8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: CDEC leads or supports multiple public- private partnerships to leverage public and private resources. PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES -CDEC partners with the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to offer Child Care Business Training at no cost to new and existing licensed child care providers and family, friend and neighbor caregivers in both English and Spanish. The Child Care Business Training is delivered through a partnership between local Small Business Development Centers and Early Childhood Councils (ECCs). This ensures the participants are supported with a mix of both early childhood and business expertise. The work has established and strengthened relationships between these entities at the local level, leading to other collaborative efforts like community-based small business conferences for child care providers. The Child Care Business Training and resulting relationships support child care growth and sustainability. -The ECLC, the state advisory council, serves as a key public-private body charged to promote alignment, coordination and collaboration. The ECLC is statutorily charged to assist public and private agencies in coordinating efforts to enhance alignment, which includes collaboration among six state departments; advise and make recommendations to CDEC and other state agencies; and develop strategies and monitor efforts to increase the access, quality and equity of services and supports on behalf of pregnant women and people and children birth through age eight. The ECLC provides a consistent vision for the state’s early childhood system through adoption of the Early Childhood Colorado Framework, as well as endorsing various plans that align and leverage the state’s resources, such as the Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan and the Comprehensive Early Childhood Strategic Plan. -Economic Mobility and Alignment with Local County Public Health and Human Services: CDEC partners closely with County Departments of Human Services and Public Health to build on the expertise of those serving families directly in their communities to align and connect families to resources. This partnership promotes family wellbeing and economic mobility as families can more easily access services and resources and leverage existing mechanisms for communication and outreach. -CDEC has committed to building relationships and working with Tribal communities all across Colorado by creating a Tribal Liaison position within the department to focus on Tribal affairs. Through the work of the Tribal Liaison we encourage partnerships among Tribal organizations to leverage existing service delivery to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13 by working in alignment with Tribal organizations with a process that includes learning about the Tribal community that the organizations serves, learning about goals and dreams of that identified Tribal organization, and then brainstorming opportunities of support that access existing options and systems. This process looks different in each Tribal community and can include support with identifying funding opportunities, connecting programs, providing safe spaces for feedback and input, and participating in community events. This flexibility to tailor the approach to partnership provides a rich range of opportunities to celebrate the great strengths of these Tribal communities. -CDEC’s Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) project has created a training and grant program for community-based and non-profit organizations to offer credentialed (non-licensed) training programs, resources, and technical assistance to the FFN providers. FFN providers are non- licensed childcare providers that serve four or fewer children in a single setting. -Through the PDG B-5 grant, CDEC created Child Care Business Guides for Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers (two separate guides), available in both English and Spanish. The purpose of the guides is to provide an easily accessible, soft copy compendium of resources to support providers in starting or maintaining their business. This product was created and is updated annually in partnership with staff across CDEC programs; other state agencies, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade; nonprofit organizations, like Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, Early Milestones, Healthy Child Care Colorado, Small Business Majority and Energize Colorado; Early Childhood Councils and Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance; and child care providers and their associations, like the Family Child Care Home Association. The guides include information on CCCAP, CACFP and other programs that support the success of child care businesses. -Mobile Child Care Pilot for Substance Use Disorder Treatment in partnership with Illuminate Colorado (state general fund): Illuminating Child Care provides an innovative systemic approach to increasing access to child care for parents and caregivers navigating complex life situations, like mental health concerns, substance use disorders, or employment challenges, as they seek to strengthen their families. The program provides both community navigation support that connects families to resources, as well as mobile child care classrooms for infants and toddlers that offer child care to caregivers on-site where they’re getting the support they need. PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE AGENCIES -CDEC partners closely with multiple private philanthropic foundations, including the Buell Foundation and Gary Community Ventures, to strengthen Colorado’s early childhood system. In addition to