No absolution is given by us to DHS! Further, Restitution Upon Conviction Warrants the Immediate Freezing of Personal Assets (Real Property and Equipment)
Posted: February 16, 2020 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, Business Ethics, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Development Fund, DECCD-MDHS, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Human Services, Office of Govenor Phil Bryant, SECAC Mississippi, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, MDHS, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi licensed child care, SECAC Mississippi Leave a commentNo absolution is given by us to DHS! Further, Restitution Upon Conviction Warrants Immediate Freezing of Personal Assets (Real Property and Equipment)
No Absolution
No absolution is given by us to DHS for “self-reporting” embezzlement only when/as John Davis’ gubernatorial appointment by Gov. Phil Bryant neared its end and many on the executive team at State Office vied/vie to fill the long term position of Executive Director to be appointed by Governor Tate Reeves.
If anything, child care leadership feels the public statements given over years by now Interim MDHS Executive Director Jacob Black, and others close to him, enabled/enable state actor misconduct in the administration of federal block grants in spite of grossly unreasonable justifications, violations of statute and scandal.
We First Reported March 12, 2018 – Almost Two Years Ago
We “reported” questionable appropriations March 12, 2018, including to Eric Blanchette at ACF in Atlanta. See Delta Licensed providers: Financial Windfall from MDHS to Family Resource Center allows Staff Increase From 30 to 260!
Following that post was an invitation to lunch with MDHS Executive Director John Davis and Dr. Laurie Smith of the Governor’s Office, where I was able, at long last, to influence the first release of CCDF funding for new child care enrollment in five consecutive years. See Delta Licensed Providers: March 27, 2018 “Child Care Collateral Damage is Unhealthy for this State, Life Changing and Wide Spread!”
Atlanta Meeting Requested
On August 14, 2019, a meeting was requested with HHS/ACF Region IV Office of Child Care Regional Program Manager Eric R. Blanchette. To this day, he has not acknowledged or responded to our request to discuss alleged and ongoing wrongdoing in the adoption and administration of Mississippi’s CCDF/TANF State Plans. Click here to see WLBT Red Flags: “We have been asking for help.”
Today
Families First Remains Open and held over parties have hired Butler-Snow Law Firm after receiving $65 Million in TANF Funds Over Five Years all the while Child Care Assistance was effectively “Defunded”.
See Greenwood Commonwealth February 13, 2020:
https://www.gwcommonwealth.com/news/article_2b471f1c-4e13-11ea-9df5-47b93290c9d2.html
Personal Assets (Real Property and Equipment) Accumulated In the Course of the Corruption Scheme Should Be Seized as Proper Restitution to the poor upon Conviction
See: ‘Tremendous growth’ Family Resource Center expands presence in Northeast Mississippi
Since the Mississippi Department of Human Services got involved and reorganized these organizations, there has been a significant increase in funding from the state. That has resulted in new centers built across the state at an accelerated rate, expansion of programs and a substantial staff increase.
The financial windfall that resulted from the partnership two years ago has allowed FRC to open 15 centers across Northeast Mississippi and increase staff from 30 to 260 employees.
Please click on the links below to see the title to the real property occupied by Families First of Greenwood which remains in operation and see the verification that it has retained Butler-Snow Law Firm for representation with some source of funding.
AVALON HOLDINGS LLC
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https://cs.datasysmgt.com/tax?state=MS&county=42
https://cs.datasysmgt.com/tax?state=MS&county=42#TaxPanel:taxweb_details:08608010101100
https://cs.datasysmgt.com/tax?state=MS&county=42#TaxPanel:taxweb_details:08608010201100
https://cs.datasysmgt.com/tax?state=MS&county=42#TaxPanel:taxweb_details:08608010201110
Avalon Holdings, LLC is a Mississippi Limited-Liability Company filed on March 8, 2005. The company’s filing status is listed as Good Standing and its File Number is 869004.
The Registered Agent on file for this company is New, Jesse S, JR and is located at 190 East Capitol Street, suite 100, Jackson, MS 39201.
The company has 1 principal on record. The principal is Nancy W New from Jackson MS.
The official CCDF Early Childhood Academy
The official CCDF training agency for child care providers serving low-income children in Mississippi is the Early Childhood Academy which has received merely/approximately $250,000.00 from MDHS to fund more than 20 locations at community colleges throughout the state!
