Childcare Deserts & Working Families: Catalyst Community Supports El Dorado and Alpine Counties

Heather Della Ripa: [00:00:00] Not only is there more people needing childcare, they're needing those flexible schedules, those non-traditional hours. So what we're seeing is more informal care, the family, friends, and neighbors that can watch the child on the overnight shift, or they can do any day, any time if mom or dad is working a very, very unset schedule.

Childcare demand's going up for sure, and I would also say that demand on our basic needs products and supplies is going up as well

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This episode, we're featuring an organization whose work sits at the center of so many other issues we talk about on this program: family stability, workforce participation, early childhood development, economic pressure, and the everyday challenges parents face just trying to make life work. I'm speaking with Catalyst Community's Heather Slimp, director, and Heather Della Ripa, senior manager, an organization that has been serving families and childcare providers for decades by helping parents find and access quality childcare, supporting providers with resources and professional growth, and stepping into the practical needs of families with programs that can make an immediate difference.

And that's the real story here. Childcare is not just a family issue. It's a workforce issue. It's an [00:03:00] education issue. It's an economic issue. And for many families, it's the difference between being able to work, being able to go to school, being able to keep moving forward, or being forced to choose between responsibilities no family should have to choose between.

Catalyst Community is doing the kind of behind-the-scenes work that strengthens the whole community, connecting families to resources, helping providers succeed, and making sure children have safe, supportive places to learn and grow. 

Scott Thomas: Heather DellaRipa, Heather Slimp, welcome to the Nonprofit 

Jeff Holden: Podcast Network.

Heather Slimp: Yeah, thank you for having us. Yeah, thanks. We look forward to this. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: A- and I'm happy to have you here because you had a bit of a hike to get to the studio today because we're talking about an agency that primarily services El Dorado and Alpine Counties. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: So I know, Heather DellaRipa- 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm ... 

Jeff Holden: you came from Tahoe today.

Heather Della Ripa: I sure did. 

Jeff Holden: Well- 

Heather Della Ripa: Drove all the way down beautiful Highway 50. 

Jeff Holden: You, you are the furthest drive we've had anybody [00:04:00] come to the studio in- 

Heather Della Ripa: Wow ... 

Jeff Holden: our couple of years of existence, so thank you for that. 

Heather Della Ripa: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Catalyst Community is not a newcomer to the nonprofit scene, and I would suspect that those who are familiar or have used the services over the course of your tenure, which was 1976- Mm-hmm

if I'm not mistaken- 

Mm-hmm ... 

when the agency was founded, are very familiar. If you could tell us a little bit about the scope of service, what you provide, and how the counties rely on you- I think it would really help the audience understand a little bit more about what Catalyst Communities are. 

Heather Slimp: Oh, great.

Yeah. Yeah. Happy to talk a little bit more about Community. 

Jeff Holden: And, and this would be Heather Slimp 

Heather Slimp: who's speaking. Yes, Heather Slimp. So at Community, really our core is connecting families with essential resources from vouchers, so we refer to the vouchers as payments for [00:05:00] childcare, to finding child, quality childcare providers.

We have a diaper bank, school supplies, car seats, essential support services for families related to, to childcare is really what we are known for within the county. 

Jeff Holden: Do you also work with the providers, the childcare providers- Absolutely ... so that the families and the providers? 

Heather Slimp: Yes. Yeah. Do you wanna- 

Heather Della Ripa: Yes

just speak to that part? We, we do. Mm-hmm. We serve families and childcare 

Jeff Holden: providers. The other Heather. Oh. 

Heather Della Ripa: We're gonna have fun 

Jeff Holden: with these two Heathers throughout the- Yeah. ... the conversation, right? 

Heather Della Ripa: So we are working basically in an, in an overarching sense to serve the need of childcare, quality, access, and affordability.

Mm-hmm. So if you think of it in those terms, we have to serve all aspects of a child's universe. So it would be the family, the childcare provider, and the child themselves, and so we have different pieces of our programs that do all three of those things. 

Jeff Holden: Let's walk through those programs a bit if you could.

Mm-hmm. Let's identify what the [00:06:00] programs are for the benefit of the listener. 

Heather Della Ripa: Okay, great. Well, we have subsidized childcare, which is the childcare payment portion, the voucher that Heather S. was referring to. Mm-hmm. And that is, generally speaking, an income-qualifying program. Families typically have to meet income requirements to participate in that, 

Jeff Holden: and- Meaning there's a threshold of income- 

Heather Della Ripa: Correct.

Jeff Holden: Yes ... y- you know, low income probably that- Mm-hmm ... yeah, that caps. 

Heather Della Ripa: It 

Heather Slimp: does. 

Heather Della Ripa: That is- Okay ... absolutely right. In fact, it's 85% of the state median income for the family size. So that is the maximum that somebody can be earning and still participating in that program if their eligibility is based on income.

