DCD GETS A FRESH NEW LOOK
Delaware Tribe of Indians relinquishes Early Head Start and ends service agreement with Delaware Child Develompent
On March 8, 2021, the Delaware Tribe of Indians notified the Delaware Child Development/Washington County Child Care Foundation of their intention to end our service agreement on June 1, 2021. The Tribe did not indicate the reason for their decision. The leadership of WCCCF has been working with the Tribe since 1997 and has played a major role in the development of child care and family services as well as drafting all the funding grants and overseeing the construction of all of the infrastructure on the Lenape Addition. Despite this long relationship and our nationally renowned services, the Tribe has chosen to modify child care services and programming to fit their vision for their people.
The Delaware Tribe of Indians will be relinquishing one of the two Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships and redesigning the second one. 86 children and 20 home-based families will lose EHS-CCP services. The Tribe will redesign the EHS program and have spaces for 36 children in center-based care at the child care center on Tuxedo and Madison. The WCCCF will continue to serve the families who would like to continue their care with us in our four other child care centers in Bartlesville (2), Claremore, and Owasso/Sperry, and family child care home in Owasso.
With this big change, we are taking this opportunity to refresh and rebrand. Beginning
immediately we will be providing services as Ivy Learning and will maintain our centers,
Ivy Academies, in Bartlesville -- Downtown and West, Claremore, and Owasso/Sperry,
including our family child care home in Owasso. We may have a new look, but our
commitment and our leadership are not changing. A new website is coming soon, but in
the meantime, you can get familiar with our new logo!
Our dedication to the healthy development of your children will not change. Some
services for some families will change, but we will continue to operate our high-quality
child care services as we always have.
We know change can be challenging, but this is an opportunity for growth and renewal. We are excited for these changes and the opportunities that will arise from them! We know with change comes lots of questions, so we will do our best to answer all the questions that are asked. Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If your questions are not answered below, please ask your center director or email transitions@delawarechild.org and we will respond as soon as we can.
We've always sought to inspire children and families, imagine the possibilities ahead of us, and innovate early learning systems. Now, we are presented with the opportunity to bring that more creatively into our work and we are excited to embark on this journey with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
As we go through this transition, many have already been asking questions. We have provided the questions we have been asked thus far. If you don't see your question below, please contact your center director or email us at transitions@delawarechild.org.
Continuity of Care & WCCCF Operations
Will my children be able to stay in the same center together?
We will work to make sure that siblings are in the same center as much as is possible.
When will families know what teachers are staying with WCCCF? Will Tina McClintic be the Director of either center?
We hope to have a good idea of this by early to mid-May. We will update families with this information when we have it available. Tina will remain with WCCCF as she is a very valuable member of our team, but, at this time, we do not expect her to be the director at either center in Bartlesville. The center director at West is Jennifer Perdue and she, too, is a very valuable asset to our organization. She is looking forward to getting to know new families. Jennifer will also supervise the Downtown Center. One of our current employees will be designated as director of the Downtown location.
Will children be able to keep the same teacher?
WCCCF has always prioritized high-quality, continuous care and we still will. We are doing what we can to minimize transitions – from classmates to teachers – knowing that their classroom will already be changing. However, we do know that many of our teachers will be going to one of our other locations.
Will all of the children be able to move with WCCCF if they want? Are there enough spaces for everyone?
We are working with families individually to determine their preference. We will accommodate as many families as we can.
How many spaces are in the classrooms at Downtown? How many spaces are in the classrooms at West?
There are available child care spaces at both centers, as well as our centers in Claremore and Owasso/Sperry. The latter two are available if you request as we recognize these centers may only be reasonable for families who live or work in those areas. The Owasso/Sperry location is 1 ½ miles east of Highway 75 and would be a fit for anyone working in Tulsa. For Downtown and West, there are spaces. We do not want to provide you with exact numbers because we do not know them – there will be a lot of fluctuations as we move through this transition. There are several classrooms of spaces, however.
What happens if we decide to move and all spot fill up?
We are going to do the best we can to accommodate as many families as possible, but it is possible we won’t be able to accommodate all. We know this is not a good thing to hear, and we wish we weren’t losing a center and a substantial portion of funding so that we could maintain our services to your families.
