2.4 Lead Agency Outreach to Families Experiencing Homelessness, Families with Limited English Proficiency, and Persons with Disabilities

The Lead Agency must conduct outreach and provide services to families with limited English proficiency, families experiencing homelessness, and persons with disabilities. 2.4.1 Families with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities: outreach and services a. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with limited English proficiency. Check all that apply. i. [ ] Application in languages other than English (application and related documents, brochures, provider notices). ii. [x] Informational materials in languages other than English. iii. [ ] Website in languages other than English. iv. [x] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. v. [x] Bilingual caseworkers or translators available. vi. [ ] Bilingual outreach workers. vii. [x] Partnerships with community-based organizations. viii. [ ] Collaboration with Head Start, Early Head Start, or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. ix. [ ] Home visiting programs. x. [ ] Other. Describe: b. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with a person(s) with a disability. Check all that apply. i. [ ] Applications and public informational materials available in braille and other communication formats for access by individuals with disabilities. ii. [ ] Websites that are accessible (e.g., Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act). iii. [ ] Caseworkers with specialized training/experience in working with individuals with disabilities. iv. [ ] Ensuring accessibility of environments and activities for all children. v. [ ] Partnerships with State and local programs and associations focused on disability- related topics and issues. vi. [ ] Partnerships with parent associations, support groups, and parent-to-parent support groups, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers. vii. [x] Partnerships with State and local IDEA Part B, Section 619 and Part C providers and agencies. viii. [ ] Availability and/or access to specialized services (e.g., mental health, behavioral specialists, therapists) to address the needs of all children. ix. [ ] Other. Describe: 2.4.2 Families experiencing homelessness: Outreach and technical assistance efforts a. Check, where applicable, the procedures used to conduct outreach for children experiencing homelessness and their families. i. [x] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. ii. [x] Partnerships with community-based organizations. iii. [x] Partnering with homeless service providers, McKinney-Vento liaisons, and others who work with families experiencing homelessness to provide referrals to child care. iv. [ ] Other. Describe: b. The Lead Agency must provide training and technical assistance (TA) to providers and appropriate Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff on identifying and serving children and families experiencing homelessness. i. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for providers in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. The Department of Human Services will continue discussions with its Homeless Program Office to focus on increasing outreach services to the numerous community organizations who are serving homeless families across the state. The Department will focus on strategies to improve training and technical assistance for partner agencies to obtain information about the availability of child care services and child care subsidies so that families can access these services that are essential to supporting homeless families with young children to increase their economic self-sufficiency and be able to secure and maintain permanent housing for themselves. The Department’s contractor is part of Hawaii’s Childhood Homelessness Action Team and works alongside the Department of Education Community Liaison which focuses on providing resources to organizations that serve homeless families. The contractor provides curriculum on the Education Leads Home Series, Understanding the Impact of Unstable Housing, Family Engagement and Supportive Program Policies. By going through the curriculum, providers are expected to: develop empathy towards families that may be experiencing homelessness; develop an understanding of policies and procedures; and discuss supportive strategies that may lead to best practices when working with families. ii. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. The Department of Human Services will continue the existing partnership with the Department's Homeless Program Office to focus on increasing outreach to the numerous community organizations who are serving homeless families across the state. The Department will focus on strategies to improve training and technical assistance for partner agencies to obtain information about the availability of child care services, including the child care subsidy program and the child care resource and referral services, so that the community providers who are helping the families access these services that families are able to maintain and increase their economic self-sufficiency and to be able to secure and maintain permanent housing for themselves.