6.3 Ongoing Training and Professional Development

6.3.1 Required hours of ongoing training Provide the number of hours of ongoing training required annually for CCDF-eligible providers in the following settings: a. Licensed child care centers: Under 13 children, 12 hours annually. Over 13 children, 18 hours annually for weekly employment less than 20 hours and 30 hours annually for those weekly employed for over 20 hours (these hours include the 2-hour annual health and safety training). b. License-exempt child care centers: 2-hour annual health and safety training and when necessary, recertification of Pediatric first aid and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Mandated Reporter trainings. c. Licensed family child care homes: 12 hours annually (this includes the 2-hour annual health and safety training). d. License-exempt family child care homes: 2-hour annual health and safety training and when necessary, recertification of Pediatric first aid and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Mandated Reporter trainings. e. Regulated or registered in-home child care: N/A f. Non-regulated or registered in-home child care: 2-hour annual health and safety training and when necessary, recertification of Pediatric first aid and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Mandated Reporter trainings. 6.3.2 Accessibility of professional development for Tribal organizations Describe how the Lead Agency’s training and professional development are accessible to providers supported through Indian tribes or Tribal organizations receiving CCDF funds (as applicable). All child care programs and professionals, including Tribal organizations, can access the entire PDN training and development framework that includes the initial and annual on demand health and safety trainings. MRTQ PDN has seven (7) District Coordinators (DCs), who are consultants assigned to specific regions and one statewide inclusion consultant. Consultants provide resources and virtual or onsite technical assistance. Outreach occurs by the consultants to child care programs in their region. 6.3.3 Professional development appropriate for the children, families, and child care providers Describe how the Lead Agency’s training and professional development requirements reflect the range of children, families, and child care providers participating in CCDF. To the extent practicable, how does professional development include specialized training or credentials for providers who care for infants or school-age children; individuals with limited English proficiency; children who are bilingual; children with developmental delays or disabilities; and/or Native Americans, including Indians, as the term is defined in Section 900.6 in subpart B of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (including Alaska Natives) and Native Hawaiians? The system of professional development supports from MRTQ PDN include training, technical assistance and education. The MRTQ PDN trainings can be taken to obtain early care and education setting and age specific credentials. Currently those credentials are: Child Development Associates, Infant Toddler Credential, Youth Development Credential, Director Credential, and Inclusion Credential. The training to meet the credential requirements are offered through the yearly offerings at MRTQ PDN. Technical assistance in the form or phone and email, on site consultation, peer to peer groups are offered to support practitioners. On demand trainings include Supporting Inclusion: Laws and Practices and Caring for Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness. Facilitated trainings include Inclusive Child Care, Foundations of Universal Design, and Creating Inclusive Youth Development Settings. Maine has also developed an Early Childhood Settings Inclusion Toolkit (https://ccids.umaine.edu/resources/inclusion- toolkit/). This toolkit and related trainings were designed to support early childhood educators to work with children with limited English proficiency, children who are bilingual, children with developmental delays or disabilities, Native American and American Indian children, children in LGBTQ families, children arriving in Maine with immigrant, refugee, and asylee status, and children with all types of lived experiences and identities. English and French are the primary languages in Maine. However, some pockets of Maine have over 16 different languages. MRTQ PDN works individually with programs and practitioners needing assistance. Interpreters are available on an as needed basis. The MRTQ PDN website can be read in multiple languages. 6.3.4 Child developmental screening Describe how all providers receive, through training and professional development, information about: (1) existing resources and services the State/Territory can make available in conducting developmental screenings and providing referrals to services when appropriate for children who receive assistance under this part, including the coordinated use of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and developmental screening services available under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and (2) how child care providers may utilize these resources and services to obtain developmental screenings for children who receive assistance and who may be at risk for cognitive or other developmental delays, which may include social, emotional, physical, or linguistic delays: Efforts have been made over the past few years to improve developmental screening to increase the number of children identified early for services. Maine's Child Development Services (CDS) has made a major effort in the past few years to increase outreach statewide about Part C services, contacting all primary referral sources (e.g., physicians, Early Head Start, home health agencies and so forth) at least annually; in FY22, CDS reached almost 1,500 referral sources. Special efforts were made to reach referral sources in touch with families of infants (e.g., birthing hospitals). Data suggests those outreach services are having an effect: In one year (FY21￿FY22) there was an 88% increase in Part C referrals from hospitals and an almost 50% increase in the number of infants with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP). Data from MaineCare shows an improvement over the past several years from 30% to 36% of children with MaineCare receiving developmental screenings which is similar to the comparable national median but lower than other New England states. Help Me Grow has also begun to conduct ASQ screenings at child care sites; during 2023, 121 screenings were conducted through Help Me Grow. The Lead Agency’s Help Me Grow Maine program is a free information line available to service providers, pregnant parents, and families with children up to eight years of age. HMG’s staff provide developmental screening and information to access development screenings. HMG's staff, materials, and website provide developmental screening information and an array of resources. While efforts have been made on several fronts to expand early screening, Maine still has a relatively low rate of early identification compared to other states. Maine provides information to child care programs and early childhood professionals about resources and services for children who may be at risk for cognitive or other developmental delays through the ECE Consultation for ME program, Help Me Grow, and MRTQ PDN. MRTQ PDN has 2 dedicated staff that focus on these efforts. As a partner of the MRTQ PDN, the Center for Community Inclusion and Disabilities Studies provides expertise in this area. Maine's ECE Consultation for ME program focuses on Early Childhood Mental Health with statewide capacity. Also, the MRTQ PDN offers the following core knowledge trainings that align with a State Inclusion Credential: Inclusive Child Care (30 hours), Creating Inclusive Youth Development Settings (30 hours), Foundations of Inclusion: Relevant Laws, Featuring the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (6 hours) Foundations of Universal Design and Individualizing (12 hours), Collaborating with Others to Support Inclusion (12 hours), Positive Supports and Challenging Behavior. The Lead Agency will be working toward increased outreach around developmental screenings and more specific guidance to child care programs on conducting developmental screenings and providing referrals to services when appropriate, including the coordinated use of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and developmental screening services available under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.).