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OF THINGS THAT STARTING IN THE NEXT MEETING, WE'RE GONNA START, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO START MAKING SOME DECISIONS.SO WE'LL START NOT MAKING THOSE DECISIONS TONIGHT, BUT START LISTING WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS MICHELLE GODFREY, AND MEGAN AND I ARE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AND BEGIN TO TELL YOU SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL, AND WE BEGAN CONVENING BACK IN DECEMBER 2023.
AND BEFORE WE GO INTO SORT OF GIVING YOU A OVERVIEW OF THE FINDINGS, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY BECAUSE THIS WORK DATES WAY BACK.
UM, THIS IS A NEW BOOK TO CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND SO THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP COMES OUT OF THE, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL.
AND IF WE GO BACK, SOME OF US ARE EVEN AT THIS TABLE WHO WOULD REMEMBER.
IF WE GO BACK A BIT, CAMBRIDGE HAS ALWAYS HAD A ROBUST EARLY CHILDHOOD, UH, LANDSCAPE AND ADVOCACY GROUP WAY BACK TO THE ZERO TO EIGHT COUNCIL.
AND SO, UH, THE ZERO TO EIGHT COUNCIL MET FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO LOOK AT, UM, BEST PRACTICES IN FAMILY SUPPORT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.
AND SO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY, WE CAN LINK THEM TO THE ZERO FAMILY COUNCIL.
AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, CET AND ALL THE WORK WE DO, THAT WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT ON BY A GRANT THAT FOLKS ON THE ZERO TO EIGHT COUNCIL, WHICH WERE 45 TO 50 PROVIDERS ACROSS THE CITY, YOU KNOW, REALLY COMMITTED TO BRINGING UP THAT PRACTICES AROUND EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY SUPPORT.
THEY WROTE THAT FEDERAL GRANT YEARS AGO AND GOT TWO FED GRANTS FOR LIKE 1.5 MILLION EACH TO CREATE SOME OF THESE PRACTICES, RIGHT? TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE BEST SERVE FAMILIES IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, IF WE THINK ABOUT THE WORK OF THE BIRTH TO THIRD PARTNERSHIP, WHICH ALSO CAME OUT OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE ZERO TO EIGHT COUNCIL DID AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THE ORIGINAL, UH, PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD ABOUT 50 KIDS WHO WERE GETTING SCHOLARSHIPS, MAYBE A LITTLE, UH, WHO WERE GETTING SCHOLARSHIPS TO INTEND QUALITY PRESCHOOLS IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND THAT HAS MORPHED INTO THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, WHICH NOW WE HAVE A SYSTEM, RIGHT? IT'S A REALLY DIFFERENT PLACE, BUT WE HAVE A SYSTEM AND WE HAVE TODAY CPP WHERE ALL OF OUR KIDS GET ACCE - SORRY, ALL OF OUR KIDS GET ACCESS TO.
UM, BUT ALL OF OUR KIDS GET ACCESS TO QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD.
AND SO I WANTED, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT BIT OF HISTORY BECAUSE, UH, INFANT, THE WORK OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS IS NOT NEW.
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT.
WE KNEW WHILE WE WERE FOCUSING ON OUR PRESCHOOLERS THAT WE NEEDED TO SIT ON THIS WORK A LITTLE BIT.
SO THIS GROUP STARTED MEETING IN DECEMBER, UM, AND OUR GOAL WAS TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE WE COULD REALLY CENTER THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES WITH INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
UM, AND IT WAS REALLY, THE TARGET AUDIENCE WAS REALLY FOLKS WHO HAD CHILDREN PRETTY MUCH BIRTH TO THREE.
UM, AND SO WE BRIDGED THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH, UH, PRENATAL AND THE LINK TO PRESCHOOL JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
BUT WHEN YOU HEAR US TALKING THROUGHOUT THIS, OFTEN YOU'LL HEAR THE 2.9 RANGE, AND WE DO THAT FOR CHILDCARE REASONS, RIGHT? WE DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S A STANDARD FOR CHILDCARE REASONS.
SO THE MEMBERSHIP OF OUR GROUP, WE HAVE FOLKS FROM CHILDCARE CHOICE OF BOSTON FIND A CAMBRIDGE.
I WON'T READ THE WHOLE LIST, BUT YOU SEE WHO'S THERE, HOME BASE, UH, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH IS THERE, MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, UH, DHSP SITS AT THE TABLE.
SO THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO ARE VERY COMMITTED, UM, TO EARLY CHILDHOOD IN GENERAL.
SO AS WE STARTED MEETING THESE TWO YEARS AGO, UH, WE REALLY WERE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE WE HAD GOOD PROCESSOR COLLABORATION.
UM, AND WE WERE REALLY ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLER WAS IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE, UM, AND WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT EXISTING DATA BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON AROUND THE CITY, LOTS OF DATA, UH, FOR WORK WITH, UH, PRESCHOOLERS.
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WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE DATA THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALSO RECEIVED THE LINKS FOR.SO WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE INFANT TODDLER EDUCATION WORKFORCE FROM THE PULSE SURVEY.
UH, WE ALSO LOOKED AT CAMBRIDGE PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS, IMPLICATIONS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLER CARE.
AND WHAT WE DID, WE ALSO LOOKED AT SOME HEAD START DATA AND SOME OTHER DATA THAT WAS OUT THERE.
BUT WHAT WE REALIZED REALLY QUICKLY WAS WE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO TALK TO CAMBRIDGE FAMILIES, UM, AND SEE WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
WE KNEW CHILDCARE WAS COMING UP AS AN ISSUE, BUT WE NEEDED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING IN THIS MOMENT.
UM, AND IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE CHARLOTTE KETTY, WHO IS FROM THE, UH, SAULS AUNTS INITIATIVE, UM, HAD ALREADY BEEN COMING TO OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL, AND IT WAS A NATURAL COLLABORATION.
AND SO THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT THE INFANT TODDLER FAMILY SURVEY.
AND WE HAD A REALLY FAST TIMELINE.
WE NEEDED TO GET IT OUT EARLY SPRING.
WE NEEDED TO CLOSE IT LATE SPRING.
UM, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MEGAN TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE HEARD, BUT WE, IN THAT SHORT TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH OVER 300 FAMILIES, CAMBRIDGE FAMILIES.
UM, SO PART OF THE SURVEY, UM, BESIDES DESIGNING IT AND IMPLEMENTING IT, WAS REALLY THE OUTREACH.
SO IT WAS A TREMENDOUS OUTREACH EFFORT.
WE, WE RELIED A LOT ON THE FOLKS ON THE INFANT TODDLER, UM, TO, ON THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP.
WE ALSO RELIED ON OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY, LIKE THE CET TEAM, LIKE CENTER FOR FAMILIES, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, EARLY INTERVENTION.
UM, AND IT WAS A REAL EFFORT TO GET THESE, LIKE MICHELLE SAID, ALMOST 300, OVER 300, UM, SURVEYS COMPLETED.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE WORKING ON THE SURVEY, WE ALSO WERE GETTING READY TO, UM, LAUNCH THIS KIND OF FOCUSED WORK WITH THE DATA THAT WE, ALL THIS DATA THAT WE HAD.
AND, UM, SO TO THAT END, WE ADDED SOME FOLKS TO THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP.
CHERYL OLSON FROM THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
WE ADDED THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, KAREN FEENEY.
WE HAD, UM, CHARLOTTE AND HER TEAMMATES, UM, STAY ON, AND SOME FOLKS FROM RIVERSIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE STARTED THIS WORK KIND OF IN EARNEST IN JULY, AND WE COMMITTED TO FIVE MEETINGS TO DO THIS, THIS FOCUS WORK.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE, THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THIS KIND OF SUMMER FALL WORK.
WE WANTED TO USE THE DATA AND THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM OF THIS GROUP TO DEVELOP A SET OF FOCUS AREAS.
BUT WE WERE REALLY CLEAR WITH THIS GROUP BECAUSE, UM, WHAT I WILL SAY ABOUT THIS GROUP IS THAT THEY'RE NOT, THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP, MOST OF THEM ARE NOT CARE PROVIDERS.
THEY DON'T WORK IN EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE SETTINGS.
SO WITH THEIR, ONE'S A PEDIATRICIAN, THEY'RE THE FOLKS FROM EARLY INTERVENTION.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY CLEAR WITH THEM THAT OUR FOCUS WASN'T GONNA JUST BE ON CHILDCARE.
WE WANTED TO KNOW, UM, WHAT ELSE WERE PA- PARENTS STRUGGLING WITH? SO, UM, OUR MEETINGS, LIKE I SAID, STARTED IN JULY.
WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR OUR FIRST KICKOFF MEETING.
THE SURVEY DATA CAME IN RIGHT ON TIME.
WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR FROM CHARLOTTE PETTY AND LILY FRITZ AND ISABEL SMITH WHO WERE THE, THE, THE TEAM, THE DYNAMIC TEAM THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, ON THE HEELS OF THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING, IT WORKED OUT PERFECT.
WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR FROM MAYA ZAHARI AND, UM, ALLIE EPSTEIN, THE RAISING KIDS RISING CLASS REPORT, WHICH CHERYL WENT INTO LA - AT OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, AND THEN WE REALLY MOVED INTO DIGGING INTO THE QUALITATIVE DATA THAT WE GOT FROM THE XANCE.
UM, WE CALLED IT THE 10TH SURVEY A LOT, BUT THE INFANT TODDLER SURVEY, THERE WAS JUST, THERE IS SO MUCH QUALITATIVE DATA IN THIS, IN THIS, UM, IN THIS, UH, IN SURVEY RESULTS.
SO WE REALLY USED OUR TIME TO DO THAT AND THEN JUST KIND OF START TURNING INTO, START, UM, CREATING THESE FOCUS AREAS, WHICH ARE WHAT, WHERE WE'LL END WITH TONIGHT.
UM, YOU CAN DO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND IF I'M GOING OVER TIME, SOMEBODY'S.
UM, SO, UM, MICHELLE MENTIONED SOME OF THE DATA, SO I ACTUALLY WON'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME ON THIS ONE.
THESE ARE THE, UM, REPORTS THAT WE GAVE ALL THE PARTICIPANTS AND THAT WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME ON.
THE ONE THAT I JUST WANNA LIFT UP, WHICH WAS, UM, IF FOLKS HAVEN'T READ IT YET, I THINK I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE, UM, IT REALLY MIRRORS, IT SHOWS ON A NATIONAL SCALE WHAT PEOPLE WERE SEEING, AND IT MIRRORS WHAT WE SAW KIND OF HYPER LOCALLY IN OUR INFANT TODDLER SURVEY.
SO THAT'S THE PARENTS UNDER PRESSURE, THE US SURGEON GENERAL'S ADVISORY ON THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF PARENTS.
UM, WE, ONE THING I JUST WANNA LIFT UP FROM THAT, UM, THAT SUR - OR THAT REPORT, THE SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORT WAS A, UM, A STATISTIC FROM THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, WHICH I'M JUST GONNA READ TO YOU.
SO 41% OF PARENTS SAY THAT MOST DAYS THEY'RE SO STRESSED THEY CANNOT FUNCTION, AND 48% SAY THAT MOST DAYS, THEIR STRESS IS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING COMPARED TO OTHER ADULTS.
AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THEM TO THE OTHER ADULTS, IT'S 20%
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AND 28% RESPECTIVELY.AND AS WE KNOW, ALL OF US KNOW IN THIS ROOM, WE KNOW IN OUR FIELD THAT, LIKE, WHEN THERE IS STRESS THAT'S SEVERE OR PROLONGED FOR THE ADULTS, IT'S GONNA HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE CHILDREN AS WELL.
UM, SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR INFANT TODDLER SURVEY.
UM, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SLIDE, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE, UM, ON SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM, FROM THE SURVEY.
SO, UM, THE ZANS INITIATIVES TELLS US THE SURVEY, THE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHO WE HAVE LIVING HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
SO WE HAD 82% OF THE FOLKS THAT RESPONDED WERE ENGLISH-SPEAKING, 18% OTHER LANGUAGES, UM, 53% WERE WHITE OR CAUCASIAN, WITH 19% BEING ASIAN AMERICAN OR ASIAN, 14% AFRICAN AMERICAN OR BLACK, AND 13% OTHER.
UM, WE WERE PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE FROM ZIP CODES OF THE RESPONDENT.
UH, ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME WAS KIND OF SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH 50, ALMOST 50% BEING MORE THAN 150K A YEAR AND 50% BEING UNDER 150K.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE, UM, LOOKED AT SOME OF THE COLLECTIVE INFO ON SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, AND WE SAW THAT 20% OF OUR RESPONDENTS LIVED IN SUB- SUBSIDIZED HOUSING AND 80% NOT IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THE, UM...
YEAH, SO THE, SO THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANTED TO REALLY, UM, UPLIFT.
SO WHAT WE KNEW KIND OF GOING INTO THIS AND WHAT MANY OF US KNOW, RIGHT, THE PARENTS IN THIS AGE GROUP, WITH KIDS THIS AGE GROUP ARE UNDER STRESS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR BASIC NEEDS, AND WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES WITH, IN MULTIPLE INCOME BRACKETS STRUGGLE WITH THE COST OF LIVING HERE.
UM, WHAT SURPRISED US IS THAT A LOT OF CAREGIVERS DON'T FEEL WELL CONNECTED WITH THEIR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT SURPRISED US IS THIS IDEA THAT WHAT WE, WHAT WE FOUND IN THE STUDY WAS THAT ABOVE CHILDCARE, FOLKS SAID THAT BALANCING PARENTING WITH OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES WAS THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
SO, UM, ABOVE CHILDCARE, 42% SAID THIS IDEA OF BALANCING PARENTING RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, AND THEN 45% OF RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING SUPPORT AND WERE NOT AWARE OF THE RESOURCES IN CAMBRIDGE.
SO DESPITE BEING A FAN OF COMMUNITY THAT'S VERY RESOURCE-RICH, PARTICULARLY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, UM, SOME FAMILIES ARE STILL NOT SURE WHERE TO GO TO ACCESS THESE RESOURCES.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA JUST SAY ABOUT THE, UM, PARENTAL STRESS, WE SAW THIS PARENTAL STRESS ACROSS ALL SUBGROUPS.
SO THE OVERALL, UM, THE OVERALL, UH, DATA WAS, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT STRESS? 21, YEAH, 42% MODERATE AMOUNT OF STRESS.
YOU REALLY SAW THAT ACROSS THE SUBGROUPS ACROSS ZIP CODES, ACROSS INCOME LEVELS, ACROSS LANGUAGES SPOKEN.
UM, THE NOTE, THIS IDEA ABOUT COMMUNITY CONNECTION, UM, THIS WAS BROADLY SIMILAR ACROSS THE SUBGROUPS, EXCEPT WE SAW, UM, SOME VARIATION AMONG MEN, FOLKS WHOSE, UM, LING - FIRST LANGUAGE WAS NOT ENGLISH, AND THOSE WHO IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE I JUST WANNA LIFT UP IS THIS IDEA OF, UM, WHERE DO WE GO FOR SUPPORT AND RESOURCES? AND THIS REALLY ILLUSTRATES WHAT THE ZANS SURVEY SHOWED US IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF VARIATION WITH HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING IN CAMBRIDGE AND HOW CONNECTED THEY ARE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, WE FOUND IN THE OVERALL GROUP, 10% OF PEOPLE SAID THEY USE A HOME VISITOR TO GET THEIR PARENTING ADVICE, WHEREAS IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, IT WAS 22%.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING THERE THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS GROUP THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE, FROM THE OVERALL POP- POPULATION.
ANOTHER ONE I'LL LIFT UP IS THAT 21% OF FAMILIES SAID THEY GET, UM, THEIR PARENTING ADVICE FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WITH FOLKS THAT THEIR PRIMARY LANGUAGE WAS IN ENGLISH, IT WAS 31%.
