2.4 Lead Agency Outreach to Families Experiencing Homelessness, Families with Limited English Proficiency, and Persons with Disabilities

The Lead Agency must conduct outreach and provide services to families with limited English proficiency, families experiencing homelessness, and persons with disabilities. 2.4.1 Families with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities: outreach and services a. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with limited English proficiency. Check all that apply. i. [x] Application in languages other than English (application and related documents, brochures, provider notices). ii. [x] Informational materials in languages other than English. iii. [x] Website in languages other than English. iv. [ ] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. v. [ ] Bilingual caseworkers or translators available. vi. [ ] Bilingual outreach workers. vii. [x] Partnerships with community-based organizations. viii. [x] Collaboration with Head Start, Early Head Start, or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. ix. [ ] Home visiting programs. x. [x] Other. Describe: The Lead Agency works in collaboration with partners such as Local Education Agency staff who may have access to bilingual staff and programs that support limited English proficiency children and their families. The Child Care Assistance Program paper application is also available in other languages. Furthermore, the Lead Agency website can be translated into many other languages through a selection option visible on the site. Finally, the Lead Agency call center has translation services available: When a call center agent receives a call from someone needing translation services, the agent merges into the call an interpreter from Language Line; on the rare occasion that the call is disconnected, the agent will call the client back and re-merge the call with an interpreter. b. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with a person(s) with a disability. Check all that apply. i. [ ] Applications and public informational materials available in braille and other communication formats for access by individuals with disabilities. ii. [x] Websites that are accessible (e.g., Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act). iii. [ ] Caseworkers with specialized training/experience in working with individuals with disabilities. iv. [ ] Ensuring accessibility of environments and activities for all children. v. [x] Partnerships with State and local programs and associations focused on disability- related topics and issues. vi. [ ] Partnerships with parent associations, support groups, and parent-to-parent support groups, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers. vii. [x] Partnerships with State and local IDEA Part B, Section 619 and Part C providers and agencies. viii. [x] Availability and/or access to specialized services (e.g., mental health, behavioral specialists, therapists) to address the needs of all children. ix. [x] Other. Describe: The Lead Agency has worked with partners to conduct Developmental Screening Initiatives to be able to strive toward all children in Louisiana being screened using validated tools to measure and assess multiple aspects of their growth and development. 2.4.2 Families experiencing homelessness: Outreach and technical assistance efforts a. Check, where applicable, the procedures used to conduct outreach for children experiencing homelessness and their families. i. [x] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. ii. [ ] Partnerships with community-based organizations. iii. [x] Partnering with homeless service providers, McKinney-Vento liaisons, and others who work with families experiencing homelessness to provide referrals to child care. iv. [x] Other. Describe: The Lead Agency accepts applications at local community- based locations on an as-needed or as-requested basis (e.g., emergency shelters, community events), as well as partners with Lead Agency-funded Early Childhood Guides in some communities, to ensure a wide range of opportunities are available for applications. b. The Lead Agency must provide training and technical assistance (TA) to providers and appropriate Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff on identifying and serving children and families experiencing homelessness. i. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for providers in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. Providers receive training on identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness during technical assistance training for providers, regional forums, and provider conference sessions. The CCAP homeless liaison also provides direct assistance to providers and families daily as applications are received and as a collaborative effort between the LEA homeless liaisons and the CCAP homeless liaison. ii. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. Lead Agency Early Childhood staff attend training on identifying and serving children and families experiencing homelessness. The Lead Agency is the Louisiana Department of Education, which houses the state Homeless Coordinator who works with the homeless liaisons within local education agencies to coordinate services for families experiencing homelessness. Homeless liaisons have received in-depth training on how to identify homeless children and their families and are knowledgeable of the community resources available for them. The CCAP homeless liaison is trained and provides direct assistance to providers and families in accessing resources. In addition, through coordinated enrollment, local community networks reach out to families experiencing homelessness and assist them in accessing community resources.