9.3 Increasing Engagement and Access to Information

Lead Agencies must collect and disseminate information about the full range of child care services to promote parental choice to parents of children eligible for CCDF, the general public, and child care providers. 9.3.1 Information about CCDF availability and eligibility Describe how the Lead Agency shares information with eligible parents, the general public, and child care providers about the availability of child care services provided through CCDF and other programs for which the family may be eligible. The description should include, at a minimum, what is provided (e.g., written materials, the website, and direct communications) and what approaches are used to tailor information to parents, the general public, and child care providers. For Parents and the General Public- The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) utilizes videos to highlight the Idaho Child Care Program and its benefits to families, as well as how families can seek assistance; these videos are played statewide in the lobbies of each local office. IDHW provides information on income, eligible activities and other criteria needed for eligibility via websites (http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Children/ChildCareAssistance/tabid/292/Default.aspx ; https://www.livebetteridaho.org/), vendor booths, blogs (https://dhwblog.com/), and social media tools (https://www.facebook.com/IdahoHealthandWelfare/ and https://www.facebook.com/IdahoSTARS-252266474799407/?fref=ts) and brochures (https://publicdocuments.dhw.idaho.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=2892&dbid=0&repo=PUBL IC- DOCUMENTS&cr=1) are disseminated to community partners who serve families with children. IdahoSTARS has a family portal that provides information about the ICCP program https://idahostars.org/Families/Financial-Assistance-ICCP, with relevant links to the application. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/apply-child-care- assistance Additionally, IdahoSTARS has created a fact sheet about qualifications and income guidelines that is passed out at public events and given to child care providers for distribution to families. Families applying for the Idaho Child Care Program are made aware of other assistance programs such as SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid at application and redetermination. Families and the general public may access program information for other assistance programs at the IDHW Website: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/ Families also have a dedicated webpage with family specific resources at https://idahostars.org/ Child Care Providers- The Lead Agency maintains a webpage specifically targeted to Child Care Providers including provider licensing and ICCP participation information here: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/providers/child-care-providers/becoming-child-care-provider Additionally, child care providers also have a dedicated webpage with provider specific resources at https://idahostars.org/ Also at the IdahoSTARS webpage providers may access subsidy enrollment requirements and additional resources for providers here: https://idahostars.org/Child-Care-Providers/ICCP Providers are encouraged to work with locally operating Child Care Resource Centers as needed for any additional information. 9.3.2 Information about child care and other services available for parents Does the Lead Agency certify that it provides information described in 9.3.1 for the following required programs? • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. • Head Start and Early Head Start programs. • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). • Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) program. • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). • Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). • Programs carried out under IDEA Part B, Section 619 and Part C. [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.3 Consumer statement for parents receiving CCDF services Lead Agencies must provide parents receiving CCDF services with a consumer statement in hard copy or electronically that contains general information about the CCDF program and specific information about the child care provider they select. Please certify if the Lead Agency provides parents receiving CCDF services a consumer statement that contains the following 8 requirements: 1. Health and safety requirements met by the provider 2. Licensing or regulatory requirements met by the provider 3. Date the provider was last inspected 4. Any history of violations of these requirements 5. Any voluntary quality standards met by the provider 6. How CCDF subsidies are designed to promote equal access 7. How to submit a complaint through the hotline 8. How to contact a local resource and referral agency or other community-based organization to receive assistance in finding and enrolling in quality child care Does the Lead Agency provide to families, either in hard copy or electronically, a consumer statement that contains the required information about the provider they have selected, including the eight required elements above? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.4 Informing families about best practices on child development Describe how the Lead Agency makes information available to parents, providers, and the general public on research and best practices concerning children’s development, including physical health and development, and information about successful parent and family engagement. At a minimum, the description should include what information is provided; how the information is provided; any distinct activities for sharing this information with parents, providers, the general public; and any partners in providing this information. For Parents • Referral and Support: Parents seeking child care referrals and information on child development can connect with a Child Care Health Consultant or Quality Consultant. These professionals offer resources and guidance on research and best practices. • Online Resources: Parents have access to the IdahoSTARS website, which provides a wealth of information and connections to local organizations catering to children birth to school age. • Parent Education: Our goal is to expand our current work to be more inclusive of families. Hosting or supporting providers in hosting parent education events focusing on topics like developmental screening and monitoring. These events aim to educate and empower parents as experts of their children and support education on key aspects of children’s development. These events can be hosted at the local child care or through virtual events in connection with Developmental Screening using the ASQ 3 and ASQ SE 2. For Providers • Training Opportunities: Providers can participate in training, sessions focused on child development, physical health and development and other domains and subcategories through the online training system housed in our RISE Application, live training sessions, or virtual options. • Coaching and Technical Assistance: Coaching and additional technical assistance is available in these categories which offers providers individualized or group coaching and training tied to specific goals of the provider. Coaching and Technical Assistance is provided on-site or virtual. • Local Resources: Providers can access lending library resources from their local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) offices located regionally. The CCR&R offices also provide flyers, brochures, and handouts with valuable information tailored to specific communities served by each region. These resources are provided in home language as much as possible. • Quality Consultants coach providers in the domains of child development, health safety and wellness, and partnerships with families and communities For General Public • Website Resources: The Parent Page of the IdahoSTARS website offer a range of family health and wellness resources. This includes general information aimed at promoting healthy environments at home and in child care settings. 9.3.5 Unlimited parental access to their children Does the Lead Agency have procedures to ensure that parents have unlimited access to their children whenever their children are in the care of a provider who receives CCDF funds: [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.3.6 Informing families about best practices in social and emotional health Describe how the Lead Agency shares information with families, providers, and the general public regarding the social-emotional and behavioral and mental health of young children, including positive behavioral intervention and support models based on research and best practices for those from birth to school age: Parents Parents who contact the Child Care Resource and Referral office (CCR&R) seeking a referral for child care and who request information on children’s mental health may be connected with their child care health consultant who can provide contacts for additional information and resources pertaining to local providers and organizations focusing on children’s mental health. Parents may also access the IdahoSTARS Facebook page and the IdahoSTARS website for additional resources. Parents who contact their CCR&R may also receive information through flyers, brochures, and other handouts contained in the CCR&R resource packets. Resource packets are specific to the local communities and covers birth to school-age children. Parents at programs in the Idaho Pyramid Collaborative At every tier of the Pyramid Model, programs and child care providers consider what strategies might be used to welcome and support diverse families, how to create opportunities to learn from families, strategies for partnering with families to promote child outcomes, and provide supports and services that families might need to promote their child’s development. These strategies are evaluated using the program level Benchmarks of Quality which provides each program with key components to incorporate into their program level and classroom level ways to meet implementation fidelity. Some strategies are providing information directly to families on how to build strong relationships, teaching social and emotional skills as home, using the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovation (NCPMI) resources (The Backpack Series, Making Life Easier, Social Stories, Family Articles), asking parents for input into Program Wide Expectations, and partnering with families on classroom specific initiatives. Providers Training opportunities are available through IdahoSTARS to providers who seek to gain information on early childhood mental health. Idaho’s QRIS, Steps to Quality, has embedded essential training which includes specific content on this topic area, and additional lending library resources are available from their local CCR&Rs. IdahoSTARS is a lead partner of the Idaho Pyramid Model Collaborative State Team working to implement positive behavioral intervention and supports to Idaho early childhood programs through the Pyramid Model framework. The Idaho Pyramid Model Collaborative provides training, coaching, and technical assistance supports to child care programs, Head Start programs, and school district IDEA Part B, Section 619 programs. Programs enrolled in the collaborative have access to over 18 hours of Live or self-paced online training on implementation of Pyramid Model practices which include Nurturing and