Kansas Department of Social
and Rehabilitation Services
|
To: |
Steve Fincher |
Date: |
March 7, 2005 |
From: |
Gary Daniels |
RE: |
Relative Child Care Pilot Approval |
Based on the latitude granted to the Secretary in K.S.A. 39-708c(t)
to carry on research of the social welfare program, I hereby grant approval
to the Southeast Region to operate a “Relative Provider” pilot.
The purpose of this pilot is to provide a strategy to support families
using relative care, and to be supportive of and to develop a relationship
with relative caregivers. Pilot approval is granted under the following
circumstances:
Targeted Population: Relatives who are providing care in their own home for a related child. These relative caregivers may include grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles or a sibling not living in the child’s home.
Pilot Requirements: Caregivers will be require to attend an “orientation” held in their county. Relative caregivers will be given two opportunities over a 6 month period to attend an orientation. Failure to attend will result in the child care plan being closed and alternative care being found.
Orientations: Orientations are open to relative caregivers, parents they are serving, and their children. They are 90 minutes, consisting of an introduction by SRS staff, followed by two separate speakers. County extension staff, child care surveyors, and Resource and Referral staff have all been used. Topics may include nutrition, tooth brushing, discipline, literacy, basic health and safety issues. Information is also available about how caregivers can become registered or licensed. Adequate time for participant questions and input is given. Drawings for gifts are done at the conclusion of each orientation. Children’s books and toothbrushes are given to all children in care. Participants are asked to evaluate the event. They have been planned in each of the 11 counties over a 6 month period.
Relative caregivers are encouraged to attend more than one orientation
and will continue to receive any give-aways at orientations.
Design of Southeast Region Relative Provider Pilot
An annual allocation of $5000 is made available through
local EES administrative funds to support costs related
to print materials, postage, door prizes, etc. Design and
implementation of this pilot have been through collaboration
between local SRS staff, SRS Central Office, and the two
child care Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies serving
the southeast region counties, Child Care Focus and The
Family Resource Center. Roles are:
SRS Staff
R&R Staff
Timeline
Conclusion
States and communities want young children to be ready to
succeed in school. This means caregivers of all children must
play a role in helping children be ready to learn. This includes
children in unregulated settings. Research suggests that addressing
quality among unregulated caregivers should be approached differently
than approaches with regulated providers. The Southeast Region
Relative Provider Pilot has attempted to provide support services
to relative caregivers in a setting and manner that acknowledges
the important role of these caregivers as well as supporting the
entire family by making resources and information available to
them. This effort has also built a strong collaborative relationship
between SRS and R&R’s as both work to support families
and their relative caregivers.
cc: Candy Shively
Bobbi Mariani
John McLuckie
Mark Braun
John Badger
Dennis Priest
Alice Womack