Because MDCC had no room on its campus, plans were made to locate our Child Care Academy at Families First in Indianola.
I strongly opposed the Families First of Indianola location for our ECA
In addition to our localized protest (lack of support for MCEC and Families First’ no-bid funding and lack of a TANF public hearing) and concern for the organizations’ alleged entitlement/political advantage which we believed/believe greatly harmed low-income child care programs and innocent babies living in abject poverty, we did not wish to be the only ECA not located on a true college campus.
Fortunately, discussions that followed with Dr. Micah Knox of the Mississippi Community College Board resulted in the placement of our Early Childhood Academy at Mississippi Valley State University where college credits for caregivers might be earned and a demonstration pre-school for hands-on experience and instruction in curriculum and classroom management (much like short term student teaching for caregivers) may be established.
As I see it, these are the services and work that should now be given priority, fully funded and not interrupted!
Open House Friday – MVSU Early Childhood Academy
There will be an open house of the MVSU Early Childhood Academy on February 21, 2020, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
All are invited to attend.
I Do Not Know Why the DHS General Counsel is Collecting Child Care Fees
Posted: September 3, 2019 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, MS Department of Human Services, NAEYC, Quality Rating System, SECAC Mississippi, Suel v MDHS, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, child care quality rating systems Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, equal access, Market Survey Rates, MDHS, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Quality Rating System; DECCD-MDHS; CCDF Quality Improvement, SECAC Mississippi, Xerox Leave a commentI Do Not Know Why the DHS General Counsel is Collecting Child Care Fees
I do not know why DHS General Counsel Andrea Sanders initiated a new and expanded database to collect financial data/child care fees or how the information will be used.
I do know the purpose of A.P.L. (Administrative Procedures Law)
is to let you know what your government is up to!
Below is the Administrative Procedures Law and guidance for policy makers developing a new or expanded database which is applicable to all entities receiving CCDF funding including NSPARC and the Standard application:
Any organization proposing to establish a new system of records, or to enlarge an existing system, shall give public notice long enough in advance of the initiation or enlargement of the system to assure individuals who may be affected by its operation a reasonable opportunity to comment.
§ 1320.8 Agency collection of information responsibilities.
(3) Informs and provides reasonable notice to the potential persons to whom the collection of information is addressed of –
(i) The reasons the information is planned to be and/or has been collected;
(ii) The way such information is planned to be and/or has been used to further the proper performance of the functions of the agency;
(iii) An estimate, to the extent practicable, of the average burden of the collection (together with a request that the public direct to the agency any comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing this burden);
(iv)Whether responses to the collection of information are voluntary, required to obtain or retain a benefit (citing authority), or mandatory (citing authority);
ROUTINE USE: Allows for the disclosure of a record outside of the agency without consent. Disclosure or use must be for a purpose which is compatible with the purpose for which the information was collected. (I don’t advertise rates – never have!)
Administrative Procedures Law also requires the following with regard to the Standard application:
§552. Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings
(C) rules of procedure, descriptions of forms available or the places at which forms may be obtained, and instructions as to the scope and contents of all papers, reports, or examinations;
(D) substantive rules of general applicability adopted as authorized by law, and statements of general policy or interpretations of general applicability formulated and adopted by the agency; and
(E) each amendment, revision, or repeal of the foregoing.
Child care market rates are one rule established by DHS for reimbursement of services according to the age of the child. For example, an infant is assigned a higher rate of reimbursement than a full time child age two.
A substantive rule of general applicability is a separate rule that interprets how the market rate will be computed and paid to the CCPP provider. For example, up to August 1, 2019, a reimbursement rate was set as a constant for the whole of a Certification Period. Prescribed age adjustments were not made until rollover or the next, new period of Certification.
Now, DHS General Counsel Andrea Sanders has reformulated the general applicability of the rule to reduce the reimbursement rates each month throughout the active Certification period following a child’s birthday – the reimbursement rate is no longer set as a constant and naturally, less reimbursement will be paid each month.
The rates remain the same and therefore, do not require any further action.
It is the new way the rates will be computed and applied that have changed – a separate act –the new formulation of general applicability – that triggers required APL and an economic impact statement. (See §552. (D) above.)
Mrs. Sanders did not follow the required APL.
She just put it into effect August 1, 2019, by simply authorizing a change in computer programming and then she casually announced it in a memo dated July 26, 2019.
