6.3 Ongoing Training and Professional Development

6.3.1 Required hours of ongoing training Provide the number of hours of ongoing training required annually for CCDF-eligible providers in the following settings: a. Licensed child care centers: 16 hours; substitutes (10 hours); volunteers (8 hours). b. License-exempt child care centers: 8 hours c. Licensed family child care homes: 16 hours; substitutes (10 hours); volunteers (8 hours) d. License-exempt family child care homes: 8 hours e. Regulated or registered in-home child care: 8 hours (Regulated exempt in-home care) f. Non-regulated or registered in-home child care: N/A 6.3.2 Accessibility of professional development for Tribal organizations Describe how the Lead Agency’s training and professional development are accessible to providers supported through Indian tribes or Tribal organizations receiving CCDF funds (as applicable). The Department of Human Services also contracts for services to provide training to promote on- going professional development opportunities to support quality child care settings to early childhood practitioners, including providers supported through tribal organizations and the statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider and its employees, for a nominal cost that covers 12 training series and 128 classes. The trainings include information about research and best practices in child development, including social emotional development, cognitive development, physical health and development, cultural diversity, and meaningful parent and family engagement. The training contractor also provides quarterly newsletters to those who have signed up for the newsletters; and the newsletters are posted on the training contractor’s website for the general public to access. The statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider’s employees may access the Department’s Registry and Scholarship contract services for employees to pursue obtaining additional early childhood coursework to obtain an early childhood degree and become qualified for assistant teacher, teacher, or director positions at the program. 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 Child Development to promote qualified staff and retention of staff through a career pathway. The scholarships are available to staff working in the system of Hawaiian medium early learning centers to obtain early childhood coursework and obtain a Child Development Associate credential or a degree in early childhood education or child development. 6.3.3 Professional development appropriate for the diversity of children, families, and child care providers Describe how the Lead Agency’s training and professional development requirements reflect the diversity of children, families, and child care providers participating in CCDF. To the extent practicable, how does professional development include specialized training or credentials for providers who care for infants or school-age children; individuals with limited English proficiency; children who are bilingual; children with developmental delays or disabilities; and/or Native Americans, including Indians, as the term is defined in Section 900.6 in subpart B of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (including Alaska Natives) and Native Hawaiians? The Department contracts for community-based training services for a nominal cost that covers 12 training series and 128 classes addressing the on-going professional development needs of the early childhood sector. The trainings include information about research and best practices in child development, including social emotional development, cognitive development, physical health and development, and meaningful parent and family engagement. 1. Various methodologies of training are available: online training, in-person training, and live- webinar training. This is to ensure that best practice is being met and the quality of the child care workforce increases. Continuing training provides opportunities to the child care workforce by keeping them abreast of the latest research and allows them to be more responsive to child development, program management and professionalism. 2. The training is available to any employee of licensed child care facilities, including Hawaiian medium early learning and care employees, or registered family child care provider, or potential applicant to become a registered family child care provider. 3. The contracted agency is required to provide interpreter services for attendees of trainings provided through the contract. 4. Community-based trainings provided through the Department’s contracted training services address a range of ages in care from birth to school age. Trainings also address cultural diversity and family partnerships for child care providers. 5. A training series focuses on an inclusive environment in early childhood settings for special needs children. Some of the areas addressed in the classes are the importance of building family partnerships, cultural awareness and effective communication, strategies for building tolerance and acceptance, and exploring attitudes towards inclusion. Hawaii is a state that officially recognizes two languages: English and Hawaiian. Consequently, there is a statewide system of Hawaiian medium early learning centers. Children from these centers are prepared to enter public schools where Hawaiian is the medium of instruction. There are 14 such schools that are located throughout the state on every island, except Lanai. In addition, the Native American Languages Act of 1990 (NALA), a landmark legislation that addresses generations of federally imposed suppression of Native American languages, provides that it is the policy of the United States to preserve, protect, and promote the rights of Native peoples to use, practice, and develop Native languages, including the Hawaiian language, specifically in education, tribal affairs, and public proceedings. The Department of Human Services is also coordinating with 'Aha Punana Leo, the statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider for Native Hawaiian children, in the on-going development of three proposed collaborative pilot projects: 1. Between the Department of Human Services, the statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider, other Hawaiian medium providers, and the Hawaii State Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in the development of a Hawaiian language domain for Hawaii's Early Learning and Development Standards to recognize the developmental process and progress for children acquiring Hawaiian language skills as their primary language at-home and/or in a program offering Hawaiian language medium curriculum. 