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Child Care Advisory Committee Minutes

March 13, 2024

Members

Present

Absent

 

Designee

Present

Absent

Krysti Alexander

x

 

 

Jared Weigand

 

x

Lynn Anderson

 

x

 

 

 

 

Angela Blanton

x

 

 

 

 

 

Paula Brown

x

 

 

Meshel Richmond

x

 

Peggy Byerly

x

 

 

 

 

 

Susie Cain

 

x

 

 

 

 

Gayla Carnagey

x

 

 

Angela Whisnant

 

x

Darla Cheek (Vice-Chairperson)

x

 

 

Wendy Swatek

 

x

Jana Cornelius

x

 

 

Sarah Albahadily

x

 

Terri Davis (Chairperson)

x

 

 

 

 

 

Kourtney Heard

 

x

 

Angie Avila

x

 

Rose Jackson

x

 

 

Shade Jalo

Jared Weigand

 

 

X

x

Harold Jergenson

x

 

 

 

 

 

Jeannie Jones

x

 

 

Misty Warfield

 

x

Keri Laxton

x

 

 

Michelle Glover

 

x

Brittany Lee (Secretary)

x

 

 

Carole Turner

x

 

Amanda Leonhart

 

x

 

Jaremy Andrews

x

 

Tammy Maus

x

 

 

Janell Wheat

Christy Kastl

x

x

 

 

Sharon Morgan

x

 

 

Rori Hodges

Yvonne Rossiter

X

x

 

Terry Owens

x

 

 

 

 

 

Shanese Peachlyn

x

 

 

 

 

 

Kelly Ramsey

x

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Shachau

 

x

 

Cesiley Bouseman

x

 

Jennifer Sneed

x

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Weise

x

 

 

Teri Blanton

x

 

Carrie Williams

x

 

 

Stephanie Lippert

Amber Cuyler

 

x

x

 

Shaunda Williams

 

x

 

Amie McDaniel

Katie Quebedeaux            

x

 

 

x

                 

Others Present:

CCS / DHS

CCS / DHS

    VISITORS

VISITORS

Audrey Charlson

Mitzi Lee

Susan Kimmel

Jill Goyette

Amy Cornelson

Sandy Grace

Reaina Harris

Jeni Shelton

Ashley Ousley

Deanna Nichols

Rachel Proper

Amie McDaniel

Mindy Yoder

Bonnie Clift

Michelle Glover

Gabrielle Moon

 

Misti Denton

Tiffany McPherson

Katie Shearer

 

Gina McPherson

Teresa Widick

Danielle Luht

 

 

Crystal Mendez

 

Meeting Notices:

·       The Agenda and Meeting Notice were sent to publisher@ecapitol.net on 3/6/24.

Call to Order:           

·       Terri Davis called meeting to order at 10:03 am

·       Introductions

Approval of Minutes:

·       Carrie Williams made a motion to approve, Paula Brown seconded the approval.  There were no objections.

Standing Subcommittee Reports:

Membership Subcommittee – Gayla Carnagey

·       We met on February 15th in attendance: Terri Davis, Peggy Byerly, Harold Jergenson, Gayla Carnagey, and Brittany Lee.  A membership attendance chart has been created to make it easier to track membership attendance.  The chart goes back to March 2021.

·       The CCAC bylaws state: Attendance. Committee members or their designees must attend at least two CCAC meetings annually or may be removed from the committee at CCAC or DHS Director’s discretion. Attendance issues were discussed, and the membership subcommittee made plans to contact some members who have not attended recently.

·       Upcoming membership openings:

June 2024

·       Darla Cheek, 1st term of 3-year membership expires. Recommend a 2nd term.

·       Terri Davis, 3rd and final one-year term for chairperson expires in June 2024.

·       The representative for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Audra Haney, has taken a position at another organization so we are waiting on a new representative.

·       We discussed the importance of reminding potential new members that the membership subcommittee is bringing their name as a recommendation to the DHS Child Care Services Director, who will bring it to the Director of DHS for approval.

·       New Member Orientation attendance today was Angela Blanton, Rori Hodges, Yvonne Rossiter, Teri Blanton and Cesiley Bouseman.

Family Child Care Homes Subcommittee – Shanese Peachlyn

·       I am newly appointed.  No meeting this quarter

QRIS Subcommittee – Shaunda Williams

·       No meeting this quarter

Child Care Facilities (centers) Standing Subcommittee – Tammy Maus

·       Our meeting report is in the handout which includes our inquiries and responses.  Tammy asked if she should go over each item; Terri Davis replied that everyone can review this report if they have not yet.  Terri Davis - Does anyone have any questions for Tammy?  It was a great meeting.  Tammy confirmed.  Carrie Williams wanted to thank OSBI for quicker returns, it has been good.  Terri confirmed this is very positive.  Tammy thanked them publicly as well.  

·       Tammy asked for confirmation that this report is in the record and is a part of the meeting since it is the packet.  Terri Davis confirmed yes, the Child Care Facilities Standing Subcommittee meeting report is in today’s handout. 

