6.2 Professional Development Framework

A Lead Agency must have a professional development framework for training, professional development, and post-secondary education for caregivers, teachers, and directors in child care programs that serve children of all ages. The framework must include these components: (1) professional standards and competencies, (2) career pathways, (3) advisory structures, (4) articulation, (5) workforce information, and (6) financing. CCDF provides Lead Agencies flexibility on the strategies, breadth, and depth of the framework. The professional development framework must be developed in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or a similar coordinating body. 6.2.1 Updates and consultation a. Did the Lead Agency make any updates to the professional development framework since the FFY 2022-2024 CCDF Plan was submitted? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe the elements of the framework that were updated and describe if and how the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (if applicable) or similar coordinating body was consulted: [x]No. b. Did the Lead Agency consult with other key groups in the development of their professional development framework? [ ] Yes. If yes, identify the other key groups: [x] No. 6.2.2 Description of the professional development framework a. Describe how the Lead Agency’s framework for training and professional development addresses the following required elements: i. Professional standards and competencies. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about which roles in early childhood education are included (such as teachers, directors, infant and toddler specialists, mental health consultants, coaches, licensors, QIS assessors, family service workers, home visitors). The Department of Human Services Child Care Provider Registry contractor, People Attentive To Children, utilizes the standards and competencies developed by the community-based collaborative workgroup of 27 agencies, organizations and State Departments, which can be found at http://patchhawaii.org/wp- content/uploads/2016/12/ASK-Booklet.pdf. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has a career lattice and framework that is in alignment with the requirements for staff at licensed center-based child care facilities and can be found at http://patchhawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ASK- Booklet.pdf The career lattice describes the sequence of qualifications related to professional development, including education, training, and experience required to fulfill various roles at licensed child care facilities throughout Hawaii. The career lattice is used as a voluntary guide and planning resource for career counseling provided through the Department’s contracted agency for the Child Care Provider Registry service and to guide early childhood staff in securing scholarships through the Department’s Training contracted services for continuing education in the early childhood workforce. DHS will continue to work with early childhood stakeholders from the Department’s Child Care Advisory Committee and the community-based collaborative workgroup of 27 agencies, organizations, and State Departments to determine if updated competencies specific for early care workforce, including home providers and center-based staff will be developed or updated. iii. Advisory structure. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about how the professional development advisory structure interacts with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. The Department of Human Services’ Child Care Advisory Committee convenes quarterly with 20 voting members statewide from a variety of early childhood stakeholders, including: a statewide child care center director’s group; an association for independent schools; the Head Start Association; the statewide Child Care Resource and Referral agency; a Kauai island representative; a Family Child Care provider; a Hawaii Island representative; a parent representative; the Tribal/Native Hawaiian CCDF agency; a faith-based representative; the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children; the Department of Health; a multi-site child care center organization group; a Maui County representative; a school-aged care representative; the University of Hawaii, Center on the Family; the Department of Education; the University of Hawaii Community Colleges; and an early childhood advocacy group. Additionally, other early childhood stakeholders are invited to attend the Child Care Advisory Committee meetings and participate in the discussions. The Department of Human Services has had discussions with the Child Care Advisory Committee members and early childhood stakeholder attendees regarding workforce development issues. The Department will continue to work with the Department’s Child Care Advisory Committee to review and improve upon the Professional Development requirements. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. Articulation agreements are in place across and within institutions of higher education within Hawaii. This is also monitored within the group of higher education representatives that meet regularly to discuss ways to increase the availability and accessibility of higher education coursework. v. Workforce information. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about workforce demographics, educator well-being, retention/turnover surveys, actual wage scales, and/or access to benefits. The Department of Human Services has standardized the evaluation of staff qualifications for education and experience through a statewide contracted service for the Department of Human Services Child Care Provider Registry. Staff employed at licensed infant and toddler centers, group child care centers, and group child care homes are required to submit their education and experience qualifications to the registry service to determine which position(s) the individual is qualified to fill at a licensed infant and toddler center, group child care center, or group child care home. Registered family child care home operators and legally exempt child care providers caring for children whose families are receiving CCDF subsidies are not required to participate in the Child Care Provider Registry. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. The Department of Human Services offers scholarships to child care providers and staff working with children and pursing Child Development Associate credential or post-secondary degrees in early childhood education or child development through the contracted Scholarships services. b. Does the Lead Agency use additional elements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the element(s). Check all that apply. i. [ ] Continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. Describe: ii. [x] Engagement of training and professional development providers, including higher education, in aligning training and educational opportunities with the Lead Agency's framework. Describe: At the Department of Human Services Child Care Advisory Committee statewide quarterly meetings, the Department has discussed and will continue to discuss the requirement with members, comprised of training and professional development providers, and early childhood stakeholders. Continued discussion will address aligning training and educational opportunities to capture more information about supporting the early childhood workforce in on-going professional development, including meeting the on-going training requirements that the Department is in the process of establishing, the Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge (ASK), core competencies for center-based child care programs adopted in 2000 and utilized by the Department of Human Services Child Care Provider Registry which has standardized the review and evaluation of qualifications for education and experience for staff at licensed infant and toddler centers, group child care centers, and group child care homes. The Department of Human Services will continue to work with early childhood stakeholders from the Department’s