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Issue 9—May/June 1996

Technology in Child Care

Table of Contents

up arrowUsing Technology to Serve Children and Families

The child care community is utilizing technology in many creative and exciting ways. The trend toward integrating technology into child care programs is accelerating at a rapid pace. More than a year ago, the Child Care Information Exchange surveyed the publication's advisory panel of center directors who are regarded as leaders in the field. The directors reported that nearly all (97 percent) of them utilized computers in administration and more than two-thirds (68 percent) used them in the classroom.

Technology in child care provides a more efficient means of accomplishing familiar tasks, while it expands options to meet the needs of children, families and program staff. Child care resource and referral agencies have pioneered the use of computer systems to link families with service providers and devised strategies to use data for planning and needs assessments. Distance learning using satellite transmission, CD ROM, and other multimedia techniques is beginning to make staff training and parent education readily accessible to child care programs in remote locations.

The Child Care Bureau utilizes technology to improve services for children and families in a number of ways. Through the World Wide Web (WWW), a part of the Internet consisting of multiple cross references and interconnections via computer, information is exchanged. The Administration for Children and Families and the Department of Health and Human Services are available at these Home Page addresses:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov
http://www.os.hhs.gov

Additionally, the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) Home Page is a central point of access to information on various topics and to links with other related organizations. The NCCIC is also developing a Home Page for the AmeriCorps Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.

The Child Care Bureau utilizes electronic discussion groups on the Internet to quickly exchange information with groups of individuals from across the country. For instance, the CCAdmin ListServ is a discussion group for state and federal child care administrators. Participants are encouraged to post information about innovative programs or to ask about specific issues.

The Child Care Bureau's FirstNations Listserv connects administrators of tribal programs, federal staff, and other ACF partners to discuss topics relevant to improving the lives of American Indian and Alaskan Native children and families.

The Child Care Bureau also uses audioconferences as a means to convene administrators, organizations, and others in the field on a regular basis to discuss child care issues.

The state and tribal grantees are encouraged to apply for Child Care and Development Block Grant funds and to file the annual CCDBG ACF-700 report electronically.

This issue of the Child Care Bulletin highlights examples of technology in child care, including ways in which the Internet can be used to share knowledge among professionals and parents. The Bulletin synthesizes a range of approaches to using technology in training, streamlining and automating state systems, communicating with families, programs and colleagues, and disseminating information.

up arrowInformation Access: the Internet as a Path to Change by Dianne Rothenberg

If everyone were to have convenient and easy access to information about quality child care, it could bring about positive changes through an increase in shared knowledge among providers, parents, and other experts in the field. The Internet provides access to information for developing new programs and for improving existing ones. This medium changes the rules of many professions by democratizing access to information about our work.

One of the many ways to exchange information on the Internet is through an electronic discussion group, or "listserv." This provides users with the opportunity to be part of an electronic community made up of individuals who share similar interests, rather than geographic proximity. There are thousands of topical discussion groups on the Internet.

The Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE) sponsors several electronic discussion groups. When ERIC/EECE summarized the recent Cost and Quality Study for parents, it stimulated a lengthy discussion of quality in child care on one of its Internet discussion groups. Parents shared their experiences with various child care arrangements. Several parents requested copies of the study to use as they assessed how their own child care arrangements were working.

Building Communities and Reducing Professional Isolation

Through Internet access, educators are able to increase their understanding and use of specialized literature, as well as to reduce professional isolation, which often is an underrated factor in retraining and retaining staff. Community-building, information sharing, and problem solving take place daily on the listservs managed at ERIC/EECE. For example, meeting children's particular needs (such as those with disabilities, or those from cultural groups with which staff are unfamiliar), can be eased by discussing concerns with others who have faced similar challenges. This type of informative exchange can be accessed on ECENET-L, one of the ERIC/ EECE discussion groups.

Participants in these discussions have different roles in the early childhood education profession, including caregivers, teachers, other experts in the field, program administrators, students, policymakers, and parents. Such groups with common interests become knowledge communities. The ability to facilitate sustained, spontaneous conversations among people of diverse backgrounds and geographic locations is a major attraction of the Internet.

