Office of Child Care partners with WRMA

Summary

In 2011 the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care (OCC) sought a respected contractor with expertise in early childhood education and program integrity to launch a new national Subsidy Center designed to provide resources and technical assistance to states, territories, and Tribes on their effective use of federal child care subsidy funds. WRMA was selected and worked with OCC to fulfill their vision. WRMA brought on a talented team of early childhood systems experts who began working closely with the federal OCC regional offices to provide targeted subsidy technical assistance to state administrators.

Details

Between 2011 and 2016, new federal legislation increased accountability requirements for states surrounding use of subsidy funds, so OCC looked to WRMA to expand supports for states in this area. The Subsidy Center became the National Center on Subsidy Innovation and Accountability (NCSIA) and WRMA brought on program integrity experts to provide resources, toolkits, and technical assistance in that arena to align with OCC’s strategic direction.

OCC re-awarded the NCSIA contract to WRMA in 2018, growing staff capacity by 300%, then again in 2023, growing NCSIA’s staff capacity by adding additional topic areas to support. WRMA expanded the company’s existing team of early childhood experts, bringing on subject matter experts and former state administrators, shaping a talented and cohesive team to fulfill OCC’s expanded vision.

Today WRMA’s NCSIA team provides technical assistance, resources, and toolkits on a wide range of OCC priority topic areas related to state, territory, and Tribes’ use of child care subsidy funds. 

• Stable child care financial assistance to families
• Equal access to child care for low-income families
• Child care eligibility policies
• Data systems
• Comprehensive background checks to support increased health and safety of children in care
• Fiscal management and accountability with internal controls
• Strategic planning
• Program integrity, accountability, and reducing risk
• Improper payments
• Flexibility and use of emergency and supplemental funds
• Business process mapping
• Family outreach and intake
• Head Start collaboration
• Tribal subsidy

Published resources are located on the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance System website on NCSIA’s resource page.

The NCSIA team provides technical assistance via in person and virtual visits, telephone consultation, facilitated peer-to-peer calls, peer learning sessions, webinars, conference presentations, online training modules, and written products. Prior to publication, NCSIA reviews all written and training materials to ensure development through an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.

NCSIA continues to focus on OCC’s high priority areas. NCSIA supports states and territories to meet the changing demands in child care subsidy administration and the challenges intensified by the pandemic. NCSIA is an active partner in the TA effort to provide TA and resources to states, territories, and Tribes on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act CCDF Stabilization Grants. NCSIA is supporting OCC to lead the TA development of resources and guidance on the ARP Act’s Supplemental CCDF Discretionary Funds.