regular conversations on systems-level work, the foundations support strategic investment in key CDEC priorities and serve on multiple statewide advisory groups. For example, Gary Community Ventures is assisting with the development of the statewide ECIDS, and the family CCCAP application, as well as providing CDEC with feedback on CCCAP policy with support on rule development. The Buell Foundation is a statewide leader on issues related to the early childhood workforce - including supporting the statewide Early Childhood Leadership Network and supporting a dedicated workforce-specific fund - and strengthening the local Early Childhood Councils (ECCs) to ensure a strong local infrastructure statewide. CDEC Workforce Division team meets with Buell leaders monthly on workforce issues. CDEC and Buell also co-fund the state’s early childhood mental health consultation work through a statewide nonprofit that supports the network of early childhood mental health consultants throughout Colorado. -Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) + Employer-Based Child Care Feasibility Guide. CDEC partners with EPIC on initiatives that support business involvement in early childhood, particularly in increasing employee access to child care. CDEC meets with EPIC regularly along with the Public-Private Partnership Collaboration Unit at the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration to ensure the TA for employer-based child care is being implemented effectively statewide. This collaboration has expanded the implementation of employer-based and employer- supported child care throughout Colorado. The result of this collaboration includes the development of an Employer-Based Child Care Feasibility & Assessment Guide through the state’s PDG B-5 grant. The Guide, which is broadly disseminated to businesses and other partners across the state, provides information and tools to employees and businesses interested in employer- based child care to make a case for on or near site child care, begin exploring the model that would work best for their business, and start planning for implementation. PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS -CDEC Family Voice Council has twelve members who are diverse in race, ethnicity, language and geography who work to provide guidance and feedback to ensure that programs and services are delivered in ways that best meet the diverse needs of families with young children. -The Family & Community Engagement Committee, co-facilitated by CDEC and CDHS and a community organization, is a cross-sector group focused on enhancing engagement opportunities for parents and families to ensure diversity, inclusion, representation, and accessibility, and reduce redundancy. MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING (MOUs) or INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS (IAAs) -Required pursuant to section 26.5-3-404, C.R.S., MOU between CDEC and CDE governing the coordination of transitions of children from part C child find to part B child find has been established. Section 3(a): Administration of Part C and Transition of Part C to Part B of this report (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1az8Q7VWyUGuFKbP2wHc- OQxAWFMhJjcmT28R6x2th0k/edit#heading=h.w22r3srlnmpl) details the content and execution of this MOU. -MOU between CDEC and CDHS’s Division of Child Welfare governing the coordination and alignment of child abuse and neglect prevention programs and services has been established. Section 3(g): Operational Alignment Between Early Childhood Services and Child Welfare System of this report ( https://docs.google.com/document/d/1az8Q7VWyUGuFKbP2wHc- OQxAWFMhJjcmT28R6x2th0k/edit#heading=h.r5cx9fooxikn) details the content and execution of this MOU. -IAA between CDEC and CDHS governing coordination regarding CDHS’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, CDEC’s Background Investigation Unit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Child Support collection has been established. -Partnership agreement with the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) governing coordination for the provision of behavioral health and early childhood services has been established. The following MOUs are in progress and expected to be completed in the 2025-2027 CCDF State Plan period: -MOU with CDPHE establishing responsibilities for the evaluation of the Maternal and Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; the Colorado and Adult Child Care Food Program; and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. -MOU with CDHE ensuring alignment in the creation of pathways for higher education early childhood credits. -MOU with Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF) establishing responsibilities for Medicaid alignment with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C, Healthy Steps, and Nurse Family Partnerships. -MOU with Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) regarding the implementation of business classes for child care providers and a Facilities Grant program. -MOU with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to establish partnership opportunities with local affairs, including housing projects that incorporate early childhood centers or learning spaces. -MOU with CDLE to outline opportunities for elevating the early childhood workforce as part of the state’s overall labor and employment investment efforts. The MOU will also delineate responsibilities to support fathers in the Colorado Fatherhood Program with career support. -MOU with CDHS Office of Economic Security to outline opportunities to support the early childhood workforce with benefits coordination and potential cliff mitigation resulting from compensation increase efforts.