January 2015
MEMBERSHIP
RENEWAL TIME
The news of VCCCA has spread far and wide in the Licensed Child Care Community throughout VenturaCounty and California. Our new endeavor has been welcomed with much excitement, support and many warm wishes. Our new website is up and running and will be able to provide valuable referral information to parents of Ventura County as well as much anticipated support to licensed FCC providers.
We invite you to join us! Attached is a Membership Form. Your VCCCA membership will run for the calendar year, January 2015 to January 2016. You will need to send your check along with a copy of your licenseand your membership form. Licensed home-based child care providers must remain “in good standing”. If you are a current 2014 member of CVDCA, your renewal is now due and will carry directly over to VCCCA.
$$ SAVE MONEY $$
10% discount if you join by Jan. 20th
Dues will be accepted at Membership Meeting
Join us for the First
VCCCA MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Please join us as we welcome in the New Year, new members,a new name and new look of our association! Memberships must be paid on or before this date to receive 10% discount of dues and be eligible for drawing prizes! (Free ticket with every paid Membership) There will be noadditional tickets for sale. You must be present to WIN!!
Please consider joining us for dinner as we will be having an Open Menu again this year. Also each meal ordered will help save the Association part of our Reservation fee!
Date:Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Time:Dinner Between 6:30PM-7:00PM
7:00PMGeneral Meeting Begins
Where:IHOP Restaurant
2315 Michael Dr,Newbury Park,CA
Directions: Take 101 to the Borchard Rd exit. From the West turn right, from the East turn left over the freeway. Turn right into the parking lot just before the first street. We will be in the back dining room!
VCCCA Membership ($55)
2 yr. CPR/First Aid Class-New Life CPR
VCCCA T-Shirt Certificate
Little Tykes Cozy Coupe
Fisher-Price Little Peoples Wheelies Rampway
Playskool Mr. Potato Head Super Spud
Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds Swirlin’ Surprise
Fisher-Price Roll-a-Round Caterpillar
Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups
Pkolino Rolling Book Buggee (2)
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Storybook
Playskool Tap ‘n Spin Tool Bench
Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Smart Phone
Little Tikes Press ‘N Go Dog
Little Tikes Press ‘N Go Cat
2 Piece LED Candle Set with daily timer (2)
Variety of Child Care Resource Books
And much, much, more!
Why Join VCCCA?
Exposure:
There areplentyof families looking for child care. Parents struggle to find Licensed Child Care Providers with openings. Make sure they can find yourLicensed Child Care. VCCCA Membership includes listing on our busy website. Last year there were 7,891 hits on our website with2,278 of thoseto our “Child Care Referral” Page. Weekly we average between 150-200 hits to our website. Do not miss an opportunity for a potential client to find you.Parents are always looking, even if they are not ready to place their child. In addition we offer a Membership Logo available to place on your own personal website!
Resources:
Quarterly updates from Licensing. Our President travels to Licensing Child Care Forum meetings and reports back on the latest newsfrom State Licensing. Bi-Monthly newsletters are sent to each member to keep you current with the Child Care Community. E-blasts are sent for important time sensitive information. Website “Members Only” page includes a long list of resources to help you run a successful business, in addition to new craft ideas every month.Our website iscontinuously updatedwith new information.
Bi-Monthly Trainings/ Meetings:
Meetings give you the opportunity to meet with other providers in your area. Networking is a powerful way to build your business. We have several exciting meeting and trainings planned for the upcoming year starting on January 20, 2015 at 6:30pm. Come and win a prize with paid membership.
Past meetings have included:
Building Your Business in 2014
Disaster Preparedness - Ventura Co. Fire Dept.
Fall/ Winter Crafts - Make and Take
Science Exploration with Young Children
How to build Your Business Website
Network:
Networking with other providers is a great way to build your business and find support during times when you may need support. If we work together we can all be successful. New providers, there are many seasoned providers willing to share information about what has made them successful for many years in child care.
Reputation:
The VCCCA (formerly CVDCA) is aProfessional Organizationof Licensed Child Care Providers. We are well respected and known for being a dedicated group of professional, State Licensed Home Based Child Care Providers. Our members pride themselves on bringingquality licensed child care to the families in VenturaCounty. Our Communities respond with continuing referrals to VCCCA for new families looking for child care.
Tax and Insurance Benefits:
Your membership is 100% tax deductible! In addition Day Care Insurance (DCI) offers a discount to Providers belonging to a professional association.
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It is important to remember that it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to stay current with Licensing
Requirements and changes.
OR
“Members”
Community Care Licensing
click on Quarterly Updates
IT’S EASY TO KEEP INFORMED
BE READY FOR YOUR NEXT LICENSING VISIT
ARE YOU UP FOR RENEWAL THIS YEAR?
DON’T DELAY
JOIN US & HELP VCCCA
WHAT:CPR & FIRST AID
WHEN:TUESDAY, February 10, 2015
WHERE:Emmanuel Presbyterian Church
Rooms 3 & 4
Corner of Lynn Road& Camino Manzanas–Thousand Oaks
TIME: 6:30 P.M.
COST:ONLY $55.00
AND
NEW LIFE CPR
Generouslydonates $10 back to
VenturaCounty
Child Care Association
It’s a WIN - WIN
for us ALL
This class is OPEN to:
CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS
CHILD CARE ASSISTANTS
PARENTS & CAREGIVERS
VenturaCounty
Child Care
Association
Proudly Presents
2 YEAR CERTIFICATION FOR
CPR and FIRST AID
All Inclusive
Adult, Child, Infant CPR with
California Child Care First Aid
As required by
Community Care Licensing
Certification thru American Red Cross
Holly Healy
NEW LIFE CPR
Authorized Provider
for the American Red Cross
Certificate Cards
Available at End of Class
With Pre-Registration
SPACE IS LIMITED
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUESTED
CALL Holly TODAY
(805) 499 – 9282
A Plan to Eliminate Illegal Child Care
BY: Tom Copeland -
No child should be cared for by a person who is operating a child care program in violation of local child care laws.
This is a simple goal that I think all family child care providers, parents, and organizations in the child care field should support.
State laws vary greatly, so the definition of illegal care will vary from state to state. We may never achieve consensus among the states about the specifics of child care regulations, but I hope we can agree that a child care program that operates in violation of their state law should be shut down.
My definition of illegal child care does not include child care that is exempt from state laws, that is, care that is not required to be regulated by the state (kith and kin, relative care, care for one family in some states, and so on).
When I speak about illegal care I am also not including state regulated child care providers who are in violation of a particular state rule (for example: over enrollment on one day).
Throughout the country, illegal child care is widespread. I could open up an illegal family child care home in any part of the country, and practically nothing would be done to stop me from operating.
Illegal child care is unfair competition to those program who do follow the rules. It undermines the reputation and quality of care for the entire child care field.
Unfortunately, the child care field is reluctant to address this issue. Parents are not going to lobby to drive out illegal child care. Politicians won’t act unless pressured by the public.
Since I believe that everyone in the child care field agrees that children should not be cared for in an illegal setting, it is up to us to take action for the sake of these children.
Our goal should be to end the practice of illegal child care. Persons who are currently operating illegally should either become regulated under state law or should be shut down by local authorities.
I propose a two-step plan for addressing this problem.
Step One: Education
Local family child care associations should talk with their localChild Care Resource and Referralagency and theirlocal child care regulatory agencyabout the issue of illegal child care.
Since some parents and illegal child care providers do not understand what is and is not legal, I recommend that these organizations initiate a community education campaign.
This campaign should educate parents and child care providers about the benefits of regulated child care. It should also define the differences between illegal, exempt, and regulated care in the local area.
One example of a local activity might be to insist that all classified ads in local newspapers and online referral services such as Craigslist post a definition of what is legal child care and forbid illegal caregivers from advertising.
This education effort should also include a plan for how the public can report illegal child care providers and what local regulatory agencies will do in response.
Ideally, local authorities should inform illegal child care providers that they must become regulated or shut down their operation. If a child care provider refuses to shut down, local authorities should take legal action to enforce the law.
Family child care providers should work through their local associations to establish a cooperative partnership with their local Child Care Resource and Referral agency and their local child care regulatory agency to pursue this public education campaign. State and national associations such as theNational Association for Family Child Careshould also assist local campaign efforts.
Step Two: Enforcement
What should happen if child care associations do not receive cooperation from local regulatory agencies? Regulatory agencies may not be willing to take actions that leads to the shutting down of illegal child care programs because of budgetary or other reasons.