SO DEPENDING ON THE GROUPS WE'RE GETTING A LOT, THEY, THE, WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THEIR RESOURCES DIFFERS.
THE LAST ONE I'M GONNA UNPACK IS THIS IDEA OF BALANCING PARENTING WITH OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THAT IN OUR WORKING GROUP AND THE ZANTZ, UM, FOLKS TEAM SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT.
AND I'LL JUST KIND OF, UM, GO OVER THE TOP THINGS THAT THEY FOUND WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE QUALITATIVE DATA AND WHAT PEOPLE SAID.
THIS IDEA OF TIME SCARCITY AND FEELING CONSTANTLY OVERWHELMED, BALANCING WORK DEMANDS WITH THEIR PARENTING ROLES, COMMUTING AND LOGISTICAL COMPLEXITIES, HOUSEHOLD TASKS AND THE MENTAL LOAD OF FAMILY MANAGEMENT, AND EXHAUSTION, BURNOUT, AND LACK OF TIME FOR SELF-CARE, FINANCIAL PRESSORS, LIMITED SUPPORT NETWORKS.
UM, SO THIS IS STUFF THAT WE LEARNED IS GOING WELL, UM, AND WE CANNOT...
THIS WAS ALSO ALL OVER THE SURVEY RESULTS, WAS THAT CAMBRIDGE HAS RESOURCES, AND IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE CHILDREN.
UM, THAT CAME THROUGH TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
SO IT IS THE THINGS LIKE PLAYGROUPS, THE LIBRARY, THE ACCESSIBILITY
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TO PARKS, UM, THE CENTER FOR FAMILIES, EARLY INTERVENTION, ALL OF THIS WAS JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTED ABOUT HOW MUCH, HOW RESOURCE-RICH WE ARE.UM, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THIS DATA IN THE INFANT TODDLER WORKING GROUP.
UM, WE'RE GONNA SHARE THINGS THAT, WITH OTHER COMMU - UH, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT KIND OF FIT INTO THEIR WORK.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ONLY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.
UM, BUT THE INFANT TI - TODDLER WORKING GROUP WAS ABLE TO DO THIS DEEP DIVE, UM, AND REALLY HEAVILY INFLUENCED, THIS WORK HEAVILY INFLUENCES THE FOCUS AREAS, WHICH MICHELLE'S GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT NOW.
SO WE CREATED THIS VISUAL FOR YOU BECAUSE WE, AS WE TOLD YOU THAT WE KNEW CHILDCARE WAS GONNA COME UP, BUT THESE OTHER THINGS CAME UP IN SUCH OVERWHELMING WAYS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ALSO GET THIS INFORMATION TO YOU AND BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
FINANCIAL STRAIN CONTINUED ACROSS GROUPS, THE COST OF LIVING, HOUSING, RAISING CHILDREN, MORE EMPLOYMENT.
UH, PARENT CAREGIVER WELLBEING REALLY HIGH.
JUST THESE MULTIPLE DEMANDS, UM, THIS EXHAUSTION.
CHILDCARE, OF COURSE, CAME UP AS A CHALLENGE.
AND NOT JUST CHILDCARE, THE FLEXIBILITY OF CHILDCARE, HOW PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO USE CHILDCARE CAME UP BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT GROUP OF KIDS.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INFANTS AND TODDLERS, NOT PRESCHOOLERS.
THE CHILDCARE LOOKS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, PEOPLE WERE FEELING FAR FROM PEOPLE THEY KNOW, ISOLATED AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS COMING UP THAT WE HEAR, SORT OF WE'RE HEARING IN OTHER PLACES, IS THE SECOND SHIFT, WHICH IS PARENTING, THAT WE KEEP HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS, I THINK PEOPLE JUST SORT OF GET AS AN EXPECTATION AND NOBODY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVE A MUCH BIGGER WORKING POPULATION NOW.
AND SO WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, ONE PARENT OR BOTH PARENTS ARE WORKING, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME HOME AND THERE'S STILL THIS NEXT JOB.
AND PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE TO DESCRIBE IT AS THIS TERRIBLE THING, BUT A VERY OVERWHELMING THING.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH THAT AND TELL YOU, JUST GIVE YOU SOME MORE OF, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING SOME OF THIS WORK AND KEEP DIVING INTO THIS DATA AND FIGURING OUT WHO IN THE CITY WE SHOULD BE BRINGING ON TO SORT OF THINK ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE SOME OF THIS.
SHOULD WE BRING ON OUR EMPLOYMENT FOLKS TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH YOUNG KIDS PARTICULARLY? SO WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR ALL YOUR HELP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.
LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, TALKING ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SECRETARY ELIZABETH GRUGINSKI, UM, ON THE CALL.
I'M THRILLED TO HAVE HER JOIN US, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
ELIZABETH GURGINSKI'S, UM, HAS MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP IN THE FIELD OF EARLY EDUCATION.
A BIT EARLIER IN HER CAREER SHE SPENT, I THINK IT WAS FIVE YEARS IN WASHINGTON DC AS THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, UM, OF EARLY LEARNING IN DC.
SHE OVERSAW MUCH OF WASHINGTON DC'S, UM, UNIVERSAL PRE-K WORK.
UH, SHE ALSO HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD WITH THE UNITED WAY AND WITH A NUMBER OF HEAD START PROGRAMS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND MOST RECENTLY, IN 2019, UH, SHE MOVED TO THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO WHERE SHE TOOK ON THE ROLE OF SECRETARY OF EARLY LEARNING AND CARE IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.
AND IN THAT ROLE, SHE HAD THE CHALLENGE OF, UH, DEVELOPING AND ALSO LAUNCHING AND NOW IMPLEMENTING THE NATION'S FIRST STATEWIDE UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE PROGRAM.
AND I BELIEVE, SHE WILL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, THEY'RE JUST ABOUT A YEAR IN, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR IN NOW, SO THEY HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LEARNING FROM THIS PROCESS.
SO WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SECRETARY GERGINSKI, UM, HERE TO SPEAK WITH US THIS EVENING.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
I KNOW WE SENT OVER A FEW DOCUMENTS THAT WERE LONG.
I THINK IN THE NEXT FIVE DAYS, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA PUBLISH OUR BLUEPRINT FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE, AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH ALL OF YOU, WHICH KIND OF OUTLINES REALLY THE FIVE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS THAT WE FOUND WERE ESSENTIAL TO, TO OUR SUCCESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST WAS DEFINITELY STARTING WITH STRONG GOVERNANCE.
UM, WHEN GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUHAN GRISHAM AND THE LEGISLATURE CREATED THE DEPARTMENT, THEY REALLY TOOK A, A, A REALLY DEEP LOOK AT WHAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE.
UM, IN NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE 24 NATIONS, PUEBLOS AND TRIBES, SO WE HAVE A OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE, BUT THEY ALSO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE A WAGE SCALE AND CAREER LADDER FOR, UM, THE FIELD, FOR ALL THE PROGRAMS WE ADMINISTER, AND ALSO TO DEVELOP A, A MULTI-YEAR FINANCE PLAN.
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SO REALLY THINKING NOT JUST ABOUT BRINGING PROGRAMS TOGETHER AND HAVING THEM MORE ALIGNED, BUT THINKING STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW WE WERE GONNA BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE HIGH QUALITY PRENATAL TO FIVE SYSTEM FOR NEW MEXICO FAMILIES.UM, SO VERY PROUD, OBVIOUSLY, HERE, SEVEN YEARS IN, UH, TO SAY THAT WE HAVE UNIVERSAL HOME VISITING, PRE-K, UM, CHILDCARE, AND OUR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM IS ALSO VERY EXPANSIVE IN TERMS OF CHILDREN AT RISK FOR BIOLOGICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL RISK, UM, AS WELL AS, OF COURSE, DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS AND DISABILITIES.
SO THE GOVERNOR, SHE RAN ON THIS ISSUE OF CREATING, BEING MORE FAMILY-CENTERED.
NEW MEXICO, MANY OF YOU KNOW, HAS, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY, YOU KNOW, 50TH IN CHILD WELLBEING, 50TH IN CHILD POVERTY, 50TH IN CHILD NUTRITION, UH, IN CHILD, UM, IN HUNGER.
AND THOSE WERE THE STATISTICS THAT I THINK MOTIVATED THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE TO SAY, "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING MONUMENTALLY DIFFERENT IF WE'RE GONNA TURN THESE NUMBERS AROUND." AND SO THE INVESTMENT AND THE BELIEF IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AS A KEY TO THAT, UH, HAD LONG, YOU KNOW, HAD LONG BEEN A, UM, A ETHIC OR A ETHOS OF NEW MEXICO LEGISLATORS, SPECIFICALLY PRE-K AND HOME VISITING.
UH, CHILDCARE WAS NOT AS, UM, LOVED AND BELOVED
IT NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL FAMILIES.
SHE HAD A CRADLE-TO-CAREER EDUCATIONAL APPROACH, A REAL MOONSHOT FOR EDUCATION WHEN SHE CAME INTO OFFICE.
SO STRONG GOVERNANCE WAS A HUGE PART OF OUR FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENT.
THEN MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT OUR STABLE AND PREDICTABLE FUNDING.
UH, WE ARE AN OIL AND GAS STATE.
UH, THE GOVERNOR, UM, SAID, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AWAY, SHE CREATED THE DEPARTMENT THE SECOND YEAR.
SHE SAID, "WE CAN'T TAKE THESE UNDERFUNDED PROGRAMS, PUT THEM TOGETHER, AND THINK WE'RE GONNA GET SOME ECONOMY OF SCALE.
WE NEED TO BRING MORE REVENUES TO THIS PR - REALLY CRITICAL PERIOD OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT." AND SO THEY CREATED THE EARLY CHILDHOOD TRUST FUND WITH JUST 300 MILLION SURPLUS OIL AND GAS MONEY, UH, THAT HAS NOW, YOU KNOW, GROWN AND GROWN AND GROWN, AND NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT $12 BILLION.
BUT THE FUND IS A BIG CORPUS, BUT IT, IT DISTRIBUTES TO THE DEPARTMENT ANNUALLY 500 MILLION OR 5% OF THE CORPUS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
BUT THE LEGISLATURE FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE SAID, "WELL, THAT FUND IS PRETTY HEALTHY.
LET'S TAKE 700 MILLION AND SAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN ACCESS UP TO 700 MILLION BETWEEN 26 AND 31 TO MAKE SURE THAT UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE IS WELL-FUNDED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BUDGET CYCLE TO BUDGET CYCLE AND WONDER, WILL THERE BE MONEY BECAUSE THAT WON'T GIVE FAMILIES THE CERTAINTY, THAT ABSOLUTELY WON'T GIVE OUR PROVIDERS THE CERTAINTY TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES IF THEY'RE WORRIED THAT IT'S GONNA COLLAPSE, YOU KNOW, IN ANOTHER BUDGET CYCLE." SO THAT WAS A REALLY WISE MOVE.
ALSO, FOR DECADES, ADVOCATES HAD FOUGHT FOR A PORTION OF OUR VERY LARGE LAND-GRANT PERMANENT FUND, PRIMARILY FUNDS K-12 SAID, "WHY CAN'T THAT FUND EARLY CHILDHOOD?" THEY DID GET THAT THROUGH.
70% OF VOTERS SAID, "YES, WE WANNA SEE MORE OF THAT MONEY USED FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD." THAT WAS A NICE ALIGNMENT OF THE PUBLIC AND THE POLITICAL WILL COMING TOGETHER.
THAT DISTRIBUTES TO US ABOUT 200 MILLION A YEAR, USED PRIMARILY FOR HOME VISITING AND PRE-K.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE EXPANSION OF PRE-K WITH THE LAND-GRANT PERMANENT FUND DID SET US ON A GOOD PATH AND TRAJECTORY FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE BECAUSE SO MANY CHILDREN ARE SERVED IN SIX AND A HALF, SEVEN-HOUR A DAY PRE-K PROGRAMS, UM, THAT ALLOW FAMILIES TO WORK AND GO TO SCHOOL.
THE THIRD WAS, OF COURSE, IS SO IMPORTANT, IS THE WELL-COMPENSATED AND CREDENTIALED WORKFORCE.
UH, WE DID A LOT OF EARLY POLICY INITIATIVES AROUND PRE-K PARITY WHEN THE DEPARTMENT FIRST STARTED GETTING THE TRUST FUND MONEY.
WE SAW THE CYCLE, PEOPLE EDUCATE THE TEACHERS, THEY GO JOIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY CAN GET MORE MONEY.
UH, SO WE SAID, "WELL, IF YOU STAY...
IF YOU'RE IN COMMUNITY-BASED, WE'RE GONNA MATCH WHAT YOUR COUNTERPARTS MAKE IN K-12, WHETHER YOU'RE A LEVEL ONE, LEVEL TWO, LEVEL THREE TEACHER." AND SO THAT REALLY WAS A KEY PART OF IT.
UH, TWO YEARS AGO, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US MONEY FOR AN INFANT-TODDLER PAY PARITY, UM, AND THAT WAS ALSO INCREDIBLY INSTRUMENTAL, UM, IN HELPING WITH, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST A CDA, OR IN OUR STATE, WE CALL IT A CHILD DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE, TO GET ON THAT LADDER TO START GETTING THAT PAY PARITY.
UH, ONE THING UNDER THE FINANCING, WE USED A COST ALTERNATIVE METHODOLOGY TO INFORM ALL OF OUR RATE SETTING.
YOU CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING AT WHAT THE TRUE COST OF CARE IS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING TO BUILD A MODEL, BECAUSE YOU WANNA CREATE CONDITIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR PROVIDERS TO GROW AND EXPAND LIKE ANY BUSINESS THAT YOU WANNA SEE GROW.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY, THEY'RE COUNTING ON REVENUES FROM FAMILIES BASED ON WHAT THEY CAN AFFORD OR SOME PAYMENT FROM THE STATE THAT DOESN'T
[00:25:01]
REALLY COVER THEIR COSTS, THEY'RE GONNA BE CONSTRAINED, THE SYSTEM WON'T GROW.AND SO WE SAW A LOT OF GROWTH IN OUR SYSTEM.
OUR OVERALL CHILDCARE SYSTEM HAS GROWN ABOUT 35%, MOSTLY THROUGH THAT COST-BASED APPROACH TO FINANCING HOW WE SET THEIR RATES AND EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY.
SO MORE FAMILIES THAT THEY'RE SERVING ARE GETTING ACCESS TO THAT HIGHER RATE THAT THE STATE IS PAYING, UH, VERSUS WHAT FAMILIES CAN AFFORD, AND THAT PREDICTABILITY.
WE ALWAYS PAY ON TIME, WE PAY THE FIRST PART OF THE MONTH.
SO, UH, A LOT OF STUFF ON COMPENSATION.
THE GOVERNOR, UH, MADE COLLEGE FREE FOR ALL NEW MEXICANS IN 22, TWO-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR, UH, AA C-CREDIT BEARING CERTIFICATES AND BACHELOR'S DEGREES.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN SCHOLARSHIPS THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE ARE CONDITIONS THAT IT'S HARD FOR OUR NON-TRADITIONAL, UH, WORKFORCE TO ACTUALLY MEET.
UM, SO WE DO THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR LABOR DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ON PRE-APPRENTICESHIP, APPRENTICESHIP.
UH, WE'RE RIGHT NOW INVOLVED IN A FULL, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD SECTOR STRATEGY WITH THE WORKFORCE BOARDS, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO START PAYING OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS WAGES, UM, THAT ARE...
ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A GOOD LIVING WAGE AND, UM, TO BE PART OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, THEIR EFFORTS, BECAUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD IS ONE OF THEIR TOP, UH, OCCUPATIONS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP BUILD.
LOTS MORE ON, ON WORKFORCE, GETTING THEM BETTER DEGREES, GETTING THEM BETTER PAY, UH, AND THEN MO - AND THEN FAMILY-CENTERED ACCESS.
SO HOW FAMILIES CAN GET INTO THE PROGRAM.
