March 7, 2024

Family Resources Newsletter – March 2024

Dear CDA Families,

Springtime is here and we’re excited to welcome the warmth of this beautiful season with blossoms, butterflies, and memorable moments with family! It’s the perfect time to step outside, soak up the sunshine, and engage in fun activities with your little ones.

This year, Child Development Associates (CDA) is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary! Did you know that CDA was founded by a single mom, who through her struggles became committed to helping families? That’s right, Charlene Tressler founded CDA in 1974 by opening a small child development center at a local church in Otay Mesa. Her vision of a small community preschool has grown into what is now a multiservice nonprofit agency serving over 22,000 children across its programs. CDA is one of the largest Alternative Payment Programs in the state and the largest sponsor of the Federal USDA Child Care Food Program in California.

It’s no surprise that the logo that characterizes CDA is a butterfly, which signifies the organization’s commitment to transformative growth and positive change, reflecting its core values of providing compassionate services to families and providers. In honor of our 50th anniversary and the butterfly logo, we invite you to join us in a series of family engagement activities centered around butterflies, fostering a sense of transformation, unity, and fun with family.

  1. Butterfly Watching: Go to parks or gardens to see colorful butterflies flying around flowers. Bring binoculars and a guidebook to learn more about them.
  2. Create a Butterfly Garden: You can make your backyard a butterfly paradise by planting flowers like milkweed and butterfly bushes. Watch as butterflies come to visit!
  3. Butterfly Life Cycle Craft: Learn about how butterflies grow by making a craft. You will need paper, markers, and pipe cleaners to make eggs, caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies. Have everyone share their creations and discuss the transformative aspects of the butterfly’s life cycle.
  4. Nature Scavenger Hunt: Explore nature by searching for things like butterflies, flowers, bird nests, and interesting rocks in the park or neighborhood.
  5. Butterfly Storytime: Read fun books about butterflies together. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is a classic! Encourage sharing about transformation, growth, or unity within your family.
  6. Butterfly Feeding Station: Set up a dish with fruit slices and sugar water to help butterflies refuel in the garden.
  7. Nature Art with Found Objects: Collect leaves, twigs, and flowers during a nature walk and use them to make art like leaf rubbings or flower collages.
  8. Butterfly Release Ceremony: Get butterfly larvae and watch them turn into butterflies. Then, set them free in the backyard!

As we enjoy spring and celebrate CDA’s 50th anniversary, let’s remember how butterflies show change and growth. Let’s have fun with family, make lots of happy memories, and try new things together. Here’s to a season of happiness, learning, and being together!

 

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CDA Reimbursement Schedule
Family is authorized with a variable schedule

Variable schedules are reimbursed for the actual care hours provided that are within the hours authorized. The reimbursement will not exceed the amount billed by the provider or the full-time (FT) or part-time (PT) RMRC listed on the certificate for child care services. CDA will not reimburse for child absences, provider holiday or closure days on a variable schedule. If the full billed/invoiced amount is not paid, the parent is responsible for the difference directly to the provider.

Reimbursement of provider non-operation days/holidays

The number of reimbursable provider holidays and/or non-operation days is limited to a maximum of 10 days per fiscal year. Once these allowable limits are exceeded, reimbursement will be prorated for future closure days.

Reimbursement of registration fees, material fees, insurance fees

Fees for registration, material and/or insurance may be reimbursed if the current reimbursement amount does not exceed the Regional Market Rate Ceiling (RMRC). Reimbursement of these fees is limited to one (1) per child, per fiscal year and will be made in a single payment when requested on the child’s attendance record.

Note: For providers with programs that have multiple fees in one year or where it has been determined that the reimbursement amount exceeds the RMRC, the excess fees will be the responsibility of the parent.

License-Exempt Providers

When child care is authorized for a total of 25 or more hours per week the Full Time Weekly RMRC will be used. When child care is authorized for a total of less than 25 hours per week the Part Time RMRC will be used.

View the State’s RMRC by County See the full Program Guidelines

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We’re sorry, you may not be eligible for CDA’s program.

If you would like to receive a personal eligibility screening, please complete the form below:

We’re sorry, it appears you may have different need for child care services than those listed.

To receive a personal eligibility screening, please call us at: (619) 427-4411 ext. 1400