Specifications include, but are not limited to: •Develop a cost model to estimate the cost of providing child care under multiple scenarios, accounting for variables such as region within the state, age ranges of children in care, time of year (e.g., summer, school year, holidays), licensing types (e.g., family child care homes, group homes and centers), care delivery at various quality measures, inflation, population growth, business growth, and costs of compensation and benefits to child care employees. •Ensure the cost model is modifiable and allows modeling the effects of altering certain variables to estimate the impact of differing policy decisions on the cost of care. Ensure the tool can be updated easily for future use and scenario planning. •Model a variety of scenarios to show how a combination of policy choices and individual provider characteristics and quality practices shift the expenses and revenues of child care providers to include levers such as parent co-pays, reimbursement rates, and eligibility. Analyze modeling results. •Complete a report that explains the methodology and assumptions behind the cost model, presents the findings of the cost model analyses, and identifies (1) the current costs to deliver child care, (2) major factors that drive variation in the costs of child care, (3) the relationship between provider revenues and the costs to deliver care, (4) major factors that enhance business sustainability of child care providers. •Include in the report an evaluation of other rural/frontier states payment models as compared to Alaska’s current model, as well as a set of recommendations for improving the early childhood sector in a mixed delivery model. •Ensure all documentation is accessible under ADA compliance requirements.
