How Does Access to Childcare Affect High School Completion in Philadelphiau0026#039;s Multiple Pathways to Graduation Programs?

How Does Access to Childcare Affect High School Completionin Philadelphia’s Multiple Pathways to Graduation Programs?A Report on the Experiences of Parenting StudentsMay 2014 This report was commissioned by the Project U-Turn Coalition and Philadelphia Youth Network.Prepared by:Della Jenkins, Childcare and Early Education, PCCYPCCY would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to this report:Elizabeth Cain, Philadelphia Youth NetworkMajeedah Scott, Office of Multiple Pathways, School District of PhiladelphiaJenna Monley, Office of Early Childhood Development’s ELECT Program, School District of Philadelphia Norma Finkelstein, Director, Child Care Information Services of NE PhiladelphiaShawn Towey, Roxy Woloszyn, Kira White, and Steven Fynes. PCCY2 How Does Access to Childcare Affect High School CompletionA PCCY Early Learning Report Contents4 Introduction6 BackgroundProject U-Turn and Philadelphia’s Drop-Out CrisisMultiple Pathways to Graduation8 Methodology9 Accessing Childcare SupportsChildcare Information Services (CCIS)County Assistance Offices (CAOs)10 Elements of Student SupportWhat the Research SaysThe ELECT ProgramOther Models 12 What we Learned from Parenting StudentsPerspectives on Existing Childcare SupportsOnsite ChildcareApplying for CCISDropping Out and Starting Over16 What we Learned from Program AdministratorsInformal vs. Center-based ChildcareTransitioning Back to School17 What we Learned from Program Support StaffThe Waiting ListPaperwork and Service InterruptionsMental Health Challenges19 What we Learned from Childcare Information ServicesAvailibility vs. DemandEligibility Requirements20 RecommendationsImproving Practices Among MPG ProvidersRevising School District PoliciesState Actions to Improve CCIS PoliciesImproving Interactions Between Students and County Assistance Offices22 Suggested Further Research23 References Introduction4 There are roughly 15,000 young Philadelphians who lack a high school diploma and are not currently enrolled in school or employed in the labor force. Many of these youth are over-age and under-credited, and are struggling with the difficult task of reengaging with education while also prioritizing the needs of their own young children. What current barriers exist to their high school completion, and can we begin to break down those barriers by providing a better system of childcare and parenting supports? These are the questions we address in this report. We hope it will bring together systems and stakeholders to improve outcomes for parenting students in Philadelphia’s alternative education programs. 5 Project U-Turn And Philadelphia’s Drop-Out CrisisEach year, thousands of Philadelphia’s youth leave school without a high school diploma. Research shows that if we can do a better job getting them back into educational programs and into the workforce, we can help lift families out of poverty and improve our city’s economy.Project U-Turn is Philadelphia’s cross-sector, collaborative approach to dropout prevention and re-engagement lead by the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN). Since launching in 2006, Project U-Turn’s collective impact method has produced steady declines in high school dropout rates and corresponding increases in the rates at which students graduate high school, positioning Philadelphia as a national model for addressing the dropout crisis. In the years since the creation of Project U-Turn, Philadelphia has seen its four-year, high-school-graduation rate increase by 12%—from 52% in 2006 to 64% in 2012. However, there is still much work to be done. Even in the face of increases in its own on-time graduation rates, Philadelphia still lags significantly behind state and national averages, which are 83% and 86%, respectively. According to the American Community Survey, 2009–11, Youth Employment and School Enrollment, there are 14,354 16–24 year-old Philadelphians without a secondary credential who are not enrolled in school, employed or in the labor force. Too many young Philadelphians still lack the education they need to have long-term economic success, and are forced to rely heavily on public benefits or engage in dangerous behaviors. “Each high school dropout in Philadelphia is estimated to impose a lifetime cost (net fiscal impact) of $319,000 due to their smaller tax payments, higher government transfers and institutionalization costs, while each high school graduate (without any college education) is expected to make a net positive fiscal contribution of $261,000 over their working lives.” Those who drop out are also more likely to raise their own children in poverty.Since its inception, Project U-Turn has commissioned several research initiatives designed to deepen our understanding of the issues that lead students to drop out of school, and to guide evidence-based policy solutions to these issues. In 2013-2014, Project U-Turn is especially