As we consider the Internet as a pathway to change and its potential impact on our profession, it is important to realize our influence in this electronic world. Here are some things we can do to take part:

  • We are all learners in the electronic environment. Seek opportunities to educate yourself and your staff about the Internet. Possible places to begin are with a nearby high school computer club (ask them to demonstrate how to access child care related Internet resources). Use the opportunity to involve Internet knowledgeable parents in supporting their child care center.
  • Encourage the organizations you work with locally, statewide, or nationally to become a professional presence on the Internet, as the National Child Care Information Center, ERIC/EECE, the National Coalition for Campus Child Care, and many other groups have done.
  • Encourage professional organizations to share information of public interest via electronic media.
  • Support the inclusion of public computer terminals in libraries, public buildings, shopping malls, and other community locations for use by those who may not have a computer at home.
  • Meet with child care centers to discuss approaching businesses and individuals to contribute to a technology "bank" of computer equipment that can be tapped as needed for use in child care centers.
  • Remind public planners that child care centers are community institutions and should be included in local or regional plans for connecting libraries and schools to the Internet.
  • Work with community groups interested in low-cost or free community networking. Public libraries may know of local efforts.

If we seize the opportunity to help shape it, the Internet has the potential to increase our access to information, assist us professionally, and provide new and effective avenues to increase public awareness of quality child care.

Dianne Rothenberg is Associate Director for the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more information, contact Dianne at: 1-800-583-4135 or by e-mail at rothenbe@uiuc.edu. The ERIC/EECE World Wide Web address is http://ericeece.org/ [NCCIC Editor's note (03-04-04): ERIC/EECE was discontinued on December 31, 2003. For more information call 1-877-275-3227 or e-mail the Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative at ecap@uiuc.edu]

up arrowThe National Child Care Information Center: Linking Child Care Resources

The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) strives to complement, enhance and promote child care linkages and to serve as a mechanism for supporting quality, comprehensive services for children and families. Funded by the Child Care Bureau, ACF/DHHS, through the Child Care Technical Assistance Project, NCCIC provides information, resources and materials to support state, territorial, and tribal child care administrators and others in the child care community. Requests for information are received through toll-free phone, fax and TDD lines, through mail, e-mail and through contacts at meetings around the country, as well as referrals from other organizations.

Information requests cover a wide range of topics, from programs seeking information on current research to state administrators seeking models for new programs. In each case, the NCCIC seeks to act as a connector to information. Frequently asked questions focus on starting child care programs, funding strategies, programs for teen parents, statistics about child care, information about national organizations, trends, and examples of innovative programs at the state and local level.

For each request, the staff of the information center gathers a variety of materials which link people with national, state and local resources. This information is kept in the NCCIC library, which is in the process of being automated and placed on-line. Responses to information requests often include searches of the Internet to find relevant materials, and references to resources that are available electronically.

As an Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for Child Care, the NCCIC has a Home Page on the World Wide Web that includes a variety of materials, including full text documents such as Care Around the Clock by the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau, New Findings on Children, Families, and Economic Self-Sufficiency and Child Care for Low-Income Families from the National Research Council, the Tribal Resource Directory, Census Bureau reports and information from other agencies. In addition to these resources, the NCCIC Home Page contains a list of national organizations, along with contact information, a brief description of the work done by the organization, and a link to its web site, if applicable. The Home Page includes past issues of the Child Care Bulletin, information on the Healthy Child Care America Campaign, and links to the Child Care Bureau and other web sites both inside and outside of government. The Home Page provides users with the ability to contact NCCIC staff directly with questions. The NCCIC is also developing an Internet Guide for Child Care Administrators to help outline steps for electronic access to child care information on the World Wide Web.

The NCCIC keeps information flowing in the child care community by collecting and disseminating it as broadly as possible through the most efficient technology available.

To share or request information, contact Anne Goldstein, NCCIC Director, at: (800) 616-2242, or e-mail at agoldste@nccic.org The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) World Wide Web address is http://nccic.org/

up arrowNational Network for Child Care on the Internet

Need information on child care insurance or playground safety? Looking for child care materials in Spanish? Need ideas for your newsletter? Questions like these challenge professionals who often have limited time and resources to search out the answers. Now, they can turn to the National Network for Child Care (NNCC) for research and other information to help them improve child care services.

The National Network for Child Care (NNCC) brings together the expertise of more than 450 child care professionals from Land Grant universities and Cooperative Extension programs to exchange ideas, effective practices, and research in child care. The NNCC provides a full-text Internet data base on child care issues and also provides on-line discussions and technical assistance for child care programs.

