The Government Keeps Changing The Rules And Providers Pay The Price

They say it’s about fraud, but the numbers don’t match the panic. The federal government is rolling back key Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) rules, pushing child care subsidy payments back toward attendance-based billing and away from enrollment-based payments and advance pay. If you’ve ever tried to run a classroom, a center, or a small family daycare, you already know what that means: a sick kid becomes lost revenue, a vacation becomes a budget hole, and a no-call no-show somehow becomes your financial problem while rent, payroll, and food bills stay the same.

I break down why this kind of child care funding whiplash keeps early childhood education unstable, and why child care should be treated like infrastructure instead of a welfare-style program with constantly shifting rules. Then we pivot into the real-world leadership piece that directors actually feel every day: your staff “not communicating” and your parents “being difficult” often points to people leadership, not a staffing problem. Presence matters. Clear, calm communication matters. Building ownership matters, especially if you’re tired of being the bottleneck for every tiny decision.

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Transcript

Welcome And The Week’s Headline

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Stumbling Through Work where Educators Figure Shit Out. The podcast for educators and anyone who ever walked into their program and said, Nope, not today. I'm your host, Jared Huff, here to unpack the wild stories, broken systems, and to call out the chaos. Let's get into it. Hey team, welcome to another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. So this week's headlines is the federal government basically just said, hey, we think there's fraud in childcare funding, so naturally, we're going to change the entire system again, not fix it, not investigate it clearly, just you know, not stabilize anything. No, we're just going to flip the rules again. So here's the backstory. Let me rewind for a second. So the Child Care and Development Fund, CCDF, it sends money to states, tribes, territories to help make child care more affordable for low-income families. This money is where a lot of subsidy gets their money from. The Biden administration rules encourage states to base payments to child care providers on enrollment rather than verified attendance. There's a big difference, and we'll talk about that. It also pays providers in advance for their services and favors guaranteed slots with providers over vouchers. Now the government is trying to plan is making plans to restore attendance-based billing and it will no longer require that providers be paid in advance. This matters because there are approximately 1.4 million children. That's about 857,000 families per month that receive this assistance. So let's break this down in plain English. The federal government just rolled back policies from the last administration, switched payments from attendance base instead of enrollment, and removed advanced payments to providers. Now, if you're not in childcare, you're like, okay, cool, sounds administrative. If you are in childcare, you're like, oh, so we're just back to chaos. Because enrollment-based funding, that was one of the only things that made this industry even remotely stable. Now, here's where it gets interesting: the justification, fraud. And when you actually look at the data, you know, the thing that the government never wants to look at, fraud in these programs was found to be less than a fraction of 1% of total funding. A fraction of that's like point decimal of 1%. So let me translate that. We are restructuring an entire national childcare funding system over something statistically insignificant. Meanwhile, 37 states have had audit issues. One state had a 77 million fraud scandal, but only certain states are getting funding freezes or scrutiny. So we know what that means. And so now the question becomes is this about fraud or is it about control? And let's bring this back to reality. So you're a center director, you're an owner, you're doing all these leadership things, and you know, you've gotten staff that calls out, parent late on payments, or your ratios are barely holding together, licensing is always watching you. And now the federal government just said you only get paid when the child shows up. Cool. So now a sick child, you lose revenue. Family goes on vacation, you lose revenue. A no call, no show, that for some reason is now your problem. And remember, your expenses, they don't change. Rent is still due, payment is still due, food is still due. So now you're running a business where income fluctuates daily and expenses are fixed monthly. That's not a business bottle. That's a gamble. Childcare is being treated like a welfare program instead of infrastructure. Because if this were infrastructure, we wouldn't find it based on attendance. Yes, I said infrastructure again. You guys know I'll always come back to that. Imagine if K through 12 schools worked like this. Hey teacher, if your students don't show up today, well, we're not paying you. That sounds absolutely ridiculous. And that's exactly how