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: Child Care community-based coalitions, many including local government members, helped inform the All in for Kansas Kids Needs Assessment in 2024. Their community specific plans and work has informed the All in for Kansas Kids Strategic Plan. The All in for Kansas Kids’ needs assessment and strategic plan serve as the foundation for the work in Kansas around early childhood. This information is agreed upon and used by the state to guide the coordination of statewide efforts, including CCDF plan development and use of funding. These local government members included City Managers, City Mayors, City Commissioners, and City Council Members. Most of the coalition groups meet at least monthly. The lead agency receives monthly reports, progress updates, and concerns from the organization that supports the coalition meeting through CCDF funding and this information is used to help inform the ongoing work within the entire early childhood system and the CCDF lead agency efforts. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund plays the statutory role to assist the Governor in developing and implementing a coordinated, comprehensive service delivery system to the children and families of Kansas and meets every other month. The Secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, the lead agency, serves as an ex-officio member on the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. There is a state Directors’ team that meets every two weeks and is composed of designees from the Children’s Cabinet. The lead agency has representation at these meetings, including the two co-CCDF Administrators. There is a recommendations panel who provide an advisory role to the Cabinet and the lead agency has required membership on the panel and has current members serving a one-year term. The recommendations panel meets monthly. Kansas Department for Children and Families and Kansas Department of Health and Environment, a major partner in the administration of the CCDF state plan, consult with many different groups within the state on areas that connect to the plan content throughout the year. These groups are considered part of the Kansas Early Childhood Governance Structure that work together to inform the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and provide recommendations. These groups include, but are not limited to, the Child Care Licensing Systems Improvement Team, Home Visiting Leadership group, the workforce development advisory group, the Kansas Family Leadership Team, Links to Quality Advisory Group, and Maternal Child Health Council. Through the work done within these groups and through information gathered as part of a statewide needs assessment, the All in for Kansas Kids Strategic Plan was built and serves as the foundation for the work in Kansas around early childhood. This information is agreed upon and used by the state to guide the coordination of statewide efforts, including CCDF plan development and use of funding. In the state Directors’ team meetings, we talk in more detail about CCDF funded work and have shared responsibility in the administration of many statewide efforts around building access to quality. This group, which is part of the Kansas Early Childhood Governance Structure, regularly communicates on many areas that involve the CCDF state plan related work between these meetings that occur every two weeks. Feedback is gathered for CCDF funded request for proposals from members of this group so that the work being done meets the needs identified across the agencies and in the strategic plan. Feedback is also gathered around the prioritization of funding to help with CCDF planning. The existing Kansas Early Childhood Governance Structure ensures that the state can be responsible to the changing needs and continued collaboration and discussions help inform the work to support early childhood education and families in Kansas. b. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: The lead agency has staff in the Prevention and Protection Services program area that join meetings monthly with ACF and with Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas, The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska. At the tribe’s discretion, CCDF related topics are discussed. The draft CCDF State plan was shared with this group on 4/19/24, prior to public posting so that consultation could occur during the period when DCF was still developing the CCDF State Plan and not after a draft was complete and sent out for public comment. Several discussions occurred between the lead agency and tribal staff after this date based on this effort to consult and we learned more information around the desire to collaborate more in the future, but no direct changes to the CCDF state plan were made based on these discussions. The lead agency also works with Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to coordinate the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. This partnership has helped to inform sections in this CCDF State Plan. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s Health Services department, which is separate from the Community Services department that handles CCDF, has been involved in this work. The lead agency is available and willing to assist in verifying eligibility status to decrease duplication of benefits and services. The lead agency also allows child care assistance, with no family share/co-payment assigned, for tribal members who are subject to requirements under the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Family Program if child care is not available through that program. This ensures that members who are participating with Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are able to fully participate due to access to affordable child care. This consultation occurs when needed, but discussion around the CCDF State Plan happened in February of 2024 to ensure we were continuing to meet their Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program needs. 