The National Network for Child Care is part of the CYFERNet (Children, Youth, and Family Education and Research Network), sponsored by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension System. CYFERNet also includes four other networks that offer information on family resiliency, science and technology, community coalitions, and decisions for health.

The National Network for Child Care (NNCC) World Wide Web address is http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/families/nncc/

CYFERNet's World Wide Web address is http://www.cyfernet.org/.

To learn more, contact Lesia Oesterreich, Extension Family Life Specialist, Iowa State University, at: (515) 294-0363, or send and e-mail message to x1oester@exnet.iastate.edu

up arrowTechnology Revolutionizes Training by Marce Verzaro-O'Brien and Bryanne Curry

Accessing affordable high quality training can be difficult for child care providers. Training that is held during the day can conflict with caregiving responsibilities, and training based in colleges may be too expensive or time intensive. However, new technologies make it possible to participate in comprehensive, shared training experiences tailored to providers.

Distance learning links providers in many locations through a common training experience. Some projects provide videotaped seminars and study guides to be used at the learner's convenience. Other projects broadcast live training to many sites using satellite transmissions. Participants may be able to call into the live seminar with questions. Both options may be augmented by an audiobridge system that allows participants to call a toll free number to take part in a facilitated discussion. Providers develop a network of colleagues with whom to share ideas, questions, and solutions.

Electronic networks also offer caregivers the ability to share information with others. This requires access to a computer with a modem, which allows linkages to other computers via a telephone line. Options include electronic mail or "e-mail," which is basically an address on the computer from which one can send and receive messages. Also, there are electronic discussion groups or "listservs," and electronic bulletin boards. For providers who wish to dialogue together about a topic, "chat areas" are available. Bulletin boards and chat areas are options associated with commercial subscription network services such as Prodigy, America On-Line, and others.

A relatively new training technology is computer disk read-only memory, or CD-ROM, which provides interactive multimedia training. Large amounts of data, that can include video clips, text, and tables are compressed onto a shiny 5-inch disc that fits into a computer's CD drive. A single disc can store up to 250,000 pages of text. Now, the CD-ROM's successor, the digital versatile disc (DVD) has the capacity to hold more than five billion pages of text. These discs can combine full-motion video, still pictures, voice, 3D, animation, music, graphics, and text into fully-integrated and interactive systems.

Training with these technologies is self-paced and self-directed. The information is available in a way that empowers individual learning styles. Since this multimedia instruction emphasizes user control, it is an inspiration to exploration, discovery, critical thinking, and communication. Access to these training products can save in staff travel costs and can reduce expenses of printing and distributing training materials. They can also boost efficiency and effectiveness of training efforts by allowing staff to learn at their own pace, on their own schedule. Providers using CD-ROMs can also be linked regularly by an audiobridge discussion group or by an electronic network, to add shared learning to the individualized training experiences.

The use of technological strategies to offer training and to establish networks of supportive colleagues is becoming more accessible for child care providers. The possibilities are "virtually limitless."

Marce Verzaro-O'Brien is an early childhood and public policy consultant. Bryanne L. Curry is the Assistant Vice President for the South Carolina ETV Network. To learn more, contact Marce at: (305) 289-2034, or contact Bryanne at: (800) 476-7345, or e-mail at curry19@winusa.com

up arrowCreating a Community of Learners by Carolyn S. Dorrell

On an ordinary morning in an inner city Head Start program, a teacher gathers children for circle time. They sing songs in three languages, greet each other and talk about what they will do for the day. One wiggly child is requiring attention which the teacher gently weaves into her ongoing conversation. What could be an emerging discipline problem is handled masterfully by a teacher who respects the needs of the children in her care.

What is extraordinary about this scene is that it is being viewed by 400 teachers, aides, and parent volunteers in fifteen states. They are all watching at the same time, while Janice Beaty, author of Converting Conflicts in Preschool, discusses the scene and answers questions called in by viewers. During the next week, small groups led by a facilitator convene by telephone to discuss the topic and add their own experiences.

The seminar, Creating A Positive Atmosphere, is one of a series of 35 delivered live and interactive by way of satellite from the Early Childhood Professional Development Network (ECPDN). Originating from the studios of South Carolina Educational Television, weekly broadcasts provide two semesters of training that meets CDA requirements and can qualify for nine college credits.

The ECPDN, funded originally by a Head Start demonstration grant, continues to bring quality high-tech training to early childhood staff, particularly those in remote areas. After studying more than 3,000 participants in 41 states and two territories, evaluators from Macro International, Inc. report that staff not only improve their classroom practices, but also experience increased motivation and self-esteem.