It is a frightening agency practice to witness!
It is reminiscent of the same state actor advantage, arrogance and environment demonstrated through the attempted finger-scanning method of payment…announced to us in a letter from Xerox requesting our private banking information and access to our accounts!
I only have confidence in the proper applications of Administrative Procedures Law.
A Child Care Rally is being scheduled for later this month.
TRUST DHS OR FOLLOW US!
What does APL stand for?
Posted: April 30, 2017 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, General, HHS ACF Office of Child Care, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Health Department, MLICCI, MS Department of Health, MS Department of Human Services, NAEYC, QRS Mississippi, Quality Rating System, School Readiness, School Readiness Mississippi, SECAC Mississippi, Suel v MDHS, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, CCPP-approved Provider, child care licensing Mississippi, child care Mississippi, child care quality rating systems Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, Early Learning Guidelines (ELG), equal access, Market Survey Rates, MDHS, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi child care, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi School Readiness, Quality Rating System, Quality Rating System; DECCD-MDHS; CCDF Quality Improvement, SECAC Mississippi Leave a comment
“Can we talk?” How About “Quality Implementation” of the Child Care Certificate Program?
Posted: September 10, 2014 Filed under: Administration for Children and Families, Allies for Quality Care, Child Care Development Fund, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Human Services, Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: Administration for Children and Families, Allies for Quality Care, CCPP-approved Provider, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi Child Care Quality Steps, Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral, Quality Rating System; DECCD-MDHS; CCDF Quality Improvement, The Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, Xerox 4 Comments“Can we talk?” How About “Quality Implementation” of the Child Care Certificate Program?
When the Certificate Program was taken from the Planning and Development Districts in 2012, support was split among providers because we did not know then what we know now…MDHS had already executed a contract with XEROX for e-childcare.
Regardless, the MDHS in-house administration of child care assistance distribution known as the Certificate Program demonstrated first steps in bringing an automated process online through the development of the ledger reimbursement system. Basically, the transition was a smooth one and MDHS should be commended for that.
However, the new statewide online process only for the child care assistance application and issuance of new Certificates and the process for the recent period of rollover – particularly the relentless Notices of Termination – have been and continue to be chaotic, very work intensive and incomplete.
Policy and system failures along with too little, if any, advance explanation from DECCD have left parents and providers in a lurch as to how to even proceed this academic year and have adversely impacted statewide work force support systems fueling local economic development, early learning and entry-level jobs in every community!
Forget Quality Stars for now – do you even know how many children age four you will be serving this school year? Age three? Can you even remotely finalize an overall school roster?
That is the important message providers have tried to convey when attending the recent MDHS Quality Road Shows.
That is the message MOST OFTEN SUPPRESSED by policy makers and the Quality funded when providers have attended Road Shows.
That is the most heavily weighted finding documented in the Q.R.I.S. research conducted by the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative which was recently released; LOW-INCOME PROVIDERS JUST CANNOT PROVIDE QUALITY WITHOUT ADEQUATE FUNDING AND CERTIFICATES, so, for them, there is little reason to attend Road Shows or participate in quality initiatives at this time.
Most of the issues frustrating Mississippians, harming employability, denying access or limiting resource capacity are simply managerial. Primarily, I have come to opine MDHS Case Managers are doing their best to process all families but are completely overwhelmed by what is being expected of them. I think it is very reasonable to conclude that one DECCD Case Manager may be trying desperately to complete the work-load formerly done by an entire Planning Development District Office of four to eight staff members. That work environment has only been exasperated further by sudden staff vacancies (DUH!) and new DHS hires unfamiliar with the work or with little experience and little time for DECCD to train them during the period of rollover!
MDHS had planned to outsource all of this to XEROX. We objected to that and still do object to eventual, less child care assistance to parents as a “savings” to the state rather than continued (already insufficient) reimbursement of full-time fees for full-time slots to support rising, full-time operating costs supporting early learning.
Even still, what we are seeing now may be a glimpse of what customer service might have looked like through XEROX e-childcare…limited staff and diminished customer service for increased profits.
MDHS is asking for our input on the administration of the Certificate Program.
Please provide documentation of issues via email to MDHS – telephone calls to your assigned MDHS Case Managers often bring an unacceptable period of being placed on hold for up to forty-five minutes or longer and would further overwhelm Case Mangers already “buried” in messages. Faxes are sent to a separate MDHS location, logged in and scanned before ever delivered to Case Managers and many are lost in the shuffle. (You may also leave comments below.)
