Pandemic Response

As with the 2019-2020 school year, the 20202021 school year was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Program implementation and child and center outcomes were achieved against the backdrop of childcare center closures (including three 20192020 CFSRP centers), decreased workforce participation, increased physical risks to staff, heightened sanitation and safety precautions, and the general personal and professional challenges presented by COVID-19.

In other words, every element of the CFSRP’s operations in 2020-2021 was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, from shifts in student enrollment to teacher training and retention to virus safety protocols. Childcare centers across the country faced high demand for care, decreased staff availability due to sickness and workforce exits, and increased expenses to maintain a safe atmosphere for young children, who were not eligible to be vaccinated. Teachers faced competing demands from their personal and professional responsibilities, while center directors frequently faced staffing shortages that strained their ability to care for as many children—and bring in as much revenue—as was typical in other circumstances.

In order to support strong centers and maintain student outcomes in the face of these barriers, Camp Fire adjusted its delivery of the CFSRP in key ways, including:

• Using live, virtual and hybrid modes for professional development courses

• Distributing Bluetooth and internetconnected tablets to support virtual mentoring

• Providing guidance to center directors on how to obtain and appropriately spend funds from the Texas Workforce

Commission and the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Implementing these changes involved challenges stemming from limited availability of technological tools and initial staff unfamiliarity with virtual learning (e.g., Google Classroom as a platform for professional development). However, the changes also enabled CFSRP staff and mentors to reach more educators and provide greater support than would have been possible under previous procedures. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, teachers indicated their mentors were effective at helping them recognize success, helping in the areas where the teacher wants supports, and being reliable. Directors indicated their mentors were effective at building relationships on trust and talking together about areas of improvement. Teachers felt they continued to have particular challenges for supporting children with a variety of special needs during the pandemic, and that additional mentoring elements, such as time for reflective follow-up, were not as strong as desired under the adjusted approach.10 At the end of the year, CFSRP mentors confirmed that all CFSRP centers were preparing to apply for public grants supporting early childhood education in 2021-2022.

The following summary of program participants, processes, and outcomes at all levels should be considered in context of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

10 Based on an end-of-year survey of CFSRP teachers and directors conducted in May-June 2021.