Carolyn S. Dorrell is the Executive Director for ECPDN. For more information on this series and other short courses, call (800) 476-7345.

up arrowChild Care Training Ventures in Distance Learning

Idaho: Lessons in Distance Education

The University of Idaho offered two nationally broadcast satellite programs for providers: Achieving High Quality Child Care and Feeding Young Children in Group Settings. The USDA Agricultural Telecommunications Program funded both, and the University of Nebraska cooperated to produce the video on high quality care.

Following the success of the broadcasts, the instructors and communications staff felt that they had learned as much about distance teaching as the participants learned about providing quality care for children. In reflecting on what went well overall, they share this advice:

  • Local planning requires lead time. Market to prospective site facilitators months in advance;
  • Plan programs that reflect national diversity including urban, rural, gender and ethnic variety. Provide materials to site facilitators to make content locally relevant.
  • Fax and 800 numbers work well during the broadcast. E-mail and mail groups work well during non-broadcast hours. Plan to respond to audiences from all levels of access.
  • Selecting a broadcast time that suits people across a nation of several time zones is difficult. Encourage site facilitators to record the program. Provide interaction opportunities for viewers.

Both series of broadcasts are available on videotape. Many USDA Cooperative Extension Service educators have copies of the programs available for loan.

To learn more, contact Janice Fletcher, Associate Professor, Child, Family, and Consumer Studies, University of Idaho, at: (208) 885-7321, or send an e-mail message to jfletcher@uidaho.edu

up arrowSpotlight on . . .

Madison Education Extension Programs, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, has developed a series of training materials for child care providers. They offer three television-based independent study courses, Caring for Children (12 part series, an introduction to child care), Caring for Infants and Toddlers (5 part series), and Village of Kindness (10 part series on family child care). From an initial $100,000 state grant, the project has become self sufficient, with proceeds from the sale of each series funding the production of the next ones. A mini-series on child care administration is currently in production.

The videos are broadcast regularly over the Wisconsin Public Television network and on local cable access in many communities. The Wisconsin Technical College System and resource and referral agencies use them for training. The tapes are public domain within Wisconsin, providing off-air taping rights for educational purposes, and are distributed for broadcast and individual sale in other states.

For more information, contact Chip Donohue, Campus Child Care Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at: (608) 262-9715.

up arrowHandsNet: Linking the Human Services Community

HandsNet is a communications network that offers information for human services organizations on a variety of topics. Through funding from the Ford Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, HandsNet established its Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Forum with information on issues such as child welfare, food and nutrition, and youth development.

In l994, the US West Foundation funded the development of an Early Childhood Forum to be a part of the CYF. This Forum is managed by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). They work with national child care organizations to gather information to post on the Forum. The most recent addition to the Early Childhood Forum is Parent Information and Resources, which is managed by the Center for Human Investment Policy (CHIP), University of Colorado at Denver.

HandsNet offers its members timely and well organized information, e-mail capacity, forum managers who encourage and support interaction among members, manuals, support materials, and seminars designed to help human services organizations integrate electronic communications into their work.

HandsNet is a membership service for organizations, but the public may visit the HandsNet Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.handsnet.org where HandsNet makes available a sample of its new information each week. The Home Page also provides information about becoming a HandsNet member.

HandsNet has recently opened a training center in Washington, DC. Member organizations can learn more about using HandsNet efficiently, accessing information on the Internet, and mastering basic World Wide Web publishing skills.

To find out how your organization's projects can get wide circulation and response, contact Ruth Anne Foote, NACCRRA Early Childhood Forum Manager, at: (404) 874-0878, or e-mail HN5602@handsnet.org

up arrowIntegrating Technology into Human Services Organizations by Andrea Wicks and Beverly Buck

The Center for Human Investment Policy (CHIP) in collaboration with HandsNet, has established the Children and Families Network (CFN). The CFN strives to build capacity in community organizations for effective use of online technology to improve the lives of children and families. Initially funded by the US West Foundation, the CFN has provided an opportunity to understand the barriers and benefits of online technology for community based groups.

Through their work with the CFN, the Center for Human Investment Policy has learned that getting computers and online access is only the first step to exploring the information "super highway." The real effort is in helping busy community organizations learn ways to integrate technology into the business of providing services. Many agencies have successfully mastered this with HandsNet, because of its ability to organize and present relevant information.