There's other ways they might receive eligibility for subsidized childcare, and that's generally if they're a foster parent caring for someone that's not their own biological child, or if they're a family that's participating in child welfare services, sometimes they're referred to have childcare as part of that key component to keep the family [00:07:00] together.

So that's our subsidy piece, and then we have the, the wide-ranging aspects of what resource and referral does. And so when we say resource and referral or even R and R, it's really confusing of what that actually means. So- No, we, 

Jeff Holden: we definitely have a, an image of what R and R is typically- Yes, exactly ... but in your case, it's very different.

Yes. 

Heather Della Ripa: It really is. And so what that is, is it's the broad support for families and childcare providers. So it's helping families find childcare, and we can provide curated lists. So we'll talk to the family and say, "What region do you live in? What are you looking for? Program philosophy, hours, days of the week," maybe even do they have expertise caring for special needs children?

So those are the curated lists that we can provide. That service is open to anybody in El Dorado and Alpine County, regardless of income. And in fact, they don't have to reside in those counties to get that service. They could be coming to Tahoe to ski, and they need a drop-in childcare. Oh, wow. We can provide a [00:08:00] curated list for that.

That used to happen a lot. It doesn't happen so much anymore. I'm afraid people are going other routes for finding their services, so it's really important that we remind people that we know who's been cleared- Mm-hmm ... who's safe, and who has had a background check before they bring that person into their child's life.

Hmm. So that's our main component of resource and referral, and then we do some provider training, and that's part of the mission, the, the, the funding that we currently have where we can provide health and safety training, CPR trainings for licensed providers. We can help them learn how to become a licensed childcare provider, and then once they're in that, they can get better with some of our classes and some of our supports that we provide.

And we also help the friends, family members, and neighbors, which are doing sort of more informal childcare. We help them understand some pieces of child development that they may not have, and we support them along that journey as well. [00:09:00] 

Jeff Holden: I'm gonna ask a question that I'm sure is in the back of listeners' minds as well.

We think of Tahoe as being a fairly wealthy community. I mean, ski resorts, it's big homes, vacation homes. It's the, the lake and the, uh, just the expanse of what it all is, casinos. I don't think a lot of people recognize that while that's partly true, there's an entire service industry- 

Heather Della Ripa: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: That is- Mm-hmm

really substandard in terms of income. Mm-hmm. And tell us a little bit about that. What is the demand on the agency in the region? 

Heather Slimp: I'll let you speak to that as a resident- 

Heather Della Ripa: Okay ... of Tahoe. I can do that. So our- Sorry. Mm-hmm ... our public school kiddos are more than 50% free and reduced lunch. So that gives you- Mm-hmm

right there, you know that the image of Tahoe that you have- Repeat that again, 'cause that's- ... isn't necessarily true. So- A, a 

Jeff Holden: big number. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah, so, uh, in our public schools in Tahoe, in the South Lake Tahoe region, let me be [00:10:00] specific to where we serve, more than 50% of those kiddos receive free and reduced lunch.

So we're not talking high-income kiddos for- Mm-hmm ... the most part. And a lot of their parents are in the service industry, like you indicated. So they need specialized childcare, things that are evening, weekend, super flexible. So that's where we can come in with helping them to find the right fit, and if they're participating with our childcare subsidy program, we can help to pay for that childcare arrangement, whatever they end up choosing.

Jeff Holden: And the other thing I think people don't realize is El Dorado is east-west. 

Heather Della Ripa: That's right. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So it's a big county from Tahoe, as we know, all the way down to, you know, the- El Dorado Hills ... yeah, the border- Mm-hmm ... of Folsom, which is- Mm-hmm ... then El Dorado Hills- Mm-hmm ... which is part of the greater Sacramento region.

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And you serve both. 

Heather Slimp: We do. Yeah. So we have office at, an office in South Lake Tahoe, an office in Cameron Park. So we are able [00:11:00] to support families on the eastern and western slope, and then we also have an office in Alpine County. Small- Okay. Small county. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Uh, what would we know in terms of cities or resorts in Alpine?

Heather Della Ripa: Well, there's Kirkwood Resort. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Heather Della Ripa: People might think of that one if they're skiers. And then there's Markleeville. Mm-hmm. And then there's a mountain range, and then you have Bear Valley. The mountain range makes it really hard to access the other half of Alpine County almost half of the year. They just opened the road, and we didn't even have a big winter.

That highlights that for you. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, I know that area well- Mm ... 'cause I'm a cyclist, and we ride up in there- 

Heather Della Ripa: Right. 

Jeff Holden: Oh. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: often. 

Heather Della Ripa: Did you do the Death Ride at some point? 

Jeff Holden: I've actually done it twice, yes. Thank you. 

Heather Della Ripa: There's a reason it's called that, from 

Jeff Holden: what I understand. Yes. Th- th- there absolutely is.

