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 DEL convened a CCDF Sub-committee that included all the key stakeholders. The stakeholders were provided with a draft of the plan for comments. When comments were received, the DEL addressed those the comments within the plan and, as necessary, reached out to CCDF Sub-committee members to have a discussion and amended language as applicable. The DEL worked to incorporate comments as applicable. The DEL invited the CCDF Sub- committee to an in-person meeting with a virtual option to finalize the plan on February 7, 2024. The DEL provided the CCDF Sub-committee with a second draft of the plan prior to submission. 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 Miccosukee Indian tribe was emailed an invitation to be a part of the CCDF Sub-committee and a copy of the plan for input. The Miccosukee Indian tribe was provided an opportunity to participate in the CCDF Sub-committee meeting as well as two opportunities to offer comment on the draft plan. The Miccosukee Indian tribe did not respond to the DEL’s request. [ ] 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 DEL coordinates the Inclusion Cross-Agency Team, a cross-agency initiative promoting inclusive options for young children with disabilities and their families, representing FLDOE Bureaus of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS), Florida DOH, Early Steps (Part C), the Florida HSSCCO, Technical Assistance and Training Systems (TATS), Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA), and the Florida Inclusion Network. This group has established a strategic plan to expand opportunities to children with special needs through greater collaboration at the state and local levels. A representative of programs for children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act serves on each ELC board at the local level to better coordinate services. In addition, the DEL maintains a statewide toll-free Warm Line for the purpose of providing assistance and consultation to child care personnel about health, developmental disability, and special needs issues. ELCs collaborate with comparable local service providers to promote increased awareness of early childhood inclusion issues and provide training and technical assistance regarding the needs of children with disabilities. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Successful collaborations between Head Start, Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grantees and the DEL have expanded opportunities for additional children to receive Head Start comprehensive services (as described in 45 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Parts 98 and 99, s. 98.12). Using a variety of service delivery models and maximizing the funding by providing wrap around services for families enrolled in Head Start, Early Head Start - CCP and to provide more families with comprehensive services, thus better meeting the needs of working families throughout the state. Each ELC board has a representative member from Head Start and has a trained team of CCR&R Specialists to refer families to programs they may be eligible for, such as Head Start. As a provision of the Revised Head Start Act of 2007, Head Start grantees must develop agreements with their ELCs for enhanced communication, service delivery, and data collection purposes. At the state level, the HSSCCO is housed within DEL, and they work closely together on policies. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The DEL coordinates with Florida DOH for KidCare (state children’s health insurance program), early intervention services through Children’s Medical Services, Early Steps Program and Community Health Promotion, and the Child Care Food Program to enhance and align the quality of services. Some ELCs contract with local county health departments to enhance the quality of services to families. A county health department director or designee serves on each ELC board. The ELC’s Warm Line links child care providers to early intervention services, such as Early Steps. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Florida Department of Commerce coordinates with DCF to implement employment and training work requirements for TANF recipients. The goal of these efforts is to coordinate services, resources, fund coordination, and availability of services at One-Stop Career Centers. A local workforce development board executive director or permanent designee serves on each ELC board at the local level to better coordinate services. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The DEL is housed within the FLDOE, which is responsible for the oversight of K-12 education, vocational schools, state colleges and universities. The DEL is the Lead Agency responsible for administering the State's CCDF program and the VPK program. DEL is responsible for oversight of the 30 local ELCs. ELC board representation includes a district school superintendent and a president of a Florida College System institution. ELCs and RCMA work with local school districts and colleges within their areas to provide supports or direct services for the SR and VPK Education programs. Coordination efforts with FLDOE also include development of the Florida Early Learning Developmental Standards: Birth to Five, development of VPK Standards for children enrolled in VPK programs, and administration of accountability requirements for the VPK Program through coordinated screening and progress monitoring. These efforts assist the state in enhancing and aligning quality of services. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: DCF is responsible for child care licensing and regulation and ELC board representation includes both a DCF regional administrator and a DCF child care regulation representative or head of the LLA. Pursuant to s. 402.26, F.S., the legislative intent is that DCF must ensure that children are well cared for in a safe, healthy, positive, and educational environment by trained, qualified child care staff in licensed child care arrangements. Florida law identifies those child care establishments that must be licensed. State licensure standards address health, sanitation, safety, and adequate physical surroundings; health and nutrition; and child development needs of children in child care. The DCF is statutorily responsible for administering child care licensing and training in 63 of the state’s 67 counties. State law also allows county governments with licensing standards that meet or exceed state minimum standards to designate an LLA to license child care facilities in their counties. Currently, four counties have local licensing and inspection programs. In the remaining counties, DCF performs child care regulatory and compliance activities for licensed child care arrangements. Pursuant to s. 402.307, F.S., DCF's oversight responsibility for child care licensing in the four locally licensed counties is: - Within 30 days after the promulgation of state minimum standards, each county shall provide DCF with a copy of its standards if they differ from the state minimum standards. At the same time, each county shall provide DCF with the administrative procedures it intends to use for the licensing of child care facilities. - The DCF shall have the authority to determine if local standards meet or exceed state minimum standards. Within 60 days after the county has submitted its standards and procedures, DCF, upon being satisfied that such standards meet or exceed state minimum standards and that there is compliance with all provisions of ss. 402.301- 402.319, F.S., shall approve the LLA. Approval to issue licenses for DCF shall be renewed annually. For renewal, the LLA shall submit to DCF a copy of the licensing standards and procedures applied. An onsite review may be made if deemed necessary by DCF. - If, following an onsite review, DCF finds the LLA is not applying the approved standards, DCF shall report the specific violations to the county commission of the involved county, which shall investigate the violations and take whatever action necessary to correct them. - To ensure that accurate statistical data are available, each LLA shall report annually to DCF the number of child care facilities under its jurisdiction, the number of children served, the ages of children served and the number of revocations or denials of licenses. DEL, in cooperation with the ELCs, coordinates with the DCF and the LLA to avoid duplicating interagency activities, such as health and safety monitoring. The DCF and the LLA's conduct inspections required for CCDF providers and provide that information on a public website for viewing. 