1.3 Consultation in the Development of the CCDF Plan

The Lead Agency is responsible for developing the CCDF Plan, and consultation with and meaningful input and feedback from a wide range of representatives is critical for CCDF programs to continually adapt to the changing needs of families, child care programs, and the workforce. Consultation involves meeting with or otherwise obtaining input from an appropriate agency in the development of the State or Territory CCDF Plan. As part of the Plan development process, Lead Agencies must consult with the following: (1) Appropriate representatives of general-purpose local government. General purpose local governments are defined by the U.S. Census at https://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/g12_org.pdf. (2) The State Advisory Council (SAC) on Early Childhood Education and Care (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act) or similar coordinating body pursuant to 98.14(a)(1)(vii). (3) Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s) within the State. This consultation should be done in a timely manner and at the option of the Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s). 1.3.1 Consultation efforts in CCDF Plan development Describe the Lead Agency’s consultation efforts in the development of the CCDF Plan, including how and how often the consultation occurred. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with appropriate representatives of general- purpose local government: Lead Agency staff traveled the state and visited each municipality operating a child care licensing system to meet in-person reviewing the licensing requirements, the CCDF Plan, and soliciting feedback. Additionally, a copy of the CCDF State Plan with a request to provide feedback was distributed to local municipalities that operate their own child care licensing programs to give them an opportunity to provide feedback on the CCDF State Plan and its impact to child care providers in their communities. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) Advisory Panel is a diverse group of child care providers and child care stakeholders convened quarterly to assist in promoting the continuous improvement of the services provided by the Idaho Child Care Program and to offer an external perspective to the Lead Agency in the development of the CCDF State Plan. The Lead Agency staff solicited feedback prior to drafting the plan at the October 2023 meeting. At the January 2024 meeting additional sections of the plan were discussed and additional feedback was solicited. During the April 2024 ICCP Advisory Panel the draft plan was announced and the updated federal rules were shared. Additionally, panel members received an emailed copy of the plan with a request to provide feedback and to participate at the public hearings. b. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: Each tribal nation with borders neighboring Idaho received a copy of the CCDF State Plan and information on the dates and times of the public comment period and public hearings to have the opportunity to provide feedback in person, over the phone, via email, and through postal mail. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare meets quarterly with the tribal nations to discuss program updates and provide information as necessary. A copy of the state plan was provided at the quarterly meeting. c. Identify other entities, agencies, or organizations consulted on the development of the CCDF Plan (e.g., representatives from the child care workforce, or statewide afterschool networks) and describe those consultation efforts: IdahoSTARS is a joint project between the University of Idaho's Center on Disabilities and Human Development and the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children. The IdahoSTARS project is funded by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. The IdahoSTARS project oversees all child care resource and referral offices statewide and works directly with providers to improve the quality and training and education of our workforce. Experts on the IdahoSTARS project contributed to the development of the CCDF State Plan, reviewed draft plan language, and recommended changes in their areas of expertise. Additionally, representatives from the following child care partners, stakeholders, advocates, and networks received a copy of the CCDF State Plan and information on the dates and times of the public comment period and public hearings to have the opportunity to provide feedback in person, over the phone, via email, and through postal mail: Idaho Out of School Network, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, Idaho Voices for Children, Idaho Head Start Association, Health District lead staff from each region, Idaho State Department of Education, Treasure Valley YMCA, Community Council of Idaho, Idaho School Readiness Project, Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, CACFP sponsor St. Vincent de Paul, the Idaho Workforce Development Council, Idaho Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Additionally, the plan was shared with leadership from the following IDHW administered programs: Medicaid, TANF, Behavioral Health, Child Welfare, Navigation, 2-1-1 the Idaho Careline, Idaho Infant Toddler Program, and the Idaho Head Start Collaboration Director. 1.3.2 Public hearing process Lead Agencies must hold at least one public hearing in the State or Territory, with sufficient Statewide or Territory-wide distribution of notice prior to such a hearing to enable the public to comment on the provision of child care services under the CCDF Plan. Describe the Statewide or Territory-wide public hearing process held to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the provision of child care services under this Plan. i. Date of the public hearing: 6/21/2024; 6/24/2024 Reminder: Must be no earlier than January 1, 2024. If more than one public hearing was held, enter one date (e.g., the date of the first hearing, the most recent hearing date, or any hearing date that demonstrates this requirement). ii. Date of notice of public hearing: 5/31/2024 iii. Was the notice of public hearing posted publicly at least 20 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: iv. Describe how the public was notified about the public hearing, including outreach in other languages, information on interpretation services being available, etc. Include specific website links if used to provide noticeA notice of public hearing was published in statewide and local newspapers throughout Idaho. Social media was also utilized to spread the word about the public comment period. IdahoSTARS also included information about the public hearing in its newsletters and