Encourage MDHS to fill all staff positions quickly, stay true to the CCDF State Plan and encourage Quality through “QUALITY Implementation” of the Child Care Certificate Program by clearly conveying to MDHS that automation and a paperless system will never eliminate the need for dedicated and sufficient MDHS employees any more than XEROX DID NOT eliminate the need for county eligibility workers determining SNAP benefits or county TANF Case Managers.
Mississippi does not save or fully prosper when there is no effort from MDHS to give up attitudes against welfare recipients and recognize child care assistance as an important local economic development tool in more ways than early learning for future success. The Certificate Program is an economic development tool local employers and communities have come to rely on in the maintenance of a stable, productive, successful work force today! The Certificate Program puts a “fair share” of chased federal dollars into each local economy today! All socio-economic groups benefit from such local economic stimulus each and every day…today!
Therefore, MDHS Road Shows only touting quality technical services while suppressing needed public discussion of the problematic economic issues arising out of the current Certificate Program administration simply puts the “cart before the quality horse”.
Forgive me for saying so, but it is a classic example of “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.”
“Can we talk?”
Yet bet we can! If not at a MDHS sponsored Road Show, we can talk here… starting with the late Joan Rivers (Phi Beta Kappa) and what she might have said of the current implementation:
Joan Rivers 1933-2014
“How many times can you go, ‘And the cow goes moo and the pig goes oink’? It’s like talking to a supermodel.”
“I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking.”
“Don’t follow any advice, no matter how good, until you feel as deeply in your spirit as you think in your mind that the counsel is wise.”
Some MDHS priority must be given to improving the management and implementation of the Child Care Certificate Program.
Talk to members of your local Chamber of Commerce. I am sure they would agree. Perhaps you can get them involved as well!
MLICCI to Present Findings of First Such QRIS Study in the Nation!
Posted: July 19, 2014 Filed under: "Race to the Top", Allies for Quality Care, CCPP-approved Provider, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Licensing, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, Early Learning Guidelines (ELG), General, Hechinger Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi Building Blocks, Mississippi First, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Education, MS Department of Health, MS Department of Human Services, QRS Mississippi, Quality Rating System, School Readiness Mississippi, SECAC Mississippi, Suel v MDHS, T.E.A.C.H., Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: "Race to the Top", 2007 Market Survey Rates, Administration for Children and Families, Allies for Quality Care, Attorney General Jim Hood; Quality Rating System; Quality Star Step; DECCD-MDHS;, CCPP-approved Provider, child care licensing Mississippi, child care quality rating systems Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, Early Learning Guidelines (ELG), equal access, Hechinger Report; Kellogg Foundation; Quality Rating System; SECAC, Kellogg Foundation, Market Survey Rates, MDHS, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi Child Care Licensing, Mississippi Child Care Quality Steps, Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral, Mississippi early learning system, Mississippi First, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi licensed child care, Mississippi State Early Childhood Institute, proposed amendments to the regulations governing child care, QRS Mississippi, Quality Rating System, Quality Rating System; DECCD-MDHS; CCDF Quality Improvement, SECAC Mississippi, The Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, Xerox Leave a comment
cwelchlin@mschildcare.org
Post of 7 Years Still Relevant in 2021: Little or No Recognized Child Care Leadership Appointments to SECAC
Posted: May 28, 2014 Filed under: "Race to the Top", Administration for Children and Families, Allies for Quality Care, Child Care Advisory Council, Child Care Development Fund, Child Care Mississippi, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, Early Learning Guidelines (ELG), Head Start, Hechinger Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Mississippi Building Blocks, Mississippi Legislature, MS Department of Education, MS Department of Health, MS Department of Human Services, Quality Rating System, School Readiness Mississippi, SECAC Mississippi, Uncategorized, Xerox | Tags: "Race to the Top", 2007 Market Survey Rates, Allies for Quality Care, CCPP-approved Provider, child care Mississippi, child care quality rating systems Mississippi, DECCD, DECCD-MDHS, e-Childcare™, Early Childhood Education Mississippi, Early Learning Guidelines (ELG), equal access, Hechinger Report; Kellogg Foundation; Quality Rating System; SECAC, Mississippi CCDF State Plan, Mississippi Child Care Quality Steps, Mississippi early childhood education, Mississippi early learning system, Mississippi Health Department, Mississippi School Readiness, Mississippi State Early Childhood Institute, proposed amendments to the regulations governing child care, Quality Rating System, Quality Rating System; DECCD-MDHS; CCDF Quality Improvement, SECAC Mississippi, The Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, Xerox Leave a commentPost of 7 Years Still Relevant in 2021: Little or No Recognized Child Care Leadership Appointments to SECAC
The Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
When we aired legitimate concerns to members of SECAC during a period of time which has revealed 97,000,000 dollars embezzled from programs serving low-income children and the MSDH failure to provide new enrollment for child care assistance for five consecutive years, NOT ONE member ever cared enough to reach out to us in concern.
