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2 | P a g e FFY 2025–2027 CCDF State Plan

Table of Contents Overview .......................................................................................................................................................4 1 CCDF Program Administration ...............................................................................................................6 1.1 CCDF Leadership .............................................................................................................................6 1.2 CCDF Policy Decision Authority ......................................................................................................7 1.3 Consultation in the Development of the CCDF Plan .....................................................................10 2 Child and Family Eligibility and Enrollment and Continuity of Care .....................................................12 2.1 Reducing Barriers to Family Enrollment and Redetermination ....................................................12 2.2 Eligible Children and Families .......................................................................................................14 2.3 Prioritizing Services for Vulnerable Children and Families ...........................................................23 2.4 Lead Agency Outreach to Families Experiencing Homelessness, Families with Limited English Proficiency, and Persons with Disabilities ....................................................................................25 2.5 Promoting Continuity of Care .......................................................................................................26 3 Child Care Affordability ........................................................................................................................31 3.1 Family Co-payments .....................................................................................................................31 3.2 Calculation of Co-Payment ...........................................................................................................33 3.3 Waiving Family Co-payment .........................................................................................................34 4 Parental Choice, Equal Access, Payment Rates, and Payment Practices .............................................35 4.1 Access to Full Range of Provider Options .....................................................................................35 4.2 Assess Market Rates and Analyze the Cost of Child Care .............................................................36 4.3 Adequate Payment Rates .............................................................................................................40 4.4 Payment Practices to Providers ....................................................................................................44 4.5 Supply Building .............................................................................................................................46 5 Health and Safety of Child Care Settings ..............................................................................................49 5.1 Licensing Requirements ...............................................................................................................50 5.2 Ratios, Group Size, and Qualifications for CCDF Providers ..........................................................51 5.3 Health and Safety Standards for CCDF Providers .........................................................................54 5.4 Pre-Service or Orientation Training on Health and Safety Standards ..........................................65 5.5 Monitoring and Enforcement of Licensing and Health and Safety Requirements .......................67 5.6 Ongoing Health and Safety Training .............................................................................................72 5.7 Comprehensive Background Checks ............................................................................................73 5.8 Exemptions for Relative Providers ...............................................................................................84 6 Support for a Skilled, Qualified, and Compensated Child Care Workforce ..........................................84 6.1 Supporting the Child Care Workforce ..........................................................................................84 6.2 Professional Development Framework ........................................................................................86 6.3 Ongoing Training and Professional Development ........................................................................88 6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines .............................................................................89 7 Quality Improvement Activities ...........................................................................................................90 7.1 Quality Activities Needs Assessment ............................................................................................91 7.2 Use of Quality Set-Aside Funds ....................................................................................................91