SEPECC Meeting Tuesday, April 14, 2020 9:00 Welcome Age genda - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SEPECC Meeting

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Age genda

9:00 Welcome 9:05 OCDEL and ELRC-18 Updates 9:35 Advocacy Training 10:15 Community Partner Updates 10:50 Self-Care Moment 10:55 Next Steps and Closing

Announcements:

• All participants on the call will

automatically be muted.

• Questions for speakers can be

shared in the chat box.

• This meeting will be recorded,

the recording will be available at www.firstup.org/covid-19 by end of day.

Updates from OCD CDEL and ELRC RC-18 18

Karen Grimm-Thomas, OCDEL c-kgrimmth@pa.gov & Diane Getzinger, ELRC-18 dgetzinger@caringpeoplealliance.org

Advocacy T y Training

Elizabeth F Farwel ell-Ozer Elizabeth.ozer er@firstup.org Shirle irlee H Howe shirlee eeh@pccy.org

ADVOCACY IN THESE TIMES

M AG N I F Y YO U R VO I C E

What is advocacy? Advocacy is not a stationary concept. It’s about getting involved! Does it look different now?

• the act or process of supporting

a cause or proposal

• the act or process of advocating

something

• people who make decisions

rely on other individuals to assist in the decision making process

• advocacy provides an
• pportunity for you to lend

your voice to the process

Not really, it’s just become more focused on ways to support the early childhood education community during the Covid-19 crisis.

• Step 1:

Identify a cause – SAVE the child care sector

• Step 2: Review stimulus recommendations for child care industry
• Step 3: Tell your own story about how this crisis has affected you
• Step 4: Identify your legislators and those in leadership and reach out to

them (www.legis.state.pa.us)

• Last step: Take action!

PA General Assembly Website—https://www.legis.state.pa.us/ PCN's Civics 101 (more detailed videos of lawmaking process)—https://pcntv.com/civics- 101-vod/

WHO IS INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY?

• Policy makers -Your own representatives & legislative leaders in Harrisburg
• Constituents - Residents/voters in policy makers’ districts
• Coalitions/Campaigns - Us! - SEPECC, Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA
• Organizers - Many of us! - People who plan (virtual) strategies related to our cause
• Mobilizers - Again, many of us! People who chorale other people and groups to get together to

support our collective positions on issues

• Media - Social media, newspapers, radio
• Public - Communities - providers, teachers, parents, like-minded organizations & other

interested stakeholders

WHAT CAN I DO TO ADVOCATE?

• 1. Call legislators’ district offices
• 2. Take to social media w/your own content and posts/tweets

from the campaigns & others

• 3. Write letters to legislators and op-eds to local papers
• 4. Coordinate efforts with others in your networks (ie.
• rganize a legislative call w/a group of providers, co-sign an
• p-ed, involve parents)

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Call Your Elected Officials

• You can call your local members of the Pennsylvania State Legislature and tell them to make saving the child care sector their top
• priority. People who live in Philadelphia can also call their local member of City Council and tell them to support expanding opportunities

to help child care providers during this crisis.

• Don’t know who they are? Look up your legislators at www.legis.state.pa.us.

Get on Social Media

• Use the campaigns’ twitter handles (@PreK4PA, @StartStrongPA) to reach a broader audience and incorporate the hash tags #ChildCare

and #StrongerTogether when you tweet. Facebook is also an effective tool to reach a larger audience, including your own network, legislators and advocacy groups. Send a Letter to Your Elected Officials

• Writing a letter directly to your elected official is a great way to let them know that you demand that they commit to helping child care

providers and the children and families they serve as a condition of your vote.You can write a personal letter or you can sign on to a letter drafted by the Start Strong PA campaign. Write to Your Local Newspaper

• Writing a letter to the editor or op-ed to your local newspaper is a great way to raise awareness about this important issue during the

Covid-19 crisis. They are read by lawmakers, action groups and citizens and can help play a role in shaping policies to benefit the child care sector and our region’s children.

