4.5 Supply Building

Building a supply of high-quality child care that meets the needs and preferences of parents participating in CCDF is necessary to meet CCDF’s core purposes. Lead Agencies must support parent choice by providing some portion of direct services via grants or contracts, including at a minimum for children in underserved geographic areas, infants and toddlers, and children with disabilities. 4.5.1 Child care services available through grants or contracts Does the Lead Agency provide direct child care services through grants or contracts for child care slots? [ ] Yes, statewide. Describe how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: [x] Yes, in some jurisdictions, but not statewide. Describe how many jurisdictions use grants or contracts for child care slots and how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: To help build the supply of infant and toddler care, the Lead Agency offers infant, toddler, and three-year-old contracted care. These contracts have been offered statewide, though some parishes (approximately 40%) have not yet accepted these contracted seats. Communities are not required to contract for direct service slots. Although not all parishes have yet chosen to implement contracts, all parishes in the state have been offered the opportunity to request contracts. The Lead Agency will be working with those parishes who have not yet implemented contracts to build capacity and opportunity for future contracts. With children being served through contracted seats in both urban and rural areas across the geographic regions of the state, the contracted seat program allows the Lead Agency to ensure that families, including in rural areas, have access to child care assistance. CCDF- certified providers statewide are eligible to request contracts, and contracts are awarded in order to build supply in underserved geographic areas and for underserved groups of children. Parents are guaranteed choices when selecting a provider because parents may be awarded a voucher seat or a contracted seat: parents who wish to select a CCDF provider who is not receiving a contracted seat may apply for the CCAP voucher program instead. The Lead Agency will also be working with all parishes to ensure the full expansion of contracted seats statewide. [ ] No. If no, describe any Lead Agency plans to provide direct child care services through grants and contracts for child care slots: If no, skip to question 4.5.2. i. If yes, identify the populations of children served through grants or contracts for child care slots (check all that apply). For each population selected, identify the number of slots allocated through grants or contracts for direct service of children receiving CCDF. [x] Children with disabilities. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: Louisiana will be requesting a waiver in order to determine how to implement grants/contracts for children with disabilities, since young children with disabilities are already categorically eligible to receive services, even when there is a waitlist. [x] Infants and toddlers. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: The Lead Agency is serving approximately 2500 infants and toddlers through grant/contract slots. The number of infants and toddlers served may overlap with the number of children in underserved areas. [x] Children in underserved geographic areas. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: The Lead Agency is serving approximately 900 children in underserved geographic (rural) areas through grant/contract slots. The number of infants and toddlers served may overlap with the number of children in underserved (rural) areas. [ ] Children needing non-traditional hour care. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] School-age children. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [ ] Children experiencing homelessness. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: [x] Children in urban areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: The Lead Agency is serving approximately 2500 children in urban areas through grant/contract slots. The number of infants and toddlers served may overlap with the number of children in urban areas. [x] Children in rural areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: The Lead Agency is serving approximately 900 children in underserved geographic (rural) areas through grant/contract slots. The number of infants and toddlers served may overlap with the number of children in rural areas. [ ] Other populations. If checked, describe: ii. If yes, how are rates for slots funded by grants and contracts determined by the Lead Agency? Rates for the child care assistance program’s contracted slots are equivalent to the rates for the program’s certificate/voucher slots (both of which use information obtained through the Market Rate Survey and cost analysis). 4.5.2 Care in the child’s home (in-home care) The Lead Agency must allow for in-home care (i.e., care provided in the child’s own home) but may limit its use. Will the Lead Agency limit the use of in-home care in any way? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If yes, what limits will the Lead Agency set on the use of in-home care? Check all that apply. i. [ ] Restricted based on the minimum number of children in the care of the in- home provider to meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) requirements. Describe: ii. [x] Restricted based on the in-home provider meeting a minimum age requirement. Describe: To be certified as a CCAP in-home provider, the applicant must be at least 18 years old and provide verification of identity. iii. [ ] Restricted based on the hours of care (i.e., certain number of hours, non- traditional work hours). Describe: iv. [x] Restricted to care by relatives. (A relative provider must be at least 18 years of age based on the definition of eligible child care provider.) Describe: An in-home provider renders child care services to only eligible children who are, by marriage, blood relationship, or court decree, the grandchild, great-grandchild, siblings (if such provider lives in separate residence), niece, or nephew of such provider, and complies with any applicable requirements that govern child care provided by the relative involved. v. [ ] Restricted to care for children with special needs or a medical condition. Describe: vi. [ ] Restricted to in-home providers that meet additional health