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 range of parents and providers were consulted, and how their views are incorporated: We systematically integrate parental perspectives from the Maryland State Department of Education's Child Care Scholarship customer service survey to enhance the program. Additionally, feedback from parents and providers gathered through interactions with the customer service line is diligently used to implement improvements. This approach promotes a consistent continuum of care and streamlines the accessibility of benefits. In an effort to support continuous quality improvement and expand access to high quality child care. The Maryland EXCELS standards are under a process of review and revision. The revised standards which will be approved in FY25 and implemented in FY26 will look at program type, ease of participation, workforce development, and pathways to quality. Parent’s have access to the Maryland EXCELS Find a Program Directory where they can identify programs that are eligible to receive scholarship reimbursement. In addition, the agency is in the process of conducting a supply and demand study, birth to age five, to better understand the needs of families, and access gap both in infant toddler and preschool age care to make informed decision in resource allocation that best meets the needs of families. 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: The feedback heard during the community engagement sessions held during May-June 2024 provided valuable insights into the challenges that underserved populations face in accessing high-quality care. These sessions emphasized the significant barriers experienced by priority populations, including non-English speaking families or multilingual learners, immigrant families, families with children with disabilities, families receiving child care financial assistance, families in child care deserts, migrant or asylum seeking families, and families in rural areas. These findings include: Technology Challenges especially for individuals with limited access to and familiarity with digital platforms hinder families’ ability to find and apply for child care. Families and providers stated that they can benefit from regional/local support systems put in place to support families with navigation of search for child care and the child care scholarship program. Feedback also emphasized that the lack of reliable transportation options prevents some families from reaching child care facilities. The financial burden of child care remains a significant obstacle for some families. In addition, language barriers, particularly for some non-English speaking families, impede communication and access to services. Some providers have had trouble adjusting to prospective payment or advance payment, including the true up process. Feedback also highlighted the significant challenges in attracting and retaining a qualified child care workforce. Key issues identified include: access to high-quality training and ample support for some providers expressed frustration with inadequate training and support systems. A huge barrier to recruiting and retaining qualified workforce are low wages, lack of benefits, which result in financial instability for the workforce. This coupled with the high demands of the job, and high requirements for credentialing and a lack of recognition in terms of how the profession is perceived, contribute to burnout and frustration among some providers. Some Spanish-speaking child care owners specifically cited challenges in getting licensed or maintaining their businesses due to lack of responsiveness and clarity from the State and insufficient resources available in Spanish. For example, one provider highlighted difficulties in receiving support from the food program due to language barriers, leading to confusion and inconvenience. Some participants emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between government agencies, local organizations, and child care providers to enhance communication, transparency, and accountability. Specific recommendations include developing a Unified Data Collection Systems, creating systems to support collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders, incentivizing innovation by encouraging innovative approaches to improve child care services and to receive credentials, aligning the workforce with school systems by integrating the school system to build off of early childhood education to ensure continuity of care and supports that aligns with a child’s development and history. Feedback also emphasized and encouraged the state to strengthen the Continuous Quality Improvement system, expanding on existing surveys to assess and identify areas for improvement in the child care landscape. MSDE Initiatives for Improving Quality: MSDE is exploring a longitudinal data system that includes children receiving child care scholarships. This system would give each of these children a student ID number that follows them through their matriculation in public schools. MSDE has developed a structured career ladder for early childhood educators to elevate the profession. This career ladder will align staff qualifications across licensing, Pre-K, and the child care credential program. Maryland is modeling its approach on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) "Power to the Profession" career ladder, while also incorporating additional pathways to recognize prior learning, skills, and experience. A work group of early childhood stakeholders will convene in January 2025 to review the career ladder, offer feedback, and make implementation recommendations. The career ladder will go into place on July 1, 2025. After the career ladder is solidified, Maryland will begin to explore a recommended compensation and benefits scale for the early childhood workforce. Maryland EXCELS: In FY26 revised Maryland EXCELS standards will be implemented to support programs with the participation in and achieving quality ratings in Maryland EXCELS. Resources such as in person/virtual professional development, increased site visits, and new tutorials will be available to support increased quality improvement and programs quality ratings. Licensing: In addition to ensuring child care community has access to telephonic, written and on-site interpretation and translation services; Licensing staff will ensure to better communicate and explain that the services mentioned are available to them at no cost. Early Learning and Instruction: The Office of Early Learning and Instruction is in the process of developing professional learning modules to provide Pre-K educators with access to on-demand resources to enhance their teaching practices and instructional strategies. These modules will be designed to offer practical, research-based information that educators can apply in their classrooms to support student development and engagement. Pre-K Support Specialists will utilize these modules as a resource to guide and support teachers in addressing various instructional challenges and fostering a positive, inclusive learning environment for young learners. Expand the PUSH to Pre-K initiative to provide additional technical assistance and support to meet the high-quality Pre-K standards and participate in the state’s publicly funded Pre-K grant programs. Child Care Scholarship: Child Care Scholarship Branch supports the improvement of quality for children eligible for CCDF benefits by working closely with Maryland EXCELS and the Maryland’s Licensing Branch to ensure that communications from the CCS Branch to parents and providers reflects the health, safety, and quality standards being implemented by the Division of Early Childhood, as directed by CCDF regulations and ACF guidance. Family Support Services and Head Start Collaboration: The Office of Family Support Services and Head Start Collaboration supports quality improvement initiatives through fostering strong partnerships with family serving organizations and establishing regular communication channels for stakeholders, providers, and families. To increase family and community engagement, the Office proposes a family member position on The State's Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) and the Office of Child Care (OCC) Advisory Council. This will drive meaningful improvements in child care quality and effectiveness by including parent voices in the continuous quality initiatives offered through the Division of Early Childhood.