8.1 Coordination with Partners to Expand Accessibility and Continuity of Care

Lead Agencies must coordinate child care services supported by CCDF with other federal, State/Territory, and local level programs. This includes programs for the benefit of Indian children, infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. 8.1.1 Coordination with required and optional partners Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates and the results of this coordination of the provision of child care services with the organizations and agencies to expand accessibility and continuity of care and to assist children enrolled in early childhood programs in receiving full-day services that meet the needs of working families. The Lead Agency must coordinate with the following agencies: a. State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) coordinates with the Early Childhood Policy Council (ECPC), which is a leadership body with members appointed by the Governor, Legislature, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State Senate and State Assembly. The ECPC was established in November 2019 to ensure statewide collaboration among early childhood programs to helps define future policies impacting children from birth to Kindergarten age. The ECPC includes representatives from California Department of Education (CDE), School Districts, Advocacy organizations, Child Care Resource and Referrals (CCR&Rs), center and family child care home providers, program administrators, and parents. Three representatives from CDSS are appointed members of the council: Kim Johnson, Director, Lupe Jaime-Mileham, CDSS’ Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Administrator and Deputy Director of the Child Care and Development Division, and pending appointment, the current CDSS’ Director of the California Head Start Collaboration Office, Ristyn Woolley. The ECPC provides recommendations on all aspects of the state’s mixed delivery child care system, including support for the demographic, geographic and economic diversity of the state’s children and families. Additionally, the ECPC was instrumental in the development of the 2020 Master Plan for Early Learning and Care (2020 Master Plan). The ECPC holds at least four public meetings per year, convenes a Parent Committee and a Workforce Advisory Committee and prepares an annual report detailing progress made towards reaching the goals of the 2020 Master Plan. b. Indian Tribe(s) and/or Tribal organization(s), at the option of the Tribe or Tribal organization. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination, including which Tribe(s) was (were) involved: The CDSS’s Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) has the primary responsibility of building better government-to-government relationships with CDSS and the 110 federally recognized California Indian Tribes (Tribes) and counties, as well as working with Tribal organizations and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) stakeholders. Grounded in meaningful Tribal Consultation, engagement of core stakeholders, and advising leadership, the OTA guides CDSS’ efforts to help create and facilitate policies, procedures, and programs that serve AI/AN children and families. The Deputy Director of the CDSS’ Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) participates each month in CDSS’ Office of Tribal Affairs Advisory meeting to provide updates on the work of the Division related to Tribal communities. Additionally, the CDSS’ CCDD meets quarterly with Tribal early childhood program administrators, leads and representatives, via the Tribal/State/Federal CCDF Roundtable meetings held as part of the Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC) meetings. The CDSS’ goals with this coordination include enhancing and aligning quality of services, linking comprehensive services to children in child care settings and examining program funding and eligibility requirements to expand access, which align directly with the goals of the TCCAC. The California Tribal CCDF grantees invited quarterly to the meetings include the following: Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians, Bishop Paiute Tribe, California Indian Manpower Consortium Inc., California Indian Rural Health Board, Campo Band of Mission Indians Seven Consortium, Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Colusa Indian Community, Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, Inter-Tribal Council of California Inc., Karuk Tribe, Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, Pinoleville Pomo Nation, Pit River Tribe, Quartz Valley Indian Community, Quechan Tribe, Redding Rancheria, Robinson Rancheria, Round Valley Indian Tribes, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association Inc., Susanville Indian Rancheria, Tolowa Dee- ni' Nation, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, Tyme Maidu of the Berry Creek Rancheria, Wiyot Tribe, and the Yurok Tribe. In addition, the California Head Start Collaboration Office (CHSCO) collaborates with Office of Head Start National American Indian and Alaskan Native Head Start Collaboration Office (NAIANHSCO). The NAIANHSCO serves 150 AIAN Head Start and 58 AIAN Early Head Start programs in 26 different states and seeks to develop collaborative partnerships that help improve the quality of life for AIAN children and families. The CHSSO participates in national trainings and advisory committee meetings. ☐ Not applicable. Check here if there are no Indian Tribes and/or Tribal organizations in the State/Territory. c. State/Territory agency(ies) responsible for programs for children with disabilities, including early intervention programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Special Education Division (SED) at CDE is responsible for Part B of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and coordinates with CDSS on the development and use of the state child observational assessment, the Desired Results Developmental Profile, and on inclusive early learning and care issues. The CDDS is the lead agency for Part C of the IDEA, the federal early intervention program for infants and toddlers with disabilities. The CDDS collaborates with CDE, with advice and assistance from the State Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention (ICC) regarding the California Early Start program established pursuant to the California Early Intervention Services Act (CEISA), which created state authority to develop an early intervention service system congruent with federal requirements under Part C. The ICC is comprised of parents of children with disabilities, early intervention service providers, health care professionals, state