I did the old route and the new route. Wow. Oh. So I did the last of the old and the second of the new. But I think that gives us some scope of the geography- Mm-hmm ... that you're covering. Mm-hmm. It's big. And for those- Mm-hmm ... of us who think Kirkwood, it's, oh, my gosh, that's, that's way south in the [00:12:00] Sierras- Mm-hmm

for our region, if, if you're gonna- Mm-hmm ... go skiing in Kirkwood, you know, all the way down to El Dorado Hills. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: So it's, it's a huge swath of territory, number one. But also to think, again, many people don't recognize, just because we see the image of the big houses and the community as it is- Mm-hmm

there's a whole subset of people and families that service those communities in a variety of different ways. And sometimes they need help- Mm-hmm ... and they need the assistance. Tell us about the most popular programs, uh, or if there is. Are they all kind of equal? What, what, where do you see the greatest demand?

Heather Slimp: So our, our greatest demand currently would be our subsidy program. So we currently have over 500 families being served with our subsidy program, so receiving vouchers to afford childcare within the county. And then we have close to over 300 children on the waiting list, waiting [00:13:00] for, waiting to receive a voucher to be able to find childcare or to afford childcare.

And then our second most popular program is our referral program, as Heather D. was speaking to, of being able to contact us to find quality childcare for their children. 'Cause one thing that we do wanna emphasize is that our resource and referral part, there's no fee for that service. Any family can reach out to us to find, find a childcare provider at no cost to them.

I would say those are our biggest two. And, and as we were speaking prior to starting, is that we definitely see what we are able to provide when c- we're coloring inside the lines. So it is our voucher program, and it's our res- resource and referral program. Over the years, we have expanded our diaper bank, and we have also expanded our resource closet, our essential service, our essential needs [00:14:00] closet, and those are resources that we are definitely seeing a high demand for.

However, we are just needing increased funding for to be able to continue that because there is such a high need. 

Jeff Holden: Diaper bank. It, it is what I assume it is. That's exactly what you would think. You- Mm-hmm ... can drive by and pick up diapers. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. Mm-hmm. That one isn't even funded by the state. That was, is all donation and fundraising based.

So we've done a lot of creative grant writing and basically begging over the years- Sure ... to help supply that. And we've reached almost 200 a month on big months, where we have 200 kiddos getting diapers through our program. Mm-hmm. And these are not big packages of diapers. They're just meant to get you through to the first of the month when you might have more money in your checking account.

Jeff Holden: That's still a lot of diapers. Yeah. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And, and basic needs, I would imagine that's just some of the food necessities, baby food, stuff like that? 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. [00:15:00] Yeah. Yeah, so we have a variety of food, baby food, clothes. Actually, our resource closet has from infant clothes all the way up to adults. Yeah, there's a, a variety of materials 

Heather Della Ripa: now in our resource- Yeah, hygiene supplies.

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Heather Della Ripa: Just anything you would think of as a basic need that- Maybe you, you commonly would just go pick it up if you needed it, but if you're running out of money at the end of the month, you need some help getting those things in the house. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Tell me about the people that you- ... collaboratively work with, the other organizations, 'cause I can imagine it's pretty significant.

Heather Della Ripa: So actually, there is a lot of variety in that. We work, of course, closely with El Dorado and Alpine County and those county entities, County Office of Education, Health and Human Services. We work with the healthcare providers in the region, so Marshall Hospital, Barton Hospital. Mm-hmm. They've been really helpful both in referring clients over to us as well as supporting us in [00:16:00] different ways.

And we also collaborate a lot with First 5 El Dorado, First 5 Alpine, and of course our childcare providers, other nonprofits like Aspire Kids, and the El Dorado Community Foundation has been a huge support. They are actually the ones that helped us kick off the original version of our Healthy Bottom Line diaper bank.

So I, I always wanna give them props because- Mm-hmm ... they're the reason we got to start that in, uh, 2010, actually. We also collaborate with the community colleges locally and our recreation and community centers. So we're just all over the place. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, I can imagine the integration just on observation, if somebody sees a family in need, they can refer- Mm-hmm.

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: back to your R&R. You know. Mm-hmm. 

Scott Thomas: Right. 

Jeff Holden: You know, if they, if they aren't aware, for those people who are, which is why we do what we do, is to make sure that people are aware and they understand that these opportunities exist. 

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And the El Dorado Community Foundation is, is awesome, and, you know, Chris [00:17:00] Ringness and Amy Pohl we've had- Mm-hmm

on with various episodes. And the organizations that service those communities, I, I, I can see other connections that maybe we'll talk about afterwards that could make some sense for you. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. Great. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. None of this happens without funding. Mm-hmm. Very true. Everything costs in some way- Right

shape or form. And you mentioned a couple times the, you know, the state. Mm-hmm. Tell us a little bit about how you're funded. 

