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: OEC in partnership with the local lead organizations is in the process of conducting a new needs assessment. The assessment will be completed by December 31, 2025. The state contracts with the Arkansas Research Center to conduct the Early Development Instrument (EDI) in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities. The EDI is a nationally recognized, population-based measure of early childhood well-being across five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication and general knowledge. The EDI data provides guidance for local communities to improve systems that help children reach school healthy and ready to succeed. The full community reports can be found at https://arc.arkansas.gov/arcweb/edi-community-reports- tableau.html In addition, the state conducted a kindergarten-readiness analysis report (Item B) here: https://learns.ade.arkansas.gov/Action-Items 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: The needs assessment will be completed by December 31, 2025. The state contracts with the Arkansas Research Center to conduct the Early Development Instrument (EDI) in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities. The EDI is a nationally recognized, population-based measure of early childhood well-being across five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication and general knowledge. The EDI data provides guidance for local communities to improve systems that help children reach school healthy and ready to succeed. The full community reports can be found at https://arc.arkansas.gov/arcweb/edi-community-reports- tableau.html In addition, the state conducted a kindergarten-readiness analysis report (Item B) here: https://learns.ade.arkansas.gov/Action-Items