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The Child Care Partnership Project Mississippi Child Care Partnership Grant Program |
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Description In Mississippi, new partners are providing child care services due to the Mississippi Child Care Partnership Grant Program (CCPGP). The program encourages local commitment to child care by matching community-generated financial resources with federal funds from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). The program is straightforward in its purpose: to engage new partners in the effort to increase resources for child care. Partners The Partnership Grant Program encourages partnerships with nontraditional child care providers to expand the options parents have when choosing child care. Partners include businesses that are engaged in commerce other than the provision of child care services, housing authorities, foundations and/or philanthropic groups, churches, universities, local or county governments, and providers of community-based services, such as YMCAs and the United Way. History and Development The Office for Children and Youth (OCY) in the Mississippi Department of Human Services established the Partnership Grant Program in August 1997. The OCY director initiated the program as a way to improve the distribution of funds from the Child Care and Development Fund. Previously, funds were awarded competitively, with the same organizations requesting and receiving funding every year. Now, OCY sets aside a portion of the federal funds and solicits new partners to submit CCPGP proposals to receive matching grants. The grant program encourages new partners in the community to become involved in providing child care, and leverages local resources that will be returned to the community. Proposals must:
Current Activities To solicit new partners in the provision of child care, OCY conducts outreach to eligible applicants through mass mailings. The target audience is business owners and CEOs, public housing authorities, city and county governments, universities, and faith-based organizations. One example of a new partnership is between OCY and the City of Starkville Housing Authority, which sponsors Project Brickfire, an operator of several child care centers and after-school programs. CCPGP funds match contributions from United Way, the housing authority, and the Christian Children’s Foundation. The additional grant pays for more staff, instructional materials, and playground equipment. The grant created a partnership between Project Brickfire and the housing authority, as well as leveraging additional funds to improve the quality and supply of care. Other examples of current and prior child care partnerships include:
Resources The Office for Children and Youth earmarked $1.5 million dollars from the federal Child Care and Development Fund for the program in 1999, an increase from $1 million in 1998 and $500,000 in 1997. No state funds are used for the grants. Local grantees must match the OCY grants on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The grant program normally provides funding for a period not to exceed 12 months, although funding may be renewed. If funding is approved for more than one year, the Office for Children and Youth reserves the right to require an increase in the local match after the first year. Partners that contribute matching resources include local governments, housing authorities, businesses, United Way, YMCAs, and churches. In-kind donations are not acceptable as part of the local resources. Results In 1998, 12 new partnerships served approximately 500 children in both urban and rural areas throughout the state. Feedback on the success of the program is provided through monthly program reports from OCY partners and has been very positive. Participants in the process (parents, businesses, the community, and other organizations) are pleased with the partnerships and the results. Sustaining and Replicating The biggest challenge to implementing and sustaining the program has been identifying partners with adequate local resources to match the partnership grants, and then convincing them that a partnership grant can support their mission. To overcome this obstacle, the success stories from grantees are shared with potential applicants, who are encouraged to visit the early grantees to see how the program can work. To engage new partners, the Office for Children and Youth is working to develop networks with other state agencies that can help conduct outreach to potential applicants. For example, OCY is designing a partnership with the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development to include the Child Care Partnership Grant Program in incentive packages created to bring new industries to the state. Other state agencies will help to identify partners interested in, and capable of, providing child care. The partnership program will continue, based on the availability of funds from the Child Care and Development Fund. Continuation of the program is not based on legislation, a particular administration, or an elected official. Lessons Learned Keep it simple. The simple program design—matching CCDF resource with local funds—did not require new legislation or changes in existing programs. Working within the existing structure, OCY was able to diversify the providers of child care and to give more options to families who rely on child care. Partner with others to spread the word. Initially, OCY had difficulty identifying eligible partners for the grant program. Periodic mailings improved outreach, and OCY is now working with other state agencies to conduct outreach about the positive benefits of the program. Use financial incentives to foster partnership. The financial incentives offered through the matching grant program bring new partners to the table and keep them focused on sustaining resources in the future. This fosters new collaborative relationships. Contact Information Ronnie F. McGinnis |
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