Heather Slimp: So we are primarily funded through state contracts, through CDSS, with our, what is our alternative payment program. So that is a, what we like to call through is pass-through funding, that i- and that supports our voucher program for families.

So those con- that contract, it is pass-through and then covers administrative costs. Mm-hmm. We also have state contracts through the CalWORKs program serving families participating in CalWORKs stage one, two, and three, as well as, um, what is known as the Bridge Program that supports, as [00:18:00] Heather D. was speaking to prior, supporting families with foster children to be able to have childcare for, for those children.

And then we also have our resource and referral contracts. Those also, those provide funding to be able to offer resource and referral, as I said, with no cost- Mm-hmm ... to families, as well as provide, um, the training to providers to ensure that there are quality programs. So those are kind of our main state contracts, and then working with community partners.

Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: This is the hard work. 

Heather Slimp: That's the hard work. This is where you gotta generate- Exactly, yes, to get grant funding, so we're able to provide more programs outside of the restrictions within the state. So our CalWORKs contracts, our AP contracts, those are very strict on what that funding is available for, 'cause that essentially is just to provide vouchers to [00:19:00] families.

Mm-hmm. Our R&R contracts also have very much state, or a stricter guidelines- Mm-hmm ... on what is able to be allowed to be spent to provide those services. So, you know, as Heather D. had said, our diaper bank is, our Healthy Bottom Line diaper bank is solely, we're, it specifically says we're not allowed to purchase diapers with any of our state contracts, so we use that with the grant funding.

The other program that I s- forgot to mention that is one of our most popular is our Kids Expo. So we do a Kids Expo Placerville and a Kids Expo Tahoe, which brings in all of the local community providers. We have the El Dorado County Library, Office of Education, childcare providers, tumbling gyms, so quite a few different resources.

So families can learn about all the family and child-related services that are available to them in the county, and that is completely funded [00:20:00] by donations and sponsorships to hold the event. So, so yeah, we're... We need to color inside the lines- Through our state contracts, and then we are continuing to search for donations, sponsorships, grants to be able to just provide more.

Jeff Holden: And those two events, they take place at fixed times each year, correct? 

Heather Slimp: Yes. So we typically have Kids Expo Placerville the end of April, and then Kids Expo Tahoe the end of May. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Heather Slimp: So hopefully the snow's melted. Yeah, we're just fresh 

Heather Della Ripa: off 

Heather Slimp: that one. Yes, yes. Last Saturday. The... Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, as we speak, we're recording this in early June.

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: So, uh, how did it go? 

Heather Della Ripa: It was great. 

Heather Slimp: It was wonderful. 

Heather Della Ripa: It was the- Yeah ... largest one we've ever had. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Congratulations. 

Heather Della Ripa: And the weather held out for us. Mm-hmm. It was just a really excellent, fun day. Mm-hmm. And that was thanks to our partnership actually with Lake Tahoe Community College. They, they gave us the location for free, which made it possible for us [00:21:00] to just bring in more vendors that maybe couldn't afford to rent a booth space, so that was huge.

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. That's... Do you have an attendance number, a, a guesstimate? 

Heather Della Ripa: It ranges. I- I've heard everything from 350 up to 700, so I think there's a few folks that are kind of not so great at math necessarily. But I would say we could land safely at 500. 

Heather Slimp: Okay. For Tahoe? 

Heather Della Ripa: Yes, for Tahoe. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. And then Placerville, we were assuming almost up to 1,000?

Heather Della Ripa: I think so, yeah. Mm-hmm. Placerville is a larger event, and it just pulls from- Mm-hmm ... a lot of different places. It's 

Jeff Holden: great. That's great to hear. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, that is really great to hear, e- especially to hear that the engagement means there's an awareness. 

Heather Slimp: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. And, and there's a need- 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: and you're able to fulfill and, and support.

How many people do you employ? 

Heather Della Ripa: Catalyst Community in El Dorado and Alpine Counties has about 19 employees altogether, but because we have some people that come in from the, the regional offices. Mm-hmm. [00:22:00] So we have some supporting staff. Like we have a business analyst, for example, that works in Sacramento and also in Cameron Park in Tahoe.

He kind of roams, if you will. So yeah, we're a small group, but we do a lot with what we- Mm-hmm ... what we end up doing. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Yes, you do, and, and I'm just thinking the mileage on some of those cars is extreme- Yes. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yep ... 

Jeff Holden: in travel. Just- 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: again, because your geography and the difficulty in getting point A to point B from wherever f- you might be point A or point B.

In terms of the, uh- Mm ... the future look, I mean, we're seeing a greater demand. A- and let me ask you. Uh-huh. Do you have a number, maybe a percentage of what you've seen from X year to X year, whether it was last year or the last five years, in terms of demand? For example, we, we've seen our food banks, our local food banks- Mm-hmm

and, and food closets astronomically- Mm-hmm ... grow in service to the community. In, in some cases, you know, double, triple since the pandemic. [00:23:00] What are you seeing from the standpoint of, of childcare and childcare services? 