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 DEL coordinates with Florida DOH to share resources on healthy food and nutrition practices and to reduce fraud in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The goal is to align services. The Child Care Food Program provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to children in child care settings. 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 FLDOE McKinney-Vento Program (FMVP) participates in advisory groups and provides consultation, as needed, on outreach and identification of qualifying families. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MVA), Local Educational Agency (LEA) McKinney-Vento (MV) Liaisons are required to ensure that families and children experiencing homelessness, have access to and receive educational services for which such families and children are eligible, including services through Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) and other preschool programs administered by the LEA. Therefore, local-level MV programs provide information on early learning programs to newly identified homeless families and make referrals to their local ELC, Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs. This coordination of services assists eligible families and children experiencing homelessness in the state to have access to quality early learning programs. The FMVP is collaborating with early learning programs (e.g., Head Start, SR) to expand professional learning and technical assistance to the local MV Liaisons and other state partners. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: DCF is responsible for the administration of TANF eligibility. The DEL and ELCs coordinate child care placements for TANF recipients to help ensure that TANF requirements are met and to expand accessibility and continuity of care. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is responsible for the administration of Medicaid in Florida. The DEL coordinates with AHCA on the drafting of the CCDF plan to ensure that any opportunities for coordination are utilized. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: DCF’s Department for Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) is responsible for the oversight of a statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders. The DEL coordinates with DCF’s SAMH to ensure opportunities for collaboration are addressed within the plan. 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 CCR&R State Network office, housed within DEL, coordinates with the state’s 30 ELCs to offer families and providers comprehensive CCR&R services at the local level, including consumer education, provider listings, information on financial and community resources, and provider training and technical assistance. State network staff develop and provide local CCR&R agencies with consumer education resources to educate parents and providers on best practices in child development and early childhood care and education. This coordination links comprehensive services to children in child care settings. The DEL network of lead trainers within the ELCs provides training on many early childhood topics to include promoting the social skills, emotional competency, physical, and cognitive development of children, including those efforts related to nutrition and physical activity, using scientifically based, developmentally appropriate, and age- appropriate strategies. o. Statewide afterschool network or other coordinating entity for out-of-school time care (if applicable). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The DEL coordinates with the Florida After School regarding the draft CCDF plan. DEL works closely with Florida After School and the State’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers through shared goals, such as updating the Afterschool Standards and Core Competencies for professionals. DEL also serves on the Florida After School Advisory Council. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The DCF and DEL work collaboratively to coordinate services during times of emergencies. The DCF inspects providers for health and safety, including damages to their structures to ensure they are safe to care for children. The DEL works to ensure timely and accurate payments are made to providers. 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 DEL collaborates with the HSSCO, ELCs, and the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grantees to coordinate the delivery of services, inform policy decisions, and ensure smooth implementation of partner programs. The HSSCO is housed within DEL and provides a unique opportunity to collaborate and share information on Early Head Start initiatives. The HSSCO represents EHS at the state level through participation in monthly DEL Infant-Toddler Network meetings where EHS leadership is invited to attend along with ELC Infant Toddler Specialists. Along with other DEL staff, the HSSCO further collaborates as a member of the Infant Toddler State Network Community of Practice. The HSSCO is invited to participate in DEL extended leadership meetings and weekly ELC meetings to maintain communication regarding DEL initiatives. In addition, the HSSCO meets monthly with the VPK Project Coordinator and the CCRR manager to share relevant information. The HSSCO participates in CCRR monthly calls and has presented on Early Head Start. The DEL Chancellor and Deputy Director are informed of the work of the HSSCO monthly. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: The DEL collaborates with Polk State College’s Department of Early Childhood Education and Management. Polk State College is invited to participate in CCDF Sub-committee workgroups. iii. [x] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: The DEL collaborates with the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, implemented by the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, and the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida statewide home visiting program to design streamlined systems of care and scope development for all related quality initiatives iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: The DEL collaborates with the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visitation programs such as the Florida Ounce of Prevention Fund and the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions to design streamlined systems of care as well as scope development for all related quality initiatives. v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: AHCA is responsible for the administration of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment program in Florida. The DEL coordinates with AHCA on the drafting of the CCDF plan to ensure that any opportunities for coordination are utilized. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The DEL coordinates with the DCF Family Safety Office to promote child safety and ensure at-risk children have continuity of care and access to high-quality care. vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The DEL is in regular contact with provider associations regarding rules, regulations, and policy that affect child care providers in the state. Wherever possible, the DEL works with provider associations to resolve any policy related issues that arise as well as present during annual conferences hosted by provider associations. viii. [ ] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: ix. [x] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: The DEL coordinates with the Florida After School regarding the draft CCDF plan. DEL works closely with Florida After School and the State’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers through shared goals, such as updating the Afterschool Standards and Core Competencies for professionals. DEL also serves on the Florida After School Advisory Council. x. [ ] Other. Describe: