Gina Adams Hannah Matthews

Background CCDF key to support work and child development Agreement that linking/aligning CCDF with the web of early childhood systems critical to support child development goals Less focus on the importance of linking/ aligning CCDF with the web of work support systems to achieve both child development and work goals 2

Overview Introduction to the Work Support Strategies (WSS) initiative (Gina) Concrete steps states can take to align and connect CCDF to other work supports (Hannah) Insights and experiences from WSS States: Idaho and North Carolina 3

WSS Supported by Ford Foundation, with Annie E. Casey Foundation, Open Society Foundations Urban Institute responsible for overall project, including administration and evaluation component The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities responsible for WSS technical assistance (TA), experts in SNAP and Medicaid Child Care TA led by UI and CLASP 4

Goals of WSS Improve health and well-being of families by increasing the share of eligible families who receive and keep the package of work support benefits Help states deliver benefits more effectively and efficiently, and reduce both administrative and client burden Share lessons learned to inform federal and state policies 5

Approach… Work with small number of states to streamline delivery of SNAP, Medicaid/SCHIP, and CCDF plus whatever other work supports they choose Focus on policy and practice, business processes, administrative systems, and technology and information systems Provide some funding, intensive technical assistance, and peer learning to support activities Evaluate state process and impact 6

…Approach Competitive process Planning Phase (2011) – 9 states Implementation Phase ( ) – 6 states CO, ID, IL, NC, SC, and RI 7

Reasons to link child care Child care essential work support Significant overlap in client populations Focus on low-income Focus on families with children (Medicaid/SCHIP) Same processes Application Eligibility determination/verification (income) Periodic redetermination of eligibility Required reporting of changes Monitoring/accountability concerns Overlapping goals (supporting work, client service, and program integrity) 8

Implications of client/process overlap CCDF clients often eligible for other benefits, may not receive them Clients must provide same/similar information to different programs at multiple points, sometimes within the same agency, resulting in: Significant levels of client burden Particularly challenging for those families facing most barriers to access and retention Impact on continuity and stability of benefits Significant administrative duplication and inefficiencies 9

Recap of reasons to link child care Eligible families and children need to easily access benefits, and be able to keep them as long as they are eligible CCDF faces resource constraints, reduced administrative capacity, concerns about stabilizing subsidies for families, and program integrity concerns CCDF can leverage information, lessons learned, and “what works” from other systems (including around program integrity) Simplifying, linking, aligning can be a WIN-WIN 10

Goals for CCDF with WSS Support work, family stability, continuity of care, and child well-being by: Simplifying access and retention of child care assistance for eligible families Making it easier for CCDF families to get the broader package of work supports for which they are eligible Streamline service delivery, improve efficiency, and reduce administrative burden for child care staff and staff across agencies Support program integrity through both simplification and system linkages 11

How?... Every state is different, will take a different approach Toolkit of strategies* Coordinate – separate processes designed with other systems in mind Align – processes designed to operate in the same way or within the same parameters Link – separate processes that communicate at critical steps in the process Integrate – integrated or single process that works for multiple systems *NOTE!! There is no agreed-upon definition of these terms – use with care 12

…How? Can strategically apply different tools to different processes and system components: Application/Enrollment Eligibility criteria, documentation, and verification Authorization length and process Change reporting Data systems Administrative structures and business processes Communication mechanisms 13

What States Can Do To Align CCDF with Other Work Supports 14

Promising Practices A simple pathway to a package of benefits Screenings Combined applications Cross program matches for outreach Worker prompts Simplifying enrollment Limiting in-person requirements Reducing documentation requirements Making use of phone and internet options Improving office accessibility Business Process Reengineering Process assessment for individual benefits and packages 15

Opportunities for Simplification and Linkages States may look to multiple parts of the system Application/Enrollment Eligibility criteria, documentation, and verification Authorization length and process Change reporting Redetermination/renewals States may choose different approaches for different parts of the system. 16

Strategies States Are Using Simplify core policies and requirements Share information across programs Only verify information that has changed or has not already been collected Use eligibility determinations from other programs as proof of eligibility Align eligibility periods Synchronize renewal dates across programs Simplify reporting requirements 17

Each Area Has Opportunities and Challenges Some common challenges Different eligibility criteria, such as income eligibility levels Different definitions, including income, household, etc. Different authorization periods Different data systems and data collection But, integration, alignment, linkages can all happen even with policy differences. 18

SNAP: A Model for Child Care SNAP data is verified and accurate Nearly all states use “simplified reporting” system for SNAP Recipients submit updated information about selected household circumstances (e.g., composition, income, and change in residence) every six months, through a mail-in report form or the recertification process. Between simplified reports, changes in income need only be reported if the increase takes the household above 130 percent of the poverty level (the maximum federal eligibility limit). Families may choose to report changes that would increase SNAP benefits. 19

Steps to Integration: A Child Care Lens Understanding your clients and service patterns Walking through the process Using data to inform policy and provide feedback loop Working across policy areas. 20

Contact Information Gina Adams Senior Fellow The Urban Institute (202) Hannah Matthews Director, Child Care and Early Education CLASP (202)

Selected Resources Adams and Matthews, Supporting Children and Families: Connecting Child Care to Key Work Supports. (FORTHCOMING, draft title). Urban Institute ( Adams, Snyder, and Banghart, Designing Subsidy Systems to Meet the Needs of Families. Urban Institute CLASP, Adopting 12-month Subsidy Eligibility Rosenbaum and Dean, Improving the Delivery of Key Work Supports, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 11fa.pdfhttp:// 11fa.pdf Schott and Parrot, How States Can Align Benefit Renewals Across Programs, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,