childcare is being funded now. And then policymakers turn around and say, Why else why is childcare unstable? Because you designed it that way. So here's the reality check. This is not the last change, this is the pattern. Policy swings, funding instability, you know, blame placed on providers, directors forced to observe absorb the impact, and then everyone acts shocked when centers close. So if you're a director owner listening to this, you are not crazy. The system is. And until childcare is treated like actual infrastructure, you're going to keep being expected to run a business, subsidize a workforce, support families, and absorb federal policy decisions all at the same time for low margins and high expectations. Welcome to child care where the rules change, but the responsibility never does. And we'll be right back. Okay, quick break. If you're a teacher or a director who's currently stumbling through work, and I mean that literally, figuratively, or spiritually, you need to check out our new merch. We've got shirts that say exactly what you want to say in staff meetings, what you want to say to parents, mugs for caffeine that hold your entire personality together, and gear so you can walk into the building already announcing, Nope, I don't have time for this today, without even opening your mouth. These are perfect for the classroom, the office, or the car where you sit for 12 minutes pretending you're going to quit. Again, grab your shirts, your mugs, and your survival merch at abbreviatedlearning.com because if you're gonna stumble through work anyway, you might as well look good doing it. Welcome back. It's time for our This Is Why You're Struggling section. Our leadership problem for today is being people oriented. This is for leaders who say, My staff don't communicate, my parents are difficult, my team just doesn't get it. Cool. But see that translates to you don't have a staff problem, you don't have a parent problem, you have a people leadership problem. And before you get defensive, relax. Because nobody trained you how to do this. You were trained to pass licensing, you were trained to manage ratios, you were actually trained to keep kids alive, but not how to walk into a room and command presence. You were not trained in how to handle emotional adults or build trust without losing authority. So now you're stuck managing behaviors instead of leading people, and that's exactly what we're fixing today. Let's start here. Some directors walk into a room and immediately shift the energy, and others walk in and nobody even notices. That's not personality, that's presence. Directors don't command attention through authority, they do it through presence. And here's the uncomfortable truth: if your staff only listens when you raise your voice, you don't have leadership, you have compliance. See, presence looks like calm confidence, clear note, eye contact, not rushing, not panicking every time something goes wrong. Because if you're chaotic, your center will be chaotic. You are not just running a building, you are setting the emotional temperature. Let's fix something real real quick. Talking is not communication. Most directors overexplain, they repeat themselves, they send long messages, nobody reads, and then say they should know. No, they shouldn't. They don't remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel. So let's break that down. Bad director communication examples, that's policy. We already went over this. You need to figure out those answers, we'll have them meet you in the parking lot. That is not a real response that you should be giving. But effective director communication is I hear what you're saying. You know, here's why we do it this way. Let's walk through this together. See the difference? It's the same message, but different delivery, completely different outcome. Because communication is not about being right, it's about being received. If your staff asks you for everything, you train them that way. Period. You did. Every time you answer immediately, when you solve the problem, when you jump in too fast, you reinforce dependence. And now you're overwhelmed saying, I don't have time. No, you built a system where everything requires you. So don't complain about it. You did it. And that's not leadership, that's bottleneck management. Strong leaders don't just manage people, they connect and build ownership. So instead of answering everything, try this. When someone asks you something, your response should be a question back to them. Well, you know, if they say, What should I do? You should be like, Well, what do you think we should do? Let them think, let them struggle and process that for a little bit because if you keep rescuing them, you will stay exhausted forever. And now let's talk about parents, because you know, I know right now you're probably thinking of one in your head. That one who emails too much, complains about everything, questions policy. But see, here's the shift: families are not customers, they're partners. And whether you like it or not, your center is a relationship-based business. That means every interaction matters. Tours, drop-offs, phone calls, emails. You are not just giving information, you are building trust. And trust is what fills your