We Must All Take Part to Arrive at the Best, Possible, Overall, Fee to Providers!
Posted: April 22, 2024 Filed under: Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, Mississippi's Child Care Crisis, SECAC Mississippi, Uncategorized | Tags: CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, MDHS, SECAC Mississippi Leave a commentThe new cost estimation model examines the full cost to the provider delivering services!
The prices that parents pay in many cases do not align with the full cost of delivering child care services, particularly high-quality services, and therefore cost information provides additional facts to inform the setting of payment rates.
Our input is necessary in determining what is needed to provide the child care services needed!
BUT, we must all take part to provide the amount of information our researchers are required to have in order to arrive at the best, possible, overall fee to providers!
Share Your True Cost:
PLEASE CALL TODAY!
662-325-4150
HELP LIFT US UP WHERE WE BELONG!
Posted: April 8, 2024 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, MS Department of Human Services, Uncategorized | Tags: CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, MDHS, SECAC Mississippi 1 CommentWe Will Set Our New Child Care
Tuition Fees With 65%
Participation!
This is an exciting time to complete the Child Care Market Rate Survey!
This time, our tuition fees will not be weighted or influenced heavily by those mostly receiving 75% of market rate, but rather, to the extent possible, fees will be based on the true costs of care based on the information we all share with the researchers!
Last week, I voluntarily sent my liability renewal invoice to Dr. Heather Hanna of the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University who is overseeing the 2024 market rate survey! I wanted to see if it would shock her as much as it did even my own insurance provider!!
When I explained that I thought her team should have this information, she explained that I could share this and much more by using the call-in hotline at my own convenience to directly provide my costs of operation CONFIDENTIALLY with the researchers who are now gathering the needed information by completing the New Market Rate Survey through telephone interviews.
I will be phoning in soon after the Great American Eclipse. Today, I am in Arkansas!
In the meantime, I am urging you to call-in and to encourage other providers and colleagues to also call-in so that we may reach the 65% needed to get our rates “UP WHERE THEY BELONG”!
For more information, see the flyer below.
PLEASE CALL TODAY!
662-325-4150
Stick Up for Child Care!
Posted: March 28, 2024 Filed under: Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Health Department, MS Department of Health, MS Department of Human Services, Ole Miss, SECAC Mississippi, Uncategorized | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, equal access, Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning, SECAC Mississippi Leave a commentSTICK UP FOR CHILD CARE!
MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2024
Deadline to order FREE Child Care Aware Stickers for Child Care Awareness Day!
Complete the form below if you would like to take the opportunity to help recognize the importance of early childhood professionals on “Work Together Wednesday” by providing stickers for parents to wear on Wednesday, April 10th as a Child care Awareness Day. Please complete the application linked below and return today!!
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024
Stand for HB907 Substitution for Increased Child Care Staff Wages News Conference in Jackson!
If your program is enjoying the MDHS Directive Incentives Bonuses, you will want to participate in this call for political action in the development of a more permanent solution to remedy low child care wages! Join us on April 2nd at 9:30 a.m. as we stand together on the South Capitol Steps at the Mississippi State Capitol.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024
“Work Together Wednesday”: Pass out stickers to your clients on the afternoon of the 9th or morning of the 10th and ask them to wear them!
Wearing the sticker is one way to remind the community of the importance of child care in the reality of people going to work every day. Complete the form linked below and return to Gena Puckett at: gpuckett@olemiss/edu
Child Care Awareness Day
Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning
April 10, 2024
I want to participate in the Week of the Young Child by providing stickers to all the parents whose children attend my program and asking them to wear them on April 10, 2024. This is to help raise awareness in the community of the importance of child care workers (directors, teachers, assistants, cooks, bus drivers, and maintenance staff) in their lives and in their ability to work worry-free since you are providing a safe and nurturing program for their children to attend.
If you would like to participate, complete the form, and return to Gena Puckett at gpuckett@olemiss.edu no later than April 1 so the stickers can be mailed in time for you to pass out on the afternoon of the 9th or morning of the 10th. Wearing the sticker is one way to remind the community of the importance of child care in the reality of people going to work every day.
If possible, take a picture of parents proudly wearing their sticker for us to share on our social media and send to Gena Puckett (gpuckett@olemiss/edu). Remember to get their permission for the use of their photo.
Name of Person Completing the Form ________________________________________
Name of Center ___________________________________________________________
E-mail address ___________________________________
Center phone number _______________________________
Mailing Address (include zip code) ___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Number of stickers needed (number limited to 100 stickers per center) ________________
Return this form to Gena Puckett at gpuckett@olemiss.edu by April 1.
MSDH and Interested Parties Invoke Child Care Emergency Rules Citing Rising Covid-19 Spread
Posted: July 23, 2020 Filed under: Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, COVID-19, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Licensing, child care Mississippi, Mississippi Child Care Licensing 2 Comments
Zoom Meeting On MSDH Emergency Regulations
Posted: July 19, 2020 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, COVID-19, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi Legislature, MLICCI, MS Department of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, Mississippi Child Care Licensing, Mississippi Health Department Leave a comment
Get rid of the “bad” ones? (Dr. Chad Allgood is Stigmatizing Child Care!)
