7.2 Use of Quality Set-Aside Funds

Lead Agencies must use a portion of their CCDF expenditures for activities designed to improve the quality of child care services and to increase parental options for and access to high-quality child care. They must use the quality set-aside funds on at least one of 10 activities described in CCDF and the quality activities must be aligned with a Statewide or Territory-wide assessment of the State's or Territory’s need to carry out such services and care. 7.2.1 Quality improvement activities a. Describe how the Lead Agency will make its Quality Progress Report (ACF – 218) and expenditure reports, available to the public. Provide a link if available. Each year, after the Quality Progress Report is approved by Administration for Children and Families, Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) releases an announcement and link to the CCDD listserv notifying them that it has been posted to the CCDD webpage. b. Identify Lead Agency plans, if any, to spend CCDF funds for each of the following quality improvement activities. If an activity is checked “yes”, describe the Lead Agency’s current and/or future plans for this activity. i. Supporting the training and professional development of the child care workforce, including birth to five and school-age providers. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Not applicable. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The lead agency supports training and professional development of the child care workforce. Investments include the Program for Infant and Toddler care and the Quality Counts California Workforce Pathways Grants, which provides incentives to the workforce serving children from birth through school-age. Information regarding additional investments can be located on the Quality Improvement Initiatives webpage. ii. Developing, maintaining, or implementing early learning and developmental guidelines. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The lead agency supports developing, maintaining, and implementing early learning and developmental guidelines. Investments include updating the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations and the Curriculum Framework to align with the recent updates to the Preschool Foundations and Framework, developing an online platform for the Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations and the Curriculum Framework, developing online modules to support the understanding and use of the updated Infant/Toddler Foundations and Framework, as well as developing third editions of Program for Infant/Toddler Care Caregiving Guides. iii. Developing, implementing, or enhancing a quality improvement system. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Not applicable. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The lead agency is working towards updating the quality improvement system to address gaps in equity. This will include revamping the quality matrix and other ways we currently measuring quality. iv. Improving the supply and quality of child care services for infants and toddlers. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Not applicable. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The primary mission of the Local Planning Councils (LPCs) is to plan for child care and development services based on the needs of families in the local community. The LPCs are intended to serve as a forum to address the child care needs of all families in the community for all types of child care, both subsidized and non-subsidized. v. Establishing or expanding a statewide system of CCR&R services. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Not applicable. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The lead agency invests in Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services in every county in California. The lead agency also supports local CCR&Rs with technical assistance to support local CCR&R programs through the California Resource & Referral Network to increase capacity. Additionally, the lead agency invests in the online consumer education platform, Mychildcareplan.org, and the consumer education line to support families and the community with identifying child care services and the workforce with professional development to increase the quality of child care services across the state. vi. Facilitating compliance with Lead Agency child care licensing, monitoring, inspection and health and safety standards. X No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Not applicable. vii. Evaluating and assessing the quality and effectiveness of child care services within the State/Territory. X No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Not applicable. viii. Accreditation support. X No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Not applicable. ix. Supporting State/Territory or local efforts to develop high-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development. X No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Not applicable. x. Other activities determined by the Lead Agency to improve the quality of child care services and the measurement of outcomes related to improved provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, or kindergarten entry. No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. X Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The current Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) requires participants to meet California Code of Regulations, Title 22 regulations as a baseline to quality. Sites participating in QRIS can receive site-based incentives for quality improvement. Additionally, the QRIS includes the Quality Counts California Workforce Pathways Grant and the Child Care Initiative Project incentivizes provider's for taking basic health and safety training related to improving provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, and the Desired Results, Developmental Profile to support Kindergarten entry. 8 Lead Agency Coordination and Partnerships to Support Service Delivery Coordination and partnerships help ensure that the Lead Agency’s efforts accomplish CCDF goals effectively, leverage other resources, and avoid duplication of effort. Such coordination and partnerships can help families better access child care, can assist in providing consumer education to parents, and can be used to improve child care quality and the stability of child care providers. Such coordination can also be particularly helpful in the aftermath of disasters when the provision of emergency child care services and the rebuilding and restoring of child care infrastructure are an essential part of ensuring the well-being of children and families in recovering communities. This section identifies who the Lead Agency collaborates with to implement services, how match and maintenance-of-effort (MOE) funds are used, coordination with CCR&R systems, and efforts for disaster preparedness and response plans to support continuity of operations in response to emergencies.