Heather Della Ripa: Do you wanna take this one? 

Heather Slimp: Go ahead. Okay. 

Heather Della Ripa: So- 

Jeff Holden: The good news is we know what Heather's gonna answer, right?

Yes. 

Heather Slimp: Yeah. Yep. Save that. 

Heather Della Ripa: Save that. Well, we have seen absolutely an increased demand. It's interesting because what we're seeing within that, not only is there more people needing childcare, they're needing those flexible schedules, those non-traditional hours. So what we're seeing is more informal care, the family, friends, and neighbors that can watch the child on the overnight shift, or they can do any day, any time if mom or dad is working a very, very unset schedule.

Childcare demand's going up for sure, and I would also say that demand on our basic needs products and supplies is going up as well. It could be a combination of the economy, and it could be also that the word is getting out. I think it's a little of both of those things. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. A- a- and [00:24:00] sadly, we wish that wasn't the case.

Mm-hmm. Mm. But we need to support these families. 

We'll be back to continue the conversation with the two Heathers about Catalyst Community and Childcare following these messages from those who help us share these incredible stories. 

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If a donor, interested party, somebody comes around and says, "You know what? I, I live in, in the Tahoe area. I've watched it grow. I've been a beneficiary of, of everything that's going on.

I love what you guys are doing. We want to support our kids and [00:28:00] families. I'm going to write you a blank check if you give me a great story of what you're going to do with it." What would the big vision look like? What would, what would change? What would be different? What do you think you would say?

Heather Della Ripa: There's a lot we could do with it 

Heather Slimp: Yes, there's a lot that we could do with it. I think, again, it would be expanding the services that we offer because we know that there's, well, those who have children or work with children know that there is just so m- so much involved with them, and that there is such a, a need there.

So I think for me, it would be increasing our staff because we know that there is so much work that is to be done and could be done to expand our resource and referral programs, increase the amount of trainings that we're able to provide to our providers to ensure that... Well, one, actually to increase the amount of childcare providers within the county.

For example, Alpine County only has one licensed childcare provider in the entire county, [00:29:00] so it's a true childcare desert. And then Eldorado County, as you said, is a larger county divided by a mountain. It is also very rural, and so when families are looking for childcare, they, they don't necessarily wanna drive 20 miles, you know, in any particular direction.

If they're able to find a provider even closer to home, that would be best. So it would be expanding the amount of providers that we have in the county, and then just really ensuring that they feel supported by us to provide a tr- high-quality program, and the children and families are receiving the best services and getting the best care.

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm. 

Heather Slimp: So I know that is one aspect. 

Scott Thomas: You wanna 

Heather Della Ripa: speak to other ideas? No, I think to just, just expand upon that. Mm-hmm. We have a really great brand-new program that is called the Home CEO, and what that is, is it's training on business aspects of running your own family [00:30:00] childcare business. We kicked it off last February, very first time.

We had four participants that graduated, and what they gained from that was business skills, and you know, we're talking childcare people. They wanna be with the kids, so they're not the paperwork or the accounting types typically. So this was their chance to really take some time away from the children.

They dedicated th- 10 weeks of three-hour sessions where they dove into making their business better. And the positive comments that we got after that, those folks are gonna talk that up, and the next time we offer that in early spring, I think we'll have a waiting list, to be honest with you. So I would like to see funding go to expanding that and expanding the incentives that we can give providers when they come out of that from the other side, so that we can really make sure that they're launching very successful businesses and just continuing to do the passionate work that they do.

Jeff Holden: Well, I like Home CEO. That has a great- 

Heather Slimp: It 

Jeff Holden: does ... descriptor to it. Mm-hmm. You c- You can visualize what that looks like. 

Heather Della Ripa: Absolutely. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm, [00:31:00] absolutely, because we really wanna emphasize to those who are participating that th- they are running their own small business. Mm-hmm. And so the, you know, the coursework included how to market, how to, as Heather said, how to do accounting, writing a, a mission statement, really providing that support so they just truly felt kind of empowered to move forward to establish their, their own small business at home.

Jeff Holden: And they know they're gonna get the support through the organization. 

Heather Slimp: Exactly. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: To eliminate that waiting list. 

Heather Slimp: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Now, you said roughly 200. Is that 200 children or 200 families? 

Heather Della Ripa: It's, it's closer to 300 children. 

Jeff Holden: Oh. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. Gosh. Okay. And these are, these are kiddos that need that funded childcare spot.

So- Mm-hmm ... yes, building up the childcare supply and getting these childcare providers trained and ready to go and ready to take on those kiddos, that's huge, but we also need funding so that we can bring those kids into the funded program so mom and dad can keep working at their service industry jobs or [00:32:00] whatever type of work that they're doing and, and not have to pay what we all, as parents know is the exorbitant cost of childcare.