IN 22, WHEN WE EXPANDED IT TO 400% OF POVERTY, FOR US IN NEW MEXICO, THAT WAS 80% OF OUR FAMILIES.
BUT WHEN WE EXPANDED TO UNIVERSAL, OVER 80% OF THE FAMILIES WHO CAME IN WERE ALREADY ELIGIBLE.
SO JUST SPEAKING TO THAT NOTION THAT EITHER THE STIGMA OR PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, "OH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FOR ME, IT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY." SO 54% OF THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE, UH, COME INTO THE PROGRAM WERE UNDER 200% OF POVERTY.
SO SOMETHING WE WEREN'T DOING RIGHT, PROBABLY IN OUR MESSAGING, PROVIDERS WEREN'T TELLING PARENTS, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE UNIVERSAL, UH, WE'VE JUST SEEN THIS GROUNDSWELL.
WE WENT FROM 30,000 CHILDREN NOW TO, UM, UM, OVER 50,000 CHILDREN THAT WERE PAYING FOR THEIR CARE IN JUST ONE YEAR.
UH, AND WE'VE MADE IT AVAILABLE.
GRANDPARENTS RAISING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN DON'T HAVE TO MEET THE WORK AND SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.
UH, WE'VE ALSO MADE IT EASY THROUGH ONLINE APPLICATIONS, THROUGH OUR, AGAIN, OUR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS DEPARTMENTS AT THEIR JOB CENTERS.
THEY'RE ABLE TO GET FAMILIES ENROLLED, BUT FAMILIES ARE ALSO ABLE TO COME INTO OUR BRICK AND MORTAR OFFICES, SO LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS FOR THEM TO GET ACCESS.
AND THEN FINALLY, VERY INTENTIONAL SUPPLY BUILDING EFFORTS FROM THE COVID RELIEF MONEY AND ALL THAT GREAT WORK THAT CAME THROUGH, UH, THE AMERICAN, UH, WHAT WAS IT CALLED? ARPA, ARPA, UM, WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY USE THOSE...
THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE COVID RELIEF DOLLARS DID PUT US ON A FASTER TRAJECTORY THAN WE WOULD'VE BEEN ON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD USE IT TO PAY FOR FAMILIES CARE THAT WERE OVER 100, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CAP IT AT THE 185% OF, UH, STATE MEDIAN INCOME.
WE COULD GIVE MONEY DIRECTLY TO CHILDCARE OPERATORS TO EXPAND AND OPEN BUSINESSES, UH, AND WE USED THAT A- AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
SO WE BUILT ON THAT WITH, UH, CH - A LOW INTEREST, UM, REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR CHILDCARE, PASSED SOME LEGISLATION, UH, THAT, UM, ENABLED THAT TO CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED.
UH, THE GOVERNOR'S MADE THAT A PRIORITY.
AND THEN THIS LAST SESSION, IN ADDITION TO PASSING, UH, UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE, WE PASSED A ZONING REGULATION BILL THAT ELIMINATES LOCAL ZONING RESTRICTIONS AND DOES NOT ALLOW HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS TO PROHIBIT FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO WE WERE HEARING A LOT AS WE WERE BUILDING THE SYSTEM, UH, THAT THESE WERE TRUE BARRIERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO A FAMILY CHILDCARE, UH, PROVIDER GOING FROM A, YOU KNOW, A SIX, UM, CHILD HOME EDUCATOR TO A 12, "OH, YOU NEED A SPRINKLER SYSTEM, YOU NEED FIRE SUPPRESSION," AND ALL THESE THINGS.
AND IT WAS DIFFERENT IN EVERY COUNTY OR EVERY CITY.
YOU KNOW, FOR YOU, IT'S ONE CITY, SO THAT'S GREAT.
BUT THOSE ARE THINGS TO LOOK AT IF THEY'RE ACTUAL STRUCTURAL BARRIERS THAT ARE PROHIBITING OR RESTRICTING THE GROWTH OF YOUR HOME EDUCATORS.
UM, I SAW SOME OF THE NOTES THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DEFINITELY...
WE ALL MOSTLY HAVE A SUPPLY ISSUE.
WE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN 12 AND 15,000 SPACES THAT WE NEEDED TO CREATE, UM, PRIMARILY IN INFANT-TODDLER CARE.
THE LOW INCOME INVESTMENT, UM, FUND DID A COMPREHENSIVE CHILDCARE AND SUPPLY, UH, AND DEMAND STUDY FOR US IN 24 THAT HELPED INFORM WHERE TO MAKE THE LOANS.
UM, BUT ALSO, WE SAW PROVIDERS, ONCE WE WERE PAYING BETTER RATES, WE WERE GIVING...
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, AT THAT HIGHER INCOME LEVEL.WE HAVE JUST SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH.
UM, JUST IN THIS ONE YEAR, WE'VE EXPANDED BY 7,000, THE LICENSE CAPACITY, 270 NEW NET PROVIDERS.
SOME PROVIDERS HAVE LEFT, SOME HAVE COME, BUT A NET GAIN OF 270 PROVIDERS.
JUST REALLY ON THAT NOTION THAT THERE'S THAT CERTAINTY, THAT THERE'S REVENUES THAT FAMILIES CAN GET ACCESS, UM, AND THAT PROVIDERS KNOW THAT THAT WILL BE THERE, UH, FOR A FEW YEARS.
SO THOSE ARE OUR FIVE ELEMENTS, AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE MORE WHEN YOU GET THE BLUEPRINT.
UM, BUT I'LL BE QUIET NOW AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU HAVE OR, OR WHERE I COULD GO FURTHER ON AREAS OF INTEREST.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SECRETARY GERGINSKI.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH QUESTIONS AND THEN I KNOW OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UM, IN TERMS OF THAT SUPPLY SIDE WORK THAT YOU DID, IT SOUNDS LIKE TREMENDOUS WORK IN TERMS OF THE LOAN FUND, FAMILY CHILDCARE, LIKE REMOVING SOME OF THE REGULATORY BARRIERS THAT WERE THERE.
UM, WHAT ABOUT FACILITIES? DID YOU FIND THAT, THAT LIKE THE, THE LACK OF APPROPRIATE FACILITIES WAS A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE FINDING SPACE TO OPEN CENTERS OR WAS THAT JUST ADDRESSED THROUGH THE LOAN FUND? IT WAS SOME THROUGH THE LOAN FUND AND A LOT OF IT WAS PROVIDERS EXPANDING THEIR EXISTING BUSINESSES OR WORKING WITH LOCAL, LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WE, UM, SAW SOME OF THAT, BUT WE HAVE NOT SEEN IT.
WE ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF THEM WORK THROUGH WHAT WE CALL IN OUR STATE CAPITAL OUTLAY WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL COUNTIES AND CITIES AND APPLY TO THE STATE FOR CAPITAL.
RECENTLY, MAYOR KELLER OF ALBUQUERQUE HAS SAID HE WANTS TO MAKE, UM, CITY ASSETS THAT AREN'T BEING USED AVAILABLE TO PROVIDERS.
SO OUR TEAM GOES IN AND DOES COURTESY VISITS BEFORE PEOPLE EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING A LOAN BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, SOMETIMES THEY ARE NOT APPROPRIATE AND THEY WON'T BE APPROPRIATE.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE WORKED WITH IT.
AND, UM, WE DID THAT IN DC AS WELL WHEN WE, UH, THE MAYOR GAVE US 10 MILLION, UH, TO GET INFANT TODDLER CARE.
AND WE SET UP SOME OF THOSE SYSTEMS WHERE OUR REGULATORY TEAM, UH, MET WITH THE CITY ZONING AND PERMITTING AND IT WAS SO THAT WE WERE HELPING PROVIDERS BEFORE THEY GOT TOO FAR INTO THE PIPELINE, UH, AND FOUND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'D WASTED A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN NEW MEXICO, AND SO WE'RE S - DOING SOME STRATEGIZING, UH, WITH OUR SUPPLY BUILDING PARTNERS ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET UPSTREAM OF THAT ISSUE.
SECRETARY, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NEW MEXICO FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T USE OUR ARPA FUNDING THAT WAY, BUT I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT YOU AND TOLD PEOPLE, AND THAT'S PART OF THE GENESIS OF THIS TASK FORCE.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW NEW MEXICO IS IN OUR THOUGHTS.
ONE OF THE, UM, EXCITING THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE, WHICH ARPA FUNDS WERE USED FOR, IS THAT ONE OF THE RATIONALE WAS THAT THIS, AS YOU NOTED, HELPS PARENTS THEN GO TO JOBS OR GET EDUCATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE PART OF THE BARRIER THERE IS THAT IF I HAVE TO PAY FOR CHILDCARE, I CAN'T, WHY WOULD I BE PAYING FOR EDUCATION? RIGHT.
OUR STATE ALSO HAS FREE, UM, UH, COLLEGE EDUCATION, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EITHER FOLLOWING YOU OR WHATEVER, WE'RE IN SYNC.
I THINK YOU'RE LEADING ON THAT.
GOVERNORS, RIGHT? UM - YEAH, EXACTLY.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS, IS PART OF THE CONTINUED SUPPORT, BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA COME FROM A FINANCIAL INVESTMENT, HOW IS IT THAT WE'RE SEEING AND ARE YOU SEEING THAT QUESTION OF THE, THE SUPPORT WILL EITHER BE MADE OR THE PUBLIC WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT BASED ON, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT ABILITY OF PARENTS THEN TO GET JOBS OR, UH, GO EDUCATION? I GUESS I'M, I'M ASKING - YEAH.
IS THAT PART OF YOUR SENSE OF, OF AS WE MOVE FORWARD - YES.
HOW WOULD WE MAKE THAT CASE? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL HAPPEN.
AND ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS WE SENT YOU WAS THE RECENT STUDY BY CHRIS HERBST OUT OF ASU.
10 MONTHS IN, UM, HE STARTED ALREADY LOOKING AT OUR DATA AND SAW LOW EDUCATION MOMS HAD AN 18% INCREASE IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DIDN'T PAY TO WORK.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING THEY WERE MAKING WAS BASICALLY GONNA GO TO PAY CHILDCARE AND SO THAT, THAT TRADE OFF.
HIGHER EDUCATION MOMS, WE SAW A SLIGHT DECLINE IN THEIR...
HE SAW A SLIGHT DECLINE IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT, UH, BUT AN UPTAKE IN THEIR SCHOOLING.
AND EVEN AT THE SIGNING OF THE BILL, A MOM WHO WAS, UM, WITH THE GOVERNOR SAID, "I JUST QUIT MY JOB AT THE LAB AND I'M GONNA GO, UM, START THIS, THIS BUSINESS THAT I WANTED TO START." YOU KNOW, SO JUST THIS FREEDOM AND THIS CHOICE, YOU THINK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF A POLICY THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, UNLEASH THAT POTENTIAL AND REALLY SUPPORT FAMILIES.
UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH RAND ON A COST BENEFIT, UH, RESEARCH STUDY.
[00:35:01]
AND SO THAT KICKED OFF LAST WEEK.UH, SO, UH, LYNN CAROLE IS LEADING THAT FOR US, UM, AND HEISING-SIMONS HAS BEEN SUPPORTING US.
AND NEW YORK CITY HOPEFULLY WILL, WILL JOIN IN THAT AS WELL.
ALSO, URBAN IS EVALUATING ALL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA START LOOKING AT JUST, LIKE, FAMILIES' EXPERIENCE AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'VE SURVEYED, WE'VE SENT A BRIEF SURVEY TO ALL THE FAMILIES THAT ARE RECEIVING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE TO JUST HEAR FROM THEM DIRECTLY, HOW IS THIS BENEFITING THEM? WHAT CAN WE LEARN IN REAL TIME, UH, TO HELP INFORM OUR STRATEGIES? BUT YEAH, OUR HOPE IS...
IT'S, IT'S A S - A STRONG BELIEF
WE HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST ACE, UM, ACES, PERCENT OF CHILDREN WITH HIGH ACE SCORES IN THE, UM, THE COUNTRY.
UH, SO WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL GIVE SOME OF THAT FINANCIAL RELIEF TO FAMILIES, REDUCE SOME OF THE TOXIC STRESS, SOME OF THE OTHER PRESSURES, UH, THAT FAMILIES EXPERIENCE, UM, AS A RESULT OF SIGNIFICANT CHILDCARE BILLS AND CHALLENGES.
I HAVE A QUESTION AROUND, LIKE, THE WORKFORCE SUPPORT.
I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU TALKED ABOUT INCREASING WAGES AND CREATING CAREER LATTICE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE BENEFITS OR HOW ARE YOU ALL THINKING ABOUT, LIKE, THE OTHER, LIKE, FRINGE BENEFITS TO SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE? YEAH, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, IN OUR COST MODEL AND OUR ALTERNATIVE METHODOLOGY, WE, UH, PUT IN ABOUT 6,000 PER EMPLOYEE PER YEAR.
THAT'S TRULY STILL UP TO THE PROVIDER THOUGH TO DECIDE ARE THEY GONNA OFFER HEALTH BENEFITS? ARE THEY GONNA OFFER RETIREMENT? UM, THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS.
THAT'S, I THINK, WHERE THE PRIVATE SECTOR INDUSTRY NEEDS TO KINDA COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, UH, EITHER THROUGH SHARED SERVICES OR SOME OTHER WAY TO, UM, BEGIN TO PROVIDE THAT.
PART OF THE CHILDCARE BILL, THEY WILL REPORT TO US WHAT ALL THEIR STAFF MAKE AND WHAT BENEFITS ARE OFFERED AND WHAT BENEFITS ARE TAKEN UP BY STAFF.
SO IN A LITTLE UNDER A YEAR, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON THE WORKFORCE, AND THEN THAT WILL HELP US PROBABLY DRIVE, HELP THE STATE DRIVE OTHER STRATEGIES.
BUT THAT IS STILL A GAP, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT A PUBLIC SECTOR CAN OFFER, UM, AN EMPLOYEE VERSUS PRIVATE, PRIVATE INDUSTRY.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST THE INTERESTING THING, IS IT'S A, IT'S A PRIMARILY PRIVATE NONPROFIT, FOR-PROFIT, UH, LED SECTOR.
AND SO THINKING OF ALL THE CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR POSITIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE, UH, FOR THAT SECTOR THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO ACCESS CAPITAL THROUGH THEIR BANK OR DO THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, UM, PRIVATE, PRIVATE INDUSTRIES DO TO, TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.
I MEAN, WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT
SENATOR? UM, SECRETARY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE MAYOR OF ALBUQUERQUE AND KIND OF THE, THE STRATEGY AROUND CAPACITY.
I'M CURIOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNOR IN YOUR OFFICE, UH, A LOT OF THE LEADERSHIP IS COMING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TOP.
I AM CURIOUS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL IF, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE...
KIND OF MAYBE WHAT YOU SAW THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL FROM LOCAL LEADERS, UM, IN, UH, AS FAR AS POLICY OR ANYTHING THAT COUNCILS AND MAYORS DID THAT YOU THOUGH WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
YEAH, A FEW THINGS BECAUSE, UH, IN OUR STATE, UM, WE HAVE, UM, ONLY PUBLIC ENTITIES CAN GET CAPITAL FROM THE STATE.
SO WE SAW A, A MAYOR, A SMALL TOWN MAYOR ON THE BORDER OF TEXAS, UM, BUT WE...
THERE'S A MAJOR INDUSTRY, UM, PARTNER, I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT IT DEALS WITH, LIKE, THE NUCLEAR WASTE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND SO IT'S, UM, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT...
IT EMPLOYS A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THIS TOWN OF VERY FEW PEOPLE.
UH, HE CAME TO THE GOVERNOR AND ASKED FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BUILD A CHILDCARE CENTER.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO WANTED TO HELP SUPPORT AND GET INVOLVED, AND SO THEY COLLABORATED.
SIMILAR THING HAPPENED DOWN IN CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO, WHERE, AGAIN, THAT'S THE PERMIAN BASIN WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR INDUSTRY, HUGE CHILDCARE DESERTS, UM, LOTS OF FAMILIES, NOT A LOT OF CHILDCARE.
UM, THE COUNTY GAVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MONEY.
UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIDN'T LISTEN TO US AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD HAVE ON THEIR BUILDING, BUT THEY HAVE BUILT IT, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA PUT OUT, UH, AN RFP, UH, FOR AN OPERATOR TO COME IN AND OPERATE A 200-PLUS CHILDCARE CENTER THAT THEY BUILT TOGETHER, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
THE NATIONAL LAB IN LOS ALAMOS, UM, THEY,
[00:40:01]
THEY WORKED, UM, WITH SOME LOCAL OPERATORS, AND THEY GOT MONEY FROM THEIR, THEIR BIG PARTNER OUT OF CALIFORNIA, UH, A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS TO RENOVATE A CHILDCARE CENTER.AND THEY, AGAIN, WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH EXISTING CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WOULD LIKE TO OPERATE THIS.
THAT'S KIND OF, I THINK, HOW MAYOR KELLER IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS THINKING ABOUT IT.
THEY DON'T WANNA BE IN THE BUSINESS OF RUNNING CHILDCARE, UM, BUT THEY DO WANNA HELP MAKE SURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT EXPERTISE CAN GET IT MAYBE FOR A DOLLAR OR FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME SMALL AMOUNT BECAUSE THE COSTS OF THESE FACILITIES, RENTING AND, AND MORTGAGES, UH, CAN BE QUITE, QUITE EXPENSIVE.
SO THOSE ARE THE WAYS WE'VE SEEN THEM DOING, AND THEN OTHERS ARE JUST, UM, PART OF WHEN SENATE BILL 96 PASSED THE ZONING REGULATION BILL, UH, WE WENT ON THE ROAD.
WE WENT OUT AND GOT LEGISLATORS, ZONING, PERMITTING, MAYORS, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICT, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENTS TO COME OUT WITH FAMILIES AND OTHER EDUCATORS AND REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT THE BILL MEANT, UH, WHAT WAYS THEY COULD HELP.
UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WE'RE PROVIDING LOCALLY TO CITY LEADERS AND COUNTY LEADERS ON HOW THEY CAN MAKE THEIR SYSTEMS MORE STREAMLINED, MORE EFFICIENT, LESS CONFUSING FOR CHILDCARE OPERATORS.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THAT AREA.
WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, SAID, "WE'LL, WE'LL HANDLE THE FIRE INSPECTIONS FOR HOME EDUCATORS." UH, SO THERE'S THE...
WE HAD THE FIRE, UH, STATE FIRE STAND IN SUPPORT WITH US FOR THE BILL.
WE ALSO HAD THE STATE POLICE AND OTHER LOCAL POLICE REALLY STANDING IN SUPPORT WITH US FOR BOTH OF THESE BILLS, AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, THE CHAMBER.
UH, THE CHAMBER WAS INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE, UM, ALL THE CHAMBERS ACROSS THE STATE, UM, IN PUSHING FOR THE UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE.
SO THOSE ARE ALSO KEY PARTNERS IN, IN YOUR WORK IF YOU...
I DON'T KNOW HOW STRONG YOUR CHAMBERS ARE IN, IN THAT AREA, BUT THEY, THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CHALLENGE AND WERE HELPFUL.
I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION, UM, MADAM SECRETARY.
UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, THE PAY SCALE, RIGHT? I KNOW IT'S RELATIVE, COST OF LIVING IS DIFFERENT HERE THAN, THAN NEW MEXICO AND WHATNOT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, OF YOUR FUNDING GO- GOES TO THAT? UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA...
A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA COME DOWN TO FUNDING, RIGHT? SO...
UM, SO F - WHAT COUPLE THINGS WE DID ON WAGES, WE HAD OUR, WE DID OUR, OUR RATE FOR EVERYBODY AT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF QUALITY.
I KNOW, I DON'T THINK MASSACHUSETTS HAS A, HAS A TIERED, TIERED LEVEL.
YOU HAVE EXCELLENT LICENSING REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, AND WHAT WE DID, WE DID AN ENHANCED RATE, AND IF PEOPLE WANTED THAT HIGHER RATE, THEY HAD TO AGREE TO PAY THEIR ENTRY LEVEL STAFF, DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF QUALITY, A CERTAIN MINIMUM WAGE.
SO FOR THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF QUALITY, THEY HAVE TO PAY $19 AN HOUR FOR THEIR ENTRY LEVEL STAFF, MUCH HIGHER FOR THEIR STAFF.
AND THEN WE ASKED FOR $10 MILLION...
WELL, WE ASKED FOR A LOT MORE, BUT WE GOT 10 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS FOR THE WAGE SCALE AND CAREER LADDER, WHICH ISN'T GONNA COVER MUCH.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE PAY PARITY, WE HAVE FIVE MILLION A YEAR.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVEN'T EXPENDED ALL OF THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR INFANT TODDLER TEACHERS, WELL, PROBABLY WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB COMMUNICATING AND WE'RE DOING THAT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE CREDENTIALS.
THEY DON'T EITHER HAVE THEIR CDA OR THEIR CDC.
AND THE REQUIREMENT, THE WAY THE LEGISLATURE WROTE IT, IS THEY HAD TO BE SERVING S - A CHILD RECEIVING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE.
SO OUR EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS AREN'T ELIGIBLE.
THEY ALL HAVE THOSE CREDENTIALS.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I FULLY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT, UH, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF MONEY
BUT WHEN WE DID IT FOR ALL OF THE CORE PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER, I MEAN, CHILDCARE FOR US IS THE LEAST CREDENTIALED OF, LIKE, EARLY INTERVENTION, HOME VISITING, AND PRE-K.
THOSE PROFESSIONALS, MORE OF THEM HAVE ASSOCIATE'S DEGREES AND BACHELOR'S DEGREES, UM, THAN IN JUST OUR TRADITIONAL CHILDCARE.
OUR FOCUS IS TO TRY TO GET THE CHILDCARE SECTOR MORE CREDENTIALED AND, AND ON THE PATHWAY.
UH, SO THE ENHANCED RATE AND HAVING THE WAGE SCALE, WE HOPE WILL BE AN INCENTIVE, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE MONEY BEHIND IT BECAUSE, UH, PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE.
UH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AS LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN THE EDUCATION AND GET THOSE HIGHER CREDENTIALS.
QUESTIONS? MADAM SECRETARY, I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING HOW YOU'RE ENGAGING WITH HIGHER ED, PARTICULARLY AROUND SOME OF THOSE, UM, ASSOCIATE DEGREES, BACHELOR'S DEGREES, AND OTHER PROGRAM, UM, PROGRAM OFFERINGS, UM, AS YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD OUT YOUR WORKFORCE.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE FORTUNATE IN NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE ABOUT 24
[00:45:01]
INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFER AN EARLY CHILDHOOD, EITHER AN ASSOCIATE'S OR BACHELOR'S OR, OR S - WE HAVE TWO AND FOUR YEAR.WE HAVE THE AA IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH.
SINCE 1992, WE'VE HAD AN EARLY CHILDHOOD HIGHER EDUCATION TASK FORCE, AND SO WE HAVE ALL COMMON COURSE NUMBERING.
WE HAVE FULL ARTICULATION ACROSS THE TWO IN THE FOUR YEAR.
WE'RE PUSHING A BIT ON THEM TO DO SOME MORE ON CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING AND TO DO MORE WHAT WE DID IN DC.
WE'RE CO- COHORT-BASED, LIKE, GOING INTO COMMUNITY AND HAVING FACULTY GO INTO COMMUNITY AND BRING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS TOGETHER TO GO, TO GO THROUGH A, A, A, A, YOU KNOW, A CERTIFICATE OR AN, AN ASSOCIATE'S PROGRAM TOGETHER.
UM, BUT THEY DO WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER AROUND THE TWO AND THE FOUR YEAR.
WE USE SOME OF OUR PDG MONEY TO WORK TO GET THEM NAYC ACCREDITED, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS. WE HAVE FEW.
WE HAVE ONE ACCREDITED, UM, PROGRAM AT WESTERN UNIVERSITY.
UH, BUT THAT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS FOR SURE.
AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WORK IN THE HIGHER ED
UM,
IF YOU HAVE A GOOD, UM, CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOLS, UM, WE'RE DOING IT, UH, ONE OF OUR BIG SCHOOL DISTRICTS HERE, UH, JUST SIGNED UP TO DO THAT, AND ALSO DOING DUAL CREDIT.
SO WHEN THEY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY HAVE SOME CREDITS TOWARDS THEIR AA, UH, AND THERE'S SOME PRE-APPRENTICESHIP, UM, APPRENTICESHIP, REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS IN HIGH SCHOOLS AROUND EARLY CHILDHOOD.
SO THOSE MAY BE THINGS TO EXPLORE, BECAUSE BRINGING PEOPLE IN YOUNG, UM, INTO THE FIELD, I THINK, PROVIDES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, JUST FOR THAT PIPELINE AND FOR GROWTH TO, TO GET PEOPLE STEEPED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY.
THIS HAS BEEN SO MUCH INFORMATION.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SUPPLY.
YOU'VE HAD SUCH TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN ONE YEAR.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU KNOW SORT OF WHERE YOUR GAP IN SUPPLY IS.
I KNOW IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE IT'S A MOVING TARGET BECAUSE KIDS KEEP GROWING, AND SO AS YOU MEET THE DEMAND, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS KEEP THINKING.
BUT DO YOU KNOW SORT OF HOW FAR YOU ARE FROM THAT AND HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU TO...
DO YOU HAVE SORT OF A PHASED PLAN OR TIMELINE TO, TO MEET THAT GAP? YEAH.
SHE, YOU HAVE, YEAH, SHE'S A, SHE'S A FORCE.
UM, SO WE SAID WE NEED A THOUSAND MORE REGISTERED HOMES.
THOSE ARE OUR LICENSED EXEMPT.
AND WE HAD SEEN A STEEP DECLINE, UM, OVER THE YEARS.
AND THE OTHER INTERESTING THING WE JUST STARTED DOING ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO IS JOURNEY MAPPING.
SO WE'VE WORKING WITH NEW AMERICA AND THEY'RE COMING IN AND FOLLOWING, LIKE, REGISTERED HOME PROVIDERS THROUGH THEIR JOURNEY INTO BECOMING A REGISTERED HOME.
SO WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT ALL THESE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE AND THESE PROBLEMS. SO WE HAVE SEEN...
WE WERE KIND OF NOT REALLY BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT REGISTERED HOMES.
IF YOU FOUND IT AND YOU KNEW ABOUT IT, GO AHEAD.
SO WE SAID WE NEED A THOUSAND MORE.
SO WE USED TO HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF THEM.
WE NEED 120 MORE HOMES AND WE NEED ABOUT 55 MORE CENTERS.
AND WE NEED THEM IN KEY PLACES.
SO WE HAD THAT SUPPLY AND DEMAND STUDY.
WE KNEW THE, THE KEY COUNTIES WHERE WE NEEDED TO, UM, BUILD IT.
I MEAN, INFANT TODDLER CARE AND SCHOOL-AGED CARE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE AREAS THAT FAMILIES HAVE THE HARDEST TIME ACCESSING.
UH, PRE-K, WE FEEL REALLY WELL SATURATED.
UM, I THINK OUR CHALLENGE IS KEEPING UP WITH THAT GROWTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PUSHING OUT HEAD START OR EARLY HEAD START OR THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING TOO MUCH SUPPLY, UM, IN SOME PLACES.
BECAUSE PROVIDERS ARE ALSO JUST EXPANDING.
THEY'RE JUST CALLING US AND WE WANNA OPEN ANOTHER ROOM.
UH, THE WORKFORCE, WE'VE HAD ABOUT A THOUSAND MORE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS JOIN THE CHILDCARE WORKFORCE, UM, IN THE LAST YEAR.
UH, WE TRACK THAT THROUGH THEIR, YOU KNOW, INCOMING THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS, BUT ALSO ENTR - THE HEALTH AND SAFETY COURSES THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE.
I THINK WE NEED STILL MORE INFANT AND TODDLER CARE, AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE CARE, UM, AND THE, AND THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU NEED IN TERMS OF THE FACILITIES, UH, TO OPERATE, UH, FAMILY, UH, GOOD INFANT TODDLER CARE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE, AND IF THAT'S, UH, THAT IS A GREAT...
WE SEE THAT AS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RELATED TO INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
WE'LL HAVE MORE THOUGH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT URBAN IS STUDYING.
URBAN IS DOING A LOT OF, UM, ON THE GROUND.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA POST SOMETHING SOON, KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, AND
[00:50:01]
THEN, UH, HOPEFULLY PROFESSOR HERBST WILL KEEP, KEEP, UH, ANALYZING ANDWE, WE, JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DO HAVE IN OUR UNIVERSAL FOUR-YEAR-OLD AND MOST OF OUR THREE-YEAR-OLDS, WE DO HAVE A, A MIXED MODEL AS WELL USING SOME FAMILY DAYCARE.
NOT A LOT, BUT OUR, OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE MORE OF THAT TOO.
AND WE ALSO ASSUME THAT WITH YOUR PHENOMENAL GOVERNOR, YOU JUST HAD A NEW ONE ELECTED, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE, CORRECT? YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
I THINK SHE MENTIONED IT AT HER VICTORY SPEECH, UM, AND I THINK SHE MENTIONED IT.
SHE WAS ON THE PBS NEWS HOUR TWO NIGHT AGO, AND SHE...
THE GOVERNOR-ELECT, UH, DEB HOLLAND, UM, TALKED ABOUT UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE.
SO SHE'S VERY, UM, VERY SUPPORTIVE IN THE...
IT'S HOLDING COURSE AND REALLY MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS, MAKING SURE THE CARE IS QUALITY, THAT...
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD SAY THE OTHER THING THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T TALK AS MUCH, THE BLUEPRINT, IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR SYSTEM TO DO THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, THE BUSINESS SUPPORTS.
WE, WE WORKED WITH THE NEW MEXICO FINANCE AUTHORITY AND SOME OTHER LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS.
WE'VE, WE'VE SEEDED A STAFFED FAMILY CHILDCARE NETWORK TO TRY TO GET THAT OFF THE GROUND.
UH, A WHOLE LOT MORE IS NEEDED THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WANNA DO THIS WORK, BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF EXPERTISE, BOTH ON THE BUSINESS SIDE AND ON THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT SIDE AND QUALITY SIDE.
SO WE HAVE SOME VERY GOOD MODELS, UM, BUT, UH, YEAH.
AND, AND THE AGENCY ITSELF, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS...
WE'VE JUST ASKED FOR 29 MORE FTES IN THE COMING BUDGET YEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
SO P- PAY ATTENTION IN OUR FOUR-YEAR F...
WELL, IN OUR FIVE-YEAR FINANCE PLAN WE JUST PUBLISHED, UH, WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE DIRECT SERVICE NEEDS, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE QUALITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE SEPARATE THOSE EXPENDITURES SO THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DIRECT SERVICE, IT'S ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO, TO GET THOSE DIRECT SERVICES TO FAMILIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HIGH QUALITY.
AND ANYTHING ELSE? AND JUST LAST, I KNOW WE, WE - YEAH.
ANYTHING NOT IN THE BLUEPRINT THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT YOU WANNA TELL US?
UM, UH, THERE'S A NICE AT A GLANCE.
THERE'S A QUICK FIVE-PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND THEN THERE'S A 30-PAGE FULL REPORT.
IT'S, IT'S COMPLETELY WORTH THE EFFORT.
DO, DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR ONE QUICK QUESTION? OH, QUICK QUICK.
UH, WE, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WE'RE REALLY GREAT IN CAMBRIDGE OF STARTING PROGRAMS AND THEY KINDA GO ON AND GO ON.
WE'RE NOT ALWAYS SO GREAT AT EVALUATING THEM.
SO WHAT IS THE EVALUATION? WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HIGH QUALITY.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE THAT? HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THAT? HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT THAT'S, THAT THAT HAPPENS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND WE'VE BEEN IN ABOUT A THREE-YEAR PROCESS OF REDESIGNING, AS MOST STATES DO OCCASIONALLY.
AND WE DID IT IN DC, THEIR QUALITY RATING SYSTEM.
WE'VE KINDA BROUGHT IT DOWN TO THREE THINGS.
AND, AND YOU, AGAIN, YOU GUYS HAVE EXCELLENT LICENSING REGULATIONS AND YOUR RATIOS AND GROUP SIZE ARE ALREADY AMAZING.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FEWER CHILDREN TO TEACHERS, THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE WELL COMPENSATED AND CREDENTIALED, AND THAT WE HAVE GOOD INTERACTIONS.
SO WE'RE GONNA INTRODUCE A RESEARCH-BASED, YOU KNOW, OBSERVATION.
WELL, YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE A QUALITY RATING, SO THAT...
I MEAN, CAMBRIDGE MIGHT, BUT THIS...
COMMISSIONER KERSH- KERSHAW AND I ARE...
BUT, UM, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PATHWAYS TO THE HIGH QUALITY THROUGH ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT NOT MY FAVORITE THING, BUT IT'S BEEN A HISTORY OF, OF NEW MEXICO.
I WOULD SAY THE THING, AND IT IS ACTUALLY IN OUR BLUEPRINT, IS YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE PROVIDER COMMUNITY AS YOU BUILD THIS SYSTEM.
AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PARTICIPATORY ENGAGEMENT.
I MEAN, AS SOON AS I COULD GET OUT FROM COVID, I WENT ALL OVER THE STATE.
WHEN WE EXPANDED PRE-K, WE DID THE PRE-K ROADSHOW WITH CHILDCARE.
AND I THINK THAT IS EMPHASIZED IN THE BLUEPRINT, UM, BUT I DIDN'T SAY IT HERE.
AND THAT IS JUST ESSENTIAL, THAT THE PROVIDER COMMUNITY IS WITH YOU, UM, AS YOU'RE BUILDING IT AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE TELLING YOU WHAT'S WORKING WELL, WHAT'S NOT WORKING WELL, UH, AND YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST.
YOU KNOW, AS I, THEY SOMETIMES S, "YO DIDN'T LISTEN." I SAID, "I LISTENED, BUT I JUST DIDN'T AGREE." SO, UM, BUT HAVING THAT OPEN DIALOGUE AND THAT TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, IS, IS CRITICAL BECAUSE, I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO DELIVER IT EVERY DAY, UM,
[00:55:01]
BUT WE AS THE GOVERNMENT ALSO HAVE TO SET THE CONDITIONS.WE HAVE TO SET THOSE CONDITIONS BASED ON OUR RESOURCES, UM, AND THE WILL, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
WE ALWAYS SAY WE HAVE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, DIRECTORS AND OWNERS OF CHILDCARE AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS ARE THE THREE CONSTITUENCIES THAT WE'RE ALWAYS KEEPING IN MIND AS WE'RE SETTING POLICIES AND, YOU KNOW, NOT, YOU KNOW...
IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE THREE CONSTITUENCIES, UM, THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, UH, AS YOU MAKE POLICY DECISIONS.
THIS HAS BEEN IN- INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE BLUEPRINT.
I WILL SEND IT WHEN IT'S PUBLISHED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DONE, RIGHT? WE JUST.
A- ACTUALLY, WE ARE GONNA DRILL.
FOR THERMAL ENERGY NETWORKS, THAT'S GONNA HELP US.
WE'RE GONNA GET THERE, RIGHT? THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW THE ENVIRONMENT.
ARE WE ONTO THE QUESTION LIST? YEAH.
I THINK WE'RE ON THE DISCUSSION, UM, IN TERMS OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT EITHER PRESENTATION, RIGHT? RIGHT.
YEAH, WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS UP THERE.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ASK THE SECRETARY QUESTIONS, WHICH WAS TERRIFIC, BUT THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS ARE SO BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM BOTH THE INFANT TODDLER AND NEW MEXICO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT RESONATES, HOW IS IT THAT THEY SHOULD INFORM OUR THINKING? HOW DO WE DEVELOP THIS INTO THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR OWN WORK HERE AS A, AS A TASK FORCE AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT COUPLE MEETINGS, BECAUSE AS CHAIR OLSON MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA PRETTY QUICKLY GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE THINKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION AND, UH, SPECIFICS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AM I, DO YOU WANT ME TO CHAIR THIS PART? DO YOU, CHAIR?.
WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MISSING YOU.
IT WAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF, UM, DATA, BUT SO VERY HELPFUL, UM, BOTH TO HEAR WHAT'S COMING OUT OF THE HISTORY AND INPUT ON THE INFANT TODDLER, UM, UH, WORKING GROUP, WHICH WAS NOT SURPRISING, BUT, UM, I THINK REAFFIRMING OF THE, UM, PRESSURE, BUT ALSO JUST THE, THE SCALE OF, UM, WHAT NEW MEXICO BUILT AND ITS ATTENTION TO, UM, WORKFORCE WAGES, BUT ALSO THE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES THAT PROVIDERS FACE AND THE BARRIERS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE KNOCKED DOWN, UM, IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE...
I MEAN, TO ACCELERATE ACCESS, UM, I THOUH WAS JUST INCREDIBLY INSTRUCTIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR CHECKING ON THAT.
I THINK ONE THING I REALIZED I DIDN'T ASK THE SECRETARY BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE BARRIERS IS ONE THING WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, FAMILY DAYCARE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE PART OF OUR SOLUTION BECAUSE THE PROVISION OF JUST BUILDING NEW CHILDCARE CENTERS IS GONNA BE CHALLENGING IN...
JUST TO HAVE THE PROVISION OF SPACE HERE BECAUSE OF OUR PARTICULAR SITUATION AS A URBAN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S ALREADY HIGHLY DEVELOPED.
I WILL SAY THOUGH, AS WE THINK ABOUT IT AS A TASK FORCE MOVING FORWARD, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN ALREADY THINK OF.
YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT WILL BE MOVING A SCHOOL OUT OF A BUILDING ON UPTON STREET THAT IS FAR BETTER POSITIONED FRANKLY TO BE AN EARLY EDUCATION, UH, PLACE.
AND THEN ALSO, THERE'S SOME NEW DEVELOPMENT OUT IN ALEWIFE WHERE WE HAVE A, BASICALLY, UH, LAND THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN THEIR PLANS, BUT IT'S THE KIND OF THING WE SHOULD BE THINKING NOW, BECAUSE FACILITIES ARE GONNA BE A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS.
A- AND WE, WE HAVE SOME OTHER CITY BUILDINGS THAT ARE VACANT - RIGHT.
THAT WE'RE DOING A WHOLE PROCESS ON LOOKING AT WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE BUILDINGS AS WELL.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF NEED, AND SO EVERYONE'S SORT OF CLAMORING FOR THEIR OWN, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR OWN THING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WINTER STREET AND WESTERN AVE.
PART OF THE WORK THAT SECRET- SECRETARY GRABINSKI WAS INVOLVED IN IN DC WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE THEY, WHEN THEY WERE RENOVATING A SCHOOL BUILDING, WOULD RETROFIT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
AND THEN, LIKE SHE SAID, THAT THEY'VE DONE IN NEW MEXICO, UM, EITHER GIVE THEM AWAY FOR FREE, LIKE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH...
SO THEY WEREN'T OPERATING THE PROGRAMS, BUT THEY WERE PARTNERING, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, A DOLLAR RENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO REMOVE THAT COST.
[01:00:01]
TOO, I THINK WE HAVE RITA.DO WE HAVE RITA ON THE CALL? CAN WE SEE THEM? IS THERE A WAY WE CAN SEE THEM? YEAH, I'M HERE.
I MIGHT PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, RITA.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE - YEAH, I DON'T THINK WE NEED THIS ON THE SCREEN.
WE HAVE IT IN OUR PACKETS, RIGHT? WE HAVE IT IN OUR PACKETS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE'VE SEEN IN CAMBRIDGE, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS ACTUALLY A DECREASING NUMBER OF FAMILY CHILDCARE CENTERS.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW RITA, SHE HAS WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH FAMILY CHILDCARE IN THE AREA.
I'M CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHY THAT'S HAPPENING.
WELL, WHAT WE'RE SEEING, THE CURRENT PROVIDERS ARE AGING OUT.
SO WE DO SEE SEVERAL RETIRING.
AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT MOST OF THE FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ARE RENTING AND LANDLORDS ARE NOT ACCEPTING FAMILY CHILDCARE BUSINESSES IN THEIR HOMES.
SO THEY'RE HAVING A CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE TWO PROVIDERS WHO NEEDED TO MOVE BECAUSE THEIR CURRENT LANDLORD SOLD THEIR HOMES AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING.
THEY WANNA CONTINUE TO BE FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, BUT THEY'RE STRUGGLING FINDING AN APARTMENT THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY RUN THEIR FAMILY CHILDCARE HOME IN.
AND EVEN SOME OF THE PROVIDERS WHO ARE IN PUBLIC HOUSING ALSO STRUGGLE WITH THE, UM, PUBLIC HOUSING TO ALLOW THEM TO DO FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
AND THE CURRENT PROVIDERS WE HAVE, THERE'S, THERE, THEY ARE...
AND MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS A GOOD 20, 30, 40 YEARS AND THEY'RE GONNA START YELLING ALSO.
IS THERE ANY CLARITY AS FROM THE, UM, HOMEOWNERS OR FROM, UM, UM, THE HOU- HOUSING AUTHORITY AS TO CONCERNS AROUND WHY THEY'D BE...
IS IT LIABILITY? LIKE WH- WHY ARE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, HOME CARE PROVIDERS AND THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS? TWO REASONS.
LI- LIABILITY, UM, NOISE LEVEL.
SO IF SOMEONE'S ON THE THIRD FLOOR AND THERE'S SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR, UM, TRAFFIC OF FAMILIES COMING IN AND OUT, UM, ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS.
BUT MO - PRIOR - I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST ONE IS LIABILITY.
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I THINK I HEARD SECRETARY GRADINSKY SAY THAT THEY PASSED A LAW THAT PROHIBITED - YES.
RENT, UH, LANDLORDS FROM KICKING OUT OR PROHIBITING, UM, FAMILY CHILDCARE.
IT WAS INTERESTING TOO BECAUSE SHE MENTIONED THE JOURNEY MAPPING - YEAH.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S BEEN AN INFANT TODDLER GROUP AND A LOT OF DATA ON FAMILIES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN DATA BOTH FROM FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, BUT ALSO PROVIDERS, BECAUSE I THINK IN THE LAST MEETING, SOMEBODY MENTIONED THAT THEY'VE HAD A PRESCHOOL ROOM AND ARE VERY HESITANT TO JUMP RIGHT INTO INFANT AND WOULD DIP THEIR TOE IN TODDLER.
AND SO NOT ALL PROVIDERS, EVEN CENTER-BASED PROVIDERS ARE READY TO JUMP RIGHT IN.
AND WHAT ARE THOSE HESITATIONS AND WHAT ARE THOSE BARRIERS AND WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS? I THINK MIGHT BE SOME INTERESTING DATA.
I ALSO WONDER ABOUT, LIKE, FOR THAT QUESTION AROUND THE ACTUAL, LIKE, CHANGING OF THE ROOM, BECAUSE, LIKE, INFANT AND TODDLERS, LIKE, WHETHER THAT'S, LIKE, TO PLACE BATHROOMS IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE DIFFERENT RATIOS, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I KNOW IN CALIFORNIA, THEY HAD THAT CHALLENGE OF, LIKE, THE MIXED AGED CLASSROOMS. THEY, THEY WEREN'T PREPARED FOR, UM, HAVING INFANTS - YEAH.
AND TODDLERS IN THE SAME CLASSROOM BECAUSE OF THE BA - LIKE, BATHROOMS AND THEN, LIKE, WITH THE PRE- PRESCHOOLERS AS WELL.
YEAH, LICENSING IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME
THE, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THAT ZONING OR LICENSING THAT THE CITY CAN HELP WITH OR MOST OF IT IS STATEWIDE, RIGHT? SO WE CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL CITYWIDE? CERTAINLY ZONING TO AT LEAST ALLOW IT EVERYWHERE IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD HELP, BUT...
COUNCILLOR NOLAN, THIS IS LAUREL PEARL.
I'D LOVE TO JUMP IN ON THAT, UM, BECAUSE I THINK ZONING CAN BE A HUGE ISSUE AND THE CITY CAN BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND BINAL ALREADY POINTED TO SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES, BUT PROVIDERS ARE FACING TWO SETS OF REGULATIONS.
IT'S THE LICENSING REGS THAT ARE SET BY THE STATE, AND THOSE CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT THERE ARE WAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT EVEN, UH, PARTICULARLY HOME-BASED PROVIDERS THROUGH, UM, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, THROUGH PRE-LICENSING COHORTS, THROUGH SUPPORT AFTER OPENING THAT MANY FAMILY CHILDCARE SYSTEMS CAN PROVIDE.
SO, AND I SEE RITA NODDING HER HEAD, SO THAT'S REASSURING.
THERE ARE WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT THE, UM, THE, THE ZONING ISSUES AND THE BUILDING AND INSPECTION CERTIFICATES AND LICENSING
[01:05:01]
DO NOT ALIGN.AND SO, HERE'S JUST ONE REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE.
WE'VE LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND WE, WE, UM, DID MOST RECENTLY WHEN WE WERE SETTING UP THIS FAMILY CHILDCARE INCUBATOR, BUT STATE CHI - EEC LICENSING SPEAKS TO RATIOS ONLY FOCUSING ON THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT YOU CAN HAVE, UM, AND THE REQUIRED SQUARE FOOTAGE.
BUILDING INSPECTORS AND ZONING RULES LOOK AT ALL OF THE ADULTS, I MEAN, ALL OF THE HUMANS IN A SPACE.
THAT INCLUDES THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS OR ASSISTANTS OR EDUCATORS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN.
IT SOUNDS SO SIMPLE, BUT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, PROVIDERS ARE LOOKING AT BALANCING TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF NUMBERS, AND IF NOBODY MAKES THAT CLEAR TO THEM, IF THEY'RE SETTING UP A NEW SPACE, YOU CAN GET YOURSELF INTO A LOT OF, A LOT OF TROUBLE, EVEN FOR EXPERIENCED PROVIDERS.
I HAVE SEEN PLACES WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN CITY DECISIONS, UM, TO PROTECT OR ADVANCE OR MAKE IT EASIER TO DEAL WITH LI - UM, BUILDING CERTIFICATES, BUILDING INSPECTIONS, AND ZONING.
AND SO I DO WANNA HOLD ON TO WHAT THE SECRETARY FROM NEW MEXICO SAID ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD ALSO BE A HUGE STEP FORWARD STATEWIDE.
UM, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD DO AROUND MAKING IT A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE BUSINESSES.
THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO LOOK AT SHARED CO-WORKING SPACES OR OTHER ALTERNATIVES, BUT A LOT OF PROVIDERS GET INTO FAMILY CHILDCARE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE HOME-BASED.
SO EVEN IF WE LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES, NURTURING HAS BOTH HOME-BASED AND THESE NEW ALTERNATIVE CO-WORKING MODELS.
YOU WANNA SOLVE THE HOME-BASED PROBLEM IF YOU CAN, EVEN IF YOU WANNA OPEN UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
AND ALSO MASSACHUSETTS NOW HAS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
SO CURRENTLY, IF THEY HAVE AN ASSISTANT AND, AND ENOUGH SQUARE FOOTAGE, THEY CAN TAKE UP TO 10 CHILDREN.
THE PILOT PROGRAM NOW IS INCREASING THAT TO 12 CHILDREN.
SO WE'LL SEE MORE RESULTS FROM THAT STUDY SOMETIME LIKE IN JUNE, JULY, THAT ALSO MAY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT THE CAMBRIDGE PROVIDERS ARE, ARE TAKING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN INCREASE IT TO 12 AND THEY CAN TAKE MAYBE A FEW MORE TODDLERS OR INFANTS.