Posted: September 18, 2019 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Health Department, MS Department of Health, MS Department of Human Services, NAEYC, NSparc, Office of Govenor Phil Bryant, SECAC Mississippi, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Uncategorized | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, child care licensing Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi Child Care Licensing, Mississippi Health Department, proposed amendments to the regulations governing child care, SECAC Mississippi Leave a commentGet rid of the “bad” ones? (Dr. Chad Allgood is Stigmatizing Child Care!)
Prepare for fines and/or closure or contact your legislators today!
My Facebook friend and I have been having lively debate regarding the role of child care licensure and her Facebook friend, Dr. Chad Allgood, formally of MSU Quality Stars Q.R.I.S. (That program was abolished in 2015 by popular demand! According to paid consultants, after millions and millions of CCDF dollars spent in Q.R.I.S. administration over eight years, only 63 child care facilities out of 1,700 actually held a quality rating or measured up to national bench marks because his organization did not update the scoring scale. Coincidentally, DECCD did not have sufficient funding to provide quality incentive bonuses to all providers who participated. Could that have influenced scores and choice of obsolete scales?)
Likewise, I do not support reducing the number of child care facilities down to a number that will allow Child Care Licensing to begin unannounced, long and disruptive “Observation Based Inspections” or four inspections per year where fines may be imposed as they are often in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.
I do not support the act of Child Care Licensing interfering in voluntary quality improvement exercises by asking the technical assistance coaches with other agencies to lodge complaints with Child Care Licensing on child care centers rather than correct any errors on site for the those seeking quality improvement. I find that counterproductive to quality improvement and to be a little too desperate and eager to rack up fines and demonstrate power.
I do not support inspecting a child care provider 12 times over an 8 week period and/or alleged stalking (allegedly picked up on surveillance cameras) as that meets the legal definition of harassment – that’s not conduct any state actor should be engaged in! (It is precisely why the number of inspections is preset by lawmakers. It also demonstrates that legislators should add specific verbiage to the words “one and more as needed” as well as look into the agency’s process of screening “complaints” and/or abuse of power.)
I do not support reducing the number of licensed child care programs down to a number to promote any state actor’s need for recognition, relevance or to duplicate services, push a personal agenda or embed his own program of unfunded national bench marks/recommendations into licensing, particularly when there is only statutory authority to promulgate minimum standards. (See the Economic Impact Statement – fines/business closures are not addressed.)
I do believe my Facebook friend is right about one thing, however, and that is that work of Dr. Chad Allgood is to get rid of child care centers. He has already revoked many child care licenses based on fines imposed in a single licensing period and at least one excited licensing official has already announced that she can close down a child care facility anytime she wants!
State actor contempt has become so intense, in fact, at a recent meeting on obesity, an employee of the Mississippi State Department of Health revealed that because so much animosity and hostility has been demonstrated towards licensed child care providers, she actually removes her MSDH name badge before trying to collaborate with child care providers because otherwise, they will have nothing to do with her.
I think it is clear that new leadership is needed in Mississippi.
My Facebook friend feels I just have no respect for the leadership and asked me to name just one I respected.
It took a minute!
I listed Dr. Micca Knox of the Child Care Academy for having the professionalism and strong character to refuse to allow her technical assistance coaches to file complaints with the Office of Child Care Licensing following technical assistance sessions with unsuspecting child care providers she truly wishes to empower. (She is a former elementary school assistant principal with experience in effectively guiding and training teachers.)
My Facebook friend did not attend the Road Show so I have agreed to post clips of what I did film.
I was having camera issues – I switched it off!
I just didn’t feel I could watch a replay of smooth-talking doublespeak and I was so hoping Dr. Chad Allgood would see the error of his ways and make the decision not to bully and stigmatize child care or technical assistance opportunities with fines.
That has not happened…and Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
So now, I yield and hope you and she can feel the mood and determine for yourself if measurable improved quality or improved health and safety is even a possibility under this leadership in this environment.
I, for one, do not exonerate him when he says he was once a Director, for I do not identify any relatable kinship as he is conducting himself and his office – this is some serious stuff!
I think it is more about who he thinks he is today and who he wants to be.
He has been pushing four inspections per year since he arrived from Q.R.I.S. He once announced four inspections for the Delta only because it was the only district with sufficient licensing officials or few enough centers to carry it out. I suppose by January, when this is scheduled to begin, he feels he will have closed enough child care centers and/or generated enough money to support his quality team and carry out four inspections per year state wide. He will surely be seen and heard then – to hear him tell it as he did in Hattiesburg, he will be known and called upon for his quality program nationwide!
So, prepare for fines and/or closure or contact your legislators today!
The Mississippi Legislature sets the number of times a child care facility may be inspected!
According to Dr. Allgood, one inspection is still a viable option and remains on the table.
