Innovative Approaches to Child Care Sustainability Grant - Participant Exit Survey Thank you for participating in the INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CHILD CARE SUSTAINABILITY grant program! As you end your contract, The Center for Retention & Expansion of Child Care (C-RECC) would like to collect feedback about your experience. A portion of the data we collect from this survey will be used in a final report of accountability to the grant funders, the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County. Information shared will respect provider anonymity unless we specifically reach out to you for permission to use your name. We are also interested collecting additional information to help us gauge the current health of our field and guide our next steps as your supporters. We will use the information you provide in our continual pursuit of additional grants and subsidies for the child care field. The information, statements, and evidence you provide will demonstrate the continuing need for investment in child care and the significant returns on investment that can be achieved when our communities support child care. Our policy is always to respect the privacy of the providers we serve. We see your stories and testimonies as powerful tools in the pursuit of further support for the child care field, but we will never share personally identifying information without express permission. Business Name -Contact -Type of DCYF Licensed Child Care - Family Child Care (FCC) Child Care Center School Age Child Care only Outdoor Nature-Based Child Care (ONB) Licensed Capacity -Ages Served (select all that apply) - Infant (Birth to 12 mo) Toddler (12 mo to 30 mo) Preschool (30 mo to 5 yr before K enrollment) School Age (5 yr to 12 yr) Current Enrollment -Number of Children on Waitlist -How many enrolled children are considered BIPOC, minority, and/or a part of marginalized communities?How many enrolled children require special needs accommodations? (Diagnosed or undiagnosed.)Do you accept tuition subsidy? (WCCC, SCC, Tribal, Vouchers, etc.) I accept child care subsidy payments I accept a limited amount of child care subsidy I do not accept child care subsidy payments How many staff (including yourself) do you employ?How many staff (including yourself) are considered BIPOC, minority, and/or a part of marginalized communities?GENERAL IMPACT STATEMENTSPlease indicate to what level you agree with the following impact statements. You will have opportunities to provide further detail and explanation in later sections. The grant helped my child care/early learning business recover from the pandemic - Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral / Not Applicable Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree The grant improved the quality of our facility - Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral / Not Applicable Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree The grant helped to improve my child care/early learning business staffing situation (Retention, recruitment, qualifications, etc.) Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral / Not Applicable Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree The grant provided opportunities to improve the quality of the curriculum & programming at my child care/early learning business. Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral / Not Applicable Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree SPECIFIC GRANT USAGEGrant funds were invested in the following STAFF IMPROVEMENT plans (select all that apply) - HIRING BONUSES attracted new staff during grant period STAFF BONUSES were granted for retention and recognition of tenure and achieving training requirements WAGE INCREASES were key to retaining staff that otherwise would have left for higher-paying jobs WAGES FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF required to be able to enroll more children WAGES FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF to provide accommodation for children with special needs WAGES FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF to allow for a more favorable teach-child ratio for at least part of the day (Aide/Float) WAGES FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF to provide consistent substitute and/or teacher planning/development time Paid for ESSENTIAL STAFF CERTIFICATIONS (DCYF minimum training requirements) Paid for CONTINUING STAFF DEVELOPMENT (Special needs training, trauma informed care, behavioral support, etc.) Provided OTHER BENEFITS to attract new staff and retain current staff (Health Insurance, Retirement, PTO, etc.) I DID NOT USE this grant for staff improvement What effect did the above investments have on your staffing situation?Grant funds were invested in the following FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS (select all that apply) - FACILITY APPEARANCE projects to improve image and marketing Repaired a DCYF OUT-OF-COMPLIANCE (or soon to be out-of-compliance) facility issue Created or enhanced an inviting space for STAFF BREAKS and self care Enhanced HEALTH & SAFETY of a child-used space Funded PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) for staff and/or children I DID NOT USE this grant for Facility Improvements What effect did the above investments have on your facility situation?Grant funds were invested in the following CURRICULUM / PROGRAMMING IMPROVEMENTS (select all that apply) - Purchased/Subscribed to new CURRICULUM programs or enhancements to improve learning and or care offered Purchased/Subscribed to STUDENT ASSESSMENT programs to create student responsive care and curriculum Purchased/Subscribed to STEM MATERIALS and student experiences Purchased student materials that enhanced the CULTURAL DIVERSITY & Representation within program Purchased student materials to SUPPLEMENT a previously sparse selection of student materials Purchased materials that enable program to offer more accommodations to student with SPECIAL NEEDS I DID NOT USE this grant for Curriculum / Programming Improvements OTHER – Please describe other uses of funds that do not fit the above options, and specify how it aided pandemic recovery, improvement to your program, and/or improves the long-term outlook of your child care/early learning business -OPEN COMMENTSWhat would YOU like to share with the funders about what this grant meant to you, your business, your staff, and/or the families you serve?Have you applied for other grants in the past? How has this experience been in comparison? What else could we do to make the process more accessible to more providers?C-RECC FEEDBACKAnswers to the following questions are meant for C-RECC use only and will not be shared in the final report to the City of Bellingham or Whatcom County. This is your chance to let us know what your challenges and goals are. This lets us know what resources and assistance we need to find for our providers in Whatcom County.Provider Engagement with Coaching/Support Programs Enrolled in Early Achievers and receiving CCA coaching prior to grant Started Receiving CCA Coaching with Grant - Signed Up for Early Achievers in Order to Continue Started Receiving CCA Coaching with Grant - Not Interested in Continuing Coaching Would be interested in continued coaching without Early Achievers Participation Receive business and programming coaching through an organization other than CCA If receiving coaching from organization other than CCA (Imagine, bizedge, DCYF, etc.), please list -What issues, Pandemic related or not, is your business struggling with?Do you feel confident about the future long-term viability of your business? What do you need to ensure sustainability?Is your program enrolled to full capacity? If not, what do you feel is preventing you from being able to do so?Are you interested in consultation about expanding your current program, starting another location, or preparing for retirement/selling your business?
