7.1 Quality Activities Needs Assessment

7.1.1 Needs assessment process and findings a. Describe the Lead Agency needs assessment process for expending CCDF funds on activities to improve the quality of child care, including the frequency of assessment, how a range of parents and providers were consulted, and how their views are incorporated: The Lead Agency uses a variety of ways to assess and determine the needs for quality activities. The Lead Agency collects data from partners to inform its understanding of needs across the state. First, through partnership with the Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Agencies, the Lead Agency collects workforce and market data from the child care provider database, parent referrals, training & technical assistance access and use data, provider recruitment and retention information, and child care assistance access and use data. This information is reviewed by Lead Agency staff on a quarterly basis, alongside their quarterly program reports. Second, through partnership with the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), CCR&Rs, and other grantees, the Lead Agency reviews this data, assesses work and needs, and develops and implements statewide quality initiatives. Third, the Lead Agency participates in the Early Learning Council, which also assesses needs across the early childhood education and care system and develops and reviews recommendations to address identified needs throughout the year. Finally, Lead Agency staff bring data collected from CCR&Rs and INCCRRA to collaborations with other state partners and stakeholders to develop and implement cross-sector quality activities. Needs assessments were conducted September 2022 - June 2023 and published July 2023. b. Describe the findings of the assessment, including any findings related to needs of different populations and types of providers, and if any overarching goals for quality improvement were identified: Birth to Five Illinois Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessments - The Birth to Five Illinois a program of the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) received support from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to conduct 39 Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessments (one for each of the State’s 39 Regions). Each report presents publicly available quantitative data and qualitative data from caregivers, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals, and other community stakeholders collected through needs assessments, interviews, community meetings and focus groups with local Regional Action Councils and Family Councils. Throughout the process, regional barriers were documented, and recommendations were developed based on identified needs of families and ECEC professionals. These reports are living community documents designed to give both community members and State decision-makers insight into the areas of ECEC needs, as determined by local families and stakeholders in each region. Across all 39 regions, the following needs were identified; affordable and available early childhood education and care programs, livable and fair wages for early childhood professionals, more mental health services for children birth to age five and their families and a more efficient and coordinated way to gather information and data pertaining to early childhood. These identified needs have supported the Lead Agency in planning and implementing various workforce components of Smart Start Child Care, leading with the launch of the Smart Start Workforce Grant (SSWG) in SFY25. The SSWG will also address the need cited by families for more available child care slots and continuity of care for children by recruiting and retaining early childhood teachers and family child care providers. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ba6b3017614378f01ce468/t/6509a577a488752 17ba6ecfb/1695131002151/Statewide+Data_Report.pdf