and organizational strengths and weaknesses, the strategic plan focused on five major goals. These goals support and are driven by the Council's vision and mission.

Vision
All families in Tulare County have equal access to quality child care services.


Mission
Our mission is to advocate and promote quality and affordable child care services for all children in Tulare County.


ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENT

Participants were asked to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Council and of child care in Tulare County. Following is a compilation of that analysis.

Items in bold were identified as the most critical items facing the Council.

Strengths
  • New funds
    • CalWORKS child care funding
    • Proposition 10 child care funding
  • Committed caring people with expertise are building partnerships to meet diverse child care needs
  • Good education/training system available to child care providers, parents and community members
  • Stable child care organizations
  • New web site
  • Diversity
  • United vision
  • Platform for concerns
  • Many good centers
  • Educational out-reach
  • A needs assessment has been done
  • Several partnerships for addressing child care needs
  • R&R available
  • Multitude of services
  • Improved technology
Weaknesses/Challenges
  • Geographical size of Tulare County
    • No transportation
    • Distances between consumer and provider
  • Lack of financial resources to pay for quality care
    • Lack of facitilites for child care
    • Lack of child care for working poor
    • Limited infant care
  • Lack of communication between the players in all areas of child care
  • Lack of education
    • Supply and demand of trained providers
    • Illiteracy
  • Lack of diverse care
    • Non-traditional child care
    • Special needs
  • Babies watching babies
  • 0-5 mental health services
  • Pre-conceived attitudes need to be changed
  • Minimal after school care
  • Lack of advocacy
Opportunities
  • Research and disseminate information about child care resources and service opportunities
    • Provide training assistance when necessary
    • Encourage others to use opportunities and resources
  • Identify critical issues and unmet needs
    • Create "Think Tanks" to develop solutions based on the latest research/knowledge on child care and development
    • Form partnerships as needed to meet needs
  • Provide a diverse, inclusive broad planning process
    • Be the voice for children
    • Include the community's voice
    • Be the "gatekeeper"
  • Outreach in new arenas, i.e. business, schools, and extend services into rural communities/ethnic communities
  • Collaboration
    • Create new groupings
    • Identify potential partnerships and advocates
    • Network
  • Increase education to all constituencies
  • Provide technical assistance/grant writing
  • Research available services and funding
  • Funding available
  • To start new programs that meet specific needs of children
Threats
  • Narrow focus and complexity of funding sources and regulations
  • Scope of mission is not understood and supported by public, decision-makers and providers
  • Limitations of funding
  • Lack of knowledge and education about effective child care and the child care system
  • Lack of creative thinking resulting in duplication and fragmentation of services
  • Perceived as only advocating for subsidized care
  • High cost of child care
  • Status quo
  • Turf issues
  • Not enough subsidized care

CRITICAL ISSUES

From the environmental analysis participants identified the most critical issues facing the child care community and the Planning Council.
  1. The scope of the Planning Council's mission is not understood by the public, decision makers, and providers
  2. Narrow focus and complexity of funding sources and regulations
  3. Lack of financial resources to pay for quality care
  4. Lack of communication between the players in all areas of child care
  5. Research and disseminate information about child care resources and service opportunities
  6. Committed caring people with expertise are building partnerships to meet diverse child care needs
Addressing these critical issues became the basis of goal and objective development.

Through pursuing the following goals and objectives, the Tulare County Child Care Planning Council will fulfill its mission and move towards achievement of its vision for child care in Tulare County:

GOAL 1

Facilitate access for families to subsidized child care services.

Objectives:
  1. Establish a countywide Centralized Eligibility List (CEL) by December 31, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Survey subsidized child care programs in Tulare County to assess needs for a CEL by November 1, 2000.
    2. Compile surveys by March 31, 2001.
    3. Present results to the LPC at the May 2001 meeting.
    4. Research models of CELs by June 30, 2001.
    5. Develop a plan and budget for the CEL project by September 1, 2001.
    6. Search for funding sources to support CEL project September 1, 2000 - December 31, 2002.
    7. Committee representatives should attend CEL Project meetings, ongoing January 2001 - December 2002.
    8. Begin implementation of CEL December 1, 2002.

  2. Obtain funding to continue and expand child care transportation by December 1, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Gather data on child care bus ridership by sending a questionnaire to parents and gathering testimonials from parents and children by January 1, 2001.
    2. Begin meeting with interested parties (Health and Human Services Agency, County Transportation Agencies, City of Visalia, Tulare County Child Care Educational Program) to assess resources for funding by January 1, 2001.
    3. Seek grant funding for transportation project, ongoing.

