6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning. 6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines are: i. ☐X Research-based. ii. ☐X Developmentally appropriate. iii. ☐X Culturally and linguistically appropriate. iv. ☐X Aligned with kindergarten entry. v. ☐X Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry. vi. ☐X Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. vii. ☐If any components above are not checked, describe: Not applicable. b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines. i. ☐ X Cognition, including language arts and mathematics. ii. ☐ X Social development. iii. ☐ X Emotional development. iv. ☐ X Physical development. v. ☐ X Approaches toward learning. vi. ☐ Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: Not applicable. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: Not applicable. c. When were the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? Updates are done on a regular rotation for the publication of resources and guidelines. The Infant/Toddler Foundations were released in 2010 and are being revised beginning in 2023. The Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 in 2010, Volume 2 in 2011, and Volume 3 in 2013 were recently revised (Preschool, Transitional-Kindergarten Learning Foundations) by California Department of Education (CDE) and are due to be released to the field in 2024. To that end, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is partnering with CDE to create professional development modules to support workforce needs as it relates to the updates to the new Preschool, Transitional-Kindergarten Learning Foundations. Additionally, CDSS will also be revising the Infant/Toddler Foundations Framework Guidelines, Preschool Program Guidelines, Guidelines for Early Learning in Child Care Home Settings, and the Curriculum Frameworks over the next three years to align with the updates made to the Preschool, Transitional- Kindergarten Learning Foundation updates, and core resources will be translated in Spanish and Chinese. d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. Early Learning and Care Publications Resource page with links to the age specific foundations and guidelines can be found at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/cddpublications.asp#eeresources. The revised Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations and Infant/Toddler Framework, Preschool, and Child Care Homes Guidelines when revised will be located on the CDSS’ Child Care and Development Division Publications page at: https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child- care-and-development/publications . 6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. The State uses the Preschool Learning Foundations and Frameworks along with the Infant and Toddler Foundations and Framework to support the early learning and care workforce’s understanding of early childhood competencies. Basic overviews of the Infant/Toddler and Preschool Foundations and Frameworks are available for all providers on the California Department of Education website and overview training modules are available on California Early Childhood Online. The Infant/Toddler Foundations and Frameworks, to be updated over the next few years, will be available through California Department of Social Services’ Child Care and Development Division Publications page when available. The foundations are integrated into higher education coursework, training provided through Child Care Development Fund Quality professional development projects, and coaching activities. They are also the basis for the State’s child observational assessment, the Desired Results Developmental Profile. The Infant/Toddler Foundations are source content for training provided by the Program for Infant Toddler Caregiving. The Preschool Foundations are the source content for the California Preschool Instructional Network’s training and technical assistance. These foundations are embedded in the California Early Childhood Educator Competencies. The state foundations inform the curriculum frameworks and program guidelines. b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that: i. ☐ X Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF. ii. ☐ X Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider. iii. ☐ X Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness. iv. ☐ X Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF. v. If any components above are not checked, describe: Not applicable. 7 Quality Improvement Activities The quality of child care directly affects children’s safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan. Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways: 1. In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period. 2. An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements. 3. An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures. In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.