Title
Resolution further amending Res. 273 of 2011, entitled "Providing for an Agreement or Agreements, or use of existing Agreements and/or a Contract or Contracts, or use of existing Contracts, and for the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment, and/or services for various projects in connection with the Neighborhood Needs; and providing for the payment of the costs thereof" by transferring $15,000 from Neighborhood Needs Services to Childcare Needs Assessment.
Body
WHEREAS, high quality child care significantly improves children's early literacy, language, math, and social/emotional skills in preparation for pre-kindergarten, and
WHEREAS, availability of high quality affordable child care improves the lives of working families, thereby strengthening the City as a whole, and
WHEREAS, in Pittsburgh, child care facilities may be public, private, or non-profit centers, or small home-based businesses and
WHEREAS, in order to support working families by improving the availability of quality child care, City Council must understand current neighborhood needs, current distribution of child care facilities, and the business needs of child care facilities in Pittsburgh, and
WHEREAS, child care programs and facilities are rated for quality by the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS (Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support) program, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation and Family Child Care Accreditation System, and
WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) works to support high-quality care and education for young children from birth until age nine across 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The Mayor, and/or the Director of the Department of Finance and/or the Director of Public Works, and/or the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and/or the Director of the Department of City Planning and/or the City Clerk are hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract(s), or use existing contracts, and/or Agreement(s) or use existing Agreements for various projects payable from the City Clerk Neighborhood Needs: JDE Job #0141200012, with the exception of the "Childcare Needs Assessment" project. The City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract and/or Agreement for the "Childcare Needs Assessment" project, payable from the City Clerk Neighborhood Needs: JDE Job #0141200012.
SEE ATTACHMENT
Attachment
Project Description |
Current Budget |
Change +/(-) |
Amended Budget |
Neighborhood Needs Services |
105,204.30 |
(15,000.00) |
90,204.30 |
Carrick Athletic Association-Restroom Improvements |
20,000.00 |
|
20,000.00 |
Childcare Needs Assessment |
- |
15,000.00 |
15,000.00 |
JDE Job No. 0141200012 |
125,204.30 |
- |
125,204.30 |
Section 2. The "Childcare Needs Assessment" line item shall be utilized to hire a consultant or consultants for the purpose of conducting a Citywide needs assessment on the state of child care facilities, and recommendations for improvements.
Section 3. Any agreements or contracts for the "Childcare Needs Assessment" line item shall adhere to the outline of work, deliverables, budget, and timeline described as follows:
Research Question: What are the infrastructure needs of child care providers in the City of Pittsburgh?
Propose a three-step process:
Step |
Explanation |
Proposed Products |
Proposed Timeline |
Step One - Background Research and Demographic Trends |
1. Work with one or more representatives from each of the nine Council Districts and the Office of City Planning to compile any existing previous needs assessments or data that would support our research. 2. Compile demographic indicators for young children and their families, as well as characteristics that places any additional strain on them. |
1. Literature and background sections of Final Reports. 2. Maps and tables depicting demographic indicators. |
2-4 Weeks |
Step Two - Planning and Implementation of Focus Groups |
1. Identify areas of focus that were surfaced by the previous research and assessments in order to develop group interview questions and a protocol that are City and Council District specific. 2. Coordinate with City Council members to target child care providers from each Council District to provide feedback on their needs |
1. Develop group interview protocol. 2. Conduct a focus group in each of the nine City Council Districts. |
2-4 Weeks |
Step Three - Analysis and Reporting |
1. Transcribe and analyze focus group specific information. 2. Report findings for the City and each Council District. |
1. Draft a final reports for the City and Council Districts. |
1-3 Weeks |
Estimated Costs
Budget Item |
Cost |
Background Research |
$3,000.00 |
Protocol Development |
$2,500.00 |
Focus Group |
$4,500.00 |
Incentives/Food |
$1,500.00 |
Analysis |
$2,500.00 |
Reporting |
$1,000.00 |
Total |
$15,000.00 |