GOAL 2

To increase awareness, promote understanding, and develop linkages for child care services in Tulare County.

Objectives:
  1. Tulare County Child Care Planning Council website to be fully functional by September 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Council staff will take the FrontPage class by April 30, 2001.
    2. Staff and the Chair will review the site information by April 30, 2001.
    3. Staff and the Chair will meet with the web site designer to finalize changes by May 15, 2001.
    4. The revised web site will be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools for approval by June 30, 2001.

  2. Establish a marketing sub-committee by October 1, 2000.
  3. Tulare County Child Care Planning Council will give presentations on child care needs and resources to 20 decision-makers, parents, provider groups and the public by November 30, 2003.

    Action Steps:
    1. Develop a presentation by August 31, 2001.
    2. Present the presentation to the Council for recommended changes and approval by September 30, 2001.
    3. Make a list of those agencies/groups/individuals to give presentations to by October 31, 2001.
    4. Decide who will give presentations by November 30, 2001.
    5. Familiarize Council members with presentation content by January 31, 2002.
    6. Decide when and where presentations will take place and make a schedule, ongoing beginning November 1, 2001.
    7. Contact agencies/groups/individuals and invite to presentations, ongoing beginning February 1, 2002.
    8. Give first presentation, March 2002.

  4. Tulare County Child Care Planning Council will establish effective linkages with family focused organizations, i.e. Proposition 10, Tulare County Youth Coalition beginning April 1, 2001.

    1. Identify other family focus agencies in the county by March 31, 2001.
    2. Determine what other committees/boards Council members currently sit on by March 31, 2001.
    3. Find out what the missions and goals of other committees/boards/groups are by March 31, 2001.
    4. Determine how the Council can work with other committees/boards by April 30, 2001.
    5. Disseminate information to other groups, ongoing.
    6. Have Council members give updates at meetings regarding other committees they are on, ongoing.

  5. Establish an annual public forum in each supervisory district of Tulare County beginning July 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Develop guidelines for public forums by June 30, 2001.
    2. Compile a list of Council members that will conduct the public forums by August 31, 2001.
    3. Train Council members on conducting a public forum by September 30, 2001.
    4. Locate sites to conduct the public forums, ongoing.
    5. Set a schedule for the public forums by September 30, 2001.
    6. Determine the methods of promoting the public forums by September 30, 2001.
    7. Promote the public forums, ongoing.
    8. Invite the Supervisor for the district to the public forum, ongoing.
    9. Disseminate information gathered at the public forum to the Council and participants, ongoing.

GOAL 3

Close the gap between unmet needs and the available financial resources.

Objectives:
  1. Complete a study that measures the gap between unmet child care service needs and the available financial resources by November 30, 2001 and distribute report to the Local Planning Council.

    Action Steps:
    1. Identify what the needs are/collect the numbers from the Needs Assessment by September 1, 2001.
    2. Determine what slots are available/collect the numbers from the Needs Assessment by September 1, 2001.
    3. Collect information regarding the gaps for special needs care, infant care, and after school care. Gather this information from the Assessment Subcommittee by September 1, 2001.
    4. Determine what the cost per slot is for those unmet needs and how much funding it would take to fill the slots (define methods used to create slots) by November 30, 2001.
    5. Identify the reasons for the gap (i.e. infrastructure, staff, operating costs, pricing to cover costs/impacts affordability) by conducting a provider survey by November 30, 2001.

  2. Complete action plan to bridge gaps identified in report by January 31, 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Identify what new resources are "on the way" (i.e. new federal legislation/budget, new state money, new foundation money, other money such as city, county, business) by October 30, 2001.
    2. Identify potential collaborative partners (i.e. schools, cities, business, etc.) to create strategic alliances and maximize money. Host a focus group by October 30, 2001.
    3. Identify who will/should go after the money and the partners by December 30, 2001.

  3. Close the gaps by 20% (to be adjusted based on study results) by June 30, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Go for the money. Promote, encourage, and support providers to go for the money, ongoing.
    2. Create a library of funded proposals with rating sheets for potential applicants to reference by September 30, 2001.
    3. Develop a legislative plan. Work with legislators to write needed bills and/or to seek appropriations for us by April 28, 2002.
    4. Retain grant writer to assist organizations in writing proposals by July 1, 2001.
    5. Hold workshops to build grantwriting capacity by March 30, 2002.
    6. Develop corporate child care promotional materials by June 30, 2002.