Jeff Holden: Right. Mm-hmm. Back to reality. You know, it's, it's fun to think about that what if- 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. ... money was no object. What is the greatest need today? 

Heather Della Ripa: Childcare supply and quality Mm-hmm I mean, honestly- Mm-hmm ... the, the dream is really the reality as well. That's the- Yes ... greatest need. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: I mean, there's just not enough providers.

Mm. 

Heather Slimp: True. Not in El Dorado County. Yeah. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. Mm-hmm. In Alpine County, like she said- Mm ... there's just the one. One, 

Jeff Holden: which is amazing to me. 

Heather Della Ripa: Um, we have- I mean, I, I can understand it but- ... of course, a great network of friends and family members, but yeah, one licensed childcare center that is- Mm ... on the school campus, actually.

Alpine is a- Mm ... childcare desert in every way. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Boy, so unfortunate for those families that are stuck somewhere in between, in the middle, where it may be a 20, 30-mile ride- 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: to get childcare just so they can work- 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: to s- It's true ... support the family. 

Heather Slimp: It's true. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: [00:33:00] Let me ask, because I know it is, the, we have these thresholds- Mm-hmm

and it's one of the challenges we, we spoke about in our, our prior conversation before the podcast. There's thresholds, and the good news is you're able to get supported to work, to grow, to get your family what it needs as you're employed. The good news is you get promoted. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: The bad news is you now crossed the threshold, and it may only be $100 a week, a month, uh, i- but it's- Yeah

it's nominal, and now you're out of the program. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: What sort of conversations take place when that happens? Because it's growth for the individual- Mm ... growth for the family member- Mm-hmm ... for the, the wage earner who's supporting the family, and we want to see them- Right ... grow. Mm-hmm. But it may take another two or three years for them to get to the point where it's offsetting- Mm

childcare. Mm. W- [00:34:00] what do you see? What, what happens? What are the conversations that are taking place about that situation? 

Heather Della Ripa: That's a complicated one. 

Heather Slimp: Yes. I, so I think that there is an assumption that families would want to stay underneath the threshold to be able to continue services. However, the conversations that we have had with families, and we do have a really good story that Heather's gonna sh- Heather D.'s gonna share- Good

about it, is that we're finding families are actually feel very empowered to be able to have used our program, gone through school, been able to work, work hours, maybe even longer hours to be able to get... They get to that promotion. And after getting to that point and no longer needing our services, feel like that this is just a really empowering feeling of no longer needing- Mm

that financial support. So if we're able to read a quote from a family- Please. 

Jeff Holden: Please, yes ... 

Heather Slimp: of, of- We, we kind 

Jeff Holden: of- ... of this, of this 

Heather Slimp: happening. ... 

Jeff Holden: [00:35:00] kind of rolled into that question- Yes ... a little bit differently- Mm-hmm. Yes ... because what happens is people don't realize I, I wanna, uh, appropriately phrase this. Some people hold back- Mm-hmm

on their own professional growth- 

Heather Della Ripa: That's 

Jeff Holden: true. Yeah ... because it would be so detrimental that they wouldn't have the ability to chair, ca- care for their child. Mm. And that's so heartbreaking. 

Heather Della Ripa: It really is. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: When they're there. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And the decision has, decision has to come to say, "At this level, at this threshold When in fact they could progress.

Heather Della Ripa: Right. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And it's- Right ... we don't know how quickly it would go after that to get them to where it offsets childcare, but somewhere in there, there's... It seems like there's an opportunity, and, and I know it's a much bigger conversation, so, so we probably should just leave it at that- ... 'cause we could talk forever about it, to, to where maybe it's a tiered situation- 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm

Jeff Holden: to where, okay, you get to here, we can support this. You get to here, we [00:36:00] can support this. You get to here, we're done. You're good. 

Heather Della Ripa: While we're enrolling off our waiting list, most of the time people come in at really, really low incomes. For example, if they enter at 10% of the state median income, that's just a little over $1,000 a month for a family of four.

Just pause for a minute and try to think about paying for groceries and everything else- Mm-hmm ... with that level of income. So that's where they can typically enter around that range, but they can, they can leave, and they do leave, at 85% of the state median income for their family size. So that, again, for this family of four, is just right around $9,000 a month, which is a huge difference- Mm-hmm

in what you can provide for your child and the professional, I don't know, growth that you've been able to a- attain at that point. So families are able to... When we reveal that ceiling, um, not like it's a grand reveal, but we, we share that ceiling with them when we're enrolling them, and part of the reason that we do that is, yes, they know that threshold, but also they see how big that [00:37:00] threshold actually is because they may not realize it when they're coming in at the very low income side of things.

