Page 15 - Strengthening California’s Emergency Child Care Bridge Program

Strengthening California’s Emergency Child Care Bridge
Recommendation: Keep Changes Made During the Pandemic
County administrators and staf were asked about changes that were implemented because of the pandemic and which of these policies and procedures they plan to continue In response to the pandemic, 75% of programs are conducting operations and communications with families virtually (Zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails) and have reduced the frequency of required meetings Additionally, one-third of programs instituted- and have made permanent- the use
of digital signatures on documents and attendance sheets From the families’ perspective,
the majority of caregivers interviewed indicated that it was easy to enroll and participate in
the Bridge program Moreover, 30% of caregivers noted that certain changes to the program made in response to COVID-19 were positive and should be made permanent These changes included the option to complete paperwork and conduct appointments online, requiring less paperwork, and frequent reminders of when benefits are ending Caregivers also noted that it would be beneficial for child care to begin at the beginning of the Bridge verification process in order to decrease the amount of time that they had to take of work and reducing any out-of- pocket charges for care All of these recommendations aim to ease the burden on both families and providers by simplifying procedures, making processes more convenient, and the program more accessible
Relationships and Collaboration Were Key Elements Success
The main finding from the KIIs with staf implementing the Bridge Program was that good working relationships with partner agencies in the program was a key element in the successful implementation of the program At least 75% of counties stated that collaboration, networking, and establishing a working relationship with a partner agency was necessary to maintain a communicative and quality relationship while implementing the Bridge Program Additionally,
11 out of the 12 counties (92%) interviewed stated they had good working relationships with their partners in the Bridge Program, while one county felt more communication was needed Half of the participating counties had previous relationships with their partner agency through the subsidy or alternative payment program Furthermore, all of the mid-implementing counties had a previous relationship with their partner agency prior to the Bridge Program, which help to facilitate a communicative and trusting relationship For two out of the three later implementing counties, only one had a previous relationship and the others were still working to improve their relationship
Figure 3. Relationships and Collaboration Were Key Elements for Successful Implementation
75%
collaboration & networking is important
92%
good working relationships are key
42%
counties had challenges with budgeting
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