THE CALL

Introduce yourself to the policy maker: Good morning. Thanks for taking my call. My name is Mary and I’m a constituent and small business owner in your district. State the problem as a personal story: I’m a child care provider in West Philadelphia and I’ve had to close my small business due to the current Covid-19 crisis. Although I was able to retain and pay my staff for the first two weeks, I am no longer able to do so and recently laid off most of my staff. I never thought I’d find myself in this situation. I’m struggling to identify help I may be eligible to receive in order to reopen my business when the crisis subsides. I was heartened to hear of economic stimulus recommendations to benefit child care providers being considered in Harrisburg. I’m calling to urge your support of these measures. Create a context for the conversation using a point of common agreement: I think you’d agree that the child care industry must remain viable for when businesses reopen and parents return to work. It’s been my life’s work to care for and educate young children. The child care sector must remain whole to accommodate children coming back to our programs when their parents resume their work schedules. State your position and ask about theirs: I support the economic stimulus recommendations to benefit child care

• providers. What’s your position on supporting the child care sector during the current crisis? Would you support these

measures as part of the budget stimulus package?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I’ve owned and operated __________ Center since _____. Since then I’ve earned ______ degree, and achieved a STAR 4 rating, which is the highest quality rating in Pennsylvania. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, like so many of my colleagues in early learning, I’ve had to close my child care center – where I also provide high-quality Pre-K Counts classes. I want nothing more than to be able to re-open when this health crisis has passed, and provide child care and early learning in a caring and high-quality environment for the ___ families I serve – all of whom are counting on me to return to work. This is a really important way our early learning system is connected in

• Pennsylvania. Did you know that 48% of Pre-K Counts kids are served by STAR 3 and 4 child care

providers? I’m writing today with my community in mind, and in response to your article ___________ published on April 10th. How will our economy recover if child care centers are closed for good? The Covid-19 crisis has exposed the fragility of the system – we’ve always operated on the slimmest of margins, but this will force so many to shut their doors for good – we could lose up to half of the child care capacity in the state! We are all doing our best to keep people safe by closing down our businesses. The likelihood of these valuable community assets – offering families high-quality child care and pre-k – reopening without some support is very low.

WRITE A LETTER TO A POLICYMAKER

• We no longer receive co-pays from parents, which provides critical revenue that we count on to meet expenses.
• We lose revenues for other types of enrollment, including private pay parents.
• We have little or no reserves to cover all these unanticipated loses yet we have full exposure to all our expenses ranging from rent, salaries,

• nce we get through this crisis. I have attached what the Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA campaigns believe will help small businesses, like mine, in

DRAFT EARLY LEARNING PA DRAFT STIMULUS RECOMMENDATIONS

Make Decisions that Enable a Rapid Return to Work for All Families – A three-pronged Covid-19 response strategy is required to

guarantee child care centers and other early education programs can readily support parents returning to work. The Commonwealth must:

• 1. Continue to pay child care subsidies and contract payments to Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs for the

duration of the crisis.

• 2. Provide funding to compensate for the share of revenues that would otherwise have been collected by providers in the Child Care Works

program co-payments until child care services are restored to normal.

• 3. Provide funding to pay child care programs for tuition not collected through the crisis period. Payments to these providers would be

consistent with the rates paid by the Child Care Works program.

Act Now to Avoid Higher Costs for Public Schools – The General Assembly must act quickly to stem early childhood learning losses by

appropriating funds to extend Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs through the summer for children that will enter kindergarten in the fall.

Prevent Steep Increases in Child Care Tuition Rates – The General Assembly must protect child care programs from costs associated

with litigation that stem from responsible and expected practices to comply with government directives throughout the crisis.The Commonwealth must immediately pass legislation to impose an immunity from tort liability associated with claims related to Covid-19 to all Commonwealth certified child care providers that are authorized to continue to operate pursuant to the Governor's Executive Order/Declaration of Emergency.

Decrease the Risk of Subsequent Infection – Every early learning program and child care provider must be required to attend free training

• n the practices needed to sanitize all spaces in which children and staff are working before programs can be re-opened.

STAY IN TOUCH

Public Citizens for Children & Youth Shirlee Howe – shirleeh@pccy.org Montgomery & Delaware County Coordinator Dan O’Brien – dano@pccy.org Bucks County Coordinator www.pccy.org, @PCCYteam First Up: Champions for Early Education Tyrone Scott – tyrone.scott@firstup.org Director of Government & External Affairs Elizabeth Farwell Ozer – elizabeth.ozer@firstup.org Public Policy & Special Projects Manager Jackie Groetsch – jackie.groetsch@firstup.org Public Policy Field Organizer www.firstup.org, @FirstUpEarlyEd

Community Partner Updates

Edwina White, Exude Inc Joanna Rosenheim, Philadelphia Health Access Network (PHAN) MaryKay Mahar, PHMC Teri Bell, The Reinvestment Fund Shirlee Howe, PCCY

Edwina W White

Ex Exude, I Inc. c.

https://www.uc.pa.gov/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx

Joanna Rosenhe nhein

Ph Philadelphia H Health A Acce ccess Network (PHAN) N) joanna@ a@pah aheal althac access.org