CHIP provides technical assistance to help organizations use technology more effectively. From their experiences, CHIP has learned that:

  • Entire communities can benefit from a few agencies being online through the thoughtful dissemination of information in newsletters, articles, and other public announcements;
  • Getting online requires organizations and agencies to think differently about how they do their work. Outreach, collaboration, and networking can be easily enhanced through electronic technologies;
  • A focused effort of technology integration and outreach can maximize the role of many community-based agencies and their impact on services;
  • When responding to requests for proposals, associating technology, networking, and information dissemination with the planned activities of the grant can help support funding for online access.

The Center for Human Investment Policy (CHIP), located in the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver, conducts applied research and assists organizations in efforts to build capacity, collaborate, and integrate programs at the systems and service levels. For more information, contact CHIP at: (303) 820-5631, or e-mail hn4464@handsnet.org

Andrea Wicks is Project Director for the Children and Families Network, and Beverly Buck is a Senior Research Associate for the Center for Human Investment Policy (CHIP).

up arrowChild Care Initiatives Across the Country

Colorado: Paperless System for Licensing

This fall, the Colorado Division of Child Care will complete phase one of an automated imaging system for licensing functions. This system, which will enable licensing files to be quickly accessed in an electronic format, will transform the way the Division of Child Care operates.

Under the system, licensing documents will be scanned onto an optical disk. Documents requiring attention will be electronically routed to the appropriate individual for processing or review. Workers will receive assignments via their computer screens, rather than their in-baskets. Programmed timelines for each task will be directed to the supervisor's screen for project management.

More than 10,000 licensing files housed at the Department of Human Services' Division of Child Care are being prepared for the scanning process. Each facility licensed by the State of Colorado has a file which includes a history of the facility, its license, inspection reports, and the results of any investigations and complaints. Confidential information, such as identifying data about children and their families, will remain inaccessible to the public.

A few years ago, about 35 licensing files were requested for review by the public each month. Now, the number has risen to nearly 250 per month. Under the new system, the Division of Child Care will provide increased access to its licensing files, which is often helpful to parents in making informed decisions about child care. The second phase of the imaging project will allow for remote access to the licensing files from various sites around the state.

To learn more, contact Susan Conley, Administrator, Information and Support Services, Colorado Division of Child Care, at: (303) 866-5958.

Maryland's LOCATE: Child Care Program

Child care administrators need reliable figures when planning to fund services. A partnership between the state's Department of Human Resources and Maryland Committee for Children, Inc. (MCC) makes finding this data easier.

In 1982, MCC received private funding to develop one of the nation's first software programs for child care resource and referral. Designed to be counselor friendly and to assist the agency in documenting and reporting child care trends across the state, LOCATE: Child Care software has been expanded to maintain a comprehensive regional data base which includes Maryland, northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The data base contains more than 17,000 regulated child care provider and program records, each including up to 119 fields of data.

This comprehensive information allows MCC to generate a variety of reports to public and private funders, employers, government agencies, and others in the child care system. State and local governments turn to MCC when conducting market rate surveys, tracking compensation trends, assessing the supply of and demand for a particular form of child care, and analyzing trends.

Based on data drawn from the LOCATE: Child Care database and other sources, MCC and the Maryland Child Care Resources Network released the 1996 edition of Maryland Child Care Demographics. The series of 25 reports contains information for identifying and analyzing child care trends on a jurisdictional and statewide basis.

To learn more about LOCATE: Child Care software or to order a copy of Maryland Child Care Demographics, contact Marcia Simonetta, Maryland Committee for Children, (410) 752-7588.

Wisconsin: CareFinder Helps Parents and Agencies

For 25 years, Community Coordinated Child Care, Inc. (4-C), has provided resource and referral services to the community. In a five county area, the agency provides about 4,000 parent referrals each year and nearly 160 enhanced corporate referrals.

4-C uses CareFinder software, designed specifically for resource and referral agencies. It provides a client intake tool and a customized provider search system, and gives the agency broad reporting capabilities. In addition to matching requirements such as type of care, ages, and hours that care is needed, CareFinder can perform proximity location searches of a radial area extending out from home, work, or school. It is also capable of linear searching between two points, such as along a commute corridor. Many of the data fields for families and providers are configurable, allowing the agency to customize the data base to meet local needs.