enrollment. You, I mean, it is not just about your brochure, it's not your tuition sheet, it is your interaction. Now, let's address the hardest part of leadership saying no. Because some of you either avoid it completely or say it with attitude, and neither one works. Lead with empathy, then deliver the decisions clearly. So instead of no, we can't do that, you say, I understand why you're asking. Here's why we have to handle it this way. That one shift does actually three things. It reduces defensiveness, it maintains authority, and builds respect because people don't need you to agree with them, they need to feel heard, and there's a big difference with that. Early childhood leadership is not about lesson plans, schedules, licensing checklists. Well, part of it is, but it's about being people centered, it's a people-centered profession, and that means if your center feels tense, disorganized, reactive, this is not a staffing issue. This is a leadership signal because children respond to teachers, teachers respond to leadership, families respond to experience, and all of that flows through you. So here's your takeaway. Tomorrow, don't change your schedule, don't rewrite your policies, just change how you show up. Because your presence, your communication, and your ability connects, that's the system. And you know what? If this hits a nerf, good. That means it's something you need to fix. And we'll be right back after the break. So, are you an educator watching everyone else get promoted, watching everyone else get raises, or even get the recognition for things you've literally have been doing forever? That's why we offer educational career development coaching designed for teachers, directors, and leaders who want to move up, earn more, and actually get the credit for the work they do. We work on interviews, resumes, salary negotiation, leadership confidence, communication skills, and how to stop letting your admin gaslight you into believing you're not ready yet. You are ready. You just need the strategy. Book your session at abbreviatedlearning.com and start moving towards the title, salary, and respect you deserve. Because stumbling through work is funny, but stumbling through your career is not. Hey team, we are back with asking for a friend. Kids not allowed to take naps. At my center, parents are allowed to request that their children don't nap. Which means we are forced to keep them awake and wake them up if they fall asleep during our 20 minute rest period. Our state has no regulations about sleep after infancy, and our center is only two and up. I really hate this. There are kids who so badly need a nap, but parents want to put them to bed at 6 30. So we get to deal with hysterical, sobbing, miserable kids all afternoon. Is this as insane as I think it is? Does anyone else do this? Let me process that one for a second because it seems like we've entered an era where as professionals we're now fighting naps. Yes, not supportive development, not managing behavior, not teaching, no, fighting biology. Let me make sure I understand this correctly. A child who is two, three, maybe four years old, whose body is literally shutting down, eyes closing, head bobbing, clearly exhausted. And we're like, nope, stay awake, your bedtime is 6 30. I am sorry. What part of early childhood education turns into sleep denial compliance training? Young children need sleep, period. They do. We're not debating opinions. This is basic developmental science, and I'm not about to sit here and do it. When kids don't nap, their cortisol spike, emotional regulation drops, behavior escalates, attention disappears, and your classroom turns into chaos with snacks. But instead of responding to what the child needs in real time, we're making decisions based on what works for the parents' evening routine. This is not a child-centered policy. This is a parent convenience policy, and those are not the same things. So now listen, I understand why parents say this. I really do. Because at home, if their child naps, bedtime gets pushed back, they're losing their evening, they're tired, they want control. That's real. I mean, I think 6:30 is a little early. That's not like you don't want a parent, but I digress. But see, here's the disconnect. Home routines do not override developmental needs within the group care settings. Now, this is where it gets wild. You're now expected to keep a tired child awake, monitor them constantly, wake them up if they fall asleep, which feels illegal, at least morally. Oh, and let me go back to this 20-minute rest period situation, but whatever. You're supposed to manage the emotional fallout all afternoon from this 20 minutes or whatever it is. So now you're gonna get crying meltdowns, behavior issues, staff burnout, and a classroom that is one bad transition away from collapse. And then what happens? Leadership says, why is this classroom so chaotic in the afternoon? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because we denied half the class basic human functions. Sleep is not a preference. Sleep is a biological requirement. You would not deny a child food because dinner is late. You wouldn't deny water because it disrupts the routine. You know, you deny bathroom use because it's inconvenient, but sleep suddenly now that is optional. I need us to really picture this. A child falls asleep peacefully, naturally, because their body says, We're done here. And an adult walks over and says, No, you can't sleep. Let's not pretend this came out of nowhere. First off, centers allow this because they don't want parent complaints, they're afraid of losing enrollment, they want to appear flexible, or they simply don't have a clear policy. So instead of setting boundaries, they shift the burden to the staff. Because strong leadership will say we follow developmentally appropriate practices, children are given the opportunity to rest. If they fall asleep, we do not wake them. That is it. That is not complicated at all. So here's the middle ground because yes, you know, nuance exists. You offer a rest period. Children are not forced to sleep, there are quiet alternatives that are available for them. But if a child falls asleep, you just let them sleep. If your job requires you to wake up exhausted children to keep them awake against their bodily needs, and then you have to manage the emotional damage that follows, this is not a classroom management issue, this is a system issue. But I said enough and I'm moving on to the next. A long story short, I had a major policy dispute with the family that escalated into late night messaging for two days. I realized I had been too lax and they were taking advantage, so I decided to enforce my policies. At the end of it, a payment was disputed through their bank. They hadn't communicated anything about it, but when I asked, they said it was due to fraud and canceled cards. I expected them to repay, but another charge was disputed the next day, and my payment processor blocked their account. This all happened over the weekend, so nothing could be resolved till Monday. In the meantime, I lost$250 due to the disputes and didn't receive their usual$220 payment, putting me out$470, which is significant for my small family daycare. My question: Should I still charge late fees given the financial impact and inconvenience, even though they claim it was due to fraud? Let me break this one down clearly, because on the surface it sounds like it's a payment issue, but it's not. This is a policy issue which is now rolled into boundary failure, which is now rolled into financial consequence pipeline. You said I was being lax on my policies, and they were walking all over me. Everything that follows the late night messaging, the disputes, the stress, the four hundred and seventy dollar loss, that is what happens when policies exist, but you're not but they're not enforced. Policies that are not enforced are not policies, they are suggestions, and families treat them exactly like that. Why are you negotiating your business after hours for two nights past midnight? Girl, bye. You're not resolving conflict at this point. You're emotional, you're reactive, you're over explaining, and slowly giving your authority away. What should happen alongside not doing that, you know, night shit? One message. Perp our policy, payment is due on so-and-so day. Failure to pay results in so-and-so consequences. Then you stop. No back and forth, no late night debates, no dissertation, you're done. So now let's address the fraud situation. Because yes, fraud does happen, but also fraud is one of the most convenient explanations in childcare billing. Everybody then had fraud. Nobody can pay their accounts because there's been fraud on their account. Fraud on the that is not your issue. And let's look at the behavior, not the words. They didn't communicate up front, a charge was disputed, then another charge was disputed, your account got flagged, you lost money. That's not just an accident, that's a pattern of financial disruption. Even if it is fraud, let's just say in this situation, it really was fraud. It is still their responsibility to resolve the payment, not Yo. You start thinking, well, I don't want to be unfair. Well, what if it really wasn't their fault? I don't want to lose the family. So you hesitate. And that hesitation costs you money. You are currently out$470. You're managing processor restriction. You're delaying your own income. You're carrying their stress while they are just waiting. No. Should you charge the late fee? Yes, ma'am. And here's why. Because this isn't a punishment. This is a cost of disruption to your business. Late fees are not emotional. They're operational. They exist to account for delayed revenue, administrative burden, financial risk, time spent resolving the issue. They are paying you for your extra time. All of which you are experiencing. This mistake, you know, people make it that they only enforce late fees when the parent clearly messed up. No. Late fees are enforced when payment was not received as agreed. And that is it. And it be should it should be consistent across the board for everybody. Let's just play this out. You waive the fee. If something goes wrong, intentional or not, you absorb the cost. And now you're training that family to delay payments, to create issues, to expect to expect flexibility at your expense. So when you lose$470, that's not inconvenient, that's operational instability. This situation feels like do I charge the late fee or not? But the real