MaryK yKay M y Mahar

PHMC mmahar@phmc. c.org

PHMC COVID-19 BUSINESS SUPPORT

Do you need help navigating through all the changes so you can make it through to the other side with your business intact? PHMC has general business support resources and expert consultation for you, whether you need an answer to one question, or you need longer, on-going support. These supports are available AT NO COST to ALL PROVIDERS:

• Family, group, and center based
• Single site, multi-site, and multi-service
• Nonprofit and for-profit
• Any STAR level

Fund for Sustaining Quality (FSQ) Website http://sustainingquality.org/ask-a-question Anyone can visit any time to review the COVID-19 Business Support repository of resources from PHMC and partners to support early education operators, including upcoming new webinars, recorded webinars, links partner and other community resources including grant and loan applications, and new tools as they are created.

PHMC COVID-19 BUSINESS SUPPORT

“Ask a Question” Do you need a discreet answer to a specific question? This feature is set up on the FSQ website to get answers to questions about business operations, stability, or sustainability. Questions and answers will be made anonymous and used to develop a Frequently Asked Questions which will be posted on the site for access at any time. CLICK HERE to ask a question! You can also access this on the FSQ website. Interactive Business Support Webinars Register for upcoming webinars or watch previously recorded sessions posted to the FSQ website. Content includes how-to-guides on applying for grants and loans, reviews and clarification of financial terminology, explanation of documents needed for available local, state, and federal grant and loan

• resources. New webinars will be develop based on your incoming questions and TA requests.

PHMC COVID-19 BUSINESS SUPPORT

Individual Business Support TA for Providers Operating in Philadelphia Expert consultation is available for one-on-one sessions to help you navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic to stabilize ECE businesses, so you are poised to re-open when that time comes. CLICK HERE to apply. A link is also available on the FSQ website. Do you need help making a timely decision on how to:

• Apply for available loans/grants
• Save money while closed
• Track losses
• Plan for staffing: retain or layoff, personnel legal matters OR

Do you need on-going help to plan through reopening and recovery:

• Personnel retention strategies and family retention strategies,
• Budget projections and program financing
• Health and safety protocols

For more information, email ECEProviderSupport@phmc.org

Ter eri B Bel ell

The Reinvestment F Fund teri.bel ell@rei einves estmen ent.com

SEPECC Meeting April 14, 2020

Philadelphia Emergency Fund for Stabilization of Early Education (PEFSEE)

*Funded through grants from the William Penn Foundation and Vanguard and is administered by Reinvestment Fund.

PEFSEE Overview

• Website: reinvestment.com/pefsee/
• General Inquiries: PEFSEE@reinvestment.com
• Application: reinvestmentfund.smartsimple.com
• Eligibility:
• Centers, FCCH, GCCH, serving 0-5 populations
• Other organizations providing early intervention and home visiting programs
• Awards:
• Maximum: instituted based upon child care operator type:
• Family child care homes eligible for up to $5,000
• Group child care homes eligible for up to $7,500
• Center-based child care eligible for up to $20,000
• Priority Uses: Payroll/staffing, mortgage/rent
• Application Process:
• Online application, accepted on rolling basis and reviewed weekly.
• First round opened on April 6, 2020 and will be live until further notice.
• See website for more details and FAQs
• PEFSEE INFORMATION SESSION – April 15th 10am
• Join the webinar by computer or smart phone (link on PEFSEE website)
• Recording will be posted on PEFSEE website

26

Shirlee Ho ee Howe

PCCY CY shirlee eeh@pccy.org

The importance of self-care

Take a break from the stressor. Exercise. Smile and laugh. Get social support. Meditate.

Next steps & closing

• Updates from attendees
• Stay connected through this ongoing

situation

SEPE EPECC Call a and C COVID-19 R Resou

• urces:

Ka Karen G Grimm-Tho homas - c-kgri rimmth@ h@pa pa.gov Di Diane ne Get etzin inger er - dgetzinger@caringpeoplealliance.org Shirlee Howe – shirleeh@pccy.org Joanna Rosenhein – joanna@pahealthaccess.org Marykay Mahar – mmahar@phmc.org Teri Bell – teri.bell@reinvestment.com Elizabeth Farwell-Ozer – elizabeth.ozer@firstup.org Jackie Groetsch – jackie.groetsch@firstup.org https://www.firstup.org/covid-19/ Want to be added to the SEPECC mailing list? E-mail rebecca.tyrrell@firstup.org to be added.

Thank you!