I WAS GONNA ASK LAURA, CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY CHILDCARE INCUBATOR? I FEEL LIKE THAT COULD BE A SOLUTION, LIKE ONE SOLUTION.
I KNOW IT'S NOT IN THEIR OWN HOMES, BUT LIKE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, YES, UH, SHAKIRA, THANK YOU.
AND I HAD PUT IN CHAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CHECK THIS WITH RITA, THAT I CHECKED THE EEC LICENSE DATABASE BEFORE TODAY'S MEETING, AND IT SHOWS ONLY 14 - YEAH.
LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
MAKE SURE I'M RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
WHEREAS THERE ARE 89 LICENSED CENTERS.
THERE ARE ONLY 14 FCCS, UM, AND SEVEN OF THEM ARE, UM, IN FAMILY CHILDCARE SYSTEMS, WHICH MEANS THEY, UM, SORT OF BY DEFINITION ACCEPT SOME SUBSIDIZED, UH, FAMILIES WHO ARE ACCESSING CHILDCARE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND SEVEN OF THEM ARE EXCLUSIVELY PRIVATE PAY.
NOW, THEY MAY HAVE THEIR OWN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, BUT THEY'RE EXCLUSIVELY PRIVATE PAY AND THAT CAN RUN THE GAMUT AS WELL.
SO JUST A POINT OF INFORMATION.
AND, UM, RITA, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT BEFORE - YES.
SO OF THOSE 14, THERE ARE TWO INACTIVE FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS BECAUSE EARLIER WHEN I SAID THEY, THEIR LANDLORD SOLD THE HOMES.
SO THEY'RE, THEY STILL CAN BECOME ACTIVE IF THEY CAN FIND A PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE THAT A LANDLORD WOULD ACCEPT THEM.
THEN - AND LAURA, YEAH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT STATEWIDE, THAT RATIO IS COMPLETELY FLIPPED.
THERE'S SOME 7,000 PLUS TOTAL, UM, JUST CHILDCARE PROGRAMS OF WHICH FAMILY CHILDCARE IS LIKE FOUR OR 5,000 AND CENTER-BASED IS 2,000.
IS THAT RIGHT? LIKE, STATEWIDE, IT'S COMPLETELY FLIPPED.
THERE'S WAY MORE FAMILY CHILDCARE THAN THERE IS CENTER-BASED.
UM, I'M GONNA GO WITH YOUR DATA, UM.
I ONLY TOOK THAT ONE SNIPPET, SO I, I SEE THAT POINT TO YOU, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND OF COURSE, THE NUMBERS CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, A CHILDCARE CENTER MIGHT HAVE, MAY SERVE 100 CHILDREN, AND A FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDER COULD BE LICENSED FROM ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO 10, AS WELL AS THE PILOT THAT RITA MENTIONED THAT MAY HELP WITH ACCESS.
SO JUST BRIEFLY ON THE, ON THE INCUBATOR CONCEPT, UM,
[01:10:02]
WHICH NURTURY LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN REPLICATED, UM, BY COLLEAGUES AND PARTNERS INDEPENDENTLY IN WORCESTER.BUT THE WHOLE NOTION IS EXACTLY THE CHALLENGE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, IT IS HARD TO OPEN NEW CENTERS.
IT'S HARD TO FIND TRADITIONAL CHILDCARE STAFF.
THERE IS AN APPETITE FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE, BUT THE, THE ROADBLOCKS ARE VERY HIGH.
UM, AND ONE OF THE HIGHEST IS LACK, IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, THE COST OF HOUSING AND/OR, UM, LANDLORDS WHO ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OR FRIENDLY.
SOME LANDLORDS JACK UP THE RENT, SOME LANDLORDS REFUSE TO, UM, ALLOW YOU TO GET LICENSED IF YOU'RE TRYING TO RUN FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO NURTURY, WE ALREADY SUPPORT 150 HOME-BASED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS FROM CHELSEA TO BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE COULD SUPPORT SOME IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SMALL NUMBER, WE DO NOT HAVE A FAMILY CHILDCARE FOOTPRINT IN CAMBRIDGE.
BUT THE INCUBATOR WAS DESIGNED TO GO AFTER THIS PROBLEM.
THE NUMBER ONE GROUP WANTING TO OPEN FAMILY CHILDCARE ARE FAMILY CHILDCARE ASSISTANTS.
THEY ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO OWN THEIR OWN HOME OR AFFORD A SUITABLE APARTMENT.
INCUBATOR BASICALLY MARRIES SHARED COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE WITH TRADITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT THAT FAMILY CHILDCARE SYSTEMS PROVIDE TO HOME-BASED, COMMUNITY-BASED FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO WE TOOK A SMALL CENTER, WE RENOVATED IT, WE CREATED THREE SPACES THAT LOOK A LOT LIKE A FAMILY CHILDCARE SPACE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CLASSROOM.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN REFRIGERATORS AND SINKS.
UM, THEY ARE THEIR OWN BUSINESS OWNERS.
THEY HOLD THE LICENSE WITHIN A SHARED SPACE.
WE HAVE AN ONSITE DIRECTOR, JUST AS WE HAVE A QUALITY SPECIALIST WHO VISITS HOME-BASED PROVIDERS.
AND THE NOTION IS THEY CAN OPEN THEIR BUSINESSES.
THEY BASICALLY DO NOT PAY RENT.
THEY PAY A VERY MINIMAL SHARED SERVICE FEE, BUT NURTURY IS PROVIDING THE RESOURCES WITHIN OUR MISSION, AND THEY ARE O - ABLE TO OPEN IMMEDIATELY.
THE IDEA WAS THAT OVER TWO TO THREE YEARS, THEY MIGHT BUILD UP ENOUGH CAPITAL THAT THEY COULD MOVE OUT IF THEY WANT TO.
WITH INCREDIBLE SUPPORT FROM EEC, WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A LICENSING PATHWAY.
UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LICENSED AS SMALL GROUP, BUT THEY ARE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES IN A COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE THAT BREAKS THIS HOUSING BLOCK, OR AT LEAST THE PROGRAM QUALITY SPACE BLOCK TO FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO I WOULD PUT THAT IN THE SPACE SOLUTIONS AND FACILITY SOLUTIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME OF YOU WERE RAISING EARLIER ABOUT SPACE.
BUT IT'S BASICALLY A SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR DEDICATED ONLY TO FAMILY CHILDCARE WOULD BE THE OTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
AS, AS AN INCUBATOR, IS THE IDEA THAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY SORT OF BE NUDGED OUT OF THE NEST, OR IS IT PERFECTLY FINE THAT THIS COULD BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR THEM? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, UH, DR.
AND THE ANSWER IS, WHEN WE WERE STARTING THE TINY PILOT, WE THOUGH OF IT, WE CONCEIVED OF IT AS AN INCUBATOR BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE IT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE PERMANENT.
BUT ONCE WE FOUND THE LICENSING SOLUTION, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT IT COULD BE.
IN FACT, IT COULD EVEN BE ROTATING.
YOU COULD HAVE SOME THAT STAY THERE REGULARLY.
MAYBE THEY WANT TO OPEN THEIR OWN CENTER.
MAYBE THEY DECIDE, "THIS IS TOO MUCH, AND I WANNA GO BACK TO WORKING IN A TRADITIONAL CENTER." WE HAVE THREE SPACES IN OUR PILOT SITE AND A WAITING LIST THAT IS DOZENS LONG.
SO IF WE WERE TO DO ANOTHER ONE, WHICH NURTURY IS THINKING ABOUT, WE WOULD...
FIRST OF ALL, WE'D DO A BIGGER ONE.
WE'D HAVE SPACE FOR UP TO FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH WOULD MEAN 50 LICENSED SLOTS OR MORE IF EEC EXPANDS.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE THEM TO MOVE OUT, THAT IT COULD BE JUST A NEW WAY OF BUILDING A SOURCE OF SUPPLY THAT WE THINK OF AS A THIRD OPTION.
YOU HAVE YOUR TRADITIONAL CENTERS, YOU HAVE YOUR HOME-BASED FAMILY CHILDCARE, AND THEN THIS THIRD WAY ALLOWS SMALL OPERATORS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO ACCESS SHARED SPACE OR GREATER SUPPORT.
SO WE THINK IT'S A, A PERMANENT OPTION.
I MEAN, IN TERMS OF SPACE, I MEAN, AS YOU'RE TALKING, I'M LIKE GOING THROUGH EVERY VACANT BUILDING I CAN THINK OF.
[01:15:01]
UM - YES.WHAT, UM, WHAT ARE WE TALKING IN TERMS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE? LIKE WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT DO YOU NEED? UM, I WILL - THAT WAS GREAT.
COUNSELOR, I DIDN'T BRING MY, MY SQUARE FOOTAGE LIST IN FRONT OF ME, BUT BALLPARK, WE WOULD SAY IF WE'RE TRYING, IF WE'RE TRYING TO DO ABOUT FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES, AND YOU NEED A, YOU NEED SOME COMMON SHARED SPACE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM FAMILY CHILDCARE.
WE ACTUALLY USE A MEAL DELIVERY OPTION.
WE'RE SURE THERE'S MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THIS.
UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THE NOTION IS MAYBE ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE FEET WOULD BE REASONABLE TO LOOK AT.
WE THINK ANYONE WHO OPENS ONE OF THESE SHOULD BUILD THE SPACE AS THOUGH EEC WILL INCREASE THE LICENSE TO 12.
AND YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT ALL PROVIDERS ARE GONNA WANT TWO ASSISTANTS, SO THERE'S AT LEAST THREE ADULTS IN THE SPACE, 12 CHILDREN.
SO NOW YOU NEED TO DO YOUR MATH AROUND 15 BODIES.
AND, UM, I SEE, RITA, YOU'RE PUTTING THE SQUARE FOOT PER CHILD.
SO THE ANSWER IS FOR INCUBATORS, GO BIGGER.
IT CAN'T JUST BE AROUND THE SPACE OF THE CHILD, BUT IT HAS TO BE FOR THE ADULTS, AND THEN THERE'S A SHARED RESOURCE ROOM THAT YOU NEED A SHARED KITCHEN.
THERE ARE SHARED BATHROOMS. SO I'D SAY ABOUT 5,000 IS SAFE, UM, UH, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN.
JUST TO READ OUT WHAT RITA SAID, UH, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS 35 SQUARE FEET PER CHILD BASED ON EEC REGULATIONS.
I MEAN, I'M VERY REMOVED, UH, FROM CHILDCARE REGULATIONS NOW WHERE I WAS MUCH MORE INVOLVED YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE CHILDCARE RESOURCE CENTER HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO WHAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT OF, IS THERE A PATHWAY IN CAMBRIDGE? THERE USED TO BE A PATHWAY IN CAMBRIDGE.
NOW I'M THINKING ABOUT ALL THE REGULATIONS AROUND HOUSING AND, UH, THE LIABILITY STUFF, BUT IS THERE A PATHWAY RECRUITING FOLKS TO BECOME FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS HERE IN THE CITY THAT YOU KNOW OF NOW? NO, SHANNON THINKS SO.
BUT THERE, THERE, THERE IS FUNDING, POTENTIAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE THROUGH EARLY COLLEGE TO CREATE A PATHWAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOLS WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR STUDENTS TO TAKE COURSES THAT COUNT TOWARDS THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE AS WELL AS CREDIT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO, UM, WE DID AN EDUCATION PATHWAY WHEN I WAS FRAMING IT, AND STUDENTS AS YOUNG AS, YOU KNOW, JUNIOR YEAR WERE TAKING COURSES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, SOME WERE CO-TAUGHT BY ADJUNCT FACULTY TEACHERS.
SOME TEACHERS WERE ADJUNCT FACULTY, SO WE WERE STIPEND THEM, PROVIDE THEM WITH A STIPEND SOME OF THAT CURRICULUM.
BUT IT IS, LIKE, PART OF WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS THAT SORT OF WORKFLOW, LIKE, HOW DO YOU START TO BUILD THE WORKFORCE NOW TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME INTO THE WORK AND TO SHOWCASE SOME VERTICAL OPPORTUNITY GROWTH SO THEY STAY.
I LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT PAY PARITY.
WHAT I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT IS THAT CONNECTION TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND STARTING TO BUILD SORT OF LIKE THAT PIPELINE BECAUSE THAT'S A LARGE 30,000...
I MEAN, CAMBRIDGE IS DIFFERENT, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A BASE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO WANNA COME IN AND STAY IN EARLY EDUCATION, WHICH IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE SCHOOLS ARE VERY...
THERE'S A LOT OF INCENTIVES FOR A 10-MONTH, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULE - RIGHT.
A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SAFETY...
WE EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING AFTER SCHOOL.
IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP PEOPLE WHEN THEY CAN...
THEY'RE LOOKING ACROSS THE HALLWAY AND THEY'RE SEEING SOMEONE WHO'S GOING HOME FOR SIX WEEKS.
SAY AROUND THE, THE TRAINING PROGRAMS, I'M NOT SURE SPECIFICALLY IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF TRAINING PROGRAMS AND PATHWAYS FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE.
SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW OR REPLICATE.
THERE'S GREAT MODELS TO LOOK AT.
AND, YOU KNOW, NURTURY AND, AND LAURA'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHEN THERE'S A FAMILY CHILDCARE SYSTEM, THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PATHWAYS ALREADY BUILT IN.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO WORK WITH THE SYSTEM, BUT UNITED WAY, FOR EXAMPLE THESE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE GREAT SORT OF BUSINESS TRAINING AND LICENSING PATHWAYS TO HELP FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, INCENTIVES ARE A BIG THING BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA DO A CHURN AND BURN WHEN YOU'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN AND THEN THEY LEAVE.
SO KEEPING THEM THERE ONCE YOU TRAIN THEM IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S VERY DRASTIC THE AMOUNT OF FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WE LOST OVER A 15-YEAR SPAN.
I MEAN, THE NUMBERS USED TO BE UP IN THE 50S.
I EVEN KNOW, LIKE, WE DID A TON OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, AND WE LOST...
I MEAN, A TON OF PEOPLE, JUST AS, YOU KNOW, WAS SAID HERE TO RETIREMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR A LONG TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY STRIKING, THE AMOUNT OF FAMILY CHILDCARE THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLACE IN THE CITY.
AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS IDENTIFIED, WHICH IS RETIREMENTS, BECAUSE MY KIDS WERE IN FAMILY DAYCARE.
BOTH OF THEM AND THEY WERE LITTLE, AND THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF CHOICES WE HAD.
ACTUALLY, WE INTERVIEWED A WHOLE BUNCH OF
[01:20:01]
PROVIDERS BEFORE, IF THAT, UM, BEFORE THEY WENT TO A CENTER FOR, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD.I'M SHOCKED TO HEAR HOW LITTLE IT IS.
SO IT'S THE SPACE AND, AND OUR PROVIDERS JUST RETIRES, YOU KNOW? AND I GUESS I WONDER, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE, THERE IS THE PATH, IS THE PATH CONNECTING TO FOLKS IN CAMBRIDGE? RIGHT.
I I AGREE, LIKE, YOU DON'T NEED TO CREATE A NEW PATHWAY, BUT, UH, I MEAN, I'M JUST...
I'M SO CURIOUS TO WHAT THAT WAS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY RETIREMENT.
THERE WAS SOME OF THAT, BUT WHAT ELSE IS PLAYING OUT IN THAT? I MEAN, IT'S VERY...
THE CENTER FOR FAMILIES ALONE HAD TWO PLAYGROUPS THAT WE FILLED WITH FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW CENTERS THAT HAVE OPENED AND SERVE INFANT TODDLERS, MANY OF THEM ARE LARGE NATIONAL CORPORATE FOR-PROFITS.
AND SO I, I DO WONDER IF SECRETARY GREENSKI TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT, LIKE, THE STARTUP MONEY, UM, AND THE SEED MONEY, AND I, I WONDER IF PART OF...
