NSPARC Now Completes Required 2016 Child Care Market Rates Final Report…with Actual Decreases in Payments Rates!

NSPARC Now Completes Required 2016 Child Care Market Rates Final Report…with Actual Decreases in Payment Rates!

In response to current child care provider requests for needed, expedient redress of the dreadful SECAC interference in the MDHS management of Mississippi’s Child Care Development Fund which has effectively defunded the child care assistance program in Mississippi, SECAC member Dr. Mimmo Parissi, professor and CEO of NSPARC, now completes the required 2016 proposed child care market rates increases with an actual decrease, down from 2003 rates, in the fees to be paid for school age care.

Because MDHS has not issued new enrollment for children over the last five years, it may be assumed that the majority of children being served now are receiving school age care.

Therefore, the reimbursement rates proposed by NSPARC will cause the operating capital for many CCPP providers to be even less than they have received over the last decade.

I do not believe that is or was the intent of Congress in the 2014 block grant reauthorization and the block grant’s requirement to increase market rates to no less than 75% of 2014 levels.

Section 98.45 Equal Access (Federal Register page 67586)

• The Lead Agency shall certify that the payment rates for the provision of child care services under this part are sufficient to ensure equal access, for eligible families in the area served by the Lead Agency, to child care services comparable to those provided to families not eligible to receive CCDF assistance.
• The Lead agency is required to use a market rate survey or alternative cost modeling in setting rates (i.e., it’s not a paper exercise, this information needs to inform rate setting).
• Prior to conducting the market rate survey or alternative methodology, the Lead Agency must consult not only with SECAC, but also with Organizations representing child care caregivers, teachers, and directors.
• After conducting the survey, the Lead agency must prepare a detailed report containing the results, and make the report widely available, including posting it on the internet within 30 days.

March, 2015, the former Early Years Network conducted the Market Rate Survey required as an addendum to the 2016-2018 CCDF State Plan. 

June 26, 2016, MDHS received conditions to full approval of the CCDF State Plan which included a serious concern that the payment rates set may not allow for equal access. The Office of Child Care made review of Mississippi’s payment rates a priority for Region IV monitoring visits saying the rates must be comparable to those provided to families that do not receive subsidies, as required by law. (click here and see the top of page two to read the full text.)

August – September, 2016, MDHS and NSPARC requested permission from the Office of Child Care to conduct a (alternative method) supplemental market rate survey to account for costs associated with administering curriculum and a self-assessment which would be the core of a Standard Child Care Application to be imposed on child care providers. (NSPARC developed the Standard Child Care Application and now provides administrative duties in its dreadful implementation although recently convened child care advocates and organization heads do not believe NSPARC’s services are funded by the CCDF and therefore, cannot actually identify Mimmo Parissi’s official CCDF role, his legal authority to implement CCDF rules or how he was chosen for a no bid contract with little or no expertise or experience in early learning. All noted that the CCDF requires all subcontractors and funding streams to be identified in the CCDF State Plan to ensure transparency and program accountability. Sadly, his application, curriculum and self-assessment were required and thrust upon providers without the needed resources to be provided in the payment rates increase he has just now proposed. Coincidently, sources close to the Child Care Academy report approximately half of all providers who completed the application have not yet been fully approved to continue to serve low-income children. Click here.)

September 2016, NSPARC completed the supplemental survey process.

March 23, 2018, NSPARC completed the final 2016 Market Rate Report at a time when Mississippi should be conducting a 2018 Market Rate Survey as a required addendum to the 2019-2021 CCDF State Plan. (SECAC/MDHS has listed the very delinquent report, which is based on 2015 market rates and NSPARC’s 2016 Supplemental Survey, as the 2018 Market Rate Report.  Be advised, a 2018 Market Rate Survey has not been conducted and it is likely child care payment rates have risen 6%/9% since 2015/2016!) Click here to review the 2016 payment rates set by NSPARC on page three.

The proposed 2016 payment rates went into effect April 1, 2018.

Recent comments and concerns about the NSPARC rates provided by organizations representing child care caregivers, teachers, and directors (who were not consulted by NSPARC prior to the alternative method survey) have been oddly rebuffed by top MDHS officials who insist they must receive comments from you in order to ”redress the redress”!

If you feel you will be still further harmed by the school age payment decreases and more, send your comments to:

Dana.Kidd@mdhs.ms.gov

Andrea.Sanders@mdhs.ms.gov

If you have questions or comments concerning the oversight of ACF Region IV, write to:

eric.blanchette@acf.hhs.gov

Finally, you may share the comments you submit to MDHS here on this blog if you like.

I still believe that if we are treated with the respect we deserve as child care small businesses, Administrative Procedures Law is finally adhered to, policies are supportive, processes are transparent and our funding is not held, diverted or manipulated, we can identify and joyfully implement curriculum and quality initiatives into Mississippi’s work force support system in a brilliant way!

I believe in child care providers!

PRACTICE DEMOCRACY TODAY!

Your voice is needed now!