CareFinder is used by all 17 resource and referral agencies in the state, making data collection a unified and coordinated effort. The software's cost analysis reports help state and local agencies to plan subsidy requirements.

And 800 number, Internet Home Page, and e-mail increase the availability of the agency to clients and corporate employers. The goal is to enable clients who enter the system at any point to automatically access the services of other agencies.

Sue Heilman is the Referral Coordinator for Community Coordinated Child Care, Inc. (4-C). For more information, contact Sue at: (608)271-9181. For more information about CareFinder, contact CyberPATH Inc. at (800) 598-2256.

College of the Menominee Nation Offers Internet Child Care Course

The College of the Menominee Nation (CMN) is developing child care courses to be offered via the Internet. The CMN will be using multiple technologies in distance teaching methods to deliver a full curriculum based upon CMN's human services and child development programs. Once the curriculum is developed, CMN will have the ability to deliver training and technical assistance to all child care communities, and especially American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.

The College of the Menominee Nation has developed an array of tools designed to deliver accredited courses using both Internet and televideo satellite technology. Participants will access the child care courses through CMN's Home Page, then a multimedia format of e-mail, chat lines, graphics, sound, and televideo will deliver the course in an interactive "learning by doing" format. CMN has a substantial web server, satellite up and downlink and other key technological resources that make this course deliverable to any group or individual with Internet access.

To see photos and essays on sustainable development, find out about credit courses on the Internet, or read traditional stories of the Menominee, visit the CMN Home Page, http://www.Menominee.com [NCCIC Editor's note (03-22-04): This URL has changed: http://www.menominee.edu/]

To learn more about CMN's child care course, contact Cyndi Pyatskowit, Director of Advancement for the College of the Menominee Nation at (715) 799-5662.

up arrowAdministrator to Administrator...Advice on Approaching Technology

What do you think of when you hear the word "technology?" Depending on your background and experiences, that word can have a number of different meanings. So, as an administrator, where do you begin to frame the issues of what makes sense for your organization, technologically? Here are some thoughts on the subject offered by a CCDBG administrator, a regional computer specialist, a county social services day care unit supervisor, and a finance director of a resource and referral agency.

Question: With terms like "Pentium, 486, 28,800 modem, SuperVGA, Laserjet...," how do you decide what kind of technology your organization needs?

Response: Terms such as these can be confusing when decisions need to be made about technology. Book stores, libraries and news stands contain sources of information on specific hardware and software terminology. Before deciding "what" technology is needed, the first important question is: "Why do we need it?" Developing a strategic plan for technology is a way to guide an organization on a self-directed path that is based on the mission and priorities of the agency.

Question: How do I develop a strategic technology plan?

Response: The first step is to establish goals. Start with basic questions: What do you want technology to do, and how does technology fit with the "culture" and mission of the agency? The goals should support agency priorities. Depending on the type of organization, it may be helpful to look at what you want for a "final" product: What reports are you doing now? What lists or letters would you like to have generated? Would you like to automate project planning? How about calculating payroll, paying providers, or collecting fees from parents? These are just a few areas you may wish to focus on when determining technology related goals.

Question: Can you give an example of a technology related goal?

Response: General types of goals might be to improve efficiency, reduce staff costs, or improve customer service. An example of a more specific goal might be to set up a local area network (LAN) which will be capable of supporting the agency's growth over the next five years. The rationale for this goal would be to centralize data and make it accessible to staff. Link the technology plan to the agency's goals and establish a cost estimate for achieving that goal.

Question: What are the next steps?

Response: Establish a group to develop the technology plan. This should include many types of technology users. Organizationally, there should be shared ownership in goals and in planning for technological changes. For small agencies, forming a technology group may not seem feasible. Seek the help of experienced persons, such as parents, volunteers, and potential consultants.

Question: Where does the technology group begin and what are the basic planning steps for the group?

Response: Start by reviewing the proposed technology goals with the group, to benefit from their unique perspectives. Once the group finalizes the goals, they need to consider organizational priorities, implementation strategies, and next steps needed to meet the goals. For instance, if your goal is best served by producing a data base, the next step is to consider the types of data that will go into it. Look at all the data that is presently collected, then plan to design a system capable of recording more data than you currently need. This will allow for flexible growth of the system. It is less expensive to plan to have data fields included that are not used right away, than to modify the system once it is finished. Next, make a list of the data and where it is found, along with the processes used to arrive at the "final" product. This will help to guide the decision steps for the group.