Child Care Advisory Committee and the community-based collaborative workgroup of 27 agencies, organizations, and State Departments that are interested in having a workgroup update the core competencies for center-based staff and formalizing core competencies for home-based child care providers that can be adopted by the Hawaii Department of Human Services which will align with the Department’s child care licensing and registration requirements and can be utilized in the Department of Human Services Child Care Registry contracted agency. The Department of Human Services continues to look at opportunities to partner with the Department of Education on the development of professional development curricula and providing school-age specific providers (home-based and center-based) sustainable, on-going professional development modules to meet the on-going training requirements for CCDF. iii. [ ] Other. Describe: [ ] No. 6.2.3 Impact of the Professional Development Framework Describe how the framework improves the quality, diversity, stability, and retention of caregivers, teachers, and directors and identify what data are available to assess the impact. a. Professional standards and competencies. For example, do the professional standards and competencies reflect the diversity of providers across role, child care setting, or age of children served? The Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge core competencies for center-based child care program were adopted in 2000 and are utilized by the Department of Human Services Child Care Provider Registry, which has standardized the review and evaluation of qualifications for education and experience for staff at licensed infant and toddler centers, group child care centers, and group child care homes. The Department will continue to work with early childhood stakeholders from the Department’s Child Care Advisory Committee and the community-based collaborative workgroup of 27 agencies, organizations, and State Departments that are interested in having a workgroup update the core competencies for center-based staff and formalizing core competencies for home-based child care providers that can be adopted by the Department of Human Services which will align with the Department’s child care licensing and registration requirements and can be utilized in the Department’s Child Care Registry contracted agency. The Hawaii Afterschool Alliance (HAA) has created core competencies for school- age childcare centers, including afterschool and summer programs which the Department of Human Services may consider. b. Career pathways. For example, has the Lead Agency developed a wage ladder that provides progressively higher wages as early educators gain more experience and credentials? What types of child care settings and staff roles are addressed in career pathways, such as licensed centers and family child care homes? The career lattice describes the sequence of qualifications related to professional development, including education, training, and experience required to fulfill various roles at licensed child care facilities throughout Hawaii. The career lattice is used as a voluntary guide and planning resource for career counseling provided through the Department of Human Services contracted agency for the Child Care Provider Registry service and to guide early childhood staff in securing scholarships through the Department’s Training contracted services for continuing education in the early childhood workforce. The Department of Human Services offers scholarships to child care providers and staff working with children and pursing Child Development Associate credential or post-secondary degrees in early childhood education or child development through the contracted Child Care Registry and Scholarships services. Scholarships are provided for post-secondary education coursework to individuals working in the child care sector or not yet entered and pursuing their post-secondary degrees in Early Childhood Education or obtaining a Child Development Associate to promote qualified staff and retention of staff through a career pathway. c. Advisory structure. For example, has the advisory structure identified goals for child care workforce compensation, including types of staff and target compensation levels? Does the Lead Agency have a Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant and is part of its scope of work child care compensation activities? Are they represented in the advisory structure? The Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five Grant Program is operated through the Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, in collaboration with the Executive Office on Early Learning. As part of the Preschool Development Birth to Five grant, there is an economic impact study to analyze the projection of costs to expand and stabilize the Early Child Care Workforce. d. Articulation. For example, how does the advisory structure include training and professional development for providers, including higher education, to assist in aligning training and education opportunities? Articulation agreements are in place across and within institutions of higher education within Hawaii allow for the early childhood workforce to be able to transfer higher education coursework across campuses to obtain required credits toward the early childhood education or child development degrees. Financial assistance is provided to attain credentials and post-secondary degrees: The Department of Human Services offers scholarships to child care providers and staff working with children and pursing Child Development Associate credential or post- secondary degrees in early childhood education or child development through the contracted Child Care Registry and Scholarships services. Scholarships are provided for post-secondary education coursework to individuals working in the child care sector or not yet entered and pursuing their post-secondary degrees in Early Childhood Education or obtaining a Child Development Associate to promote qualified staff and retention of staff through a career pathway. e. Workforce information. For example, does the Lead Agency have data on the existing wages and benefits available to the child care workforce? Do any partners such as the Quality Improvement System, child care resource and referral agencies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and universities and research organizations collect compensation and benefits data? Does the Lead Agency monitor child care workforce wages and access to benefits through ongoing data collection and evaluation? Can the data identify any disparities in the existing compensation and benefits (by geography, role, child care setting, race, ethnicity, gender, or age of children served)? The Department of Human Services has standardized the evaluation of staff qualifications for education and experience through a statewide contracted service for the Department’s Child Care Provider Registry. Staff employed at licensed infant and toddler centers, group child care centers, and group child care homes are required to submit their education and experience qualifications to the registry service to determine which position(s) the individual is qualified to fill at a licensed infant and toddler center, group child care center, or group child care home. Registered family child care home operators and legally exempt child care providers caring for children whose families are receiving CCDF subsidies are not required to participate in the Child Care Provider Registry. Information related to staff wages and benefits is not collected in the child care provider registry. f. Financing. For example, has the Lead Agency set a minimum or living wage as a floor for all child care staff? Do Lead Agency-provider subsidy agreements contain requirements for staff compensation levels? Do Lead Agencies provide program-level compensation grants to support staff base salaries and benefits? Does the Lead Agency administer bonuses or stipends directly to workers? The Hawaii Department of Human Services offers scholarships to child care providers and staff.