IS ONE, JUST THE COST OF REAL ESTATE IN CAMBRIDGE IS SO EXPENSIVE THAT FINDING IS FOR...
NOT JUST FOR FAMILY CHILDCARE, BUT ALSO FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OPENING UP A, A, YOU KNOW, A SMALL CENTER.
UM, THERE'S THE COST, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE STARTUP - YEAH.
FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT IF YOU'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRIGHT HORIZONS OR A KINDERCARE, YOU'VE GOT THAT BACKING.
BUT FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS, THEY DON'T.
I MEAN, DO PEOPLE WANNA GO INTO THIS BUSINESS ANYMORE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S ALSO...
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TRY OUR BEST TO KNOCK DOWN AS MANY, YOU KNOW, OBSTACLES AND HURDLES ARE THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO DO THIS WORK AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING ELSE OR, YOU KNOW, OR WORKING AT A, AN ESTABLISHED FOR-PROFIT SPACE WHERE I CAN COME IN, I CAN WORK, AND THEN I CAN...
AS OPPOSED TO RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS WHICH IS - YOU GET BENEFITS.
WELL, THAT'S WHY THE PAY PARITY WORK REALLY MATTERS.
PAY PARITY WOULD HELP AND - RIGHT.
BUT CERTAINLY, LIKE, THE ONE - SOMEONE HAS TO WANT TO DO IT, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT THE ONE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, TOOK FOREVER TO BUILD, AND IT'S NOT A NATIONAL CHAIN.
IT'S A LATINA-OWNED, SMALL, YOU KNOW, ELIZABETH DAYCARE.
IT HAD TREMENDOUS PROBLEMS AND LOST TONS OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES IN OPENING IN CAMBRIDGE.
WE USE THAT AS A CASE STUDY, MAYBE.
WE JUST WANNA REPLICATE YOUR IMPLICATOR HERE, LAURA.
WELL, I'M, I, L - I WANNA SEE TO KATIE WHO HAS HER HAND UP FIRST, AND THEN I DID HAVE ANOTHER, UH, COMMENT JUST TO PICK UP ON THE COUNSELOR'S REMARKS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES TO OPENING.
I MEAN, THIS HAS JUST BEEN SO INFORMATIVE AND, AND THOUGH-PROVOKING, UH, THE WHOLE CONVERSATION, AND SO I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO BE IN THE ROOM AND LISTEN.
I, I HONESTLY DO THINK THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO THIS WORK AND LOVE TO DO THIS WORK, UM, AND, BUT THEY NEED TO BE COMPENSATED AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE BASIC HEALTHCARE AND WHETHER IT'S...
I MEAN, I THINK, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE, UM, SORT OF ECONOMICS OF FAMILY CHILDCARE THE WAY THAT I DO GROUP CHILDCARE, UM, BUT I, I JUST HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT, THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY PAY.
IT, IT, IT MIGHT ALLOW YOU TO STAY HOME, BUT PEOPLE HAD NEED TO BE ABLE TO BUILD A RETIREMENT.
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO, AS YOU WERE SAYING, BUILD TOWARDS HOME OWNERSHIP, ALL THE THINGS THAT FOLKS WANT.
AND WHEN YOU SORT OF START TO LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM, UM, YOU KNOW, YES, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE LEADERSHIP OF EARLY CHILDHOOD IN GENERAL IS GRAYING, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT.
UM, I THINK FAMILY CHILDCARE ALSO, YOU, YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU THINK, "SH - SHOULD I KEEP DOING THIS OR SHOULD I DO SOMETHING ELSE?" YEAH.
UH, KATIE, YOU RAISED SOME REALLY GOOD POINTS.
UM, I WANNA SAY, UH, THIS THOUGH.
SO WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN OUR WORK OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, FAMILY CHILDCARE HAS GROWN AT NURTURING BOTH BEFORE AND SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
THAT, THAT IS COUNTERINTUITIVE TO WHAT WE ARE HEARING, BUT OF THE 1,200 CHILDREN WE SERVE, NEARLY 900 ARE IN FAMILY CHILDCARE HOMES, AND THAT'S IN 150 SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO IN TERMS OF APPETITE, WHEN WE FIRST PUT OUT A CALL FOR THE INCUBATOR, WE GOT 150 INQUIRIES WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF POSTING.
WE HAVE, UM, A WAIT LIST OF ABOUT 57, AND THERE ARE THREE SLOTS, SO THAT'S VERY CHALLENGING.
WE ALSO HAVE A WAIT LIST TO JOIN OUR, OUR HOME-BASED NETWORK, AND THAT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE CHALLENGES OF SUBSIDIZED ENROLLMENT, UM, AND FAMILY ACCESS TO CHILDCARE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FACILITY STRAINS.
I THINK THERE ARE ALSO ENROLLMENT CONSTRAINTS, WHICH THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE COULD HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AROUND FAMILY
[01:25:01]
ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY THROUGH THE CAMBRIDGE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM IS REVOLUTIONARY, UM, AND REALLY QUITE SINGULAR AMONG MUNICIPALITIES.SO I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, UM, TO THE MAYOR, TO THE COUNSELORS, UM, IN THE ROOM, UM, CAMBRIDGE IS IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE AROUND BREAKING THAT LOCK, UM, AROUND FAMILY AFFORDABILITY, AND NOW THIS IS A REALLY DYNAMIC CONVERSATION AROUND HOW TO DO IT FOR INFANT AND TODDLER CARE AS WELL, UM, WHERE FAMILIES OFTEN WILL CHOOSE WELL-SUPPORTED FAMILY CHILDCARE.
BUT KATIE, TO YOUR POINT, WE OFTEN FIND THAT A WELL-ENROLLED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROGRAM, WELL-SUPPORTED, SO THAT MEANS SOMEONE IS HELPING THEM ACCESS FUNDING FOR THE FOOD PROGRAM, THEY'RE BEING PAID THE RATES THAT HAVE BEEN INCREASING, OR MAYBE WITH SOME ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENT, NURTURY OFFERS ADDITIONAL STIPENDS EVEN TO THE WAGE THAT THE STATE PAYS, BUT A WELL-SUPPORTED, FULLY ENROLLED PROGRAM CAN EARN A THRIVING WAGE, UM, CLOSE, YOU KNOW, IN CLOSE TO THE SIX FIGURES, THEY DO HAVE TO PAY AN ASSISTANT.
THAT'S THE GROUP WE WORRY ABOUT THE MOST.
THE ASSISTANTS ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE OR THE SYSTEM.
THAT IS THE PLACE TO LOOK AT THE VULNERABILITY OF FAMILY CHILDCARE WAGES, BECAUSE THOSE ARE SET BY THE INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S AN EASY WALK, BUT THERE ARE WELL-SUPPORTED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROGRAMS CAN, UM, EARN A, A, A, A...
I WON'T CALL IT A THRIVING INCOME, UM, BUT A COMPETITIVE INCOME WITHIN THE FIELD THAT, THAT WE CAN ALL ACKNOWLEDGE IS ALREADY NOT PAID WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
SO I THINK A- AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THINK ABOUT, SO HOW DOES THIS INFORM WHAT...
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP LOOKING AT FACILITIES, REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE ZONING OR ANY QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING, IF THE CITY CONTROLS THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY DOABLE.
AND THEN THERE'S THE QUESTIONS OF WHICH WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT IS THE PIPELINE AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WHICH WE HEARD FROM THE GROUP HERE AND ALSO FROM THE SECRETARY IN NEW MEXICO, THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL IN THE...
WE'LL GET TO THE FINANCING LATER.
AND THEN THE SUPPORTS FOR FAMILY DAYCARE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HAVE THAT BE PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, THERE'S DEMAND, RIGHT, THAT WE THINK THERE WILL BE DEMAND IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, AND THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING...
I'M NOT SURE WE'VE IDENTIFIED HOW TO ADDRESS IT, BUT THE FACT THAT WE KNOW IT COULD BE ADDRESSED AND THAT THERE'S A MODEL OUT THERE IF WE GET SPACE, LIKE A NURSERY KIND OF PLACE THAT'S...
I'M CURIOUS WHO, FOR FOLKS WHO KNOW, UM, BUILDINGS AROUND THE CITY, OR BETTER THAN I DO, IS THERE SPACE FOR THIS TYPE OF THING? LIKE, IS...
UH, WHAT, WHAT I KEEP HEARING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME INCREASED VACANCIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
SO IF THE CITY WERE TO LOOK TO HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, ARE THERE, ARE THERE OPTIONS FOR SPACES? YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF VACANCIES IN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF OUR SQUARES.
UM, SOME, UH, SOME ARE GONNA BE A, A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING TO, TO FILL, I THINK.
I MEAN, I THINK OF THE WALGREENS IN CENTRAL SQUARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS A HUGE SPACE, AND IT'S...
IT'S, IT'S DEEPER THAN IT IS WIDE.
SO YOU'RE GO - YOU NEED SOMETHING, LIKE, IT'S GONNA NEED TO BE A SUPERMARKET, A PHARMACY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HUGE, UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE YOU CAN...
LIKE, I WAS TALKING TO FOLKS AT ONE POINT WHO WERE INTERESTED IN DOING SOME KIND OF FOOD HALL WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE A MARKET, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY HAVE IN BOSTON OR WHATEVER.
Y- YOU KNOW, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THINGS DIVIDED UP INSIDE THAT HUGE SPACE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SPACE I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE, YOU KNOW...
AND AGAIN, IT'S PRIVATE SPACE, RIGHT? SO YOU...
THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING HAS TO BE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, TO COME ALONG WITH IT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DEFINITELY, THERE ARE DEFINITELY SPACES.
I MEAN, THE PART THAT GETS HARD IS WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE DO ZONING AND, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAY,
[01:30:01]
YEAH, I THINK OF THE OLD, THE BUILDING THAT WAS OUT WITH, THAT REPLACED MASSEY'S HARDWARE, THE HOUSING THAT REPLACED MASSEY'S.WHEN WE REDID THE ZONING THERE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS, THEY WANTED A COFFEE SHOP, AND THAT'S ALL THEY WANTED.
AND THEY WEREN'T GONNA SUPPORT THE ZONING UNLESS WE GOT A COFFEE SHOP.
THAT SPACE HAD STAYED VACANT FOR SIX YEARS BECAUSE NOBODY WANTED TO OPEN A COFFEE SHOP IN THAT SPACE BECAUSE IT WAS A HORRIBLE PLACE FOR A COFFEE SHOP.
NOW IT'S DAYCARE CENTER, UM, ACTUALLY.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE CAN - IT'S NOT OPEN? IT'S NOT OPEN.
NO, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN - IT'S BEEN IN, IT'S BEEN YEARS.
FOR YEARS, RIGHT? THE SIGN'S BEEN UP, IT'S NOT OPEN.
'CAUSE ALL THE, ALL THE SI - I, I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS OPEN.
SO, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SO SOME OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, THROUGH ZONING, WE CAN ZONE FOR CERTAIN THINGS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S WILLING TO DO THAT BUSINESS.
SO GETTING THE BUY-IN FROM SOME OF THESE PROPERTY OWNERS TO, A LOT OF THEM ARE HOLDING ONTO THEIR SPACE, RIGHT? THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE MARKETS TO CHANGE AND, AND, AND ZONING TO CHANGE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, OBSTACLE.
BUT I MEAN, WE HAVE VACANCIES IN THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, IT'S COME BACK TO THE CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES TOO, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I MEAN, THERE'S HALF DOZEN AT LEAST CITY-OWNED BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE NOT MOVING ON AT THIS POINT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW - WELL, AND, AND, AND A COUPLE ARE SCHOOL.
LIKE THE - STREET BUILDING IS A SCHOOL THAT WILL BE REPURPOSED ONCE AMIGO'S MOVED OUT AND IT WILL, IT'S ALREADY, MAYBE THAT'S A CHILDCARE.
IT COULD MAYBE BE A FAMILY DAYCARE NURTURING TYPE PROGRAM OR THE HIGH SCHOOL EXTENSION, BUT IT WILL BE A PUBLIC SPACE.
I'M ALSO THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, WE, THE, THERE, THERE STILL ARE SOME DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA WHERE THERE WILL BE SOME NEGOTIATION ABOUT WHAT WILL YOU BE PROVIDING TO THE PUBLIC WITH HEALTH PEAK AND THERE'S ALREADY SOME PERCENTAGE WILL BE PUBLIC SPACE.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DIRECTLY SAID IT SHOULD BE A CHILDCARE CENTER, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S...
IF, IF THAT REALLY IS A GOAL AND A PRIORITY OF THE CITY, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE OF THAT.
WE DID, WHEN WE DID THE LAST SCHOOL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW, WE DID INCLUDE A CHILDCARE CENTER IN THE DERBY BASSELL TOBIN COMPLEX SO THAT THERE'S SOME...
IF WE HAVEN'T GET THE STATE TO GIVE US THE ARMORY, THAT'S GONNA BE A CHILDCARE CENTER.
NO, LITERALLY THERE ARE SPACES AS, AS COUNCILMAN GOVERNOR MARK SAID, THERE'S PRIVATE SPACES AND WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH LANDLORDS, "HEY, IF YOU DO THIS, WHAT, WHAT CAN THE CITY GIVE YOU IN EXCHANGE?" IT'S CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION.
AND THAT GETS INTO ZONE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BUILD THIS MANY STORIES.
IF YOU WANNA BUILD TALLER, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY FOR YOU TO GET THE BENEFIT OF, YOU KNOW, BUILDING A BI - A BIGGER BUILDING? BUT AGAIN, IT DOES COME DOWN TO THE MORE PRESCRIPTIVE WE GET, IT GETS HARDER BECAUSE THEN A LOT OF THOSE SPACES STAY VACANT BECAUSE YOU STILL NEED SOMEONE WHO'S ACTUALLY GONNA RUN IT.
UM, AND THAT GETS COMPLICATED.
UM, OH, I WAS GONNA JUST SAY, JUST IN TERMS OF THE PIPELINE, RISTA HAVE IS FOR IN-SCHOOL TECHNICAL ARTS, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A PROGRAM AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THERE TO EXPAND THAT OR, OR - HOW'S THAT GOING? YEAH.
THEY'RE GRADUATING KIDS ALL THE TIME.
WE USED TO BE ON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? YEAH.
OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, LIKE WHAT DO WE, YOU KNOW.
I, I WAS GONNA, UM, MY QUESTION WAS, GIVEN SORT OF THE, THE SECRETARY, ONE OF THE COMMENTS SHE MADE WAS ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY WORK THAT THE AGENCY PROVIDES IN TERMS OF BEDDING SPACES FOR BUSINESSES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS LIKE, WOULD THERE NEED TO BE A PRIORITY FOR A LIAISON OR MULTIPLE LI- LIAISONS WHO COULD DO THAT LEVEL OF WORK? NOT SIMPLY VET LIKE LOCATIONS, BUT TO ALSO HELP PROVIDERS WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE INSPECTIONAL SERVICES PIECES - YEAH.
WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TEND TO GET LOST, ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST TIME BUSINESS OWNERS.
IT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING, BRING IN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO SOME OF THAT WORK I THINK WOULD HELP TO FAST TRACK MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES WERE INTERESTED.
WELL, THE, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS WORKING ON TRYING TO, WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES ISD TELLS YOU ONE THING AND THEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TELLS YOU SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THEN SOMEBODY AT...
SOME PEOPLE WITH, SOMETIMES WITHIN THOSE DEPARTMENTS, ONE, ONE INSPECTOR TELLS YOU ONE THING AND THEN ANOTHER INSPECTOR TELLS YOU SOMETHING ELSE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING WORKED ON NOW.
UM - I THINK TOO, UH, OBVIOUSLY IN THE MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM, THERE'S MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AVENUES TO EXPLORE IN CHILDCARE.
EVEN IN CENTER-BASED, YOU MENTIONED, UH, DR.
