Now that the health insurance reform bill has passed, it can be difficult to see what this legislative change will mean for us. We know that child care providers in Maryland have a number of different types of health care. Some are insured through their spouse, others buy individual insurance and some providers struggle without insurance. So what impact will the healthcare have on us, today and in the future?
Many provisions of the bill go into effect in 2010, including:
Many parts of the health care bill will go into effect in 2014, including:
Want more information on what healthcare reform means for your family?
]]>May 20 – Governor Martin O’Malley signs the new Child Care Bill into Law
May 22, 10am to 12:30 – Providers Meeting at Francis Scott Key Elementary School, District Heights, MD
June 21 – Picnic at Rosedale Park, Baltimore, MD
June 26 – Child Care Meeting in Silver Spring, location to be announced.
> Click here to RSVP
For more information, contact Beth Myers at myersb@seiu500.org or 301-740-7139.
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Family child care providers from across the state worked tirelessly in Annapolis this year to pass our bill. And our hard work payed off! Governor O’Malley will soon sign into law a bill that ensures our collective bargaining rights and our new relationship with the state can’t be taken away with the stroke of a pen.
> View photos of provider-lobbyist in Annapolis
> Download providers’ testimony in support of their child care bill
]]>So when the child care contract went into effect, providers used it to file a grievance. Out of that grievance, MSDE, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Social Services in Prince
George’s County began to fix the problem:
1. They hired additional staff and reassigned others at the PG County DSS office to help clear up the backlog of POC vouchers.
2. MSDE now requires monthly reports from the PG County DSS office to monitor the system.
3. Most importantly, the state has committed to work with SEIU Local 500 to contact banks, utility companies, and other creditors about delaying action if a provider runs into trouble paying bills
because of late POC payments.
]]>“I’ve been helping organize my fellow providers in Prince George’s County for years now, and I can say late payments were a continual problem. Some providers hadn’t been paid in months and had no idea who to turn to. Some even got behind on their mortgages because of late payments or left the profession entirely.
“The system was broken and, try as we may, we couldn’t fix it until we formed a union and built a formal relationship with the state. Now when we have a problem, we’ve got each other and the union and the structure of a contract to help us work through it. We don’t have to struggle alone.”
Madie Green
District Heights, MD
We voted by a 30-to-1 margain to approve our first contract with the state and MSDE, and soon it will be signed by Governor O’Malley!
Providers won an increase in subsidy rates of 3 percent on average; access to important decision-making committees, including the Child Care Advisory Council; and new training and health care advisory committees. Plus, the state will now be held accountable for late payments, and parents will not have their co-pays increased as a result of the agreement.
Voting in a landslide to ratify the contract (669-24 in favor), we showed that we know it’s time for change in Maryland’s child care subsidy program. We also showed that we believe in ourselves and our ability, working together, to make those changes. We now have to roll up our sleeves and get down to work.
We need folks to sit on these new committees and help create a strong future for child care in Maryland. Call (866) 623-5707 to get involved! ]]>
In a historic move, your provider bargaining commitee has settled our first contract with the Department of Education and the Governor’s Office. Pending member approval, our contract will provide security and equality for Maryland providers, families, and children.
Here’s some of what we’ve won: the formation a new joint Training Committee that will analyze the current training system and recommend future improvements, an average statewide subsidy increase of nearly 3 percent, and no increase in co-pay rates for parents.
> Read a letter from the bargaining team & contract highlights
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As you know, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is working to ensure that true health care reform becomes a reality this year. That means affordable, quality coverage for every American.
Please share your health care story with us. We’ll pass it along to Congress and help make your voice heard.
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Governor O’Malley has issued a proclamation in honor of Provider Appreciation Day “”to recognize and commend the unselfish dedication, commitment and compassion that child care providers demonstrate every day.”
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As many of you know, a number of “probable” cases of swine flu (H1N1 virus) have been reported in the state of Maryland (learn more at the Maryland Department of Health’s swine flu information page.
We urge all child care providers to take every precaution to help ensure the health and safety of themselves, their families, and the children in their care.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has posted recommendations for child care providers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Contra Costa (California) Health Department has created a downloadable child care provider resource kit with sample letters to parents, checklists, posters and more to help prevent the spread of the flu in your daycare.
En espanol
If you have questions or concerns about swine flu, pandemic response plans, or possible cases in your area, please contact your local health department.
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