County preps for Universal Pre-k

Managing adult protective services with limited resources

[  By Katherine Nettles  ]

Gunnison County is preparing for the state’s new Universal Preschool program (UPK) to begin next year, and in the meantime the Gunnison County Board of Health has been working toward progress on all levels of the community health coalition, child services, adult protective services and senior resources. A report to county commissioners this fall contained some startling facts about childcare service freezes, lack of in-home adult services and the lack of capacity for those needing more acute care. In the meantime, Gunnison County’s department of health and human services is making the most of preventative services and a relatively small staff.  

Childcare assistance waitlist freeze

Gunnison County Health Coalition co-chair Margaret Wacker and Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) coordinator Cheryl Smejkal prepared a report for commissioners on the Colorado CCAP program, which helps families that are “homeless, working, searching for work or in school find low-income childcare assistance.” Families enrolled in the Colorado Works program can also use CCAP services. An open child welfare case also provides at least 12 months of childcare through CCAP. According to the program, eligibility for the program has been increased from 185% of poverty to 200% and provider rates increased in 2022. The county budget for this program is $299,802. 

The report listed 23 current cases in Gunnison County, 17 of which include current authorizations for childcare. The county recently applied to go off the CCAP freeze, which has meant that only families who qualify for the Colorado Works plan or families with an open child welfare case could be added. The waitlist requires families to have completed all paperwork and eligibility for CCAP and requires similar administration duties to maintain. 

The CCAP waitlist currently has 13 families on it with 18 kids needing care, and the county has been on a freeze or waitlist for several years, with one or more families who are on the current waitlist getting CCCAP within the next month. Nine of those families have at least one risk factor of income under 130% of poverty. Other risk factors include a teen mom, a child in the home with additional needs or a former child welfare case.

Universal Pre-k

UPK is scheduled to start in the state of Colorado for the 2023/24 school year, beginning with the fall of 2023. The county’s  program  is taking shape under local coordination efforts, offering 15 hours of voluntary preschool to every Colorado child in the year before they are eligible to enter kindergarten, and 30 hours per week will be available for those with eligibility factors such as a household income under 270% of the federal poverty level, dual language learners, children with individualized education plans, children who are currently in a foster care home or in non-certified kinship care and children who identify as homeless. 

The cutoff date will be October 1, meaning a child must turn four years old before that date to qualify for the program. The state has estimated that 128 children will register for the program in Gunnison and Hinsdale counties, and that the local capacity is 132.

The new program is housed within the new Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) and the CDEC has appointed local coordinating organizations to support the program at a local level. 

Planning meetings for the Universal Pre-k rollout have been underway since early fall, and a community plan is now in place to determine how it will work and potentially impact local providers. The current budget for Gunnison County as the local coordinating organization is $64,660. 

According to Lana Athey, Gunnison County early childhood services supervisor, “The council is currently working with licensed providers in Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties to onboard them as UPK providers. At this time, we are not sure how many providers will sign on as UPK providers.”

 The application for UPK will open on January 17, 2023. Families will be able to log into the online portal to apply for the program, and the GHECC will be hosting UPK application events in early January to support families in applying for Universal Preschool. When applying through the online portal, families will be able to see participating preschools in their community and indicate their preference. 

Gunnison County commissioner Liz Smith commented during a work session on December 20 that she has heard in conferences from other counties across the state that the process is challenging given limited state direction as they build this brand new program in every county.

“This is really unclear to the professionals in charge of this, so how are we going to message this clearly to those it is supposed to benefit?” she commented. 

Smith added that she hopes to work on multi-language messaging, outreach, advocating to the state on behalf of the county and “we have the burden of expanding the provider network.”

“It’s a tremendous challenge,” agreed Gunnison County public health director Joni Reynolds.

Reynolds did note that in terms of distilling information, fine-tuning details and advocating for more state support, “COVID only strengthened our skills in this area. I am confident we will get there,” she said. 

“It’s been a year of transitioning from crisis management to, I can’t say routine, but regular maintenance,” concluded Reynolds.

Adult protective services

Betsy Holena, wellness/enforcement services manager at the county health and human services department, gave a program update for senior resources and adult protective services. The program includes five full- and part-time staff members who make over 6,000 contacts each year and provide information, assistance, referrals, options counseling and care coordination.

“Most adult protective services cases are a matter of self-neglect,” said Holena. The county has received 53 referrals this year, all of which trigger a comprehensive review and follow-up, and 13 cases were added. 

“We want to be the least restrictive,” she said, and allow self-determination for people who may not want additional care.

The gaps in what is available to those who need and want care are home supportive services, said Holena. Because both intensive in-home services and case management resources are lacking, many people are faced with having to leave their homes for more acute care earlier than necessary because there isn’t the support structure available for in-home care, she said. 

However, a lot of preventative care and services are occurring, and this asset keeps case numbers lower. That makes a difference for the limited capacity at local facilities.

“The senior assisted living facility is often full, and the senior care center is at about capacity,” said Holena. Anyone concerned about the well-being or mistreatment of an adult can call (970) 641-3244 and ask to speak to an adult protection caseworker.