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Early Learning News: E-Child Care Issues Addressed, Survey Seeks Your Input
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February 9, 2012

AFT Launches Survey of Early Care and Education Professionals

The American Federation of Teachers wants to know how you think early care and education can be improved.

AFT just launched a survey aimed at professionals like you who work with children between birth and 8 years of age.

The information will be used to inform discussions in the upcoming Global Dialogue Forum on Conditions of Personnel in Early Childhood Education, sponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The survey explores both quality and access issues. This is a great opportunity to weigh in on a national debate that could result in changes that could help you better serve New Jersey’s  youngest children.

Please take a minute to complete this anonymous survey.

English version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7F8B2BD

Spanish version: https://www.research.net/s/9NDMTYW

And, feel free to share the link with others working in early childhood education.

Velez: E-Child Care Issues Being Addressed

Many of you have been experiencing significant problems with the new e-child care system being implemented by DHS. ACNJ received comments from providers around New Jersey and testified at last week’s Assembly Human Services Committee.

Read ACNJ’s Testimony.

The day after the hearing, DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez spoke to a group of Human Services Advisory Council Directors at their quarterly meeting. She promised that all issues would be addressed, including:

1.    Payment issues. Velez said delayed payments were caused by banking issues and that this should not occur again.

2.    Machine malfunctioning/software issues that have caused significant delays and caused inaccurate attendance counts. The vendor is addressing these issues and all are solvable, Velez said.

3.    Helpline problems. Many providers have spent inordinate amounts of time waiting to get technical support from the vendor’s helpline. The vendor has been required to add staff to the helpline to quickly answer questions, according to Velez.

4.    Portable devices for buses that have not yet been received. These have now been expedited, Velez said.

She also said that additional training and resources will be given to providers to ease the transition, an ACNJ recommendation. DHS will also adopt another ACNJ recommendation that providers maintain paper records until all the issues are addressed. It is also important that DHS address language issues. The machines currently only provide prompts in English, while many of the parents are Spanish-speaking.

Please keep us informed. If you continue to experience problems, let us know so we can raise these issues with DHS. E-mail Cyndie Rice at crice@acnj.org.



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