agency representatives, and others interested in early intervention and inclusion. Additionally, counties implement Help Me Grow (HMG) system or other early identification systems. The HMG system is a locally developed resource and referral system that identifies a family’s child development needs. It provides the care coordination necessary to ensure the best and most timely access to appropriate services. Help me Grow programs are designed to share resources, tools, and best practices for early identification of special needs. The programs help families learn about and navigate California’s early childhood system of care. The Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) rating matrix within the Quality Counts California (QCC) includes a developmental screening element and many local QCCs then coordinate with HMG to ensure families are connected to referrals and services, as applicable. In addition, the CHSCO participates in national meetings and workgroups with IDEA Part B 619 coordinators and local Head Start state disabilities cluster meetings to provide information on professional development opportunities, national resources, and funding opportunities. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CHSCO is located within CDSS’ CCDD, providing opportunities for ongoing feedback and communication between Head Start funded programs and state partners who implement child care related policies and programming. The CHSCO and CCDD have shared responsibilities as required in federal law to coordinate and collaborate at the state level to provide information and resources to best serve California's most vulnerable populations. The CHSSO works regularly with CCDD to develop, facilitate, and enhance partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels. The CHSCO provides feedback on state legislation and participates on workgroups and committees to support alignment of CCDF and Head Start funded programs through the following priorities: 1. Collaborate with state systems to align early care and education services and supports for children and families prenatally to age 5, including collaborating across systems to support: Health, mental health, and social and emotional well- being, Home visiting Comprehensive service delivery; Services and supports for children who are experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, children with disabilities, and children who are dual language learners; Quality improvements; School readiness initiatives; State background check systems; Child care (including migrant child care) Child welfare; Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships; Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Health Integration Prenatal-to-3 Programs. 2. Work with state efforts to collect and use data on early childhood programs to guide decision-making and improve child and family outcomes. 3. Support the expansion of and access to high-quality workforce and career development opportunities for staff. 4. Coordinate with school systems to ensure continuity and alignment across programs, as appropriate. 5. Other State and Regional Priorities This coordination has led to shared services between Head Start funded programs, Child Care, and Pre-K to include trainings, coaching, technical assistance, and cross- sector use of state learning foundations, frameworks, and assessments. In addition, the CHSCO recently created the State Health Partnership (SHP) which includes the Child Care and Adult Food Program, the Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs, the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) – Women, Infants, and Children Division. This alignment of state partners serves to exchange educational approaches and materials by inviting representatives from the respective programs to attend cross-sector meetings to assist in promoting shared goals and increase access to services for children and families. The Director of CHSCO is a non-voting member of the ECPC. Additional information and ongoing coordination efforts can be found here: California Head Start Collaboration. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The goal of CDSS’ coordination with CDPH is to create and maintain the linkage between early learning and care and health care. The State provides services for pregnant women and children through various programs such as: the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, Covered California, Access for Infants and Mothers, and the Healthy Families Program. Together, these three programs cover children up to 267 percent of the federal poverty level, and pregnant women and their infants up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. The CDPH and CDSS have worked to address the growing concern about the immunization of children. The link between health care and child care and development is strengthened by the requirement that children be immunized at the appropriate age before being enrolled in early learning and care settings. The CDPH and CDSS have worked to spread early learning and care and school immunization laws, to assist programs in achieving higher immunization rates among children at these facilities. Senate Bill 277 (statute of 2015, chapter 35), no longer permits new immunization exemptions based on personal beliefs for children in early learning and care and schools. The law still requires students to provide immunization records to their early learning and care facilities and schools and in turn, early learning and care facilities must continue to report to CDPH the immunization status of all students at the existing checkpoints of early learning and care, Kindergarten and 7th grade. The bill includes provisions regarding the rights of unimmunized children with family service plans and or individualized education plans. Additional details about this law may be found at: Shots for Schools. In addition, CHSCO participates in various federal, state, and local meetings to share professional development opportunities, resources, local partnerships, and funding opportunities. The CHSCO also serves as a link between Head Start (HS) funded programs and various state programs to assist HS funded programs in meeting federal requirements for oral and physical health services and parent education, including but not limited to, immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, developmental screenings, infection control, medication administration, and the importance of oral and physical health. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS is responsible for child care and development workforce development. The CDSS works with Local Planning Councils (LPCs) to implement the Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant (WPG). The QCC WPG is administered to support local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships. In most cases the LPCs have first right of refusal to apply for the QCC WPG. The QCC WPG seeks to expand the number of qualified child care and development professionals and increase the educational credentials of existing child care and development professionals. The goals of the QCC WPG are to: (1) increase the qualifications and effectiveness of the child care and development workforce by increasing the skills and competencies and the ability to provide culturally and linguistically responsive high-quality interactions with young children; (2) increase the number of child care and development professionals that have completed CCDF health and safety and child development training requirements; (3) increase the number of licensed child care and development professionals in child care deserts; (4) increase the number of child care and development professionals with degrees in the field of early childhood education; (5) increasing the number of child care and development professionals with Child Development Permits from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC); and (6) increase the number of license- exempt family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers that become licensed. The local level workforce grant administrator will advance these goals by developing a one-year QCC WPG Plan that differentiates supports based on local child care and development workforce needs. If the current stipend program administrator declines or the county does not currently receive workforce stipend funds, the lead agency identified in the QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grant application must be prioritized to serve as lead agency for the QCC WPG. The lead applicants must, at a minimum, be a participating local consortia member with the capacity to administer and implement the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant. Through the CDSS’ administered QCC WPG, more than 9,000 of California’s child care and development workforce were able to participate in workforce advising, professional development, and higher education services across California in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. More than 26% of participants completed higher education units as a result of their participation in the QCC WFP Grant and more than 80% of participants completed professional development training as a result of their participation in the QCC WPG. As efforts increase to address racial inequities in the workforce, coordination with organizations such as the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and the Child Care Providers United (CCPU) are integral to addressing wage and professional training inequities. All QCC WPG grantees are required to address equity and diversity within their funding plans. Additionally, the CDSS encourages the use of a registry for all QCC WPG grantees as a state, regional, and local collaboration designed to track and promote the education, training, and experience of the early care and education workforce for the purpose of improving professionalism and workforce quality to positively impact children. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS, in collaboration with CDE, coordinates California's child care and development subsidized programs across the continuum. Within CDE, the Early Education Division administers the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), and the Expanded Learning Division administers several after school care programs. In addition to promoting school readiness, CDSS collaborates with CDE and the CHSCO to facilitate transitions from early learning and care to school, link quality care to later school success, and align objectives and projects that support inclusive care and bilingual education. A further goal for coordination is to streamline and align funding sources to ensure all children receive quality pre-Kindergarten services as part of the continuum from quality early learning and care. The CDE supports Transitional Kindergarten programs, the first year of a two- year Kindergarten program offered to age eligible four-year olds. The CDE is working to coordinate the alignment of CSPP offered to families receiving subsidies and Transitional Kindergarten to allow school districts to consolidate and provide quality pre- Kindergarten services to all age eligible children. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS administers child care licensing through the Child Care Licensing Program (CCLP). The CCLP strives to provide preventive, protective, and quality services to children in care by ensuring that licensed facilities meet established health and safety standards through monitoring facilities, providing technical assistance, and establishing partnerships with providers, parents, and the child care community. The CCLP provides oversight and enforcement for licensed child care centers and family child care homes through 19 Regional Offices located throughout California. The CCLP works closely with local CCR&R agencies to keep them updated on the licensing status of existing and newly licensed facilities. This is outlined in legislation to ensure that consumers receive accurate information about safety and new options which is important for a child care referral. The CDSS also works closely with the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network (the Network), who acts as an intermediary for licensing data between CDSS and Local CCR&Rs. The Network also holds a contract that supports trainers at each CCR&R agency that work to recruit and offer professional development to home based providers. Local CCR&Rs recruit and support interested parties to learn about the licensing process and offer technical assistance for licensing and ongoing information regarding licensing requirements. Regional Licensing Offices meet with CCR&Rs in their region to share information, concerns, and best practices to support licensees. Ongoing communication at all levels between CCLP and the CCR&Rs helps in the planning, support, and targeting of new capacity building needs. In addition, CHSCO supports various meetings with CCLP and the Office of Head Start Region 9 to facilitate conversations specific to Head Start funded programs and assist in alignment with state and federal requirements. i. State/Territory agency responsible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other relevant nutrition programs. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) at CDE is responsible for some aspects of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in relation to the CSPP, which are administered by CDE’s Early Education Division (EED). For all other child care and development programs, the responsibility for the relationship to CACFP lies within CDSS. The CDSS works with EED to promote and articulate CACFP education for CSPP and providers. The goal of this coordination is to ensure all providers have nutritional information and/or subsidies so that children are provided nutritious snacks and meals and parents are educated and have access to adequate nutrition. Many of CDSS’ child care and development subsidized providers utilize the CACFP. Families need to be income eligible for these services, but families do not need to apply for CACFP to be provided with information about healthy nutrition. State subsidized child care and development programs operating in centers must abide by the nutritional meal and snack requirements of the CACFP. Many Resource and Referral agencies and Alternative Payment Programs provide a forum for CACFP to introduce voluntary CACFP participation. They also serve as CACFP sponsors for child care and development providers providing services through a voucher. In addition, CHSCO recently created the State Health Partnership (SHP) which includes the Child Care and Adult Food Program, the Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs, the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, and the CDPH– Women, Infants, and Children Division. This partnership of state partners serves to exchange educational approaches and materials by inviting representatives from the respective programs to attend cross-sector meetings to assist in promoting shared goals and increase access to services for children and families. j. McKinney-Vento State coordinators for homeless education and other agencies providing services for children experiencing homelessness and, to the extent practicable, local McKinney-Vento liaisons. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS’ CCDD works with the McKinney-Vento state coordinator and the Housing and Homelessness Division (HHD) within CDSS to support families accessing housing supports and coordination on the homeless education program. The CHSSCO and HHD have shared responsibilities to coordinate and collaborate at the state level to provide information and resources to best serve California's most vulnerable populations, including children and families who are experiencing homelessness. The intended outcome of this partnership is to foster and encourage local connections and outreach to children and families experiencing homelessness by providing education and resources to the field. The HHD oversees programs vital to securing housing for families in poverty, including the CalWORKs Housing Support Program, and Project Roomkey. Additionally, R&R and Alternative Payment Programs assess the needs of families during referral and enrollment processes and offer information on local resources for homeless families. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS administers California’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The alignment of CCDF programs, supports, and services within CDSS as the lead agency, since the transfer from CDE, provides more opportunities to facilitate and streamline services for children and families receiving TANF benefits and services (in California, this is primarily through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, or CalWORKs, program). The CDSS’ CalWORKs and Family Resilience Branch within the Family Engagement & Empowerment Division oversees the CalWORKs cash aid program and corresponding workforce services. The CDSS’ staff meet with county welfare department child care representatives at the monthly County Welfare Directors Association meetings to coordinate policy and support consistency across TANF child care quality and accessibility. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS works closely with the CDPH to create and maintain the linkage between early learning and care and health care. The State provides services for pregnant women and children through various programs, such as Covered California, Access for Infants and Mothers, and the Healthy Families Program. Together, these three programs cover children up to 267 percent of the federal poverty level, and pregnant women and their infants up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Local R&Rs, Alternative Payment Programs (APPs), and CDE-contracted providers assist families in accessing Medicaid (Medi-Cal), as well as accessing subsidized health care coverage via the Covered California program. In addition, California Head Start Collaboration Office (CHSCO) participates in various federal, state, and local meetings to share professional development opportunities, resources, local partnerships, and funding opportunities. The CHSCO also serves as a link between HS Funded programs and various state programs to assist HS funded programs in meeting federal requirements for oral and physical health services and parent education, including but not limited to, immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, developmental screenings, infection control, medication administration, and the importance of oral and physical health. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) administers a number of programs for children and youth related to mental health. The Medi-Cal managed care plans , county mental health plans , and county California Children Services programs deliver services at the local level). The goal of CDSS’ coordination with DHCS is to ensure that all the State's Resource & Referral agencies (R&Rs), direct service contractors, and Alternative Payment Program providers are aware of the services provided at the county level, particularly early and periodic screening diagnosis and treatment. n. Child care resource and referral agencies, child care consumer education organizations, and providers of early childhood education training and professional development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS meets quarterly with staff and board members from the Resource and Referral (R&R) Network, and other key partners to address coordination and goals. Meetings include CCDD and Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) to ensure improved coordination, shared goals, and alignment across all agencies and programs. Relevant consumer education topics and training opportunities are brought to the State and local level for dissemination to staff, providers, and families in the early learning and care community newsletters, local resources in print and on websites, and other relevant outreach efforts in the community by local R&Rs. Oversight is provided by CDSS to R&R programs related to their function as providers of Consumer Education. o. Statewide afterschool network or other coordinating entity for out-of-school time care (if applicable). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: In accordance with Welfare and Institution Code (WIC) Section 10273(a), the preferred placement for children who are 11 or 12 years of age, and eligible for subsidized services, will be in before or after school programs. The CDSS works with CDE’s Expanded Learning Division (ELD) and the Early Education Division (EED) to support and coordinate access to these programs. Both the ELD and the EED are housed within the CDE's Opportunities for All Branch to coordinate the assessment of needs of children of school age outside of the typical school day and school year, to leverage out-of-school time care strategies, and to participate in joint technical assistance opportunities. Resource & Referral agencies offer local school age program options and information to families. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CDSS works closely with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) regarding the curriculum and quality of preventive health and safety training or child care providers. The CDSS provides reimbursement funding to R&Rs for both licensed and unlicensed early learning and care providers to assist with costs of pediatric first aid, pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and EMSA- approved preventive health practices training. The R&R agencies also respond to local disasters, such as wildfires and earthquakes, to assist with local response and recovery efforts. California Health and Safety Training (CHST) R&R project, which are CCDF quality-funded, coordinators are required to provide technical assistance locally to connect providers and families with local disaster plan resources and training. The EMSA have assisted in the collaborative work with CDE and CDSS-CCLD as participants on the State's ongoing Health and Safety Multidisciplinary Regulatory Workgroup committee. The partnership was instrumental in supporting the work of this group in the published California Child Care Disaster Plan 2016, which is a local resource imbedded in the Statewide Interagency Disaster Plan - 2023 that assists local trainers to train early learning and care providers on disaster preparedness as well as recovery and to assist with connecting to local Office of Emergency Services (OES) local procedures. The OES continues to provide the necessary guidance to develop and revise the disaster plan, which serves as an OES annex to the Governor's State Disaster Plan. In response to a shortage of EMSA approved preventive health and safety training opportunities, CDSS provides CCDF-quality grants to seventeen California Preventive Health and Safety Practices (CPHSP) local hubs to provide no cost multilingual training statewide. The University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing is under contract with CDSS and provides R&R training-of-trainer certification and technical assistance to both R&R training staff as well as other local collaborative partners to provide ready access to this state mandated training as well as technical assistance for providing resources to support families experiencing homelessness due to disaster. Local provider training includes preventive topics based on input from local early learning and care based on the CDSS- CCLD reported citations in that locale as well as training on existing local risk factors. Local (CPHSP) hubs staff are also charged with serving as a resource for connection to the local (OES) preparedness and disaster recovery as it related to early learning and care. q. The following are examples of optional partners a Lead Agency might coordinate with to provide services. Check which optional partners the Lead Agency coordinates with and describe the coordination and results of the coordination. i. ☐ X State/Territory/local agencies with Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants. Describe: The CDSS, CHSCO, and the Office of Head Start Region IX collaborate with federal, state and local partners to promote the benefits of the Early Head Start – Child Care partnership (EHS-CCP). Through the CHSCO, additional areas of partnering with EHS-CCP recipients and local entities are supported to expand accessibility and continuity of care and to assist families enrolled in Early Head Start to receive full-day services. There are an estimated 17 EHS-CCP recipients in the state of California. The CDE is a state level recipient. The CDE participates in regular coordination and partnership meetings to address opportunities for alignment and improved coordination. The EHS-CCP grant expands the number of high-quality slots for at-risk infants and toddlers in rural California counties. Through this effort the grant provides financial support to implement the comprehensive services and bridges the current resource gap needed to reach the high level of quality as defined in QCC and its Rating Matrix. Children receive comprehensive education, health, development, and family support services that meet or exceed EHS standards. Services are available for low-income children birth to 36 months in center-based settings, 48 months in family child care settings, and may include home-based options such as home visiting models/group socialization. Grantee partners develop unique, locally driven models to ensure parity of service throughout their program, including children who are not directly funded through EHS-CC partnership funds. Finally, early learning and care providers gain access to Early Head Start training and technical assistance. ii. ☐ X State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: The CDSS collaborates and partners with several institutions of higher education including Yosemite community college, contracted to administer the statewide Child Development Training Consortium (CDTC). This contract supports the Curriculum Alignment Project, the Faculty Professional Development Project, and the Student Career and Education Project. Faculty receive opportunities to engage in current professional development activities to further support students enrolled in child development credit-bearing units for the Child Development Permit. The CDTC offers curriculum development to faculty to ensure community colleges align content and student learning outcomes within a core set of eight courses and offers incentives to the workforce to support progression related to the career lattice. Additionally, CDSS partners with Chabot community college to administer the statewide