GOAL 4

Ensure quality child care available to all Tulare County families.

Objectives:
  1. Identify methods for determining special needs and underserved populations (i.e. developmentally disabled, middle income, cultural needs) by December 30, 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Search for additional statistics (i.e. special needs, middle income, migrant, cultural, infant, after school) by June 1, 2001.
    2. Identify data sources on what is missing in child care services for special needs; identify costs (link to finance subcommittee) by June 1, 2001.
    3. Identify existing/potential resources/ non-existing (gaps) by August 1, 2001.
    4. Identify the needs by September 30, 2001.
    5. Conduct a survey as needed, pending the outcome of data identification.
    6. Identify goal/plan to accomplish by October 30, 2001.
    7. Identify the amount of funding needed, ongoing.

  2. Conduct Child Care Quality Summit to inform child care network of state of the art child care practices that provide positive outcomes by April 30, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Explore partnerships by January 2001.
    2. Identify funding by March 2001.
    3. Secure funding by July 2001.
    4. Plan program, ongoing.
    5. Plan/organize conference with partnership by April 2002 or independently by December 2002.
    6. Secure lead agencies.

  3. Define the components of good quality child care. Develop quality guidelines and possible outcome measures by October  31  2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Secure CAEYC information for quality child care guidelines by December 2000.
    2. Present the guidelines to the Council for adoption by February 28, 2001.
    3. Analyze and review to ensure the guidelines are appropriate to the Council's needs by August 1, 2001.
    4. Present recommendation of guidelines to Council by August 30, 2001.
    5. Vote on guidelines at September 2001 Council meeting.

  4. Develop a plan for improving and measuring the quality of service and care to families (i.e. education, staff development) by January 1, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Identify how to promote a standard of quality for education/child care facilities by January 1, 2002.
    2. Promote accreditation (i.e. scholarships, mentor, generate resources to assist), ongoing.
    3. Advocate change in licensing and funding, ongoing.
    4. Utilize the guidelines for the Summit Conference by January 1, 2002.

  5. Implement quality plan by January 2003.

GOAL 5

To increase and improve the understanding, knowledge and expertise of child care council members about the specifics of how child care works in Tulare County.

Objectives:
  1. Develop a training task force by September 1, 2000.

    Action Steps:
    1. Establish task force by September 2000.
    2. Distribute survey by September 2000.

  2. Identify areas for training by September 1, 2000.

    Action Steps:
    1. Tally and prioritize surveys by October 25, 2000.
    2. Present results to council by November 9, 2000.

  3. Identify internal and external experts by January 11, 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Identify experts for priority 1 training by December 13, 2000.
    2. Review other experts for other training.
    3. Present at January 11, 2001 meeting (agenda item), time frame, content of training, presenters, start meetings earlier.

  4. Develop content and schedule training by February 1, 2001.

    Action Steps:
    1. Utilize 30 minutes and give first presentation at February 2001 meeting on money for child care and subsidized child care. Include handouts with agenda packet.
    2. Identify experts for priority #1 A.B.
    3. Become agenda item (training).
    4. Vote on proposed training time.
    5. Identify presenter for (all) training sessions.

  5. Complete two prioritized areas of training by January 30, 2001 and complete remaining areas by January 1, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. February and March
    2. New Laws by April 2001.
    3. Child Care organizations by May 2001.
    4. Requirements for child care workers by June 2001.
    5. Licensing Requirements by June 2001.
    6. What does it take to start by June 2001.
    7. Mental Health by August 2001.
    8. Child Care advocacy by September 2001.
    9. Health Department requirements by October 2001.
    10. Weakness in child care, research in child care, cultural awareness by November 2001.

  6. Develop an ongoing orientation for new members by June 30, 2002.

    Action Steps:
    1. Compile a training book using handouts from presenters including a glossary of terms.
    2. Present the draft to the Council to recap the training and evaluate the book by January 2002.
    3. Complete final handbook by June 30, 2002.
    4. Provide summer orientation.
    5. Conduct ongoing training.


| Home Page | Membership | Bylaws | Meeting Information |
| Needs, Goals, Plans | Calendar | AB212 | Inclusion | Related Web Links |
| Resource & Referral Services | Centralized Eligibility List |

Appointed by
Tulare County Office of Education Tulare County Board of Supervisors
Please direct web site problems or comments to tcoeweb@tcoe.org.
Copyright © 2010, Tulare County Office of Education