Guidance for the use of these funds has been adopted by the Iowa Empowerment Board and can be found in Tool CC(A) & Tool CC(B) which are available on the Empowerment web site.
http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us/common/pdf/kit_tools/toolcc_A.pdf
http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us/common/pdf/kit_tools/toolcc_B.pdf
Related information: Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Olds can be found on the Iowa Department of Education web site, http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/940/1103/1/2/
1. Q - What type of documentation can be used to determine level of poverty?
A - Determination can be made by empowerment area boards; options are provided below. Our
recommendation would be either of the first two bullets.
2. Q - How do you calculate the income eligibility?
A - Here is the link to the HHS Poverty Guidelines for your convenience:
http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us/common/pdf/fed_poverty_guidelines.pdf
3. Q - Do you calculate unearned income when determining eligibility?
A - No
4. Q - What options are available to document if the "under 200%" need has been met prior to establishing a sliding scale for families above that figure?
A - This will be determined locally. If your board has made good faith effort to get the word out about your scholarships (newspaper, through programs, etc) and you still have funding left over, you would be able to move to the next phase - sliding fee or co-pay for those families. At this time, there has been no discussion that documentation would be required to prove that all families who wanted services under 200% had been served. Again, it is just good faith on the part of your board that they had followed the process to the best of their ability.
5. Q - Could a Community Empowerment Area (CEA) contract with an agency to verify eligibility?
A - The method for determining eligibility could be a self-declaration from the family thereby making the need to pay an entity to determine eligibility obsolete. If a local board chooses to contract for this service, however, it can not be paid for out of the preschool programming support for low-income families dollars. It could be paid out of the "other" school ready funds.
6. Q - Is the last bullet under the listed criteria actually that flexible? Do we have flexibility in allowing programs time to meet the criteria?
A - Yes. The "reasonable" time period will be determined through a contractual agreement with the local board and the program.
7. Q - If the accreditation or ECERS-R hasn't been completed, is it too late to do so?
A - No. Again, the board and the program will set up a reasonable time frame for the program to meet the quality criteria.
8. Q - Will samples of contractual agreements between programs and a CEA be madeavailable?
A - Contact the Association for Iowa's Children for sample agreements (www.iowaschildren.org.) Agreements should include a clause that spells out the time period for the program to meet the quality criteria as well as reporting requirements.
9. Q - Can the funds purchase advertising/marketing of quality programs?
A - No.
10. Q - Will there be restrictions on the percentage of funds that can be used for supportive services vs. the number of "scholarships distributed to programs to assist families meeting the definition of poverty"?
A - No. You will however want to remain cognizant of the fact that assisting low income children to have the opportunity to attend preschool through scholarships was the original purpose of these funds.
11. Q - Are there expectations regarding the weekly number of days or hours children should attend a preschool program to qualify for Empowerment support?
A - No.
12. Q - Can these funds be used for facility improvements?
A - No.
13. Q - Could these funds be used to support a Health Initiative kind of like a health fair where parents could bring their preschooler in for vision, hearing and dental screenings on the spot and maybe coordinate something with the Family Nutrition program to help with childhood obesity or exercise programming?
A - The idea for these funds is to be the comprehensive piece of the tuition dollars. Providing the services within the preschool program would be an appropriate use of these funds - bringing the screenings, nutrition program to the children within the preschool. Supportive services can be provided in any program that serves children that meet the low-income guideline, whether or not the program also receives these funds in the form of scholarships.
14. Q - Could these funds support a voucher system so they could take them to participating doctors?
A - That strategy would not be in the realm of this funding. That gets into the treatment while the supportive services are for consultation/detection.
15. Q - Could you give me a few examples of what is meant by "Family Support Consultation"?
A - The family support piece is working with the families of the children enrolled in the preschool setting. Please refer to Tool FF, http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us/common/pdf/kit_tools/tool_ff.pdf, for more information and a definition of family support.
16. Q - Could we support media and van delivery to our preschools in the service area? The media could include: book of the month and individual student books (preschool-age books), curriculum kits, manipulatives, small media, hand puppets, musical instruments, big books, games and puzzles plus professional materials for teachers and staff that would certainly enhance the entire classroom. It would include having staff available to help with ordering, the online ordering system, van drivers, and the twice-weekly delivery of media
A - No because all that is being "delivered" are materials. There is no supportive service that is attached. Refer to Tool CC(A) for examples of "services" that could be funded, http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us/common/pdf/kit_tools/toolcc_A.pdf.
17. Q - Can we offer services, such as DECA assessments being done with all the children in the classroom?
A - You can offer DECA assessments for the children, but you can not pay for the assessor to be trained with these funds.
18. Q - Can the following be funded: Training in Observation and child assessment; Stipends to teachers; Stipends to programs; Training Expenses; Professional Development; Stipends to providers?
A - While these are all worthy activities and can be supported by other empowerment funding, they cannot be supported with the preschool programming support funds.
19. Q - We have funded from the start a mental health program and substance abuse program where in-home workers go into the homes and assist families with issues-- substance abuse, past sexual abuse, mental health of the parent or behaviors of the child. This year we have four families with a child 4 years old attending a preschool. I don't know the income levels of these parents, but they do not have third party resources that staff can bill to. So we are catching the families falling through the gaps. Can this be used as support through the preschool funds?
A - These sound like individual services to individual families so they would need to meet the income guideline as set. If they do, this is an appropriate example of supportive services. If a family is over income guidelines, you would need to use a sliding fee scale or co-pay, or you could use the SR General funds to support these families.
20. Q - Is the list of uses in Tool CC(A) intended to be exclusive? Or can the money be used for other more general costs of providing preschool based on the number of children under the 200% figure?
A - The way the previous legislative language was interpreted, these funds could only be used for tuition or transportation. This new language to incorporate other services gives some flexibility beyond those two uses. The list isn't necessarily exclusive but the only caution is that the "supportive services" that are mentioned in legislation need to be services directly impacting the child as opposed to items purchased such as equipment, curriculum, facility improvements, or professional development. This is an opportunity to assist the preschools in being more comprehensive in the services they are able to provide. The model you could look at would be Head Start which offers health, nutrition and family services as examples.
21. Q - Can funds be used to assist a program to become or maintain NAEYC accreditation?
A - These funds would not be able to be utilized in that way. The Early Childhood funds or the School Ready Quality Improvement or "other" funds, however, can be used for quality improvements.
22. Q - Is there another guideline, such as the accreditation through the Department of Ed that could be added to the list of acceptable accreditations?
A - No, not at this time.
23. Q - Is there a cost for the QPPS to the program?
A - No. There are costs for the training or technical assistance with the Area Education Agencies (AEA); but that would not be paid directly by the program. There may also be costs to the program to bring its operations up to the standards for the QPPS.
24. Q - Is there a way to get more information about the quality improvement plan and technical assistance components of the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards?
A - Yes, contact your local AEA and ask to speak with someone in Early Childhood Special Education. Visit the Department of Education website for more information at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/681/1016/1/1/.
25. Q - What is the Iowa Quality Pre-K Program Standards self assessment? I understand the standards were not written to be a "check-list, but some guidance on how they could be used as a self-assessment would be extremely helpful.
A - There may be some confusion between the Early Learning Standards (ELS) and the Quality Preschool Program Standards (QPPS). The ELS are about the child. They identify the knowledge, skills, motivation, and attitudes developed by birth-to-five-year-olds that lead to success as students in school and as adult citizens in a democracy.. The QPPS are about the program. They include training for the program and then also involve technical assistance by the trainer in helping the program set up a quality improvement plan to see that the changes are implemented.
26. Q - Can these funds directly be used to assist in working toward completing QPPS?
A - No
27. Q - Can these funds directly be used to add facilitators for QPPS so more programs can access the QPPS option?
A - No, but other Empowerment dollars can be used for this purpose. Contact your local AEA and ask to speak with someone in Early Childhood Special Education to express an interest in expanding the QPPS training and technical assistance in your area.
28. Q - The average score of 5 on the ECERS-R - Is that an over-all average rating of 5 or all sub-sets must be over a 5? With no 1s? or no sub-sets with a score of 1? There will be some centers with no fencing around their playgrounds which is an automatic 1 (i.e. programs meeting less than 3 hours where DHS has waived the outdoor space requirement). This score of 1 would be only an individual item and would only minimally impact the over-all subset score (but it is a 1...)
A - The criteria regarding the scoring for the ECERS-R for the Quality Rating System will apply. For additional information, visit http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/iqrs/.
29. Q - Can a CEA board hire an outside evaluator to complete the ECERS-R with preschools?
A - Not with these funds. The Early Childhood or other School Ready funds can be used for this expense.
30. Q - Can these funds be used to purchase materials or equipment?
A - No.
31. Q - Can these funds be used to purchase additional slots to preschools?
A - Yes, by covering the per child cost to programs. It is strongly suggested that the programs meet the quality standards or will be working to meet one of the standards listed in the criteria.
32. Q - Can these funds be used to assist with start-up costs to new programs?
A - Funds can be used to support programs on a per child basis.
33. Q - Can these funds be used to assist programs to attain the quality standards?
A - No, although Early Childhood or other School Ready dollars could support this effort.
34. Q - Can these funds be used to create an incentive program for the preschools going through accreditation or completing the QPPS?
A - No.
35. Q - Can these funds be used to offer scholarships to home child-care programs?
A - Yes. Once again it is strongly suggested that they also meet one of the quality criteria.
36. Q - Can funds be used to provide transportation to and from preschools?
A - Yes, based on a per child cost.
37. Q - How do areas fill this need?
A - Check with the Association for Iowa's Children for information on different transportation options adopted by community empowerment area boards.
38. Q - Can funds be used for Head Start expansion or "tuition" for children - how is this done when there is no "tuition"?