2. Between the Department of Human Services, the statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider, other Hawaiian medium providers, and the Hawaii State Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in the development of a framework detailing the competencies and guidelines for Hawaiian medium early learning workforce that align with the State's early care and development workforce competencies, where applicable, to ensure that the Native Hawaiian culture and language continue to thrive in Hawaii's communities. 3. Between the Department of Human Services, the statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider, other Hawaiian medium providers, and the Hawaii State Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in the development of a degree program, courses, professional development opportunities, and/or a Child Development Associate (CDA) -like credential equivalent established through the Hawaii State Hawaiian Language College and recognized by the Department for staff qualifications for the Hawaiian medium early learning workforce and to provide career pathway for the Hawaiian medium early learning workforce to ensure that the Native Hawaiian culture and language continue to thrive in Hawaii's communities. The statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider will continue to partner with the Department in promoting healthy and safe environments through licensure by the Department for all keiki (children) in its programs and ensure school readiness for keiki who continue their Hawaiian medium education into kindergarten and beyond. The statewide Hawaiian medium early learning provider will continue to engage with the Department's Healthy Child Care Hawaii contracted training services provided in partnership by University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, the Hawaii chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Department of Health, that promote and support healthy child development in child care settings. 6.3.4 Child developmental screening Describe how all providers receive, through training and professional development, information about: (1) existing resources and services the State/Territory can make available in conducting developmental screenings and providing referrals to services when appropriate for children who receive assistance under this part, including the coordinated use of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and developmental screening services available under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and (2) how child care providers may utilize these resources and services to obtain developmental screenings for children who receive assistance and who may be at risk for cognitive or other developmental delays, which may include social, emotional, physical, or linguistic delays: The Department of Human Services is the lead CCDF agency, and the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division, which houses the CCDF administrators, collaborates with the Department's Med-QUEST Division, which is the agency providing eligible low-income adults and children access to health and medical coverage through managed care plans, on strategies to improve access to wellness services and medical coverage for families who qualify for child care subsidies, in order to meet the developmental and health needs of our vulnerable children. The QUEST program is designed to provide Quality care, Universal access, Efficient utilization, Stabilizing costs, and to Transform the way health care is provided to recipients. Med-QUEST developed an informational hand-out that is posted on the Department's consumer education website and is given out to families applying for or receiving child care subsidies. Med-QUEST will also develop and provide training to the Department of Human Services child care training contractor staff, the statewide resource and referral contractor staff, and the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Staff Development trainers who will incorporate the EPSDT and Medicaid information into the training for TANF and non-TANF child care eligibility determination staff. For child care providers, the DHS website currently contains information and resource listing of programs that provide development screenings as offered statewide, including Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program and the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and C services. DHS contracted service providers currently gather and disseminate information about available community resources including programs that provide development screenings through their websites, email listings and/or newsletters. DHS has partnered with the Department of Health which developed a resource listing of community organizations that conduct developmental screening services and is posted on the Department’s website which is currently available for all child care providers to access. DHS also contracts for services to provide training services to promote on-going professional development opportunities to support quality child care settings to early childhood practitioners. The trainings include information about research and best practices in child development, including social emotional development, cognitive development, physical health and development, and meaningful parent and family engagement. The training contractor addresses caring for children with special needs which includes information for child care providers about how to and where to specifically refer families and/or how families can access developmental screenings. The training contractor will work on including this information in all classes that address caring for children with special needs. The training contractor also provides quarterly newsletters to those who have signed up for the newsletters and the newsletters are posted on the training contractor’s website for the general public to access. DHS’ contractor that provides statewide child care resource and referral services also disseminates information to child care providers and the public about the professional development opportunities available throughout the state, and the contractor provides the information about accessing developmental screenings to all resource and referral inquiries received. During provider monitoring visits, Department of Human Services staff also provide information about how to access the Department of Health's programs for developmental screening and EPSDT program services. Providers are also referred to the Department of Human Services' website Child Care Program-Child Care Resources where providers have access to information about developmental screenings, Hi'ilei Developmental Screening Program, early intervention services, preschool special education, EPSDT and MedQuest information.