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: The All in for Kansas Kids’ needs assessment and strategic plan serve as the foundation for the work in Kansas around early childhood. This information is agreed upon and used by the state to guide the coordination of statewide efforts, including CCDF plan development and use of funding. Intensive engagement efforts to gather input for the All in for Kansas Kids’ needs assessment and strategic plan were collected from a wide range of partners. These included feedback and engagement sessions with early childhood professionals in 2022 and 2023. There were almost 20 feedback sessions with various existing groups such as Early Childhood Higher-Education Options (ECHO) Consortium, Early Childhood Quality Instructional Partners (EQIP), and the Child Care Provider Coalition of Kansas. These groups helped inform the CCDF funded Career Pathway for Kansas Early Childhood Care and Education Professionals. In partnership with the agencies involved in the Kansas Early Childhood Governance Structure, including the lead agency, the CCDF funded Workforce Development agreement partner has been leading the implementation of the Career Pathway since April 2023 and hosted 17 virtual listening sessions during August and September 2023 across the state to inform planning and implementation activities. Input on barriers and needs regarding Career Pathway implementation was gathered from over 46 early childhood professionals in 21 counties across Kansas. Seven of the 17 virtual listening sessions targeted groups that train and support the early childhood workforce. These sessions included professionals from various organizations that provide training and technical assistance, the Workforce Development Advisory Group members, Kansas Department of Health and Environment child care specialists, and faculty from Kansas community colleges, technical institutes, and 4-year universities. Information from these sessions informed the revision of the Career Pathway Implementation Plan, Comprehensive Workforce Study, and helped to operationalize the Career Pathway and supporting materials. Interviews were conducted with child care administrators who closed child care facilities at least once during the pandemic. This input and other data was used to guide the 2024 Needs Assessment Findings and set goals for the All in for Kansas Kids Strategic Plan, which guides the CCDF work. 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: 6/3/2024 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: 5/2/2024 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 noticeElectronic notice was published in the Kansas Register, provided to local resource and referral agencies, provided to local licensing specialists, child care professional organizations, other state agencies, through the All in For Kansas Kids newsletter, and the Lead Agency local offices. Kansas Registry Link: https://www.sos.ks.gov/publications/Register/Volume-43/Issues/Issue-18/05-02- 24-52094.html. Electronic notices were sent to other partners and stakeholders. Notification of the public hearing were given at multiple stakeholder and partner meetings in which the Lead Agency participated and posted on the DCF Website. This website operates using Google Translate, where users can choose their language. DCF Website: (http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/Child_Care/ChildCareDevelopmentFu ndPlan.aspx) v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory: Hearing was held virtually via TEAMS, which has an option to join by phone. 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.): The draft CCDF state plan was posted on the DCF website at https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/Child_Care/ChildCareDevelopmentFu ndPlan.aspx on April 18, 2024. The information was shared within the All in For Kansas Kids Newsletter on May 19, 2024. vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan: All comments provided were reviewed for consideration. Each individual comment was looked at by the lead agency to determine if it was something already happening and included in the state plan, if it was something that needed added or included, if it was something that required additional action before it could be included, or if the suggestion was not possible due to fiscal restraints, other agencies providing the services, or outside of the funding requirements. Those suggestions that were deemed not possible were still captured and stored for the statewide early childhood system building work. 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. Links to the plan, amendments and/or waivers are available via links on the agency website https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/Child_Care/Child-care-and-early- education.aspx and a link to the direct site can also be found at the Child Care in Kansas website at https://childcareinkansas.com/community-resources/ . This is found towards the bottom under Laws/Regulations. 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 public hearing notice and state plan were shared via the All in For Kansas Kids newsletter. ii. [x] Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: The public hearing notice and state plan were shared via Child Care Aware of Kansas’ website. https://ks.childcareaware.org/ iii. [x] Providing translation in other languages. Describe: The CCDF State Plan announcement indicated that anyone needing special accommodations should notify the lead agency by May 20, 2024. iv. [x] Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: Hearing notice and state plan link were shared via DCF's agency website, in addition to sharing via the Child Care in Kansas website. https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/Child_Care/ChildCareDevelopmentFu ndPlan.aspx v. [x] Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: The Lead agency shared the public hearing notice and posting of the CCDF state plan draft notice with multiple early childhood partners across Kansas, including but not limited to: Kansas Dept. for Health and Environment - Child Care licensing, Kansas Head Start Association, MIECHV, Part C- Infant Toddler Services, Part C 619, Parents As Teachers, Healthy Families of America, Families Together, Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPRIC), the Children's Cabinet, Kansas Action for Children, Kansas Association for Infant Mental Health, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities (KCCTO), Kansas Inservice Training (KITS), the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) Links to Quality(L2Q) Advisory Group and participants, and Child & Adult Care Food Program(CACFP). vi. [x] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: The Lead agency shared the public hearing notice and posting of the CCDF state plan draft notice with Kansas Enrichment Network. vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: The Lead agency shared the public hearing notice and posting of the CCDF state plan draft notice with Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas. 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.