ECE Shared Resources Year In Review 2020

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2020

Year In Review

As we ushered in 2020, we could never have imagined what we were in for –personally and professionally. As we gladly ushered it out, looking back proved one thing, we are built to persevere. I am amazed at what we were able to accomplish and are still accomplishing amidst the pandemic. The world was wholly unprepared for the challenges that we have all experienced, the needs that arose and the lasting effects that the pandemic has had.

We really only had one choice – action. We needed to respond in a way that benefitted the families served, the children that needed care and the professionals trying to thrive. I am proud of the way CCA For Social Good answered. We were able to support the ECE community and the thousands of providers that we serve, not only with new resources and tools that supported survival during the pandemic, but also innovative solutions to new problems, including the facilitation of access to PPE and supplies when store shelves were bare.

ECE Shared Resources proved to be the comprehensive support system we built it to be on the day we started conceptualizing it 13 years ago. From supporting the disbursement of federal grants aimed at providing access to essential supplies, to provider support and guidance on how to effectively use COVID-19 federal and local business and financial relief and the updating and creation of necessary policies, procedures, communications and so much more. As we look to what 2021 has in store for us, we continue to be in awe of the efforts and dedication of our colleagues and are grateful for the continued commitment of our partnerships. We were thrilled to see the ECE Shared Resources family grow in 2020 and look forward to continuing to expand our community this year.

Warmest Regards,

INSIDE THIS YEAR IN REVIEW:

1

2 LEADING WITH INNOVATION

3 CREATING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS RESPONDING DURING CRISIS

4 SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS

RESPONDING DURING CRISIS

2020 brought challenges to the child care business community unlike anything ever seen. With businesses closing, temporarily and permanently, and a flood of new regulations regarding health and safety in child care, the community needed support, a swift response to the crisis and a path forward. ECE Shared Resources delivered an immediate multifaceted solution that supported the stability of the sector and the health and well-being of staff, children and families.

Approximately

RESOURCES:

Areas of Focus:

• Communication samples & templates

• Business operational guidance

• How-to’s

• Policies and procedures

• Financial relief guidance

new resources focused on business response to COVID

PRODUCTS THAT SUPPORTED:

• PPE for staff and children

• Health and hygiene

• Cleaning, disinfection

• At-home education

• Early learning materials

• Individual learning supply packs

• Mental health and wellness

Child Care Clean Plus on MS Early Learning Resources

At the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mississippi child care providers were deemed essential workers as the state prepared for the economic shutdown. During this time, child care providers expressed the need for additional resources to purchase PPE and additional sanitation supplies needed to meet CDC recommendations. They also needed guidance on new policies and practices to protect their businesses and keep their families and staff safe.

As providers searched for PPE and supplies, they were faced with challenges, including scarcity of accessible supplies, as they competed with healthcare providers and other small businesses for high-demand supplies like hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and thermometers. Child care providers needed a dependable source. Another challenge was affording the additional supplies when they faced declining enrollments and/or temporary closures due to quarantines. The Child Care Clean Plus (CCC+) program was created to respond to these challenges. At the center of CCC+ was the state's shared services platform, Mississippi Early Learning Resources (MELR), www.msearlylearningresources.org.

CCC+ was a program made possible through a partnership with the Mississippi Early Learning Resources (MELR), the Mississippi legislature, the North Mississippi Education Consortium (NMEC), the Children’s Defense Fund, and a group of MS child care director advocates. House Bill 1782 appropriated $3 million to the North Mississippi Education Consortium to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies to licensed childcare providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. NMEC utilized MS Early Learning Resources (MELR) to implement the program due to:

1. The accompanying guidance and technical assistance available from the team at CCA Global was valuable in advising the Mississippi team based on best practices and lessons learned from similar efforts in other states.

2. The relationship established between Food and Supply Source, a nationwide vendor, and shared services members allowed for the customization of a program that perfectly met the needs of Mississippi childcare providers, allowed for an ethical process and necessary, efficient reporting.

Because of CCC+, nearly 80% of all Mississippi licensed childcare providers were awarded over $3,500 each to purchase PPE and cleaning supplies. We've heard countless stories from child care providers about how CCC+ has positively impacted businesses, families, and children. We are thankful for the collaborative partnership from CCA Global and other partners in helping to achieve this positive impact.

LEADING WITH INNOVATION

Our steadfast commitment to our clients’ success prevailed throughout 2020 as we focused on the areas in which we could make the most impact – supporting child care business sustainability and quality through innovation.

COMMUNITY IMPACT:

25,000+

Child care businesses supported

1.5 million+

Children have access to quality environments

PLATFORM USER BREAKDOWN

28%

Directors and staff serving 25 children or less

12%

Directors and staff in programs serving 26-50

47%

Directors and staff in programs serving more than 50

13%

CCR&R, TA, Coaching and other support staff

67%

Growth in adoption of the Shared Resources platform

CLIENT SUCCESS STORY:

State Partnership Highlights Benefits of ChildcareTennessee.com

By expanding our partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS), ChildcareTennessee provided vital support and resources to providers through the pandemic. As a result, families had child care to return to as Tennessee began to open back up.

Through this partnership, 2,500 child care programs enjoy free access to ChildcareTennessee.com. With grants as the incentive to visit the website, even more child care programs came to ChildcareTennessee.com and used its thousands of resources to save time, money and find guidance for how to operate their program during an extraordinary time.