What is the timeline for this transition? When will parents have to make a decision?
The transition is expected to be completed by June 1, 2021. We would like to have decisions made by April 30, 2021. However, we know that situations change regularly. If you have any preference updates, you can let us know as they happen and we will do the best we can to accommodate them.
If we are choosing to move our children to Downtown or West, will the transition start before June 1st or on June 1st?
We are expecting to make these transitions slowly and logically beginning earlier than June 1. We will move teachers and children as we can a few at a time to make the transition go more smoothly. We will share that information with individual families as it becomes relevant.
Once the transition is complete, will the WCCCF facilities still be a 3-star accredited center?
All of the WCCCF facilities in Bartlesville – Downtown and West – are 3-star accredited facilities. They will remain so.
Will we be able to tour West and Downtown?
All families are welcome to contact center director, Tina McClintic (Bartlesville) and Jennifer Perdue (West), to set up tours at your convenience. Please note, due to COVID, masks are required at all times and we may have some restrictions, for example, not entering classrooms when children are in them. We are also holding open houses. West’s open house is scheduled for April 14. Downtown’s open house has yet to be scheduled as we are doing some painting and flooring work. We will inform all families when we have it scheduled.
How will my child fare with major changes – location/classroom, classmates, and teacher?
We know this can be a bit stressful for our families, especially during an already ultra-high stress time. It can also be an adventure. Your child will be moving to a new place with new playgrounds and new toys in the classrooms. He will also be making new friends as well as keeping some old ones. Working together, we can make it fun. Your children are our top concern and we are working around the clock to identify ways we can minimize these changes. We do not have any options by way of location/classrooms, but we are exploring what we can do as it relates to classmates, teachers, and family supports. We appreciate your concerns and hope that you will be open with us and how your child is managing through them as we begin the moves.
My child will be going to school in August. I am concerned about the many transitions between now and August. What does WCCCF recommend?
Knowing how difficult transitions can be, especially when you will be making another major one in a few months, we recommend that you consider keeping your child at the Bartlesville center with the Delaware Tribe[JR1] . We do expect the Tribe to have some kind of communication with families soon and we will share that when they let us know.
My family participates in the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program. What will be changing about my services?
The Delaware Tribe has relinquished part of the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program and will be redesigning a small portion of it on their own. Because we will no longer be funded for the services, WCCCF will no longer be able to provide formula and diapers for children participating in the program. However, we will still provide family support, child development assessments, and health screenings. For families participating in child care subsidy programs, their copayments are currently being waived due to COVID. For state subsidy, copayments will be waived through December 2021. For tribal subsidies, copayments will be waived through September 2021. Families will have to recertify with their respective subsidy program on their respective recertification date to determine their copay requirement.
Safety
What safety measures are in place at West? Have there been any safety issues since being opened?
We have not had any safety issues at West in our time of owning and operating the facility. All gates remain locked at all times, no one can enter our buildings without a code and/or a key fob. As in all of our facilities and homes, there are cameras with audio and video recording capabilities inside and outside of the entire facility. Additionally, our staff at all facilities are always aware of their surroundings in order to provide the safest environment possible for everyone.
Tuition
Will our program tuition be changing?
WCCCF will not be changing tuition rates due to this transition. Over time, our rates do change because of the rising cost of care. We try to minimize this as much as possible, when we can. But, we will not be changing tuition rates because of this transition. If there are any challenges for families as they relate to the transition, please talk with your center’s director or email transitions@delawarechild.org.
Waitlist
Will we go on a wait list for one of the centers if we decide to move but spots fill up at West or Downtown?
Yes, however, we will prioritize any children who are losing child care through this transition and we will provide open spots to these families first.
Will there be space for any of the children on the waitlist or do I need to be looking into alternative care?
This transition does affect our availability of slots over the long term. We do expect to be able to accommodate all families who wish to stay with our services, but it may lead to longer wait times for those on the waitlist. WCCCF already prioritizes families with children currently enrolled in the program and we will continue to do so. We know the challenges that it brings by having multiple providers. In general, however, we do recommend that all families establish a relationship with more than one child care provider. There are so many factors that contribute to availability and we are not able to guarantee availability at any specific time. At this time, we do not have a better idea of how this will affect the timing of our waitlist. We will be reaching out to our waitlist families to update their preferences and remind them that we recommend always having backup options.
The Delaware Tribe’s Program
Do we know what the program will look like under the tribe (curriculum, tuition, etc.)?
We do not know what the Delaware Tribe’s program will look like. We are working with the Tribe to host a family information session and will provide that information when this has been scheduled.
What happened to make the Tribe make this decision?
WCCCF’s letter notification of ending funding, they did not indicate the reason for their decision. The leadership of WCCCF has been working with the Tribe since 1997 and has played a major role in the development of child care and family services as well as drafting all the funding grants and overseeing the construction of the Lenape Addition. Despite this long relationship and our nationally renowned services, the Tribe has chosen to modify child care services and programming to fit their vision for their people.
Will there be a meeting for those of us who are keeping our children with the Delaware Tribe?
The Delaware Tribe is hosting a family information session for EHS families on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at 6:00 pm at the Family Services Building at 5110 Tuxedo Boulevard, Bartlesville. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have any additional family information session.
What are the requirements if we would like to stay with the Tribe?
We have not been informed about what requirements for staying with the Tribe will be. We will share communication from the Tribe that is relevant with families.
If we choose to stay at the center on Tuxedo, when will the teachers start connecting with children?
We cannot answer this question as we have only been provided that our services will end at that center on June 1. However, we do expect that the Tribe will be providing this information.
Will the Delaware Tribe provide Early Head Start services?
The Delaware Tribe has relinquished the larger of the two Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grants, which means they will have 36 slots available, from the previous program’s 116. They are redesigning the entire program to fit their vision, and we expect it to look markedly different than ours, but we do not have any further information.
Once the transition is complete, will the Delaware Tribe’s Child Care facility still be a 3-star accredited center?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to go through licensing and accreditation processes.
Will the Delaware Tribe still be providing counseling and other services?
We know that the Tribe is redesigning the program and we do not know what services they will be providing in their new program.
Do we know if the Delaware Tribe will be set up with DHS for payments?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to establish this process.
Do we know if the Delaware Tribe will keep roughly the same food program? What kinds of foods will be served to children? Can we see a menu?
One of the unique parts of the WCCCF program is our food and nutrition program. We are regarded nationally for our efforts to promote healthy habits, fresh ingredients for our home-cooked meals with a variety of options, and family style dining. However, for the Tribe, we are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to establish these services.
Do we know how large class sizes will be at the Delaware Tribe’s center?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services.
What curriculum will be implemented?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
What will the Delaware Tribe’s centers staff-to-child ratio be?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will there be an EHS program long-term?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will the families be dismissed if they are not Native American in the future?
We know that one of the reasons they did not want us to continue with their programs is because we did not meet their goals of serving Native children and families. One-third of our children and families have citizenship in at least one Tribal Nation. However, we are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
What are the tuition fees?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
What will the center hours of operation going to be?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will they accept DHS subsidy?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will they be enrolled in CACFP?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will they provide diapers, wipes, and formula?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will they allow parents in the building?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Will they require all staff to wear mask?
We are not able to answer this as the Tribe will have to determine this for the program and services. We will inform families if the Tribe decides to have an information session.
Who do we contact to get information from the Delaware Tribe?
The following contacts have been provided for families to contact. For questions related to the EHS program, contact Crystal at 337-6510. For all other questions, contact Monica at mfisher@delawaretribe.org or 918-337-6550.
Next Steps
Once you meet with the Tribe and get more information, will you be holding another zoom call?
We will hold calls throughout this time period if there are further questions about the transition. Call information will be distributed to families in the same manner as all of our communication. We also invite you to communicate with your child’s center director, Tina McClintic (Bartlesville) and Jennifer Perdue (West), as things come up. We have also established an email address where we will respond as quickly as possible. That email address is transitions@delawarechild.org.
I still have questions. Who can I contact?
WCCCF always encourages families to talk to their center directors, so please consider this option. We have also established a transition team which consists of the center directors, our child development manager, our family services manager, our consultant/liaison with the Tribe, and our Executive Director. You can reach this team by email at transitions@delawarechild.org.