California Early Childhood Mentor Program. This project works in collaboration with 108 other participating community colleges to support the success of the California Early Childhood Mentorship program. The program provides incentives to director and teacher mentors who partner with workforce members (mentees) working in child care settings including practicum, center-based, family child care and family friend and neighbor settings. The CDSS also has a partnership with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to train regional Resource and Referral leads on Health and Safety standards. The UCSF provide regular opportunities for Resource & Referral (R&R) agencies’ staff members to become certified as UCSF-CCHP Preventive Health trainers and provide ongoing technical assistance and support to the network of affiliated trainers. The UCSF-CCHP affiliated network of trainers currently includes over 100 certified trainers who teach the Preventive Health class. The CDSS partners with Fresno State University supporting the Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC) to provide academic bearing units for providers participating in PITC Online and in-person training. iii. ☐ X Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: First 5 California provides joint leadership CDE and CDSS for Quality Counts California, California’s quality rating and improvement system, and other initiatives that impact child care and development. The Preschool Development Renewal Grant (PDG-R), managed by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), supports activities to build capacity of local QCC consortia to assist caregivers and providers. The PDG-R funds are utilized to increase the support and capacity of family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, family child care providers, and home- visiting providers to provide quality care for underserved populations. In addition, PDG-R funds were dedicated to help CDSS in improving statewide consumer education supports available to families and providers, including the MyChildCarePlan.org website designed to help California’s families find child care services that meet their unique needs. iv. ☐ X State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: The CDSS administers the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP), the state’s largest home visiting program. Through the HVP CDSS creates and strengthens intentional connections between CCDF eligible families and child development. The CDSS utilizes the HVP to support consumer education for families to ensure that they are aware of their choices and services available to them. As part of administration of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, CDSS continues to work with First 5 California, the CDPH Home Visiting Programs, the Oral Health Statewide Program, and the CDE's Homeless Education, and Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as collaborating with other safety net programs housed within CDSS, such as Child Welfare Services. Through extensive internal cross- collaboration meetings and convenings staff work to integrate CCDF efforts across these safety net programs, which was a primary goal of the transition of child care programs to CDSS. Through the HVP, CDSS has and maintains an intentional connection to child development and consumer education. v. ☐ X Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: The DHCS is the lead agency for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, including Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment coverage. The CDSS coordinates with the DHCS is to ensure that all of the State's R&Rs, direct service contractors, and APP providers are aware of the services provided at the county level, particularly Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment. In addition, the CHSCO participates in various federal, state, and local meetings to share professional development opportunities, resources, local partnerships, and funding opportunities. The CHSCO also serves as a link between HS Funded programs and various state programs to assist HS funded programs in meeting federal requirements for oral and physical health services and parent education, including but not limited to, immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, developmental screenings, infection control, medication administration, and the importance of oral and physical health. vi. ☐ X State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The CDSS is responsible for child welfare and the administration of Child Welfare Services through county welfare departments. The CDSS is responsible for the analysis, development and implementation of statewide policies and procedures, regulations, and intervention strategies related to child protection and early intervention, foster care, and adoption. The CDSS also leads efforts related to child trafficking, and continuum of care reform and processes. The alignment of CCDF programs, supports, and services within CDSS, as the lead agency, facilitates and streamlines services, including access to quality child care, for children and families who interact with the child welfare system. The CDSS aims to provide key supports to families prior to the need for foster care in order to reduce the need for out-of-home placements. vii. ☐ X Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The CDSS coordinates with several provider groups and associations to ensure they are aware of any updates or changes to policies and procedures based on recent legislation and to discuss current early learning and care issues in the field. This is done by participation in regularly scheduled meetings and conferences hosted by the groups and associations. These groups and associations include, but are not limited to, EveryChild California, Thriving Families California (formerly known as California Alternative Payment Program Association), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Head Start California Association, the California CCR&R Network, and the CCPU. viii. ☐ X Parent groups or organizations. Describe: The CDSS coordinates with Parent Voices California and its 15 chapters across the state, including Community Voices in LA county, which is described on its website as “…a parent-led, parent-run grassroots organization fighting to make quality child care accessible and affordable for all families.” The CDSS encourages participation from parents in all stakeholder settings. Additionally, Parent Voices has a representative on the ECPC, who chairs the Parent Advisory Committee. ix. ☐ Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: Not applicable. x. ☐ Other. Describe: Not applicable.