To bring the best to Tennessee’s child care programs, our team utilizes all of the customization features of ChildcareTenenssee.com. To bring providers even more discounts and deals, we have created a “Shop Local” program in conjunction with the “Saving Money” program. The ease of customization allows us to provide tailored state resources that complement already available national savings programs.

The next hurdle in child care is staffing and we continue to promote and drive providers to ChildcareTennessee Staffing Services. Providers enjoy the ease of posting, and the number of responses to their ads. In addition, we have used the job board to advertise and hire several employees for our own team!

Collaborative efforts are underway to coordinate essential content and resources with state partners such as the TN Child Care Resource and Referral Network and Child Care WAGE$®, a financial incentive program available to child care staff.

We won’t stop until we’re the one-stop shop for “all things child care” for providers in Tennessee.

CREATING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

Technology solutions became the hot button topic as people sought solutions for new problems related to child care business operation during the pandemic. Adapting, creating and adopting digital solutions to meet the needs of the field and addressing ever-evolving challenges remained at the forefront for ECE Shared Resources in 2020.

CHALLENGES:

CHALLENGE 1: Hiring Shortages

SOLUTION: Acquire4Hire

RESULT: 863,492+

Job applications submitted

4/4 star client rating

CHALLENGE 3: Sourcing Reliable Business Tools

SOLUTION 1: 135 New Online Tools & Resources Added

CHALLENGE 2: Availability of Real-Time Business Operations Guidance

SOLUTION: Operational Focused Webinar Series

RESULT: 97% average engagement and interest rating

This was an extremely useful webinar. I greatly appreciate the specificity of Stephen’s presentation. It clarified several questions and prepared me for a substantive and significant discussion with our HVAC company. Thank you for helping me figure out how to keep our children and staff safe.

Children’s Center of New Milford, Inc., CT

SOLUTION 2: Bi-Weekly Communications

RESULT: Email open rate 2x greater than national average 8 pages viewed by each user per site session 7:48 min. average time on site per user

CLIENT SUCCESS STORY:

Vermont’s COVID Response with Shared Services VT

www.SharedServicesVT.org, VT’s shared services platform has been an important piece in the work that Let’s Grow Kids has done over the past year, supporting the early care and education system as they navigate through operating during a pandemic. In the initial weeks, the factual information offered through the platform worked to inform the field, but also to link program operators to accurate and science-based guidance combating rumors and fear. In addition to the national offerings we were able to connect to platform users to link them to local Vermont COVID-19 resources, recordings of timely webinars and business supports. The extensive and comprehensive information related to the Paycheck Protection Program and other Small Business Administration supports has proved to be invaluable. And, as programs continue to navigate operating during a pandemic, they continue to need ongoing business and programmatic support related to regular operations of high quality and sustainable child care businesses. The web platform continues to offer those resources, including a link to ECE Jobs VT, supporting providers looking to fill important open staff positions as they focus on the continued care of children.

www.SharedServicesVT.org is a part of the fabric of our child care system in Vermont and we see it as a key piece of Let’s Grow Kids’ mission of a strong and stable child care system in Vermont.

SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY:

99%

agreed that the platform upgrade provided a better user experience

92%

see the platform as a reliable source of information to support fiscally sustainable business practices for child care business owners

The CCA For Social Good staff are a wellorganized team and kept the thread Alaska CCR&R team on track as we worked to customize the shared resources site to fit our organizational needs. Our customized site is now known as threadAlaskaTools. org. Using the documents and tools on this site, we've aligned resources to support the quality activities in Alaska’s QRIS, Learn & Grow, making it easier for programs to access quality materials and information to guide their quality improvement activities.

Dedicated to meeting the ever-changing needs of the diverse community we serve, CCA for Social Good works closely with our 32 devoted partners to support thousands of child care businesses across the country.

92%

see the platform as the go-to tool for providers looking to learn about best business practice in child care

4.7/5 support and service provided by CCA For Social Good Team

The Resource Platform has allowed South Carolina to create a group of 320 providers across our state and when the pandemic hit, we were able to use those connections to provide them with the training resources that they so desperately needed in order to remain compliant and up-to-date on ever changing practices.

Leslie Latimer Executive Director Palmetto Shared Services Alliance, SC

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, early childhood programs were sent into a tailspin as they had to rethink every aspect of their business operation. The ECE Shared Resources web platform (our State Early Learning Alliance of NH website) was an invaluable tool as childcare programs worked to modify business practices and to obtain essential supplies. Denise Sayer and her team added high quality, new content quickly and efficiently, specific to managing a childcare business during Covid-19.

Cellissa Hoyt State Director, State Early Learning Alliance of New Hampshire & State Director, Vroom and Mind in the Making

Equipping early learning providers with a user-friendly, multi-service platform has been a game-changer for efficient and effective programmatic and administrative management. Experiencing a pandemic resulting in limiting resources, the platform has provided tremendous support to programs by offering an array of management tools, policies, and cost savings opportunities.

OUR 32 DEVOTED STATE PARTNERS

Denise Sayer Vice President, CCA For Social Good 603.626.2121 dsayer@ccaglobal.com

Erin Holt Director, CCA For Social Good 603.626.2109 eholt@ccaglobal.com

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