Residential Standing Subcommittee – Terry Owens

·       Terry shared he is to do CPA meetings as well, so that is what I will be discussing today.  Terry provided a review of the Proposed Child-Placing Agency Requirement Revisions as well as a Statement for Residential Subcommittee regarding proposed CPA revisions to be effective in November 2025.

Legislative Update:  Deanna Nichols

·       Deanna introduced herself and provided a brief review.  Updates are included in the handout.

Licensing Sanctions Report – Carole Turner

·       The report is included in the handout. This report covers Oct 1- Dec 31, 2023.  Carole provided a quick overview.

Guest Speaker –

·       Kelly Ramsey provided handouts and thorough a review of Public Strategies. Q & A followed.

Old Business:

·       None.

New Business:

·       Tammy Maus: 1) I want to brag on CECPD and the food program.  I attended the training with a few others and it worked.  It was very quick to do and was amazing. Thank you!  2) CCS has answered this in the subcommittee report, but I wanted it to be on record about the survey.  LCA has concerns because it includes information such as the K8 # and ARPA funding (we consulted our attorney) that in the case of fraud that this is on record. 

Public Comment: 

·       Katie Shearer: I have been the PDAS Project Director for a year and my focus has been on quality and accessible professional development training and want to share some trends. Whenever we have had a free course, we have had more participants in the classroom than online, so we are heading back in person.  We have 178 approved training sponsors.  In the first half of FY (July-January) we completed 7,020 formal and informal events in total.  Several items are now available in Spanish, please see our updated website. 

·       Danielle Luht: My husband and I run Kiddie Academy in Edmond.  I know this has been mentioned before, but I am very concerned about the many false claims that go to DHS.  We have had two and thankfully we have cameras to prove the complaints were not valid.  We need to restructure the complaints that are unmerited so that those who make false complaints are punished in some way.  It is a waste of resources. 

·       Susan Kimmel: I want clear up more misinformation that I have heard regarding the processes at CECPD.  We are within our established 30 business days and under for all our programs. To make it clear, CECPD does accept CPR and First Aid Certification from Fire Department and EMTs.  CECPD accepts all that appear on the approval list and provide a valid first aid certification.  There were few incidences that we did not approve, and I want to explain why.  A Fire Department trainer provided training from the American Heart Association (AMA), but we could not accept it because he was not approved through the AMA and he was altering the cards.  Another example we could not accept was an instructor card was sent instead of a participant card.  We accept an instructor card for training hours only (from AMA and American Red Cross). 

·       Reaina Harris: GO NAPSACC Overview virtual training is being held quarterly. The training is an approved 2 hour professional development course. The next training sessions will be on May 16th from 6-8 pm and August 15th from 6-8 pm.  Please share with the providers.

·       Jeni Shelton: I am a Project Director for the Wage Supplement Program.  For the first half of the fiscal year July to January, we awarded 3.5 million to teachers (training stipends, wage supplements).  We just issued our 10th stipend, and we currently have 4,500 active wage participants. 

·       Sarah Albahadily: The Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children (OKAEYC) conference will be July 27th in Tulsa instead of OKC. Sarah added comment to a few topics brought up by others today.

·       Janell Wheat: The half copay implementation is affecting providers across the state due to parents getting creative in pulling their kids from care, so we need to be aware of that and the affect that might have.  Kithcare might be being abused by nursing home staff, where maybe someone who works the day shift and someone who works the night shift might be watching each other’s kids through the Kithcare program.  I don’t know what to do about that and am not saying everyone who works at a nursing home is doing that, but it needs to be known.  On our subcommittee call and providers have called me regarding the copay amounts stating they will swipe one time and it shows a copay and they swipe again, and it show zero copay.  The authorization they get in the mail and what shows on the machine are different $ amounts, so what is the authority, the machine or it is the notice in the mail?  We need clarification on that.  Also, software implementation needs more time. Lastly, the CECPD there is an auto response about registry response, we need clarification and a timeframe so we can pass it along to the providers. 

·       Christy Kastl: Responded to the false claims discussion, we need more information from those who do false claims.  Master Teacher qualifications, we need to do something. Someone with a high school diploma can work as a teacher at a public school while we require a bachelor’s degree for a master teacher.  We need to find a common ground as someone with an ‘off degree’ such as engineering cannot be a master teacher. We should reward these good employees. 

·       Rachel Proper: Sharing a few concerns that have affected my parents at my program.  We are 6 months into copay; maybe we can get clarification from someone in subsidy.  We are seeing parents getting retro-back to the start of the month and parents are upset having to come up with a copay at the end of the month, only to have to do it again at the start of the next month, too close together.  This also affects parents who start towards the end of the month.  It would be good to role it to next month.

·       Brittany Lee shared: The goal is to hear those comments, and with the subcommittees, to gather responses and ask people to talk or write answers. 

Next Meetings:

·       Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Sequoyah Office

·       Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Location TBD

·       Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Location TBD

Meeting adjourned at 10:58 am

Carrie Williams made a motion to adjourn, Keri Laxton seconded the motion.  There were no objections.