communications to providers. A draft of the state plan was published on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's public website, with the link to the plan distributed to various agencies and partners, ensuring they have all the background information in addition to the draft of the state plan. A variety of options for feedback and comments were made available leading to the day of the hearing, including a dedicated email box, mail, and fax options. v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory: The Lead Agency and contractors provided outreach to families and communities in every region on the details of the notice of public hearing. Notices of the state plan and public hearings were published in the following regional and statewide newspapers: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Press Tribune, Idaho State Journal, Idaho Statesman, Lewiston Tribune, Post Register, Times-News. The hearings were hosted via WebEx, open to anyone in Idaho, so that no travel was necessary to attend. vi. Describe how the content of the Plan was made available to the public in advance of the public hearing (e.g., the Plan was made available in other languages, in multiple formats, etc.): Idaho’s draft CCDF state plan was posted for public viewing on June 1, 2024 on the Lead Agency’s website alongside the current state plan at this webpage: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/providers/child-care-providers/child- care-resources vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan: Written and oral comments were received and reviewed by IDHW staff and program leadership. All comments and feedback were compiled and recorded to accompany the plan in program documentation. Feedback was reviewed to determine if any amendments need to be made to the plan, and will be shared with the Idaho Child Care Program Advisory Panel. 1.3.3 Public availability of final Plan, amendments, and waivers Lead Agencies must make the submitted and approved final Plan, any approved Plan amendments, and any approved requests for temporary waivers publicly available on a website. a. Provide the website link to where the Plan, any Plan amendments, and waivers (if applicable) are available. Note: A Plan amendment is required if the website address where the Plan is posted changes. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/providers/child- care-providers/child-care-resources b. Describe any other strategies that the Lead Agency uses to make submitted and approved CCDF Plan and approved Plan amendments available to the public. Check all that apply and describe the strategies below, including any relevant website links as examples. i. [x] Working with advisory committees. Describe: The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) Advisory Panel is convened quarterly to assist in promoting the continuous improvement of the services provided by the Idaho Child Care Program. The Idaho Child Care Team presents CCDF Plan updates during these quarterly scheduled meetings. The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) Advisory Panel offers an external perspective to assist the Department with CCDF Plan development. ii. [x] Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: Child Care Resource Centers (CCRC) contribute to the development of the CCDF Plan. Additionally, they work to keep child care providers informed about programmatic changes. CCRCs are regularly updated on CCDF Plan updates and development. iii. [ ] Providing translation in other languages. Describe: iv. [x] Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: The State of Idaho published the CCDF Plan and notification of the public comment period on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s public website. Additionally, the Idaho Child Care Team worked with IDHW staff and IdahoSTARS staff in charge of public relations and external communication to educate clients and child care providers on CCDF Plan updates and development via Facebook, Instagram, and an email list of all known child care provider email addresses. v. [x] Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: The CCDF State Plan draft was posted on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) website and shared with key constituents via email, social media, and staff in charge of external communications. Key constituents who received notice of the plan include Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, Idaho Voices for Children, regional Health Districts, Head Start Collaboration Director, Idaho Infant Toddler Program, University of Idaho's (UIdaho) Center on Disabilities and Human Development (CDHD), Lee Pesky Learning Center, Idaho’s United Way programs, Community Council of Idaho, Idaho State Department of Education, Idaho colleges and universities, and the following cities with daycare licensing: Boise, Chubbuck, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Moscow, and Pocatello. vi. [x] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: The CCDF State Plan draft was posted on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) website and shared with the director and staff of the Idaho Out of School Network. vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: The State of Idaho published the CCDF Plan and notification of the public comment period on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s public website. Additionally, the Idaho Child Care Team worked with IDHW staff and IdahoSTARS staff in charge of public relations and external communication to educate clients and child care providers on CCDF Plan updates and development via Facebook, Instagram, and an email list of all known child care provider email addresses. viii. [ ] Other. Describe: 2 Child and Family Eligibility and Enrollment and Continuity of Care Stable and reliable child care arrangements facilitate job stability for parents and healthy development of children. CCDF eligibility and enrollment policies can contribute to these goals. Policies and procedures that create barriers to families accessing CCDF, like inaccessible subsidy applications and onerous reporting requirements, interrupt a parent’s ability to work and may deter eligible families from participating in CCDF. To address these concerns, Lead Agencies must provide children with a minimum of 12 months between eligibility determinations, limit reporting requirements during the 12-month period, and ensure eligibility determination and redetermination processes do not interrupt a parent’s work or school. In this section, Lead Agencies will identify how they define eligible children and families and how the Lead Agency’s eligibility and enrollment policies support access for eligible children and families.