Responsive Environments, High Quality Environments, Teaching Social and Emotional Skills, Teaching Problem Solving, Teaching Friendship Skills, and Tier 3 interventions (Prevent Teach Reinforce) for children exhibiting persistent challenging behavior in their first year. The second year of the road map includes training, coaching, and technical assistance including training on implicit bias and individualized supports(visual supports, peer mediated skills.) The final year on the Idaho Pyramid Model Professional Development road map, includes coaching, training , and technical assistance on trauma informed care and diversity, equity, inclusion topics, and provider wellness. At the Program level, program leaders and their leadership teams attend monthly program calls with IdahoSTARS to support the development of Systems, policies, and procedures to support the implementation fidelity of Pyramid Model practices in their programs including policies and procedures on how to respond to challenging behavior and suspension, expulsion, and exclusion. A statewide network of Pyramid Model coaches, which include IdahoSTARS Quality Consultants, are supported by a state program coach trained in behavioral intervention and support. Program practices are evaluated using the Teach Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) for Preschool classrooms, the Teaching Pyramid Infant and Toddler Observation Tool (TPITOS), which guides program coaching plans and assists in progress monitoring. Programs practices are evaluated using the Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ). Providers can also become specialized in infant/toddler mental health through enhanced credentials. • Child care Health Consultants are available statewide to assist providers with addressing questions/concerns that focus on early childhood mental health. General public The Parent pages of the IdahoSTARS website contains information on ￿Aim Early Idaho￿ (www.aimearlyidaho.org) and on children with disabilities. The Provider pages includes the child care health consultant information with links to early childhood mental health. The IdahoSTARS Facebook contains posts with resources and information on early childhood mental health. CCR&R staff participate in community events and disseminate information/resources using brochures, flyers, and/or handouts. 9.3.7 Policies on the prevention of the suspension and expulsion of children a. The Lead Agency must have policies to prevent the suspension and expulsion of children from birth to age 5 in child care and other early childhood programs receiving CCDF funds. Describe those policies and how those policies are shared with families, providers, and the general public: IdahoSTARS does promote education and training to child care providers on addressing and understanding challenging behaviors and has professional development opportunities as an option for providers inclusive of training and targeted technical assistance (TTA) on challenging behavior and implicit bias. Providers can engage in general training, coaching, and targeted technical assistance (TTA) on addressing and preventing challenging behavior, implicit bias, and developing social emotional competencies in children. Providers engaged in the Idaho Pyramid Collaborative that serve these populations will have enhanced training, coaching, and technical assistance that extends beyond classroom practices that support understanding of nurturing and responsive relationships with children, families, and co-workers, universal practices that support high quality environments, social and emotional competencies, and individualized supports for children with persistent challenging behaviors. The Framework also addresses program systems, policies, and procedures to explicitly address implicit bias, implement culturally responsive practices, use data systems to understand potential discipline equity issues and develop policies and procedures around challenging behavior and suspension and expulsion. IdahoSTARS also promotes and provides families with an outline of Steps to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care which encompasses 3 steps - Look, Check, Ask - pertaining to finding quality child care to meet their child’s needs. A child care checklist, in both English and Spanish, is available and promoted when conducting child care referrals to parents, including which questions to ask when conducting interviews with child care providers. This checklist includes how to ask about and request documents that support positive, clear, consistent guidance practices. b. Describe what policies, if any, the Lead Agency has to prevent the suspension and expulsion of school-age children from child or youth care settings receiving CCDF funds: Providers that engage with IdahoSTARS and serve school-age children have access to training, coaching, and targeted technical assistance in addressing and preventing challenging behavior, implicit bias, and social emotional competencies. Providers engaged in the Idaho Pyramid Collaborative that serve these populations will have enhanced training, coaching, and technical assistance that extends beyond classroom practices that support understanding of nurturing and responsive relationships with children, families, and co-workers, universal practices that support high quality environments, social and emotional competencies, and individualized supports for children with persistent challenging behaviors. The Framework also addresses program systems, policies, and procedures to explicitly address implicit bias, implement culturally responsive practices, use data systems to understand potential discipline equity issues and develop policies and procedures around challenging behavior and suspension and expulsion.