Get rid of the “bad” ones? (Chad Allgood is Stigmatizing Child Care!)
I don’t think that program is new!
PRIOR TO THIS POST: I tried speaking to a member of Dr. Chad Allgood’s Quality Team at the Road Show but she walked away from me. I tried speaking to him, but I didn’t have time to wait. I telephoned his office and left a message. He made no effort to contact me in return.
For on site technical assistance sessions in transitional activities, effective discipline of young children, age appropriate lessons, nutrition, emergency preparedness and more that are not an inspection or held under threat of any monetary penalties to be reported online, contact the Child Care Academy in your area or Email Dr. Micca Knox at: mknox@mccb.edu
The Road Show Video
Technical Assistance Inspections Scheme
Posted: September 12, 2019 Filed under: Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Licensing, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Health Department, MS Department of Health | Tags: child care licensing Mississippi, Mississippi Child Care Licensing, proposed amendments to the regulations governing child care Leave a comment
UPDATE: Find Your State Senator and Representative! Contact Them Today!
Posted: September 10, 2019 Filed under: Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Licensing, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Health, Quality Rating System, SECAC Mississippi, Uncategorized | Tags: child care quality rating systems Mississippi, Mississippi Health Department, SECAC Mississippi Leave a commentUPDATE: Find Your State Senator and Representative! Contact Them Today!
Only 2 (two) child care providers attended the Monday, 9:15 AM public hearing to oppose the rates increase necessary to enable Child Care Licensure to engage in the adoption/enforcement of “quality” national bench marks. (For more, click here.)
If you are opposed to financing the salaries for the licensing personnel needed to provide additional “technical assistance inspections” with fines but fear retaliation for speaking out, contact your legislators today.
If you are opposed to a practice of revoking child care licenses down to a number that will afford the financial support for four inspections per year, contact your legislators today.
To find your State Senator and Representative, click here and enter your address.
Ask them to present your opposition to the Mississippi Board of Health and/or call for a legislative hearing.
This matter is now in the hands of each licensed child care provider…the time for action is NOW!
Best wishes!
Public Hearing Today: Proposed Increase in Child Care Licensing Fee Coerces Political Action!
Posted: September 9, 2019 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Health, NAEYC, Office of Govenor Phil Bryant, QRS Mississippi, Quality Rating System, SECAC Mississippi, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Uncategorized 1 CommentPublic Hearing Today: Proposed Increase in Child Care Licensing Fee Coerces Political Action!
“It has been determined that a direct appropriation by the Mississippi Legislature that would sufficiently cover the expenses of operating a quality child care facility licensure program would eliminate the need for a fee increase.”
The Mississippi State Department of Health Division of Child Care Licensure has proposed a 25% increase in child care licensing fees because, as stated in its Economic Impact Statement, the Mississippi Legislature has never appropriated sufficient funds to cover completely the cost of administering the child care licensure program at a level to meet national benchmarks.
The Mississippi State Department of Health Division of Child Care Licensure has partnered with MDHS/SECAC to require adherence to most costly NAEYC performance standards as outlined in the now embedded yet un-adopted Standard Application which determines which child care facilities will be allowed to serve low-income children and which will not from this time forward. (The current number of licensed child care programs in Mississippi who have met the most costly standards is 23 facilities out of 1,481. Click here to confirm. Please also note that the accredited programs receive funding other than from very unstable CCDF child care subsidy. Further, less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.)
Dr. Charles Allgood, formally with the unsuccessful Quality Stars Q.R.I.S. at Mississippi State, plans to increase the number of child care inspections to four by presenting additional (2) two hour inspections under the guise of helpful technical assistance to be conducted during the busiest and most distracting times of day…which may result in fines.
Desperate to punish, the Division of Child Care actually manipulated a non-profit providing quality technical assistance to entrap and report perceived child care violations to its office following voluntary quality improvement training sessions with unsuspecting child care providers in order that licensing officials could go in immediately after and issue fines based upon the “complaints” of those who provided the technical assistance; the agency only has the statutory authority to conduct one inspection each year and others “as needed”
Dr. Charles Allgood has revealed that selected child care facilities have been inspected 12 (twelve) times in 2 (two) months!
This feeding frenzy – the aggressive and competitive group attack on licensed and CCPP child care providers – is relevant narcissistic manner and Hubris in the dysfunctional MDHS/SECAC Kingdom of Contempt where state actors and policy makers jockey for position.
FACT: Neither MDHS/SECAC or the Division of Child Care Licensing have the statutory authority to require the costly national bench marks that make up the Standard Application.
Review the proposed amendment including the Economic Impact Statement by clicking here.
Engage in the political action needed to prevent an increase in your child care licensing fee and more by contacting your Senator and Representatives today.
Enter your support or objection to this proposed agency rule into the official rule-making record by attending the public hearing:
Monday
Sept. 9, 2019
9:15 AM
MSDH Osborne Auditorium
570 E. Woodrow Wilson Blvd.
Jackson, MS 39215
Delta Licensed Providers 
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