June 2004 Annual Report

The CCDF Plan Preprint was developed and submitted to the Child Care Bureau, in Washington, D.C. and Mr. Leon McCowan, Regional Administrator in Dallas, TX. The CCDF Plan was due July 1, 2003. We received the official approval in September 2003 for the period of October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2005. In October 2003 we received the Grant Award for the Child Care & Development Fund in the amount of $859,460.00.

The goals for the CCDF program are availability, affordability, and quality child care in our service area. Our program provides efficient quality care facilities for our young children by working with the day care providers and parents. The program this year has 57 Day Care Providers; of those 39 Day Care Center; 16 Day Care Homes; 2 Large Group Home Day Cares, and each one provides quality care. We have provided service for 149 families and 287 children throughout the year.

Quality grants are being issued to the Tribal Day Care on a quarterly basis in the amount of $15,000.00. This will ensure quality care, educational needs and assist in training for child care staff. The grants include upgrading computers, computer software, library supplies to enhance a literacy program and special activities for the after-school program.

August 1, 2003 all full-time employees of the tribal day care received dental insurance and received health insurance on October 28, 2003. Funding for each insurance policy is being provided by the CCDF program.

The Seneca-Cayuga Child Care & Development department is a very active member of the Oklahoma Tribal Child Care Association (OTCCA) and the National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA). The quarterly OTCCA meetings are very helpful as other program directors share their experience's issues or concerns and offer solutions that are helpful and common to the CCDF program.

November 2003 the CCDF Director attended the Tribal/State Agreement Professional Development meeting in Tahlequah, OK. Members of the OTCCA met before the November meeting to discuss possible options for developing an agreement on professional development. Training sponsored by the tribal CCDF programs have been an issue with the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD) who provides State training for child care providers. As stated in the Presidential Executive Order "As domestic dependent nations, Indian tribes exercise inherent sovereign powers over their members and territory." Those involved in the meeting agreed to preserve sovereignty, tribal governments must retain the ability to self rule. With the understanding that D.H.S. has an obligation to insure that the training meets the level developed in the statewide approval system.

December 2003 the ACF -700 report was submitted to Washington, D.C. and the region office in Dallas, TX. The CCDF director attended the OTCCA meeting in Shawnee, OK. Lori Linstead, D.H.S. reported the State Fire Marshall is no longer doing inspections on Tribal facilities. They will return to existing facilities at the request of D.H.S. licensing only.

January 2004 we worked with Lorraine Young on completing 1099 tax forms for each provider. CCDF program issued a training grant to Keith Enyart, Seneca-Cayuga Day Care Director to obtain CPR Instructor's Certification and Certification in Child Passenger Safety. Constructed a new Personnel Policy that will better accommodate our day care employees.

February 2004 the CCDF Director attended the NICCA meeting in Phoenix, AZ. We received updates from the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Children's Defense Fund

March 2004 we welcomed Denisha Gonzalez to our staff as the new Resource and Referral Assistant. Denisha transferred from the tribal day care and had experience with the Oklahoma Stars Program and background in day care operations which will provide valuable assistance to the program.

April 2004 the CCDF program sponsored an Easter Party for the tribal day care center. The evenings' events started with and Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Bunny (Tiffany) made her grand entry at 7:00 p.m. Each child received an Easter basket filled with goodies, a kite and a picture with Easter Bunny.

The annual "Week of the Young Child" was held April 20-23, 2004.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Children's Parade

Civic Center

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

PSU Nature Reach

Civic Center

Thursday, April 22, 2004

PBS Production

"Read Between the Lion's"

Coleman Theater

Friday, April 23, 2004

Petting Zoo

N.E.O. Equine Center

There were approximately 2600 children in attendance, which consist of day care, preschool and school age children.

May 2004 the annual Provider Appreciation Dinner was held May 4, 2004 at the Ottawa/Peoria Building with 163 providers in attendance. Dinner was prepared and served by the Miami A-Team. The entertainment for the evening was a Murder Mystery.

Conferences attended are as follows:

July 2003 Keith Enyart and the CCDF Director attended the Workers' Compensation Risk Management Seminar in Tulsa, OK.

September 2003 Attended the OTCCA quarterly meeting in Shawnee, OK.

Keith Enyart and the CCDF Director attended a "Self-Assessment & the Family Day Care Rating Scale" Tier II training.

October 2003 The CCDF Director and the Intake Clerk attended the ACT Cluster training "Creating a locally Designed Professional Development System to Support Readiness and Retention" in Reno, NV.

November 2003 CCDF Director attended the Tribal/State Agreement Professional Development meeting in Tahlequah, OK.

December 2003 Attended the Quarterly OTCCA meeting in Shawnee, OK.

February 2004 Attended the NICCA quarterly meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

April 2004 The CCDF department attended the Tenth National American Indian & Alaska Native Child Care Conference "Incorporating Language, Culture and Tradition into Early Learning Environments" in Phoenix, AZ.

February 2004

The CCDF director attended the National Indian Child Care quarterly meeting in Phoenix, AZ, February 2-4, 2004. We received a few updates from the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Children's Defense Fund. The Administration released its budget request for fiscal year 2005. Child Care Development Block Grant: tables in the budget show that at least 300,000 children will lose assistance by 2009 (since 2003), based on assumptions that the states will continue to use the same amount of TANF funds for transfer to CCDBG or direct child care spending and the same amount of SSBG (Title XX) is spent on child care. However, TANF does not receive an increase and there are indications that some states are no longer transferring as many funds to child care. Some estimates put the number of children who lose assistance closer to 447,000 by 2009. The Children's Defense Fund's Emerging Leaders Project is an opportunity for child care and early education activists. The project seeks to expand and enhance the leadership capacity of advocates and foster the development of new strategies for improving child care, early education, and school-age care policies. Each year, new leaders are selected through a competitive process based on their ability to demonstrate the commitment, energy, determination, and creativity necessary to serve as part of a growing new leadership in child care and early education.

We have scheduled the dates for the "Week of the Young Child" for the week of April 18-23, 2004. The week long event will consist of PSU Wildlife, "Between the Lion's" puppet show, presented by PBS network, petting zoo and children's parade.

Preparation's have begun for our annual Provider Appreciation Dinner. We have set the date for May 4, 2004. The theme's that have been discussed for this years dinner is a murder mystery or traditional Indian food dance. Plans have not been finalized at this time.

January 2004

We have been working with Lorraine Young on completing each child care provider 1099 tax forms. The 1099 form will reflect the total money earned for child care assistance. We had sixty-six (66) daycare centers and home daycare's provide child care service for the year 2003. It is very comforting to know these providers are providing excellent care for our children.
The CCDF program has issued a training grant to Keith Enyart, Seneca-Cayuga Daycare Director to obtain CPR Instructor's Certification and Certification in Child Passenger Safety. The CPR training will also include Child and Adult First Aid and instructions on how to properly use a Defibulator. The Child Passenger Safety classes will include safety information and installation of car seats, latest technical information on car seats, LATCH, tethers, recalls vehicles, etc.
We have spent a considerable amount of time this month constructing a new Personnel Policy that will better accommodate our day care employees. We have submitted a copy Dennis Sisco, to review and present to the business committee. There are several changes from the previous policy.
The CCDF Director will be attending the National Indian Child Care quarterly meeting in Phoenix, AZ , February 2-4, 2004. The agenda will consist of appointment of vacant Board positions, committee reports, and review of goals and priorities.

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