and safety requirements beyond those required by CCDF. Describe: vii. [ ] Other. Describe: 4.5.3 Shortages in the supply of child care Lead Agencies must identify shortages in the supply of child care providers that meet parents’ needs and preferences. What child care shortages has the Lead Agency identified in the State or Territory, and what is the plan to address the child care shortages? a. In infant and toddler programs: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: A statewide child count, in which community network lead agencies report all publicly-funded children enrolled on October 1 and February 1 across all program types (e.g, child care, schools, and Head Start/Early Head Start) and funding sources (e.g., Head Start, Title I, state PreK, local funding, CCAP, etc.). We compare that child count (which is conducted twice each year) to our economically-disadvantaged cohort numbers, to identify the gap in eligible children being served…and we report out on both the number served, the total number in the eligible cohort, and the gap of unserved children at least annually, publicly. ii. Method of tracking progress: The child count is conducted twice per year for all publicly-funded children enrolled on October 1 and February 1 across all program types (e.g, child care, schools, and Head Start/Early Head Start) and funding sources (e.g., Head Start, Title I, state PreK, local funding, CCAP, etc.). The Lead Agency uses this data to calculate the percentage of economically disadvantaged children accessing early childhood programs, by comparing the estimated number of at-risk children at each age group to the number of children served in publicly- funded seats. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes The Lead Agency aims to increase the number of Family Child Care sites (FCCs) in Louisiana participating in the child care assistance program, and particularly the number of FCCs participating in the Quality Rating System and the number of FCCs from rural, underserved communities. Multiple strategies are designed to spread awareness about the need for family child care and to incentivize participation as CCDF providers. Early Childhood Community Networks and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies assist the Lead Agency in communicating with local entities that may be interested in becoming Family Child Care sites registered with the Lead Agency. Community Networks and CCR&Rs share information about participating in the child care assistance program and the Quality Rating System at community events, network enrollment events, and through other information-sharing opportunities. Additionally, the Lead Agency partners with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to communicate the opportunity to register with the Lead Agency and participate in the Quality Rating System through Academic Approval, such as the CACFP inviting the Lead Agency’s Early Childhood Family Child Care manager to events where information about becoming a Family Child Care educator is shared. Furthermore, to support FCCs participating in the Quality Rating System, the Lead Agency partners with the local Early Childhood Community Networks, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, and Mental Health Consultants to provide professional development and supports to these sites. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The local community networks work to recruit community providers to open additional classrooms or sites or to offer child care via diverse delivery, including in school-based sites. Local community networks also establish strategic funding plans, that identify potential community-level resources, and work to raise local funds that can be matched by the state’s Early Childhood Education Fund (an incentive fund) and used to serve more children in centers. b. In different regions of the State or Territory: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: The Lead Agency uses licensing and provider certification data to identify parishes or zip codes where no CCDF child care providers exist and shares that information with community networks on an annual basis. ii. Method of tracking progress: The Lead Agency continually reviews family demand and unmet need for child care for infants through four year olds, as well as the number of child care providers. This occurs through information gathered twice per year when the Lead Agency conducts a statewide child count, in which community network lead agencies report all publicly-funded children enrolled on October 1 and February 1 across all program types (e.g, child care, schools, and Head Start/Early Head Start) and funding sources (e.g., Head Start, Title I, state PreK, local funding, CCAP, etc.). The Lead Agency uses this data to calculate the percentage of economically disadvantaged children accessing early childhood programs, by comparing the estimated amount of at-risk children at each age group to the number of children served in publicly-funded seats. The Lead Agency annually reports publicly on the statewide percentage of economically disadvantaged children in each age group who are accessing high- quality early childhood programs using the same data sources listed above, as well as on the network performance profiles published on www.louisianaschools.com. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The Lead Agency aims to increase the number of Family Child Care sites (FCCs) in Louisiana participating in the child care assistance program, and particularly the number of FCCs participating in the Quality Rating System and the number of FCCs from rural, underserved communities. Multiple strategies are designed to spread awareness about the need for family child care and to incentivize participation as CCDF providers. Early Childhood Community Networks and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies assist the Lead Agency in communicating with local entities that may be interested in becoming Family Child Care sites registered with the Lead Agency. Community Networks and CCR&Rs share information about participating in the child care assistance program and the Quality Rating System at community events, network enrollment events, and through other information-sharing opportunities. Additionally, the Lead Agency partners with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to communicate the opportunity to register with the Lead Agency and participate in the Quality Rating System through Academic Approval, such as the CACFP inviting the Lead Agency’s Early Childhood Family Child Care manager to events where information about becoming a Family Child Care educator is shared. Furthermore, to support FCCs participating in the Quality Rating System, the Lead Agency partners with the local Early Childhood Community Networks, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, and Mental Health Consultants to provide professional development and supports to these sites. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The local community networks work to recruit community providers to open additional classrooms or sites or to offer child care via diverse delivery, including in school-based sites. Local community networks also establish strategic funding plans, that identify potential community-level resources, and work to raise local funds that can be matched by the state’s Early Childhood Education Fund (an incentive fund) and used to serve more children in centers. c. In care for special populations: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: Children with disabilities are counted through their IEP or IFSP, and the Lead Agency analyzes service rates of children with disabilities at each age level birth through five, to compare to the service rates once children enter Kindergarten and first grades, to better understand identification and service gaps by community. ii. Method of tracking progress: The Lead Agency uses a state data system, called eSER, to analyze data, compare service rates, and identify gaps that may exist in services. The Lead Agency tracks young children with disabilities to support a smooth and timely transition from early intervention services through an IFSP to school-based services through an IEP. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? To support Family Child Care providers to meet the needs of all young children and families, including those of young children with disabilities, the Lead Agency partners with the local Early Childhood Community Networks, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, and Mental Health Consultants to provide professional development and supports to the FCC sites participating in the Quality Rating System. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The Lead Agency addresses shortages in child care centers for young children with disabilities through training and professional development in developmental screening, through analysis of the ECE workforce, and through family engagement work. Through these workstreams the Lead Agency is able to assess the why behind the shortages, adequately train early child care providers who provide care for YCWD, and also ensure that families are an integral part of their child’s care. 4.5.4 Strategies to increase the supply of and improve quality of child care Lead Agencies must develop and implement strategies to increase the supply of and improve the quality of child care services. These strategies must address child care in underserved geographic areas; infants and toddlers; children with disabilities, as defined by the Lead Agency; and children who receive care during non-traditional hours. How does the Lead Agency identify any gaps in the supply and quality of child care services and what strategies are used to address those gaps for: a. Underserved geographic areas. Describe: The Lead Agency partners with Ready Start Networks to improve the supply and quality of child care services in underserved geographic areas by providing support and technical assistance focused on identifying child care deserts (e.g., areas of each parish where child care is limited when compared with the population) and shortages in supply related to workforce. Support and technical assistance provided by the Lead Agency includes but is not limited to the Lead Agency encouraging networks to complete access landscape analyses or data evaluations based on annual Lead Agency-provided data kits, reviewing access data with the networks as part of efforts to identify access gaps and trends at the local level, and supporting network efforts to create community-level goals focused on access needs within the communities they serve. Additionally, the Lead Agency partners with Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies to ensure that the quality of child care that already exists or is launched in underserved geographic areas receives quality supports. For example, many Family Child Care (FCC) sites provide care in areas where child care centers do not exist and do not have sufficient local demand currently to be sustainable business models. Therefore, CCR&R agencies work with FCC sites that are participating in state QRIS efforts and provide them with professional learning (training and coaching) focused on quality improvement. Furthermore, if new child care sites are created in underserved areas, CCR&Rs are available to support the sites via professional learning focused on increasing the quality of care. The Lead Agency will also continue to work to build supply in underserved geographic areas by dedicating contracted seats to those areas and by supporting networks in those underserved geographic areas to recruit and partner with potential or existing child care providers to expand quality access via those contracted seats. b. Infants and toddlers. Describe: The Lead Agency partners with Ready Start Networks to evaluate access for infants and toddlers in the communities they serve and to develop strategies focused on increasing the supply of infant and toddler care. This is primarily done via access analyses based on community-level landscape analysis work and/or evaluation of each network’s data kit that provides an aggregated summary of community quality, access, and demographics. Data kits are provided to each early childhood community network annually by the Lead Agency. Additionally, the Lead Agency partners with Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies to improve the quality of teacher-child interactions and overall classroom experiences for infants and toddlers. This is done via targeted on-site coaching and support focused on infant and toddler classrooms that have a Performance Profile score that falls below ￿Proficient￿ (a score of 4.49 and below), as based on the Infant or Toddler Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS￿). The Lead Agency will also continue to work to build