question is: am I running a business with enforceable systems or reacting to problems as they happen? It's not about whether it was fraud, it's about whether your business can survive people who don't pay on time. And if your policies don't protect your income, they're not policies, they're just decorations. You know that moment in your day. The one when you stop, stare into the fluorescent lights, and think, There has to be a better way than whatever nonsense way we're doing right now. The best practice series is that better way. Because these books, they're short, they're friendly, they're written in plain English, and not that education jargon sprinkled with fairy dust language. Hand them to your team and say, Please just do it like this so I don't lose my last good nerve. We've got guides on tours, policies, communication, safety, programming, and all the daily madness nobody warns you about. And the best part, your team will get it, families will feel the difference, and you get to breathe like a normal human again. Grab your copies at abbreviatedlearning.com or just risk another week of someone asking, wait, what's that procedure again? We are back with our interview question for today. You are doing an interview and you ask the question, if you could be any animal, what would you be and why? And if they respond with a snake, because I move in silence, I strike when necessary, and people never see me coming. Do not hire them. Do not, but you know what? Some of y'all will because you hire out of desperation. So what they're telling you is that they're sneaky, they're untrustworthy, and they view their co-workers as prey. We are hiring for preschool, we are hiring for early childhood education, not a hostile takeover. Why employees ask this dumb question is because employers want to see how people think on the spot, how they describe themselves without a script, what traits do they value, whether they understand workplace expectations is not about the animals. And see, here are some other bad choices that people can say like a sloth. I just like to chill, take my time, not rush anything. So what I just heard is your core strength is moving at the speed of absolutely nothing. That's amazing. Just you know, tell the children, you know, snack will be distributed sometime between now and Thursday. Or I'm a lion because I dominate. Excuse me? Dominate who? Toddlers? The staff? Licensing? Like child, relax, scar, it's not that deep. Let's translate it because you are not sitting there wondering about their spirit animal. That that is not what you're doing. What you're asking is how do you see yourself functioning in a work environment? Specifically, are you dependable? Are you adaptable? Can you handle stress? Do you work well with others? Do you understand your role? This is a self-awareness test. Answering what makes them effective at this job. See, you're listening for traits like patience, consistency, awareness, uh, responsiveness, teamwork, stability, not things or animals that are, you know, full of chaos, isolation, and aggression. You know, the goal is not to be boring. That's not what you want to hear at all. But the goal is to hear something intentional, aligned, and hireable. For example, an elephant. That's a good one. They could say something like, I'd say an elephant because you know they're known for being patient, attentive, and protectiveness of their group. I try to be very aware of the needs around me and respond thoughtfully, especially in high stress situations. What do they just communicate? Patience, awareness, emotional regulation, team orientation. See, that's a hire. Or like the dolphin. You know, they're collaborative, intelligent, communicate well within the group. I like working as part of a team and making sure everyone is aligned. See, that translated into team player, you know, communicator, social awareness. We like you. I like you. We're gonna hire you. None of these answers were dramatic, aggressive, chaotic, self-centered. They were stable, they were functional, they were workplace relevant. Because let me tell you something as an employer. If I ask this question and you say something wild, I am not impressed. I'm calculating how difficult is this person going to be to manage. This question is not about creativity, it's about judgment. And your answer tells us how you think, how you see yourself, and whether you understand what the job actually requires. And just remember, this is not National Geographic, this is a hiring decision. And if they respond with something outlandish, if they tell you that they are a snake, don't hire them, do not hire them, but some of y'all will, and we'll be right back. Listen, if your center or program is currently held together by tape, caffeine, and vibes, you might need consulting. And that's where abbreviated learning comes in. We work with childcare centers, studios, and youth programs that are doing their absolute best while simultaneously drowning in staffing issues, quality, enrollment gaps, and with that one parent who emails 14 times a day. We help you streamline your systems, fix the operational chaos, train your teachers, and get the program functioning like you're not just winging it every morning at 6 a.m. Whether you need