Question: Along with the goals, data, and processes, what are other key elements of a technology plan?

Response: At a minimum, the plan should include a budget, a strategy for purchasing, and a method for staff training. Investing in technology is a commitment to an ongoing series of expenses and all aspects of these costs need to be planned out. When preparing the budget, project costs for hardware, software, installation and networking, training, maintenance, supplies, and Internet access fees and phone charges, if applicable. The plan should make training and support top priorities. This critical area is often overlooked, or the first to go in a tight budget.

Question: Budgets can present tough choices between priorities for funding. What practical tips could you offer on cost effective procurement measures?

Response: Look for computer suppliers who will prepare a written recommendation and quote to fill your needs from your technology plan. It is best to get quotes from several different vendors and always ask about their technical support policies. Many large computer manufacturers offer discounted prices for educational organizations.

When looking at the available options and the budget, it may be tempting to look into closeouts of old and discontinued systems. It is best to plan ahead and to buy current technology. Considering the fast rate of change in computers and other technology fields, don't invest in tomorrow by buying yesterday's machine. It is often difficult to upgrade older equipment. Buy fewer machines, or delay certain purchases to next fiscal year's budget if necessary, instead of buying discontinued computers.

Question: What are some cost effective measures to take in the area of training?

Response: Be creative, form a user's group or recruit volunteer assistance in computer training. Acknowledge those with expertise and interest in helping others with organizational support for their efforts and mechanisms that allow information to be shared easily.

Question: Do you have any final thoughts for administrators on approaching technology?

Response: The delivery of child care information through the use of technology can be accomplished effectively when you plan sufficiently and execute the plan with the help of competent technical support staff. Many experienced administrators would advise that it is cost effective to put "90%" of the effort into planning. The remaining "10%" is the action of carrying out the plan.

A final note for those who feel a bit timid about approaching the new machine on their desk: Just enjoy the computer. Don't be afraid of it. You cannot break it, as long as you don't knock it off the table, or spill coffee in it. If you are not sure what to do when trying a new piece of software, just take a guess and try something. It is good to experiment and explore. If you are still stuck after reviewing the manual, call the supplier for technical support. Another option is to go "on-line" and seek help from others. You will soon begin to see the rewards of making technology work for you!

See you on the net!
E-mail:

Contributing to this article:

  • Greg Gehr is the Chief of Staff of the Karuk Tribe of California and the Region IX representative on the Tribal Information Work Group for the Child Care Technical Assistance Project.
  • Robert Granillo is a Computer Specialist for ACF Region VIII, Denver, Colorado.
  • Mary Jane Tripodi is the Social Services Supervisor for Trumbull County Department of Human Services, Day Care Unit, in Warren, Ohio.
  • Dale Walston is Finance Director for Child Care Resource and Referral, Inc., in Rochester, Minnesota.

up arrowHealthy Child Care America
Update: South Dakota

In South Dakota, three Early Childhood Enrichment programs have been funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). These programs provide on-site vision, hearing, and developmental screenings for young children and also training and support for providers.

The services provided through the Early Childhood Enrichment programs are similar, yet the models of service delivery are diverse. One site is affiliated with a hospital that has an established training and resource program for child care providers and families. Hospital nursing staff conduct the developmental screenings.

Another program is located at a resource and referral service at a major university. It is managed by the Interagency Single Point of Contact, which is funded through the South Dakota Department of Education with Part H funds. Supervised student nurses conduct the screenings.

A third model of service delivery is not affiliated with an existing program; rather, services are contracted with an early childhood development specialist. On-site screenings are handled through subcontracts with experienced nurses.

Recognizing the importance of the on-site screenings for identifying special needs, as well as the desire for consistent provider training, guides were developed through the support of both CCDBG and Part H. Each guide includes training materials, handouts, overhead transparencies, marketing information, forms, practices and procedures. The guides cover such topics as parent involvement, age appropriate activities, managing a child care business, creating environments, working with children who have special needs, and caring for infants and toddlers. Future plans include incorporating Child Development Associate (CDA) training into all programs.

The Office of Child Care Services, in conjunction with the Part H program, has made additional training resources available. Several sets of the video training series entitled The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, developed by WestEd (formerly the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development) and the California Department of Education, were distributed to agencies to make available for loan. The Office of Child Care Services also coordinated a satellite training demonstration through the Rural Development Telecommunications Network to inform child care directors, Head Start directors, Cooperative Extension Service educators, Part H Single Point of Contact directors, and others of this new resource for providers.