So this parent that recently left our program, she, she entered our services after having left a domestic violence situation, and she was actually in supported housing where, you know, her address was kept confidential. I mean, it was a really serious situation. And she was finishing school, so she was getting her bachelor's degree, and we were supporting her through that, and then she became pretty successful in what she did.

So here's what she has to say. This is her basically, "I don't need you anymore" letter to us. Mm. "Catalyst helped my family completely turn our life around over the four years in which we were enrolled. I was able to more than double my income over the years, thanks to their assistance with childcare and after-school programs.

I feel as though we as a society only hear about complaints about vital programs which aim to help the working [00:38:00] class. We don't hear enough about the positive impact that these programs have. Without Catalyst, I would not have been able to find work and create availability for a job that supports us in a comfortable way.

The truth is, Catalyst was literally the catalyzing factor for my family. The program and its wonderful staff gave us the tools we needed for me to break the glass ceiling as a single working mom." "When I finally made the call to leave the program, I started crying out of sheer gratitude and relief. To finally feel comfortable paying for my own childcare is a state of mind I never thought possible.

I couldn't be more grateful to Catalyst Community. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you've done for me and my family. I hope that you continue the amazing work that you do so that other families can turn their lives around, too." 

Jeff Holden: That's awesome. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And that's- This- ... the epitome of what we hope through the program.

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: That is, uh, that's a, a classic perfect example. 

Heather Slimp: [00:39:00] Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And I would imagine there's many of those. Mm-hmm. Not everybody is, is, is, is fluent and takes the time to do it, but certainly they're appreciative to get off the program because they, they see that as a support and subsidy that they would prefer not to have to exercise.

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. That's absolutely true. 

Heather Slimp: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: What a great example. 

Heather Slimp: Yeah. Absolutely. I w- it was... 'Cause she had first called the subsidy counselor that she w- this parent had called the subsidy counselor she was working for and told her, and they were both in tears of just- Yeah ... gratitude. And, and then she sent us that wonderful letter, and, um, the subsidy counselor shared it with the whole team, and oh my gosh, it just blew us all away, um, when we received it.

Jeff Holden: Well, and there's- Mm-hmm ... the evidence of impact. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. Right. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. You know, that's the... We all want that. We wanna see, okay, we know we're doing good. We always don't hear about it. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And, and that's understandable. Yeah. People have lives, and they're busy, and they're doing- Mm-hmm ... so many things, especially since you deal with [00:40:00] families and children.

We know the- Yep, life gets busy. Yep. ... the time consumption a child can be. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: absolutely. But to- 

Scott Thomas: Mm ... 

Jeff Holden: get the recognition- 

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: and say, "Hey, this is what this has allowed me to do, to double my income." Mm-hmm. Back to your point of, you know, X percent to 85%. Mm-hmm. She's now in a position where she'll probably be a donor at some point.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You know, a, a grateful participant in the program that says, "Hey, I, I get it. I was a part of it." 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And, uh, those are the ideal situations. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. So true. Yep. It's why we get up in the morning and do what we do. 

Jeff Holden: Yep. E- exactly. Exactly. Mm-hmm. So we're gonna take a, a, a deviation here. We're gonna go beyond the mission for a second- Okay

because we wanna learn a little bit about you Heathers- ... in, in your lives, 'cause you absorb this all day long, and we know that anybody in nonprofit leadership is really engaged in that mission and the purpose, and it's with you all the time. You can't get away from it. Mm-hmm. You see a kid, you can't help but think about your program.

[00:41:00] Mm-hmm. So it's, it's, it's always in your head and on your shoulders. Let's start with Heather S. 

Heather Slimp: Okay. 

Jeff Holden: And it's just a few rapid-fire questions to get to know you a little bit better- 

Heather Slimp: All right ... 

Jeff Holden: for the audience, and how about early bird or night owl? 

Heather Slimp: Oh, gosh. I've started as an early bird. My husband has turned me into a night owl.

Actually, also I think having kids turned me into a night owl because that's when I get to have my own time. 

Jeff Holden: How many kids do you have? 

Heather Slimp: I have eight-year-old twins, boy and girl twins. 

Jeff Holden: Ah, congratulations. 

Heather Slimp: Yeah. Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: That keeps you busy. 

Heather Slimp: Yes, it does. Yes, it does. Yeah, we are in peak childhood right now. 

Jeff Holden: So this is a great question for you.

Okay. Co- coffee or tea? 

Heather Slimp: Oh, coffee. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Heather Slimp: Multiple coffees. 

Jeff Holden: Go-to comfort food. 

Heather Slimp: Oh, gosh. Mm To comfort p- food? Probably sushi. I will never turn down eating sushi. I just love it. [00:42:00] 

Jeff Holden: If you're gonna 

Heather Slimp: binge- I don't think of it as a comfort food, though. 

Jeff Holden: But with your sushi, if you're gonna binge-watch something on TV, what would it be?

