9.3 Increasing Engagement and Access to Information

Lead Agencies must collect and disseminate information about the full range of child care services to promote parental choice to parents of children eligible for CCDF, the general public, and child care providers. 9.3.1 Information about CCDF availability and eligibility Describe how the Lead Agency shares information with eligible parents, the general public, and child care providers about the availability of child care services provided through CCDF and other programs for which the family may be eligible. The description should include, at a minimum, what is provided (e.g., written materials, the website, and direct communications) and what approaches are used to tailor information to parents, the general public, and child care providers. The lead agency’s website is the main source for all information regarding the availability of child care and other benefit services for which families may be eligible. The information is shared by contact with email or telephone at the central location and available in written material at local county offices and agencies the lead agency has contracts with to provide specific services to families and the child care community. This information is tailored to families, general public and child care providers by using child and family friendly graphics (pictures of children in child care settings) and materials shared by partnering and contracted agencies via their websites and social media outlets. 9.3.2 Information about child care and other services available for parents Does the Lead Agency certify that it provides information described in 9.3.1 for the following required programs? • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. • Head Start and Early Head Start programs. • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). • Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) program. • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). • Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). • Programs carried out under IDEA Part B, Section 619 and Part C. [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.3 Consumer statement for parents receiving CCDF services Lead Agencies must provide parents receiving CCDF services with a consumer statement in hard copy or electronically that contains general information about the CCDF program and specific information about the child care provider they select. Please certify if the Lead Agency provides parents receiving CCDF services a consumer statement that contains the following 8 requirements: 1. Health and safety requirements met by the provider 2. Licensing or regulatory requirements met by the provider 3. Date the provider was last inspected 4. Any history of violations of these requirements 5. Any voluntary quality standards met by the provider 6. How CCDF subsidies are designed to promote equal access 7. How to submit a complaint through the hotline 8. How to contact a local resource and referral agency or other community-based organization to receive assistance in finding and enrolling in quality child care Does the Lead Agency provide to families, either in hard copy or electronically, a consumer statement that contains the required information about the provider they have selected, including the eight required elements above? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.4 Informing families about best practices on child development Describe how the Lead Agency makes information available to parents, providers, and the general public on research and best practices concerning children’s development, including physical health and development, and information about successful parent and family engagement. At a minimum, the description should include what information is provided; how the information is provided; any distinct activities for sharing this information with parents, providers, the general public; and any partners in providing this information. The Lead Agency has information available on its website that is available for view for parents, providers and the general public addressing resources concerning children’s development and successful parent and family engagement. Parents, providers and the general public may contact the lead agency through either it’s licensing intake line or any email addresses on the website for additional information to be disseminated to them in their preferred method. The lead agency’s quality enhancement agencies (QEA) also provides such information and is available on their websites or in-person visits to the QEAs’ offices, which are located in each of the nine regions of the state. 9.3.5 Unlimited parental access to their children Does the Lead Agency have procedures to ensure that parents have unlimited access to their children whenever their children are in the care of a provider who receives CCDF funds: [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.6 Informing families about best practices in social and emotional health Describe how the Lead Agency shares information with families, providers, and the general public regarding the social-emotional and behavioral and mental health of young children, including positive behavioral intervention and support models based on research and best practices for those from birth to school age: The Lead Agency has information available on its website that is available for view for parents, providers and the general public addressing resources concerning social-emotional and behavioral and mental health of young children. Parents, providers and the general public may contact the lead agency through either it’s licensing intake line or any email addresses on the website for additional information to be disseminated to them in their preferred method. The lead agency’s quality enhancement agencies (QEA) also provides such information and is available on their websites or in-person visits to the QEAs’ offices, which are located in each of the nine regions of the state. 9.3.7 Policies on the prevention of the suspension and expulsion of children a. The Lead Agency must have policies to prevent the suspension and expulsion of children from birth to age 5 in child care and other early childhood programs receiving CCDF funds. Describe those policies and how those policies are shared with families, providers, and the general public: The lead agency currently does not have policies addressing the prevention of suspension and expulsion of children. The lead agency has resources in place to support providers that consider suspension and expulsion of children birth to 5 that have a special needs diagnosis through the Child Care Enhancement with a Purpose program (CEP) and Challenging Behaviors. CEP provides training and technical assistance to providers that have children in their programs with special needs and requires accommodations in the child care facility or received in the child’s home. The Challenging Behaviors program assist child care providers and families experiencing disruptive behaviors in the child care facility by formulating plans that work to address the behaviors both in the home and the facility. b. Describe what policies, if any, the Lead Agency has to prevent the suspension and expulsion of school-age children from child or youth care settings receiving CCDF funds: The lead agencies does not have policies to address suspension and expulsion of school- age children.