Pat Monson is Program Manager for the Department of Social Services, Office of Child Care Services. To learn more or to obtain a copy of the Early Childhood guides, contact the South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Child Care Services, (605) 773-4766.

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San Francisco's Early Childhood Information System

The San Francisco Early Childhood Information System Project was created as a collaborative effort to improve access to information collected city-wide by private and public agencies, and to achieve computer linkages for sharing that information. It took two years to plan the design for the information system that will provide statistical and demographic data. The system includes an electronic data base service, a World Wide Web site, resource library, and a clearinghouse. The information gathered by the Project is available by e-mail at info@sfchildnet.org or on the Web site at http://www.sfchildnet.org The Project will analyze and disseminate early childhood information to funding agencies, legislators, policy makers, child and family agencies, and others. This will assist in identifying either gaps or duplications in service provision, and help to maximize scarce resources. Training and technical assistance will be provided to users. The Project's collaborative organizational structure and state-of-the-art technology serves as a model for other communities.

For more information or to receive publications, contact Patricia Anderson, Project Director at: (415) 974-5892, or e-mail at info@sfchildnet.org or HN6658@handsnet.org

The Soho Center's REACH Initiative, funded by an $804,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation, uses media and an information management system to reach out to family child care providers. The system encourages providers to get regulated, join the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and to network and seek to improve their child care programs.

Using media technology, toll free access, customized mailings, an automated data base and response mechanisms, the initial outreach is via four television commercials that invite providers to contact the Soho Center at: (800) A1-KIDS-1.

Staff collect pertinent information about the provider, such as the number of children in care and whether the provider knows of the CACFP. Providers receive one of more than 100 versions of letters, customized with county-specific information on local agencies, sponsors, and regulations. The data base sorts lists of providers to fax to USDA sponsors. Providers also receive free newsletters, directories, children's books, and other resources.

To learn more about this collaborative national project, contact Jeanna Beker, Director, Soho Center, at: (540) 923-5012.

Note the New Location

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Nursing
4200 E. Ninth Ave., Campus Box C287
Denver, CO, 80262
Telephone: (800) 598-KIDS
World Wide Web address: http://nrc.uchsc.edu
e-mail: Natl.child.res.ctr@UCH SC.edu

The Home Page provides access to state child care regulations pertaining to health and safety, and access to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's National Health and Safety Performance Standards.

up arrowResources in Child Care

With each issue, the Child Care Bulletin highlights resources available to the child care community. We encourage providers, parents, administrators, and other readers to share knowledge of what is available so that we may pass it on to the field.

Publications
Young Children: Active Learners in a Technological Age
June L. Wright and Daniel D. Shade, editors
Published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the book includes chapters on computers as a learning tool, using insights from research and practice, the role of technology in the early childhood curriculum and many other useful discussions. (Available for $7 from NAEYC, 1509 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036-1426, or call (800) 424-2460).
Map and Track: State Initiatives for Young Children and Families
Jane Knitzer and Stephen Page
This report summarizes the latest information on state efforts to address the multiple needs of young children and families. Containing a new series of biennial reports from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), the report helps to "map" state initiatives and "track" them over time. It includes maps, charts, and descriptions of state initiatives. (Available for $19.95. Make checks payable to Columbia University and mail to: NCCP, 154 Haven Avenue, New York, NY 10032). Visit the NCCP Home Page at http://www.nccp.org
Child Care Management Information Systems:
Applying Technology to Improve Child Care
Macro International Inc.
Prepared for the Administration for Children and Families, this publication summarizes site visits conducted in 1993 to five states with innovative and successful approaches to managing child care programs and using management information systems. Site visit teams interviewed child care administrators, resource and referral staff, programmers, and other information system users. The publication examines aspects of planning, development and implementation, and system functions, as well as critical issues and lessons learned. Appendices include an overview of each state's system and a description of the organizational setting for each state's child care program and management information system. (Free publication, available from the National Child Care Information Center, 301 Maple Avenue West, Suite 602, Vienna, VA 22180, or call: (800) 616-2242, fax: (800) 716-2242, TDD: (800) 516-2242, or send an e-mail message to: agoldste@nccic.org ). [CCB Editor's Note: As of 4/1/2005, the address for NCCIC has changed. The new address is: 10530 Rosehaven St., Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22030.]