6.1 Supporting the Child Care Workforce

Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to implement policies and practices to support the child care workforce. 6.1.1 Strategies to improve recruitment, retention, compensation, and well-being a. Identify any Lead Agency activities related to strengthening workforce recruitment and retention of child care providers. Check all that apply: i. [ ] Providing program-level grants to support investments in staff compensation. ii. [ ] Providing bonuses or stipends paid directly to staff, like sign-on or retention bonuses. iii. [ ] Connecting family child care providers and center-based child care staff to health insurance or supporting premiums in the Marketplace. iv. [ ] Subsidizing family child care provider and center-based child care staff retirement benefits. v. [ ] Providing paid sick, personal, and parental leave for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vi. [ ] Providing student loan debt relief or loan repayment for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vii. [x] Providing scholarships or tuition support for center-based child care staff and family child care providers. viii. [x] Other. Describe: To support recruitment and retention, the Lead Agency created an Early Childhood Workforce Recruitment and Retention Guidance document for community networks to share with program partners. b. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to assess and improve the compensation of the child care workforce in the State or Territory, including increasing wages, bonuses, and stipends. Currently, eligible lead teachers can receive the School Readiness Tax Credits based on their level on the state’s career ladder. Teachers who qualify for School Readiness Tax Credits earn an increased tax credit amount by virtue of possessing the Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate. Additionally, teachers earn increased tax credit levels by demonstrating that they have been in the child care field for multiple years, rewarding those teachers who have demonstrated a multi-year commitment to the field. Moreover, in 2022 the rates for Child Care Assistance Program seats were increased to provide site leaders with a higher and more stable subsidy. The Lead Agency has established a Workforce Stabilization Study Group, comprised of B-3 early learning teachers and site leaders as well as other strategic key partners, which meets several times per year and will study potential strategies to increase wages outside of tax credits. c. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to expand access to benefits, including health insurance, paid sick, personal, and parental leave, and retirement benefits. In 2023-2024, in an effort to increase access to health insurance for the child care workforce, the Lead Agency established a partnership with an independent non- profit whose mission is to improve health status through access to information, education, and health services and who held a Healthcare Navigator grant. These ￿Healthy Navigators￿ share affordable health insurance options for any person in Louisiana and, through the partnership with the Lead Agency, have made a targeted focus on the child care workforce. The Lead Agency will continue to share information about the program, for the duration of the Healthcare Navigator federal grant, with the child care workforce so that they can access the information and support they need to gain access to affordable health insurance that meets their needs. d. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to support the mental health and well-being of the child care workforce. The Lead Agency currently contracts with a vendor to provide mental health consultation support services for child care directors, teachers, children, and families through a nationally-acclaimed model for mental health consultation. The contractor provides services which promote the healthy development of young children, support teachers’ and parents’ ability to foster the well-being of young children, and provide referrals for treatment and/or design interventions for young children exhibiting challenging behaviors. e. Describe any other strategies the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to support providers’ recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. The Lead Agency developed Workforce Support Modules that aim to support and improve the recruitment, hiring, retention, and evaluation of employees. The Lead Agency will offer these modules in multiple modalities over the next three years and ensure that every Child Care Resource and Referral agency offers multiple opportunities for directors to participate. The modules incorporate realistic scenarios and reflection on personal practices that come from Louisiana child care providers and module participants, national/state-wide data, and, for modules that are presented by a trainer/facilitator, resources to guide discussion and collaboration amongst participants, to share best practices. The Lead Agency may additionally offer these modules through a virtual option that can be taken asynchronously, as well as incorporate shorter lessons from the modules into recurring webinars, such as the Monthly Provider Update Webinar. The Lead Agency intends to incorporate follow-up with participants to track the impact of these modules on teacher retention, quality of instruction, and teacher turnover over the next three years. 6.1.2 Strategies to support provider business practices a. Describe other strategies that the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to strengthen child care providers’ business management and administrative practices. The Lead Agency has developed a series of Workforce Support Modules that will be administered in multiple modalities by both the LDOE and Child Care Resource and Referral agencies. The content of these modules covers recruiting employees, hiring employees, retaining employees, and evaluating employees. All Type III center directors will be eligible to participate in these modules. In addition, the Lead Agency has established a Workforce Stabilization Study Group, comprised of B-3 early learning teachers and site leaders as well as other strategic key partners, which meets several times per year; the Lead Agency will continue to investigate with that group of key perspectives additional provider business practices that are most effective and work to share those identified practices with the field at-large. (The Lead Agency also previously implemented other strategies identified under 6.1.2.b.) b. Check the topics addressed in the Lead Agency’s strategies for strengthening child care providers’ administrative business practices. Check all that apply: i. [ ] Fiscal management. ii. [ ] Budgeting. iii. [ ] Recordkeeping. iv. [x] Hiring, developing, and retaining qualified staff. v. [ ] Risk management. vi. [ ] Community relationships. vii. [ ] Marketing and public relations. viii. [ ] Parent-provider communications. ix. [ ] Use of technology in business administration. x. [ ] Compliance with employment and labor laws. xi. [ ] Other. Describe any other efforts to strengthen providers’ administrative business: 6.1.3 Strategies to support provider participation Lead Agencies must facilitate participation of child care providers and staff with limited English proficiency and disabilities in the child care subsidy system. Describe how the Lead Agency will facilitate this participation, including engagement with providers to identify barriers and specific strategies used to support their participation: a. Providers and staff with limited English proficiency: For purposes of translation and recruitment of participating providers, the Lead Agency uses Language Link, which can provide translation for more than 240 languages/dialects. This contract can be used to provide information, such as applications, in other languages and can be applied to any document or resources needed. As needed CCR&Rs also provide language interpretation and translation services, such as interpretation apps, during meetings and training sessions. Written material and communication is provided in the primary language of the provider or staff member. In addition, training sessions are offered to staff on understanding various perspectives and communication styles to ensure competency and sensitivity. Finally, CCR&Rs collaborate with local organizations and community groups that specialize in supporting providers and staff with limited English proficiency, who can provide additional resources and expertise. b. Providers and staff who have disabilities: The Lead Agency website has been verified for accessibility for individuals with disabilities or additional interpretation needs. The LDOE is prepared to support additional requests from individuals with disabilities. CCR&Rs work with directors to develop individualized support plans that address the specific needs and accommodations of staff who have a disability. This may include flexible scheduling, specialized equipment, or assistive technology. Additionally, directors are supported in providing the appropriate accommodations to ensure that physical spaces, materials, and digital platforms are accessible to individuals with disabilities, including wheelchair ramps and screen reader compatibility. Furthermore, CCR&RS work with local organizations and community groups that specialize in supporting individuals with disabilities to connect providers and staff who have disabilities with additional resources and accommodations.