Ideas from David

[nealf]

These are ideas and thoughts that came from David that should eventually be broken out into their own issues where relevant for further discussion and development.

Here are some of the things that I would be interested in seeing.

1. Building a more robust open data platform populated from reliable sources
   • This would also mean expanding the platform with a data model to cover the whole southwest and maybe even the state (Marty’s inventory was done manually and only covered a couple of workforce areas.)
   • This would also include figuring out how to bring in VPI and school based programs that are not regulated by DSS.
2. Updating the “scrape” to run automatically on some interval to keep the data fresh.
3. Linking the DSS licensed/regulated lists to Virginia Quality public info (to indicate which providers are participating in Virginia Quality).
4. Linking which providers are subsidy vendors (would require cooperation with Child Care Aware, which might not be forthcoming)
5. Some system for building a repository of unregulated providers (small unregulated family homes that do not take the subsidy and babysitters) that could be integrated into the other sources.
   • This would also include a way to maintain the repository of unregulated providers and provide some sort of quality indicator for them. This would also require a curator in different regions—only some of which would probably participate.
6. Building some notifications into the system so that people can get a message is a center appears, disappears or changes license type (like when centers get put on a provisional license).
7. Automating a categorization system by ages served to tease out school aged only programs, preschool aged programs and programs that serve infants.
8. Connecting the list with the official website for the provider (if they have one)
9. Creating an export that would allow the data to be downloaded of planning and analysis purposes.
10. Transitioning the mapping from open street maps to google maps
11. Building some apps (tools) for more targeted searching. Like allowing users to put in their home and work addresses and identifying providers within a certain travel distance.
12. Providing a framework for partners to incorporate all of this into their own websites.

Some things may just be impossible or not practical, but which there is some interest in exploring

1. Getting a better handle on capacity and openings by ages/classrooms
2. Incorporating pricing data
3. Wait list indicators
4. A more fine-tuned understanding of numbers by age actually served in family day homes (instead of always 12)