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: The draft Plan was presented to the Early Learning Council, a public-private partnership created by Public Act 93-380 and to the Child Care Advisory Council, both of which include representatives of general purpose local government. Input was reviewed and incorporated as appropriate. Each of these advisory bodies includes representatives from state and local agencies and general purpose governments focusing on education, public health, child welfare, etc. Specific examples include but are not limited to: Head Start agencies, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, the Illinois State Board of Education (including the McKinney-Vento representative), the Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children (state's Title V of the Social Security Act agency), Regional Offices of Education, and county and local public health department.

b. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: The draft Plan was presented to the Early Learning Council, Illinois' State Advisory Council, prior to final submission. Input was reviewed and incorporated as appropriate.

c. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: N/A

d. 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: The draft Plan was presented to the Child Care Advisory Council (which includes members from Head Start Association, Higher Education, Child Care Centers, and home-based providers) prior to final submission. Input was reviewed and incorporated as appropriate.

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: 6/4/2024

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: 5/13/2024

iii. Was the notice of public hearing posted publicly at least 20 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing?

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 notice.

The public was notified through a variety of channels, including posting to the lead agency website and designated child care social media channels. In addition, notification was sent to a broad list of Illinois child care advocate organizations, and an eblast that included the notice was distributed directly to just over 10,000 providers across Illinois. The link to the notification on the lead agency website can be found here - https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=163815 The hearing was hosted virtually as to eliminate any geographical barriers to participation. The meeting platform translated the presentation and public comments into a variety of languages, and the agency website provided translation of the notice as well.

v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory:

The public was notified through a variety of channels, including posting to the lead agency website and designated child care social media channels. In addition, notification was sent to a broad list of Illinois child care advocate organizations, and an eblast that included the notice was distributed directly to just over 10,000 providers across Illinois. The link to the notification on the lead agency website can be found here - https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=163815 The hearing was hosted virtually as to eliminate any geographical barriers to participation. The meeting platform translated the presentation and public comments into a variety of languages, and the agency website provided translation of the notice as well.

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.):

Notification that the plan was published on the lead agency website accompanied the invitation for public hearing and comment, ensuring all interested parties across Illinois were aware of not only the public hearing, but also the publication of the draft plan and opportunity for public comment.

vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan:

All public questions and comments were captured into a single document on an ongoing basis as they were submitted. These comments were reviewed, discussed and digested by the lead agency child care program team as they continued to develop required clarifications, revisions and changes to the final plan.

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://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=59282

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. Working with advisory committees. Describe: The final pre-print was shared with the Child Care Advisory Council (CCAC) for input and consideration for future recommendations prior to the public comment period. A draft of the State Plan draft was then distributed to CCAC members in advance of the public comment period.

ii. Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: Child Care Resource and Referral agencies are notified when State Plan amendments and revisions are made to post the announcement in bulletin board located ate their agency's lobby.

iii. Providing translation in other languages. Describe:

iv. Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: An announcement with a link to access the state plan and amendments are posted in the State Agency and Child Care Facebook page.

v. Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: The draft plan was made available on the Lead Agency's website prior to Public Hearing.

vi. [x] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: The ACT Now (Afterschool for Children and Teens) were active participants in the public hearing and submitted several recommendations as part of the public comment period. The Illinois After School Network (IAN) is represented on the Child Care Advisory Council and Early Learning Council, which reviewed the plan and provided comment to the lead agency.

vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: In addition to provider participation on the Child Care Advisory Council and the Early Learning Council, where the plan was discussed, special public hearing was held with and licensed and license-exempt home child care providers during the public comment period.

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.