Heather Slimp: Oh my gosh. I feel like I always come back to the show Parks and Rec. Mm-hmm. Probably 'cause I started in recreation. I think that would be kind of the big one for me. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And then what would people be surprised to learn about you? Hidden talent- Oh, gosh ... something in your hobbies. 

Heather Slimp: I feel like I'm kind of an open book.

I don't know if anyone would really be surprised about... I can't think 

Jeff Holden: of 

Heather Slimp: anything. Okay, let's go this way. 

Jeff Holden: If, if you weren't doing the work you're doing, what would you be doing? 

Heather Slimp: Oh, gosh. Well, and I don't think that anyone would be surprised about this. I started in recreation and in summer camps, and so it would be running a sleepaway summer camp.

Jeff Holden: Mm. Okay. Yeah. Well, you kinda get some of that even with what you're doing- 

Heather Slimp: I do ... 

Jeff Holden: today. 

Heather Slimp: Yes, I do. Yeah, so I've, I've always been drawn to working [00:43:00] with children, and so you started out in the rec world, but was very early on drawn to the childcare world. So I absolutely love what I'm doing, and yeah, just definitely feel a connection to it.

Okay. 

Jeff Holden: Your turn, Heather D. 

Heather Della Ripa: Okay. 

Jeff Holden: Favorite color? 

Heather Della Ripa: Blue. 

Jeff Holden: First car? 

Heather Della Ripa: A 1980 Dodge St. Regis. Oh my. So 

Jeff Holden: that- Half the people are not gonna know what a St. Regis is ... nobody... That's, 

Heather Della Ripa: that's- You could think of it as those K cars from the, the- Right ... '80s maybe. So yeah, it looked like an old cop car. 

Jeff Holden: Favorite place for a vacation?

Heather Della Ripa: Anywhere with a beach. 

Jeff Holden: Elevator or stairs? 

Heather Della Ripa: Stairs. 

Jeff Holden: Same question I asked other Heather. What would people be surprised to learn about you? 

Heather Della Ripa: That's... Again, that's a tough one. I, uh- Um, maybe that I would, I always thought I would be a fiction writer. 

Jeff Holden: There you go. There 

Heather Della Ripa: you go. I am not one. 

Jeff Holden: No, because it's not fiction.[00:44:00] 

It's true. How about guilty pleasure? 

Heather Della Ripa: Guilty pleasure is probably a glass of wine. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. Okay. 

Heather Della Ripa: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And children? 

Heather Della Ripa: I have two boys. Uh, one is graduating high school, and he's 18 already, and the other is 14, and he's thick in the middle of baseball season. 

Jeff Holden: Good for you. 

Heather Della Ripa: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Good for you. If somebody is interested in supporting the organization- 

Heather Slimp: Mm-hmm

Jeff Holden: what's the best way to learn more? Where should they go? Where would we direct them? 

Heather Slimp: So I'd say certainly our website, catalystcalm.org. Um- And we'll 

Jeff Holden: put that in the show notes too, so 

Heather Slimp: they can- Perfect, 'cause that will have our contact information as well. And then on social media, Catalyst, our, believe our handle is just catalystcommunity.

Yeah, 

Heather Della Ripa: it's nothing- 

Jeff Holden: We'll put that in the show notes too. 

Heather Slimp: Nothing fancy. Thank you. Yeah. Good. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Well, we, we know and recognize families and children are the future of what we're doing- Mm-hmm ... and the better prepared they are, the better we're gonna be as a society. And [00:45:00] helping families in need with care, consideration, respect, and dignity, which is such a big element of this- Mm-hmm

it really gives them the opportunity to focus on the real issues, and that's the wellbeing of their kids. 

Scott Thomas: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: Not to mention their own personal growth. Mm-hmm. 

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: For those families you serve in El Dorado and Alpine Counties, thank you, Heathers- ... for, for what you do, but also what your team does. And we recognize that is a significant burden, you know, across the board.

Anytime it's, it's families and children and people supporting them, just all the elements and all the organization, I, I mean, it takes a village. We hear it all the time. It really does. Mm-hmm. And you are a core part of that village, so for you and your teams, thank you. 

Heather Della Ripa: Thanks for having us here. Yeah, thanks 

Heather Slimp: for having us here.

Heather Della Ripa: I wanted to mention real quick, if you really just wanna donate directly, you can come to our offices and bring us diapers and formula. We will get those out the door. 

Jeff Holden: I love it. There 

Heather Della Ripa: you go. Yeah. And 

Jeff Holden: I, I'll put the addresses in [00:46:00] the, in the show notes as well, so it's easy for people- Wonderful. Thank you

who may not know where the opportunity is there. Thank you. Thank 

Heather Della Ripa: you so much. Thank 

Jeff Holden: you. And let's go make something better. 

Heather Della Ripa: Great 

Jeff Holden: This episode has been powered 

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