policies, tours, staff development, or someone to just look at your program and say, Okay, here's how we unjanky this. We're here for you. Visit abbreviatedlearning.com to book consulting for your center or program because stumbling through work is funny on the podcast, but not in real life. And we are back as it is time for policies. Because remember, something became a policy because someone that messed this shit up for all of us. And today's policy is babysitting. Summing it up, it says we discourage babysitting, but if you do it, you're personally liable and not representing the center. And see, the staff reads this and they're like, you know, why is this so serious? It's just babysitting. No, no, it's not just babysitting, it's a legal, operational, and reputational landmine that your handbook is trying very politely to keep you out of. What the handbook actually is saying, we cannot control what you do outside of work, girl. We can't, but if you take one step in the wrong direction, you will accidentally drag the center into your personal decisions. The moment a staff member babysits a child from your center, the lines blur immediately. There is no clean separation between teacher at the center and babysitter at home. To families, it's the same person, which means it becomes the same liability. Let's break this down operationally. Now you've got staff who work with the child, you know, throughout the day. They babysit them at night, they build a different type of relationship with the family, and suddenly boundaries shift, expectations change, professional distance disappears. So imagine that the child gets special treatment, the parent expects inside access, other families notice, now your classroom has perceived favoritism, staff credibility issues, parent complaints, all because someone wanted extra cash on Saturdays. This is the entire reason this policy exists. Because if something goes wrong, the family is not saying this was a private babysitting arrangement. No, what they're saying is your teacher did this. And now let's talk about Brenda because Brenda is always the example. Brenda is a toddler teacher, sweet, reliable, needs extra money, and a parent says, Hey, can you watch Ava on Saturday? And Brenda says, Sure, why not? Here's Saturday night comes, and Brenda's at the family house, everything is fine until it is not. Ava falls off the couch, she hits her head, you know, she starts crying, Brenda panics, and here's where it escalates. The parent comes home, and obviously they're pissed, they're upset. Uh, you know, medical visits now happen, and now questions start. And then the parent says to someone, Well, she's Ava's teacher at the center. And that's where the problem escalated to. And see, now your center is your center is in it now. Even though this was off-site, off the clock, not approved, not your service, the narrative has now become a teacher from your center entered my injured my child. And now you're dealing with complaints, you're dealing with potential licensing questions, you have reputation damage, uh, you're now in a weird legal gray area because Brento Brendo wanted an extra$80. During or onboarding and orientation, it should be made clear. Not like it's discouraged. No, it should be like if you choose to babysit, it is completely separate from the center, and any issues that occur will not be covered or supported by us. Do it at your own risk. Because families will ask, and your staff needs to know how to respond. And I will say something like, This is what you should say to them. I'm not able to provide babysitting services clean, professional, and it's done. But y'all want that extra$80. And I understand that point. But is it worth it in the end? Because some staff will say, you know, I I really need that extra money, and and I truly get it, I understand. But that does not override risk, it doesn't override liability and program stability. You are not just managing a center director, you are managing people's decisions, people's boundaries, and people's poor judgment. And policies like this exist because someone already made the mistake. If your handbook includes this policy, it's not being dramatic. Trust me, it's not, it's being preventive. Because once something happens, you cannot undo the liability, the reputation damage, the parents' trust is now lost. So the next time someone says it's just babysitting, just remember it's never just anything. Once your name, your staff, and your center gets attached to it, and if Brenda is involved, it's already too late. It really is. And now you have to deal with that fallout. Well, that's all that I have for you on this episode. Just know that the government is making it harder for child care facilities to stay in business. Also, remember that all of your policies should be enforced consistently and children should be napping if they're tired. Other than that, I'll talk to y'all later. Bye. Alright, that's another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. If today made you laugh, think, or just say, Wow, that's my life, go ahead and subscribe and leave a review. Or share this with another educator who's one licensing violation away from quitting. I'm Jared Cuff. See you next time, probably stumbling, but still showing up.