7.1 Quality Activities Needs Assessment

7.1.1 Needs assessment process and findings a. Describe the Lead Agency needs assessment process for expending CCDF funds on activities to improve the quality of child care, including the frequency of assessment, how a range of parents and providers were consulted, and how their views are incorporated: The Lead Agency entered into an interagency agreement with the University of Alabama College of Education to complete a statewide needs assessment related to child care quality activities which resulted in a needs assessment report to assist the Lead Agency in understanding the current community needs related to early care and education and quality activities. Focus groups were conducted with center-based and home-based child care providers, families, and community leaders in each region of the state about their specific needs related to quality activities in early care. Focus group protocols were developed collaboratively by University of Alabama College of Education (UA) and Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR). A review and summary of existing published and unpublished data about child care needs in the state were used to supplement primary data collection. This included sources like Kids Count, previously conducted needs assessments, evaluations of specific programs such as Early Head Start ￿ Child Care Partnerships, and other relevant data. As needed to supplement the focus groups and existing data, an online and paper survey was provided to collect additional information about community needs. Survey questions were developed together by UA and DHR. The final report was prepared by UA and submitted to DHR in May 2023 to summarize the results of focus groups and other data sources. b. Describe the findings of the assessment, including any findings related to needs of different populations and types of providers, and if any overarching goals for quality improvement were identified: Overall, administrators and teachers expressed satisfaction with stabilization grants made available to teachers, including that these grants assisted to reduce turnover and increased classroom quality, including continuity of care. Stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the recently revised Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Alabama Quality STARS (No acronym, Alabama's naming system for the QRIS), mentioning the points-based Best Practices Rubric and the financial incentives made available as noteworthy best practices. Families reported they primarily find childcare through word of mouth, including friends and families, and social media. However, most families were still unaware of many of the resources Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) provides. Center-based and family child care educators expressed concern around the number of training hours required annually, especially those participating in CCDF. However, educators expressed overall satisfaction with the variety of professional development available to them, with some requests for additional trainings to be created on specific topics.