supply of infant and toddler care by dedicating contracted seats for those age groups and by supporting networks to recruit and partner with potential or existing child care providers to expand quality access for infants and toddlers via those contracted seats. c. Children with disabilities. Describe: The Lead Agency continues to expand the focus on ensuring that young children with disabilities (YCWD) have access to, and receive, the supports that facilitate development and learning within high-quality child care sites. To do this, the Lead Agency works with Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies to analyze developmental screening processes in the communities they serve and develop strategic plans focused on ensuring that all young children, especially those with disabilities, have access to quality early childhood education at the local level. d. Children who receive care during non-traditional hours. Describe: At this time the Lead Agency is working to ensure that sites that provide care during non-traditional hours receive assessments that reflect the level of quality provided during those hours in alignment with the state’s accountability system. To do this the Lead Agency is initiating meetings with early childhood community network leaders and the third-party contractor who conducts observations as part of the state’s early childhood accountability system to begin developing guidance focused on conducting observations during non-traditional hours. Because Family Child Care (FCC) sites are more likely than other site types to provide non- traditional hours care, the work will initially center around how to conduct effective and accurate observations in FCC settings operating during non-traditional hours. Additionally, because some child care centers also provide non-traditional hours care, the Lead Agency plans to adjust the guidance created for FCC sites to ensure accurate assessments are also conducted in child care center sites that provide this type of care. e. Other. Specify what population is being focused on to increase supply or improve quality. Describe: 4.5.5 Prioritization of investments in areas of concentrated poverty and unemployment Lead Agencies must prioritize investments for increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and do not currently have sufficient numbers of such programs. Describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and that do not have access to high-quality programs. The Lead Agency will partner with Ready Start Networks to improve the supply and quality of child care services for children and families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and do not currently have a sufficient number of programs, by providing support and technical assistance. The support and technical assistance provided by the Lead Agency will include but not be limited to the Lead Agency encouraging networks to complete access landscape analyses or data evaluations based on annual Lead Agency-provided data kits, reviewing access data with the networks as part of efforts to identify access gaps and trends at the local level, including those related to areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment, and supporting network efforts to create community-level goals focused on those areas. The Lead Agency will also continue to work to increase access to high-quality care for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and do not currently have sufficient numbers of such programs by dedicating contracted seats for those areas and by supporting networks to recruit and partner with potential or existing child care providers to expand quality access for those areas via those contracted seats. In addition, Louisiana has a matching incentive fund, called the Early Childhood Education Fund, that would allow the Lead Agency, if sufficient dollars are available in that fund after other qualifying project have been awarded, to provide remaining dollars to areas with high child poverty rates and high child care needs in terms of the economic development needs of the parish where the center is located. 5 Health and Safety of Child Care Settings Child care health and safety standards and enforcement practices are essential to protect the health and safety of children while out of their parents’ care. CCDF provides a minimum threshold for child care health and safety policies and practices but leaves authority to Lead Agencies to design standards that appropriately protect children’s safety and promote nurturing environments that support their healthy growth and development. Lead Agencies should set standards for ratios, group size limits, and provider qualifications that help ensure that the child care environment is conducive to safety and learning and enable caregivers to promote all domains of children’s development. CCDF health and safety standards help set clear expectations for CCDF providers, form the foundation for health and safety training for child care workers, and establish the baseline for monitoring to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. These health and safety requirements apply to all providers serving children receiving CCDF services – whether the providers are licensed or license-exempt, must be appropriate to the provider setting and age of the children served, must include specific topics and training on those topics, and are subject to monitoring and enforcement procedures by the Lead Agency. CCDF-required annual monitoring and enforcement actions help ensure that CCDF providers are adopting and implementing health and safety requirements. Through child care licensing, Lead Agencies set minimum requirements, including health and safety requirements, that child care providers must meet to legally operate in that State or Territory. In some cases, CCDF health and safety requirements may be integrated within the licensing system for licensed providers and may be separate for CCDF providers who are license- exempt. This section addresses CCDF health and safety requirements, Lead Agency licensing requirements and exemptions, and comprehensive background checks. When responding to questions in this section, OCC recognizes that each Lead Agency identifies and defines its own categories of care. OCC does not expect Lead Agencies to change their definitions to fit the CCDF-defined categories of care. For these questions, provide responses that best match the CCDF categories of care.