BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SCR 44
          Author:   Corbett (D)
          Amended:  8/18/09 in Senate
          Vote:     21


           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  7-0, 7/1/09
          AYES:  Romero, Huff, Alquist, Liu, Maldonado, Padilla,  
            Simitian
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Hancock, Wyland

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  9-3, 7/23/09
          AYES:  Kehoe, Corbett, Hancock, Leno, Oropeza, Price,  
            Runner, Wolk, Yee
          NOES:  Cox, Denham, Walters
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Wyland


           SUBJECT  :    Child Care

           SOURCE  :     California Alternative Payment Program  
          Association


           DIGEST  :    This resolution requests the California  
          Department of Education, in an open meeting, to review the  
          regional market rate methodology and implementation  
          guidelines that set reimbursement rates for certain child  
          care providers, as specified.

           ANALYSIS  :    Currently, the state subsidizes child care  
          through two main categories of providers:  

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          1.Title 22 (Alternative Payment Programs/vouchers) licensed  
            and licensed-exempt general child care providers.   
            Licensed providers are reimbursed up to a maximum ceiling  
            of the 85th percentile of the rates charged by private  
            providers in the area offering the same type of child  
            care (the 85th percentile of the 2005 Regional Market  
            Rate survey).  License-exempt care providers are  
            generally reimbursed up to 90 percent of the maximum rate  
            (85th percentile) received by licensed providers.  This  
            formula is an attempt to ensure that low-income families  
            can receive similar levels of child care service as  
            higher-income families in the same region.  

          2.Title 5 providers contract directly with the California  
            Department of Education for licensed child care and  
            preschool.  These providers are reimbursed with the  
            Standard Reimbursement Rate, $34.38 per full day of  
            enrollment ($716.25 per month).  

          This resolution only affects Title 22 programs.

          The California Department of Education conducts a biennial  
          market rate survey to determine the market rate ceilings  
          for each county by center and licensed family child care  
          home.  

          The Governor proposed a reduction in the reimbursement rate  
          ceiling, from the 85th percentile of the 2005 Regional  
          Market Rates to the 75th percentile of the 2007 Regional  
          Market Rate, for a savings of $38.7 million (Proposition  
          98).  This proposal was rejected by the Budget Conference  
          Committee.

          This resolution:

          1.Requests the California Department of Education (CDE) to  
            review the current regional market rate methodology and  
            implementation guidelines, and question whether adherence  
            to the current regional market rate system has resulted  
            in sufficient access for working poor families.

          2.Requests that the CDE hold an open meeting where all  
            vested stakeholders are fully versed in the methodology  
            used for the regional market rate survey.







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          3.Requests the CDE to review the regional market rate  
            methodology and implementation guidelines.

          According to 2007 regional market rate survey, the  
          methodology used in this survey involved sampling and  
          estimation that was based first on statistical  
          socio-economic modeling of zip codes into "market  
          profiles."  Licensed providers were then sampled based on  
          the zip code of their physical location.  Reimbursement  
          ceilings were then calculated at the market profile level  
          for care setting, age of the child, and time category  
          (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly).  County and sub-county  
          estimates become the weighted averages of the market  
          profiles within their jurisdictions.  This survey relied  
          heavily on the Community Care Licensing database as a  
          source of provider information.  

          Many child care providers who are reimbursed using the  
          regional market rate believe that the current survey  
          methodology relies too heavily on median home values and  
          incomes, which may not necessarily have any effect on  
          private child care rates charged in that area.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Fiscal Com.:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/17/09)

          California Alternative Payment Program Association (source)  

          Community Resources for Children
          County Welfare Directors Association of California
          Davis Street Family Resource Center
          Siskiyou Child Care Council
          Valley Oak Children's Services
          YMCA Childcare Resource Service


          DLW:nl  8/20/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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