If this is the case, child care associations should discuss what further actions can be taken with their local police department. Turn over the names of illegal programs to them and ask that they be investigated and fined. After all, it's against the law!
If none of this effort leads to effective action against illegal child care, I recommend that child care associations report these illegal caregivers to the Internal Revenue Service.
It is quite probable that illegal child care providers are not reporting all their income to the IRS. I have spoken with IRS officials about this issue and they have indicated that they do want to hear about illegal child care providers so they can recover unpaid taxes.
You may call the IRS criminal investigation informant hotline (800-829-0433) or you may write to the IRS to report an illegal caregiver. No matter which method you choose, your name will be held in confidence by the IRS. If you wish, you do not have to identify yourself when turning in an illegal caregiver.
If you write to the IRS, you can useIRS Form 3949-A Information Referralthat asks you to answer a few simple questions about the illegal child care provider. You do not need to know the illegal child care provider's Social Security number or have proof that the person is not reporting all their income.
You may also simply write a letter to the IRS instead of filling out this form. Send your correspondence to Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA93888. Again, you do not have to identify yourself in your letter.
An IRS official has informed me that they are more likely to investigate if they hear from more than one person. Therefore, I suggest the child care associations have several different members of their organization fill out Form 3949-A.
If the IRS investigates and determines that the illegal child care provider did not report all her income, they will take action to collect this unreported income. This will put pressure on the provider to become regulated or to shut down.
Are there illegal child care providers in your community? What are you doing about it?
The Basics of a Family Child Care Contract
To be successful as a family child care provider, you will need to establish a professional, businesslike relationship with the parents of the children in your care. This means you will need to take yourself and your work seriously and treat the parents as business clients, even if they are also friends or relatives.
You will be most successful if you are able to distinguish and find a balance between the caring attention required for child care and the focus required for managing your business.
Some child care providers find it very difficult to talk about money, rules, or expectations with their clients. One factor that can greatly complicate this is growing so close to the children in your care that you leave behind your responsibilities as a business owner.
Do your clients respect your business?
Some providers have complained to me that the parents don't treat them like a business. Usually the reason this happens is because the provider doesn't act as if she is running a business.
You can establish a health business relationship by clearly communicating your rules and expectations. Doing so will help reduce and resolve conflicts and bring you the respect you deserve.
Basic elements of a written contract
The most effective way to establish your business relationship with parents is to use a written contract. You are responsible for setting your own rules. Some states require providers to include certain terms in their contracts. Other than these requirements, you are free to put whatever you want in your contract and to create as many policies as you wish.
At the very least, your contract should contain these four basic elements:
Names of the parties: your name, the parents' names, the names of the children
Terms of the contract:There are two terms in a contract that are enforceable in court -
Time- The hours and days you are open
Money- How much parents owe your for your services: when payment is due, late fees, registration fees, field trip fees, etc.
Termination procedure:How will the contract end
Signatures:Both parents (if around) and yours
Sample contracts
If you need help with writing a contract, there are a variety of sample contracts available to choose from.
First Children's Financehas posted a number of tools and resources about contracts on their website. They include a sample contract template, a contract termination form, parent interview form, parent evaluation form, and a number of articles on writing and enforcing your contract.
My bookFamily Child Care Contracts & Policieshas a simple one-page contract as well as a CD with many different contract and policy examples you can cut an paste in a Word document to create your own.
Redleaf Press publishes atwo-page contract templatewith carbon copies.
The contract is your primary tool to set your hours and rates and spell out how it will end. Review it once a year to make sure it meets your needs.
Tom Copeland -
Is There a Time When You Should Lower Your Rates?
Let's say you have had two openings in your family child care business for quite some time. You've tried a variety of things to fill these openings, but without success. You conclude that perhaps the reason you aren't having success is because your rates are too high, and so you are considering lowering your rates to attract parents.
Is lowering your rates a good idea?
The short answer: probably not.
Parents looking for child care have a lot of programs to choose from: licensed/regulated family child care, illegal child care, kith and kin, child care centers, Head Start, school age care, etc. There is an extremely wide range in the cost of care among these programs. This is also true among licensed family child care.
It's a bad idea to compete based on the cost of your care because there is always going to be someone charging less than you. You don't want to promote yourself as "the cheapest care in town."