In fact, SECAC members enabled the adoption of a quality program with the authority to eliminate our participation without ever requesting the rules – and there were none. Not one member of SECAC – including the appointed representation of the child care industry – ever, ever questioned such violation of Administrative Procedures Law and Racial Discrimination as determined for Mississippi’s QRIS by the US Commission on Civil Rights.
As some SECAC members received their program funding and budgets as sub-grantees, they ignored Ethics rules and child care providers struggling to serve low-income children through the CCDF.
And here we go again.
We do not know how newly appointed child care providers were selected to represent us on SECAC. In fact, we do not even know who some of them are.
SECAC should take the lead from the Mississippi Department of Health Child Care Licensing Division. When vacancies become available on the Child Care Advisory Board, all licensed providers are notified and invited to apply.
Mississippi will never thrive or address learning loss with the same leadership, however distributed now or with whatever agency they are with now, until state actors actually value and seek the best work of the most capable and involved child care provider leadership.
One More Time, y’all :
There is a rule in Mississippi Child Care: School aged children and entry-level toddlers may not co-exist. You simply do not mix the babies in with the big kids on the playground, or someone may get hurt!
That is the health and safety measure provider members throughout the state had hoped for when the Mississippi Association of Licensed Child Care Providers successfully lobbied for positions of one licensed provider from each Congressional District to be appointed to the State Early Childhood Advisory Council as a requirement of the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013.
Among MALCCP child care providers (operating licensed child care) in positions of top leadership are an ivy league graduate WITH THE COVETED Early Childhood Degree who also studied and trained in the system where kindergarten began – Germany; another who has professionally evaluated the Q.R.I.S. (results soon to be released), worked to advance early learning curriculum in an east Mississippi school district and has been recognized nationally for work to empower low-income families; and a provider who serves on the Jackson State University Pre-K Planning Committee and the Pre-K Common Core Alignment Committee in Jackson Public Schools.
Such accomplished child care leaders also have experience opposing SECAC “Big Kids” such as: MDHS Executive Director Ricky Berry in the adoption of Xerox e-Childcare™ designed to pay less reimbursement (as a savings to the state) for the preschool environments low-income children attend; Child Care Licensing Supervisor Vickey Berryman in the re-measurements and maximum capacity reductions of Existing (old) child care facilities and alleged Constitutional violation of Due Process of Law; Allies and Excel by 5 in proposals to require poorly performing ITERS/ECERS ONLY (from which many such quasi-agencies around the SECAC table draw millions in CCDF funds to offer technical assistance) on licensed child care programs wishing to participate in Mississippi’s universal pre-school.
Unfortunately, peer vetted, strong representation of child care appears to be precisely the work early learning policy-makers continue to isolate.
LITTLE or No recognized child care leadership appointments were made to SECAC.
For our effort and to my knowledge, MALCCP leadership was not even invited to make recommendations as an organization for appointments to SECAC!
We are invited to give comment from the gallery…without a vote.
Have we been robbed of our work to have knowledgeable and highly visible child care leadership at the policy making table?
Was it the intent of legislators to lure our organization into a “false sense of security” that child care leadership would be invited to participate in the development and planning of early learning?
You need to ask your legislators to answer that question, but only time will truly tell.
For now, actions speak louder than words – we little Mississippi child care providers are at high risk of being trampled outside…some more.
Of course, if my goals might possibly include continued unfunded mandates and disproportionate “adverse impact” on licensed child care, I wouldn’t give practiced opposition a vote either! 🙂
No recess here!
We must continue to work for quality and equality in early learning through other venues.
Delta Licensed Providers 
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