OLSON, THE SORT OF FOR-PROFIT CENTERS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEIR SPACE IS OPEN, THEY SWEEP RIGHT IN BECAUSE THEY SORT OF HAVE THIS OPERATION GOING.
BUT THERE'S ALSO PARENT CO-OPS, WHICH I THINK THERE ARE SOME IN CAMBRIDGE, UH, DEFINITELY.
[01:35:01]
AND IT MADE ME THINK OF THE, THE SURVEY THAT YOU HAD DONE, A FAMILY.SO I OPENED A, A PARENT CO-OP MANY YEARS AGO, AND IT ACTUALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER THIS COMMUNITY OF PARENTS.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, OPENED THE CENTER TOGETHER FOR OUR CHILDREN, OUR BONDED FOR LIFE.
I'M FRIENDS WITH MANY OF THESE PARENTS STILL.
BUT IT'S SORT OF A- A- ANOTHER AVENUE TO EXPLORE IN THE CENTER-BASED REALM OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA OF SORT OF PARENTS COMING TOGETHER WHERE THE CITY CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT BECAUSE NO PARENT IS LIKE, "SURE, LET ME JUST OPEN ONE." WHERE THERE CAN BE A LOT OF SUPPORT AND SORT OF PATHWAYS IN THAT, IT COULD SORT OF BRIDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISOLATION IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAME OUT, WHICH I WAS SORT OF SURPRISED BY IN THE SURVEY, BECAUSE YOU THINK IN A COMMUNITY LIKE CAMBRIDGE, THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONNECTION.
UM, BUT IT WAS REALLY CLEAR IN THE SURVEY THAT A LOT OF YOUNG, YOUNG FAMILIES FEEL THAT LACK OF CONNECTION.
AND CAMBRIDGE ELLIS SCHOOL, WHICH IS, IS A CENTER-BASED PROGRAM THAT I WORKED IN, ORIGINALLY STARTED AS THAT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO AS A CO-OP, RIGHT? AND HAS NOW EVOLVED INTO A, A LARGE, UH, CENTER-BASED PROGRAM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CENTER, UH, PARENT CO-OPS CAN BE QUITE SMALL AND GROW OVER TIME, UM, AND CAN CERTAINLY START WITH, YOU KNOW, INFANT TODDLER CLASSROOMS AND GROW IN PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM.
AND THEN THE QUESTION THERE IS HOW DO THEY CONTINUE, RIGHT? THAT...
AND THE NURSERY SCHOOL AND IT'S STILL OPERATING AS A PARENT CO-OP, THE GARDEN STREET? THE GARDEN STREET, YEAH.
IS THAT STILL OPERATING AS A CO-OP? I DON'T THINK IT'S OPERATED AS A CO-OP.
BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN SUPPORT OR AS SAM SAID IT, A, A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO SAY, "WE'RE PROVIDING THE SUPPORT SO IT CAN CONTINUE THAT WAY," IT MIGHT BE, IT MIGHT BE PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM.
ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH, LIKE, HOUSING OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR, LIKE, GRANTS THAT COULD BE PROVIDED TO FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN...
I GUESS, LIKE, ONE, LIKE, WITH RENT-BASED ASSISTANCE OR EVEN JUST, LIKE, FACILITY ASSISTANCE.
IN A WAY, IT'S SURPRISING THAT NOT EVERY SINGLE LARGE SCALE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE DOESN'T HAVE A CHILDCARE CENTER BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING THERE, WHETHER, LIKE, JEFFERSON PARK DOESN'T.
UM, THERE'S ONE THAT'S BEING REBUILT IN CORCORAN PARK.
I WONDER IF THEY'RE CONSIDERING THAT.
I KNOW THEY HAVE COMMUNITY ROOMS, BUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ALSO TO CONSIDER.
HEY, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT DOING IT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SURE THEY GET THE SUPPORT FROM SOMEONE.
AND, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BUILD INTO IT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING - YEAH, THAT WAS THE STRATEGY BEFORE.
IT WAS THE STRATEGY BEFORE, BUT - NEWTOWN FORD HAD, HAD ROSEVILLE TOWNS HAD A CHILDCARE CENTER.
DO THEY STILL OPERATE OR NO? NO.
UM, NORTH CAMBRIDGE, WALDEN SQUARE, THAT WAS THERE, BUT IT WAS LIKE A FOR-PROFIT THERE.
I MEAN, THERE WERE CHILDCARE CENTERS ALL AROUND THE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO, MICHELLE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THOUGH? UH, I'LL JUST...
UH, MICHELLE, JUST AS YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS THINKING EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN BECAUSE THERE IS AN EMERGING CONVERSATION ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE OVERLAY OF, UM, CHILDCARE AND HOUSING.
UM, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME INCUBATOR CONVERSATIONS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY WERE APPROACHED BY A K TO 12 SCHOOL THAT WANTED AN INCUBATOR INSIDE OF THEIR SCHOOL SO THAT THEIR TEACHERS WOULD COME BACK, UM, FROM PARENTAL LEAVE.
BUT I DO THINK THE HOUSING MODEL IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING AND REALLY WORTH EXPLORING.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, BINO, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS THINKING MAYBE THERE COULD BE A SHARED SPACE SOLUTION FOR PARENT CO-OPS TOO, BECAUSE I'M SURE THE FACILITY IS A BIG PART OF THEIR, UM, CHALLENGE, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE OVERLAYS, UM, COULD BE.
I DO WANNA JUST SAY THOUGH, I THINK IN THE DESIGN OF SOME OF THE SCHOOLS IN DHSP, THERE ARE PRESCHOOLS - RIGHT.
ADJACENT TO SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS SOME, YOU KNOW, ACROSS FROM NEWTOWN CORE AT 119, WE HAVE A SPACE.
ACROSS FROM ROSEVILLE TOWERS AT KING OPEN SCHOOL, WE HAVE A SPACE.
SO THERE ARE PRESCHOOL SETUPS, NOT IN EVERYONE, BUT NEAR SOME OF THEM.
I THINK ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, EZ TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THEIR MOST RECENT COORDINATING THROUGH UNIVERSITIES.
CAMBRIDGE ALSO HAS A LOT OF COLLEGES, BUT, LIKE, THE USE OF TANF DOLLARS AND, LIKE, WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE PARTNERSHIPS TO, LIKE, OPEN CHILDCARE PROGRAMS IN UNIVERSITIES? OR SOME ARE ALREADY OPERATING THEM AND HOW DO YOU SUPPORT, LIKE, EXPANSION WITHIN THEM?
[01:40:02]
I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED LISTENING TO SECRETARY GERGENSKI.I EXPECTED TO HEAR A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE BARRIERS AND OBSTACLES THAT WE MIGHT FACE HERE, GIVEN THAT THERE'S BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NEW MEXICO, UM, AND CAMBRIDGE.
BUT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
I MEAN, OTHER THAN THE FUNDING, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE A SOURCE OF FUNDING THAT CAMBRIDGE DOES NOT, AND THAT'S A BIG THING.
UM, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE OTHER OBSTACLES OR CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAD TO THINK ABOUT AND ANTICIPATE AND PLAN FOR ARE REALLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD FACE HERE IN CAMBRIDGE IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES AND THESE OTHER ASPECTS.
I'M CURIOUS, UH, IF ANYBODY ELSE, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE EITHER YOU HEARD IN, ABOUT MEXICO THAT IS AND DOESN'T APPLY HERE, OR VICE VERSA THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A CHALLENGE OR A BARRIER OR A FACILITATING CONDITION HERE IN CAMBRIDGE THAT WAS NOT THE CASE, THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN NEW MEXICO? WELL, SHE'S REFERRED SEVERAL TIMES TO OUR LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEIR RATIOS ARE PRETTY DIFFERENT FROM OURS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR RATIOS ARE.
I KNOW OUR RATIOS ARE, UH, VERY AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH, UM, IT HAS SOME POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES, RIGHT? IT MAKES IT MORE CHALLENGING, BUT THERE'S SOME LEVEL WHICH IT ALSO, WHEN YOU PLACE IT, THREE TO ONE FOR INFANTS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT LEVEL OF ATTENTION AND CARE THAN IF YOU HAVE AN INFANT ROOM WITH SIX, WHICH I KNOW SOME STATES HAVE.
SO I HEARD THAT FROM HER THAT DIFFERENCE.
WHICH IS GREAT FOR QUALITY, BUT IT DRIVES COSTS.
EXPECTATION OF WAGES IS NOT NECESSARILY GREATEST MOTIVATED.
DID YOU HEAR THAT ON THAT? NO.
I, I JUST SAID, UH, UH, UH, AS THE PARTNER OF A PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR, UM, HIGH REGULATIONS WITH LOW WAGES ISN'T THE GREATEST OF, YOU KNOW TRACTOR RETAIN GOOD TALENT.
WE DIDN'T ASK HER, BUT I, I MEAN, I WANTED...
BECAUSE SO MUCH, OBVIOUSLY, SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT SORT OF WHAT THE STATE, YOU KNOW, IS DOING.
I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, UH, HOW A CITY OUR SIZE HANDLED THIS AND, AND IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, UM...
LIKE, WHAT WAS THEIR RATE OF TAKE UP, LIKE, WITHIN CITIES? YEAH, LIKE, JUST WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SURE THERE'S GOTTA BE A CITY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE SIMILAR TO OURS IN SOME WAYS THAT WE LOOK AT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY DEAL WITH IT ON REALLY...
THAT'S SORT OF WHAT, KIND OF WHAT THE MAYOR HAD ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY DEAL WITH IT, WHAT DID THEY DO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW? WELL, AND I, THAT WAS PRETTY...
WHAT, WHAT DID RESONATE IS INTERESTING IS THAT IT, IT CAME OUT OF THE SURVEY OF HER SAYING SO MANY OF THE FAMILIES, ONCE WE MADE IT UNIVERSALLY AVAILABLE, MANY OF THE FAMILIES WHO CAME IN COULD HAVE HAD THIS BEFORE, AND THEY HADN'T BEEN PART OF IT BECAUSE THEY HADN'T EITHER KNOWN OR - YES.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, MY NEIGHBOR WHO IS A ONE-YEAR-OLD IS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, EVERY DAY "CAMBRIDGE DOES SO MUCH, AND I DO THIS DAD'S GROUP, AND I DO THIS, AND I DO THAT." AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "WAIT, WHAT? I, I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT." SO IT'S, IT'S EVEN IN CAMBRIDGE WHERE WE DO SO MUCH TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT, AND THAT WAS...
THE SECRETARY DISCUSSED THAT AS WELL, THAT CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES THAT DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.
SO THAT WE, WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT THE UPTAKE IS PROBABLY GONNA BE MUCH HIGHER ONCE...
'CAUSE THE THING IS, ONCE IT'S UNIVERSAL AND YOU JUST KNOW, IT MEANS THERE'S GONNA BE - UH-HUH.
UH, A LOT MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT IT AND KNOWS ABOUT IT, WHICH THEY KNOW THAT IT'S FOR THEM TOO.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE MESSAGING WE STILL SEE, IS LIKE, "I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS FOR ME," YOU KNOW? WELL, SHE BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT ABOUT THE COST BEING SEPARATED BETWEEN THE, THE DIRECT SERVICE AND THE DELIVERY AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
TO YOUR POINT, BE ABLE TO DO THAT LEVEL OF NAVIGATION, NOT JUST FOR FAMILY, BUT THEN FOR EDUCATORS, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PIPELINE AND TRAINING, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THAT REQUIRES ALSO THAT...
UH, WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, SIX MINUTES LEFT, SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY WRAP THIS PART UP BECAUSE I KNOW PATRICK, YOU'VE GOT STOP TO CLOSE THIS OUT, RIGHT? TECHNICALLY? UH, OH, ONE MORE.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE WORK THAT JEFF LIEBMAN AT THE HARVARD COUNTY SCHOOL DID, UH, REALLY SORT OF ECHOES THIS, THAT WHEN PARENTS, UH, WHEN YOU ASK PARENTS HOW MUCH...
DO YOU HAVE AS MUCH CHILDCARE AS YOU WANT? THE ANSWER IS NO.
THEY WOULD TAKE MORE IF IT WAS AVAILABLE, AFFORDABLE, UM, AND OF HIGH QUALITY.
[01:45:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK HE HAD AN ARTICLE IN THE GLOBE THAT WAS BASICALLY, "I CAN SOLVE THE CHILDCARE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF CAPACITY, UH, WE JUST HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE MORE." AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE VERY LUCKY IN CAMBRIDGE.WE DO HAVE LOTS OF VERY WELL-RESOURCED PROGRAMS. UM, BUT, UH, EVEN PARENT CO-OPS HAVE TO BE LICENSED, AND SO THAT, TO BE LICENSED, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE CREDENTIALS TO RUN THE PROGRAM.
FAMILY CHILDCARE HAS TO BE LICENSED.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE CREDENTIALS TO RUN THE PROGRAM, AND NOT JUST FOR, FOR THE, THE SIX MONTHS THAT THEIR KID NEEDS CARE, RIGHT? I, I, I DON'T KNOW QUITE HOW MUCH THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF SOME OF THE FAMILIES IN CAMBRIDGE WHO ARE HERE FOR A YEAR, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, UM, PLAYS INTO, UH, THE, THE NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE RESOURCES.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, THOSE ARE JUST THE THINGS THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS SUCH A GREAT CONVERSATION.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT THE CITY IS OPEN TO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IS INCREDIBLE.
WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, IN OUR NEXT MEETING IN DECEMBER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE DOING IS HEARING FROM THE TEAM AT THE URBAN INSTITUTE.
SO SECRETARY GRUGINSKI TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON IN TERMS OF, OF RE- RESEARCH ON THEIR PROGRAM.
UM, BUT URBAN IS DOING A LARGE IMPLEMENTATION STUDY, SO THEY'LL BE WITH US IN DECEMBER, UM, TO, TO TALK MORE ABOUT THEIR, THEIR FINDINGS.
UM, REAL QUICK, LAST TWO MINUTES HERE.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 3RD, TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 3RD.
UM, SO PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THAT MEETING.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY ONLINE WHO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU WOULD BE ONLINE AHEAD OF THAT MEETING, THIS MEETING.
UM, ONE QUICK HOUSEKEEPING NOTE.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING COMMENTS IN THE, UH, ZOOM CHAT, IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR US TO HANDLE THOSE IN, IN REAL TIME.
SO, UM, ALWAYS EASIER TO JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AND, AND SAY SOMETHING QUICKLY.
UM, THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN FAIRLY FREE-FLOWING, SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, COMFORTABILITY.
UM, BUT THE COMMENTS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE MEETING MINUTES, SO PLEASE, THEY, THEY ARE BEING RECORDED.
UM, THERE IS A S - A DEDICATED WEBSITE, UM, THANKS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, THE URL IS UP ON THE SCREEN, UM, AND YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THESE SLIDES SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE DIRECT LINK AS WELL.
UM, JUST LIKE THE LAST MEETING, YOU'LL GET A EMAIL, UH, FOLLOWING THIS MEETING WITH MEETING MINUTES.
PLEASE REVIEW THEM, MAKE SURE THEY'RE ACCURATE, MAKE SURE THEY REFLECT YOUR, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL GET ANOTHER, UH, PREP EMAIL FOR NEXT MEETING WITH MAYBE SOME READING MATERIALS, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY SOME SLIDES IN ADVANCE.
WE'RE A LITTLE BIT LAST MINUTE WITH THIS MEETING, SO APOLOGIES EVERYBODY DIDN'T GET TO PREVIEW THE SLIDES.
UM, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, THE BEST CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE IS EITHER REACHING OUT TO DR.
OLSON OR, UM, EVAN HERE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UM, AND, OR, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WHO EMAILS YOU, FEEL FREE TO RESPOND.
UM, UM, YEAH, THAT'S ALL I GOT.
I THINK I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING.
OR YOU COULD JUST SAY - MOTION TO...
THE TIME OF THE MEETING, MOTION TO, MOTION TO ADJOURN.