7.1 Quality Activities Needs Assessment

7.1.1 Needs assessment process and findings a. Describe the Lead Agency needs assessment process for expending CCDF funds on activities to improve the quality of child care, including the frequency of assessment, how a diverse range of parents and providers were consulted, and how their views are incorporated: EEC gathers information on ongoing program quality improvement efforts and the needs of the field through multiple mechanisms. Licensors visit programs regularly and, in addition to reviewing compliance with regulations, also attend to the needs and opportunities for growth for each program. Based on their assessment of program needs, licensors will provide technical assistance or refer programs to the regional quality specialist for further consultation. Regional program quality staff have developed a regional consultation system to work with licensors and program support staff to review common issues and goals arising from programs as well as identify professional learning opportunities and other supports to meet these needs. This process is building a deep understanding of local strengths and challenges and informs ongoing design of program supports. EEC has developed a robust system of free and low-cost quality supports for programs, including formal systems that provide home visiting to family child care educators, mental health consultation, coaching and training from regional professional development centers, in-depth training in implementing the Pyramid Model, and planful educational leadership supporting ongoing job-embedded learning for educators and staff. EEC also works closely with programs contracted to provide child care for children receiving CCDF funded financial aid. Through this process, EEC maintains close relationships with programs providing these services, including family child care systems, and provides ongoing consultation and support in quality improvement. EEC also gathers information about program engagement and classroom quality from programs enrolled in some of the agency’s higher intensity professional learning opportunities, including the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative and the Early Childhood Support Organizations. This data provides a window into the level of professional learning engagement that is possible for programs and the level of program quality in these programs. EEC also shares these results and consults regularly with the Board of Early Education and Care, Advisory and Workforce Councils to reflect on the needs of the field and consider changes necessary to the supports provided. EEC has recently launched a family advisory which provides family feedback on the current and future directions of program quality policies. EEC has also used PDG needs assessment funds to gather information from families about their preferences when choosing programs for their children, which will be used to inform ongoing program quality design. All of these activities occur on an ongoing basis. b. Describe the findings of the assessment, including any findings related to needs of different populations and types of providers, and if any overarching goals for quality improvement were identified: Ongoing review of all of the above information has identified a desire for a clearly articulated pathway of supports for programs, starting with quality focused interactions with licensors, basic training of educational leaders to build program level skills in supporting on-going continuous quality improvement and professional learning, to more intensive and comprehensive supports designed to develop high levels of practice. We understand that finding the right level of support for each program is essential to ensuring effective engagement in meaningful improvement, as is ensuring the field has access to professional learning opportunities aligned with program needs. Classroom observation data from programs engaged in more comprehensive quality improvements provide the benchmark we use and measure against as programs engage in quality improvement. Educational leaders play a critical role in supporting such improvement and will need strong leadership skills in order to effectively make use of such opportunities. Information from families suggests that the strong licensing requirements currently in place are important to family as an indicator of safety for their children. Educator skills are also important to families, suggesting that the ongoing investment in professional expectations, compensation, and educator retention will help families find programs with the skilled professionals that they desire.