A - This would be accomplished by supporting the program on a per child basis.
39. Q - Could the program request funding for an additional person to expand their services with this funding?
A - Yes, by support on a per child basis.
40. Q - Are the comprehensive services offered by Shared Visions Preschool Programs or Head Start Programs a quality standard, and can other programs use them as their "quality standards"?
A - In order to use these quality standards, your empowerment area would need to collaborate with the Head Start or Shared Visions program in your area. To fully implement the Head Start standards you will need the assistance of Head Start personnel.
41. Q - If a child is eligible for Head Start but the family would rather have them go to preschool can the funds be used for that?
A - This is a local decision. For consideration, if there is a slot available in Head Start, they should use that slot. If there is not a slot available, the funds could be used in that way. However, it is strongly suggested that the program meet one of the quality criteria. Areas should be very cautious about taking children off of a Head Start waiting list and using these funds to provide the family a scholarship. Areas should work with their Head Start to determine the length of time a child would remain on a waiting list. We ask for caution because this could be detrimental to future federal funding for the local Head Start program and in turn to children in your community. Explore with the family and the Head Start program why the family would rather take their child elsewhere. Work with the family and the Head Start program to discover solutions to the issues presented by the parents.
42. Q - Within a Shared Visions classroom, I understand that the Preschool Support funds are for per-child costs and that they can not be used to "assist a program to obtain or maintain high quality standards". If a Shared Visions classroom per child cost is $4,731 and its budget includes training expenses do I have to have them back out their training costs to obtain a new per-child cost?
A - No. It is understood that the per child cost is comprehensive. If a parent was going to have to pay for tuition to Shared Visions, they would have to pay the $4731.00 (tuition).
43. Q - Can these funds be used to contract with those who can provide consultation and technical assistance to centers in order to meet the quality standard?
A - No.
44. Q - Can these funds support provider and center director training?
A - No.
45. Q - Does this mean we cannot provide scholarships to individual families but can only purchase slots in programs? Or does this just mean that we need to provide the funding directly to the program and not the family?
A - We would strongly encourage local empowerment areas to avoid providing funding directly to families. The rationale for this is funding provided directly to families may be counted as income/resources and make the family ineligible for other programs and services designed to benefit the family. For example a $50 a week preschool tuition scholarship provided directly to the family may make the portion they pay for subsidized housing increase by $60 a week. The end result is the tuition "help" actually "hurts" the family financially.
46. Q - How does parental choice factor in? Does this mean qualifying parents could choose between existing programs, say between a Head Start program and a for profit center?
A - Parents always have a choice and cannot be forced to send their child to any preschool setting. The issue for the local Empowerment area is to be mindful of not supplanting funds when a service is already available. Again, remember that the program of choice is strongly encouraged to meet one of the quality criteria. Please also refer to the answer for question 42.
47. Q - Our local scholarship program does not cover children who have turned five and are eligible for kindergarten, but will be held back for a year (for any reason). We chose this policy for two reasons -- we already had community resources that covered this need and it was the policy / recommendation of a primary school system in our area. With the latest decision of the IEB that scholarship funds could be used for these children, what is our obligation to change our current program?
A - You are under no obligation to change your current process. Empowerment dollars have always been flexible to include those children not yet in school. The only thing to think about is to make sure that all families requesting services are really being served. If your board feels confident that there are other sources for the 5 year olds not yet attending school, then you are fine. You may want to consider situations in that arena on an individual basis, allowing the flexibility to serve them if needed to make sure no one falls through the cracks.
48. Q - Will you spell out for us what we should use in the area of Performance Measures for preschool programs?
A - The measures were adopted by the Iowa Empowerment Board on July 8, 2005 and revised in July 2007. They are identified in Tool CC (B).
49. Q - What tool will be used to determine whether children demonstrate age appropriate skills? (Tool CC(B), Child Development section)
A - This is a local board decision. The tool chosen should be evidence-based. We encourage you to work with your local preschools in determining how to best measure this.
50. Q - We have a proposal from a FOR-profit preschool to help them open their doors. I'm not sure what to tell my board on this one. Some board members don't feel right about helping a for-profit get started.
A - Whether to fund for-profit programs is a decision that is made by the local Empowerment board; however, there is nothing to prevent an area from doing that. It is strongly suggested that any funded program meet the quality standards identified in the criteria. If the local Empowerment board chooses to fund this activity, it may not come out of the Preschool Programming Support for Low Income Families appropriation. It may, however, be paid from the Quality Improvement or Other Services funds.
51. Q - Agencies that request money from Empowerment - can they include "indirect costs or admin costs" in their budget. Is this a local board decision or does the state not allow this?
A - This again is a local decision but indirect or administrative costs for the program should be built into the per child cost.
52. Q - Can any of the Preschool Programming Support for Low-income Families funds be used to administer a locally determined process for distributing the funds?
A - No. However, you may use the administration funds (3% SR or 5% EC) for that purpose. Funds from the SR Other and Quality Improvement categories may also be used in that way.