NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES, INC. 3313 B THRASHER ROAD * WHITE CLOUD, KS 66094 (785) 595-3260 – FAX (785) 595-3262 CRISIS LINE: (800) 209-0910 DIRECT CHILD CARE SERVICES: Parent Copay Relief and Alternate Daycare Assistance – The Iowa Tribal Learning Center has been seeing an increased need in copayment assistance due to COVID-19. Parents are returning to fulltime onsite work, and fulltime remote work. Although the parent is working remotely it is still necessary for a child to be attending daycare, to receive the proper care and quality activities to help with developmental stages. The parent is focused on working and completing tasks as assigned and often times leave children unattended. The ITLC has suspended parent copayments and would like to supplement that income with the CRRSA funding to maintain operating costs. We estimate that the average parent monthly Co-Pay is $250.00/child/month with an estimated 39,000 of the $39,000 we would like to set aside $5,000 – for alternate daycare assistance – please see “assistance to providers not participating in the subsidy system prior to the pandemic” for the description. Total Estimated cost of Parent Co-Payment assistance for direct care $34,000. IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRUS MITIGATION POLICIES AND PRACTICES Health and Safety - Replace Carpet with padded tile system – we would like to remove the carpeting from the upstairs area. As nice as the carpet is, with toddlers and infants, we see that many of our children stay ill. It is estimated that carpet can hold up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch. The CDC recommends a cleaning and disinfection for carpet and other soft/absorbent surfaces with a household disinfectant on EPA List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) approved for use on porous surfaces. The schedule for cleaning soft/porous surfaces would lead to extended hours for our daycare staff, already working 10-hour shifts. Having padded tiles, would allow for easy replacement when damage has occurred, and lower transfer of bacteria to our infants and toddlers, as well as reduce the disinfecting and cleaning times needed. Estimated cost $15,000 Health and Safety – Fire System Pull-Downs -we have two areas we would like to address with the CRRSA funds. During the pandemic we have closed the center and prior to opening we would like to have the Fire alarm system upgraded to include the pull-downs. This will allow for the daycare to increase their child licensure capacity to 25 children. We have seen an increase in NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES, INC. 3313 B THRASHER ROAD * WHITE CLOUD, KS 66094 (785) 595-3260 – FAX (785) 595-3262 CRISIS LINE: (800) 209-0910 need for daycare, with new families in the area, and an expanding clinic with new healthcare workers. The essential employees are our priority for care; however, we are seeing all of our parents going back to work, and needing care as well. The expansion on our license is being held up by this last item. Once the pull-downs are installed, we can have the application and inspection completed, and begin almost immediately accepting new children into the center. We currently operate with priority of enrollment and care for children of essential employees. Health care providers/ health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, and farm/food service workers who are deemed essential front-line workers, as well as children in the Foster care system. Increasing our licensure capacity to 25 will assist ITLC in providing the increased need for daycare to these families and our non-essential but, working families. Estimated cost $10,000 Health and Safety – ITLC is in need of purchasing PPE and disinfecting supplies for the center. We have parents in need of masks when dropping children off, and during pick up. We would like to have kids masks on site to replace as needed through out the day, for children who are able to tolerate masks. We will need hand sanitizer, and surface sanitizer as well. These items are needed to have safe practices in line with guidance from the CDC and our local clinic and public health nurse. Estimated cost $3,443 GRANTS OR ASSISTANCE (OTHER THAN SUBSIDIES) TO STABALIZE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS At this time ITLC does not have any plans to issue grants or assistance to child care providers outside of the ITLC center it operates. With the exception of parent co-payments to alternate daycare setting as described below. ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDERS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE SUBSIDY SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC Due to a low number of staff, we would like to also provide temporary alternate daycare assistance. During the pandemic we had to close the center several times, due to repeated illnesses and quarantined employees. During that time parents were release from quarantine but were not able to establish alternate daycare. The need for alternate daycare is that our staff has NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES, INC. 3313 B THRASHER ROAD * WHITE CLOUD, KS 66094 (785) 595-3260 – FAX (785) 595-3262 CRISIS LINE: (800) 209-0910 been unable to return to work and open the center. We have created a policy to provide parent co-payments in the amount of 250.00/child per month to qualifying alternate daycare sites. ITLC, will work to have the alternate daycare sites as licensed or meet the minimum requirements of licensing. The sites will have to meet a minimum quality inspection and assessment. Prior approval for payment will have to be established. We will work with Native American Family Services, Social Services program to establish appropriate assessments for quality and safe care of the children. Estimated Cost $5,000 .