6.1 Supporting the Child Care Workforce

Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to implement policies and practices to support the child care workforce. 6.1.1 Strategies to improve recruitment, retention, compensation, and well-being a. Identify any Lead Agency activities related to strengthening workforce recruitment and retention of child care providers. Check all that apply: i. [x] Providing program-level grants to support investments in staff compensation. ii. [ ] Providing bonuses or stipends paid directly to staff, like sign-on or retention bonuses. iii. [x] Connecting family child care providers and center-based child care staff to health insurance or supporting premiums in the Marketplace. iv. [ ] Subsidizing family child care provider and center-based child care staff retirement benefits. v. [ ] Providing paid sick, personal, and parental leave for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vi. [ ] Providing student loan debt relief or loan repayment for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vii. [x] Providing scholarships or tuition support for center-based child care staff and family child care providers. viii. [ ] Other. Describe: b. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to assess and improve the compensation of the child care workforce in the State or Territory, including increasing wages, bonuses, and stipends. The Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) supports the compensation of the child care workforce by partnering with child care programs. These partnerships provide financial support for state-funded early care and education seats. In state fiscal year 2025, there are 1,703 state-funded seats. Child care programs with contracts from OEL receive an annual payment of $14,508 per full-day 3 and 4 year old seat, $18,300 per toddler seat, and $25,008 per infant seat. State-funded programs must adhere to the State-Funded Early Care and Education Program Policies and Procedures, which include requirements for recruiting and retaining high-quality staff. State-funded standards are mirrored after the Head Start Program Performance Standards; at least 50% of lead teachers are required to have bachelors’ degrees. Programs are offered a higher rate of reimbursement per day than the state’s Purchase of Care state subsidy through an enrollment-based contract. Programs are expected to use their budgets to pay their highly qualified staff competitive salaries. The OEL also assists programs in developing, funding, and implementing Quality Improvement Plans. As part of the quality improvement system, programs receive quality improvement awards to enact goals towards quality improvement. Delaware prioritized funding plans that help programs increase the quality of their workforce. As a result, Quality Improvement Awards can be used to pay above minimum wage, increased qualifications bonuses, paid sick or family leave, retirement contributions, or recruitment and retention bonuses. Notably, the quality improvement award amounts will be increased in state fiscal year 2025 to further support programs in enhancing staff compensation. c. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to expand access to benefits, including health insurance, paid sick, personal, and parental leave, and retirement benefits. The Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) has expanded access to benefits for all licensed child care programs participating in Delaware’s quality improvement system using state appropriated funds. OEL offers quality improvement awards to programs that are prioritizing goals to improve the quality of their staff, which can include offering benefits, including health insurance, paid sick, personal, and parental leave, and retirement benefits. In addition, OEL has taken steps to inform the child care workforce about health insurance options by sharing information about open enrollment for health insurance through Marketplace with all licensed providers. Furthermore, the Department of Education (DOE) hosts representatives from Westside Family Healthcare to present information during one of the bi-monthly virtual ￿Provider Call￿ meetings at least once each year. These meetings are well attended, with 150-250 providers each month; all licensed programs and stakeholders are invited to participate. d. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to support the mental health and well-being of the child care workforce. Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) has been identified as a specific approach to promote successful social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes in infants and young children and to prevent early childhood suspensions and expulsions. Delaware’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) service, under the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, is offered to Delaware’s Office of Child Care Licensing’s licensed programs. ECMHC consultants work with classroom teachers to support social and emotional learning and address behavioral concerns of young children, birth to age five. By design, this is a prevention and early intervention service providing intensive onsite consultation, early intervention classroom strategies, training, coaching, professional development opportunities and help with access to more intensive community-based mental health services. ECMHC is provided by clinically licensed mental health professionals conducted in partnership with an early care and education program. There are several components to the ECMHC process: 1) Child-specific consultation - focuses on those young children in need of individualized classroom interventions as well as facilitating referrals for community-based services. Assists teaching staff to support a child more effectively with behavioral challenges. 2) Classroom-wide consultation - focuses on building the capacity of the teachers to support the social and emotional development of all young children and more effectively work with children with behavioral challenges. 3) Skill-based training and direct coaching for classroom teachers. 4) Program-wide training and related professional development. 5) Family training and resource sharing. Contracted Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants provide key services statewide to early care and education programs across all three counties with bi-lingual capacity in New Castle and Sussex County. The ECMHCs are all clinically licensed mental health specialists (Psy.D., LCSW, LPCMH) with extensive early childhood expertise. All are fully trained in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and other evidence-based practices unique to early childhood. These staff and services are being managed by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families/Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services. An additional effort to support the mental health and well-being of the child care workforce is aligned with the state's Preschool Development Grant (PDG). Delaware has used PDG funds to move forward in designing an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) model for our state. During the 2023 calendar year, Delaware worked with national experts on the following items: engaging in stakeholder feedback on the current state of home visiting through focus groups with home visitors, supervisors, and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants, as well as feedback from the Home Visiting Community Advisory Board; creating multiple training and orientation materials to acclimate the state to the new model; and presenting in collaboration with the MIECHV at the PDG Convening to discuss our partnerships across state systems within Delaware. Delaware is prepared to launch Phase II ￿ Implementation with continued PDG funding in 2024. e. Describe any other strategies the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to support providers’ recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. DOE contracts with the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University (DSU) using state appropriated funding to offer Child Development Associate (CDA) credential Cohort and Scholarship Models to support with the recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. ECIC offers three models to obtain the international CDA credential. Each model is designed to meet the unique individual needs of the early childhood workforce. The comprehensive CDA cohort model is intentionally designed to provide intensive support needed throughout the CDA credentialing process. Focused on a different CDA competency each month, the cohorts meet twice a month, one virtual and one in-person. Using a multi-layered approach, CDA candidates have individualized, relationship-based coaching to support each aspect of the CDA requirements. Incentives include a laptop, a $500 stipend, cost of credential covered, CDA books, Quorum E-Learning account (for virtual CDA classes), and a $1,000 completion stipend. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and have continuous employment in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week in a licensed setting. The self-guided model gives highly motivated, organized educators with exceptional time management skills the ability to navigate through the required steps of the CDA credential. Candidates who are in this model manage various projects and timelines, have a clear expectation of written requirements, and the ability to articulate written components as required by the Council for Professional Recognition independently. Progressing at their own pace, these candidates have one monthly progress check-in with the facilitator coach. Participants of the self-guided model are responsible for keeping themselves on track and ensuring all their materials are ready for approval by the Council for Professional Recognition. The facilitator coach assists them with scheduling their observation and exam. Incentives include a laptop, a $500 stipend, cost of credential covered, CDA books, Quorum E-Learning account (for virtual CDA classes), and a $1,000 completion stipend. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and remain in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week. The fee only model was designed to support professionals who may already be working on their CDA and are approaching the finish line. These candidates do not participate in a cohort. They are eligible for the CDA Assessment fee to be covered and a $1,000 completion stipend. The ECIC covers the $425 cost for candidates in this model. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and have continuous employment in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week in a licensed setting. ECIC also provides scholarships and support for degree attainment. As part of the Associate (AA) degree scholarship program, tuition up to 12 credits per semester and some fees are covered without any employer requirements. Requirements include maintaining a 2.5 GPA, working in a licensed child care facility, and participation in progress updates with the scholarship coordinator. Upon completion of a degree program, six months continuous employment in early child care and education is also required for completion stipends. The ECIC’s Bachelor’s (BA) degree scholarship program mirrors this programming; tuition is paid up to 12 credits per semester and some fees without any employer requirements. Requirements include maintaining a 2.5 GPA, working in a licensed child care facility, and participation in progress updates with the scholarship coordinator. Upon completion of a degree program, six months continuous employment in early child care and education is also required for completion stipends. Associate Program Stipends Incentives include: $250 ￿Support Stipend￿ per semester, $2,500 ￿30-Credit Milestone Stipend,￿ and $5,000 ￿Completion Stipend￿ after six months continuous employment in early care and education. The Bachelor’s Program Stipends Incentives include: $250 ￿Support Stipend￿ per semester and $10,000 ￿Completion Stipend￿ after six months continuous employment in early care and education. In addition, Continuation Stipends are offered in the amount of $1,000 for enrolling and being accepted to pursue a Bachelor’s degree within six months and $500 for enrolling and being accepted to pursue a Bachelor’s degree within one year. 6.1.2 Strategies to support provider business practices a. Describe other strategies that the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to strengthen child care providers’ business management and administrative practices. The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC), contracted by the Department of Education (DOE), offers quality-assured training free to early childhood professionals. DIEEC collaborated with the Small Business Development Center to create the following topic-specific trainings in administration and management: The Leader’s Role in Building Authentic Community Engagement Plus, Risk Management in the Early Care Setting, Strengthening Business Practices: Marketing Your Program for Center-Based Administrators PLUS, Leaders Bridging the Connection Gap: Individualizing Relationships PLUS, The Business of Early Childhood: Your Purpose, Passion and Position as a Leader PLUS. These PLUS trainings come with quality-assured follow-up coaching sessions. The coaching ensures that the content, activities, and information received during the training can be effectively implemented and incorporated into practice. The training calendar may be viewed at Professional Learning Experience Calendar ￿ DIEEC (dieecpd.org). b. Check the topics addressed in the Lead Agency’s strategies for strengthening child care providers’ administrative business practices. Check all that apply: i. [x] Fiscal management. ii. [x] Budgeting. iii. [x] Recordkeeping. iv. [ ] Hiring, developing, and retaining qualified staff. v. [x] Risk management. vi. [x] Community relationships. vii. [x] Marketing and public relations. viii. [x] Parent-provider communications. ix. [x] Use of technology in business administration. x. [x] Compliance with employment and labor laws. xi. [ ] Other. Describe any other efforts to strengthen providers’ administrative business: 6.1.3 Strategies to support provider participation Lead Agencies must facilitate participation of child care providers and staff with limited English proficiency and disabilities in the child care subsidy system. Describe how the Lead Agency will facilitate this participation, including engagement with providers to identify barriers and specific strategies used to support their participation: a. Providers and staff with limited English proficiency: To facilitate participation of child care providers and staff with limited English Proficiency, DOE began using translation services in ￿real time￿ for Spanish speakers during bi-monthly virtual provider meetings as well as for the Delaware Early Childhood Council meetings. DE will continue to offer these translation services. DIEEC offers free trainings in English and in Spanish, and Delaware has adopted iPD training which is also provided in English and in Spanish. ECIC provides Quroum for CDA coursework which is available in English and Spanish. ECIC has partnered with the University of Potomac to offer the CDA, AA and BA cohort opportunities in Spanish. b. Providers and staff who have disabilities: DOE takes steps to ensure that child care providers and staff with disabilities can actively participate. During bi-monthly virtual provider meetings and Delaware Early Childhood Council meetings, DOE utilizes closed captioning. This accommodation benefits individuals with hearing impairments. To address diverse auditory and visual needs, DOE distributes meeting minutes and recordings of these meetings. These communication efforts promote inclusivity and accessibility of information within the child care community.