8.1 Coordination with Partners to Expand Accessibility and Continuity of Care

Lead Agencies must coordinate child care services supported by CCDF with other federal, State/Territory, and local level programs. This includes programs for the benefit of Indian children, infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. 8.1.1 Coordination with required and optional partners Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates and the results of this coordination of the provision of child care services with the organizations and agencies to expand accessibility and continuity of care and to assist children enrolled in early childhood programs in receiving full-day services that meet the needs of working families. The Lead Agency must coordinate with the following agencies: a. State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with the Children’s Cabinet who convenes the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (MN Statute: 124D.141) whose duties include: (1) make recommendations on the most efficient and effective way to leverage state and federal funding streams for early childhood and child care programs; (2) review program evaluations regarding high-quality early childhood programs; (3) make recommendations to the governor and legislature, including proposed legislation on how to most effectively create a high-quality early childhood system in Minnesota in order to improve the educational outcomes of children so that all children have the opportunities and experiences to support a successful transition to kindergarten. The department coordinates with the Council on development of the state’s CCDF plan. b. Indian Tribe(s) and/or Tribal organization(s), at the option of the Tribe or Tribal organization. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination, including which Tribe(s) was (were) involved: The department coordinates with the White Earth Nation and Red Lake Nation who administer CCAP for Tribal members and descendants and/or residents of the reservation. In SFY2023 an average of approximately 56 children per month received CCAP administered by White Earth Nation and Red Lake Nation. In overseeing consumer education, child care workforce and quality initiatives, the department coordinates with Tribal early childhood programs through a grant contract with Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to operate the Minnesota Tribal Resources for Early Childhood Care (MNTRECC). The goals of this coordination with MNTRECC include delivery of services and support to Tribal child care programs throughout the state, support for a forum to voice ideas and concerns on matters related to American Indian child care issues and help facilitate partnerships between Tribal child care, other early childhood programs and the Minnesota Child Care Aware system. The department, other state agencies and community-based organizations regularly collaborate with and seek input from MNTRECC on implementation of early care and education policies and procedures. This partnership has allowed for close coordination on training delivery for Tribal child care providers, support for Tribal trainers, providing grants to Tribal child care programs and recruitment of Tribal providers to participate in Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. The department engaged with Tribal partners from across the state to identify needs of children experiencing homelessness to plan for Child Care Access Grants. Additionally, at the July MNTRECC meeting to get input on upcoming legislative ideas. Partners at this meeting provided support for the department’s plan to improve child care assistance for Minnesotans. [ ] Not applicable. Check here if there are no Indian Tribes and/or Tribal organizations in the State/Territory. c. State/Territory agency(ies) responsible for programs for children with disabilities, including early intervention programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates regularly with the Early Childhood Special Education Program at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the development and implementation of Parent Aware, Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System (Parent Aware), consumer education and the Child Care Assistance Program. Minnesota's goal in this work is to ensure alignment around policies and procedures that relate to children with disabilities, such as curriculum and assessment review, processing consumer information and making it available on www.parentaware.org. Help Me Grow is an included resource on www.parentaware.org. Minnesota also provides consumer education print materials that include contacts for Help Me Grow, the Center for Inclusive Child Care and early childhood screening. The department issues Parent Aware Ratings to early childhood programs serving infants and toddlers, which allows these programs to accept Early Learning Scholarships for some eligible infants and toddlers and allows them to receive higher CCAP rates for high quality (Three and Four Star Rated programs). The department holds a contract with the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC), to provide training for licensed child care providers as well as program specific consultation and inclusion coaching services for those providers serving children with disabilities and their families. The department coordinates with staff at MDE and CICC to link services for children with special needs on child care assistance to appropriate school district and other resources with the goal of providing access to comprehensive full day services. In 2023, the department approved higher rates for 9 children at the request of the child care provider and parent. Two agencies have approved higher rates for 13 providers serving children identified as meeting the criteria for an at- risk population. In addition, Mental Health Consultation is available to child care programs across Minnesota. This consultation service can assist in linking providers and families to appropriate early intervention resources. The department also coordinates with the Early Childhood Special Education Part B/619 Coordinator as a part of broader cross-division/ cross-agency early childhood expulsion and suspension prevention efforts. The department coordinates regularly with the Early Childhood Special Education Program at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the development and implementation of Parent Aware, Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System (Parent Aware), consumer education and the Child Care Assistance Program. Minnesota's goal in this work is to ensure alignment around policies and procedures that relate to children with disabilities, such as curriculum and assessment review, processing consumer information and making it available on www.parentaware.org. Help Me Grow is an included resource on www.parentaware.org. Minnesota also provides consumer education print materials that include contacts for Help Me Grow, the Center for Inclusive Child Care and early childhood screening. The department issues Parent Aware Ratings to early childhood programs serving infants and toddlers, which allows these programs to accept Early Learning Scholarships for some eligible infants and toddlers and allows them to receive higher CCAP rates for high quality (Three and Four Star Rated programs). The department holds a contract with the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC), to provide training for licensed child care providers as well as program specific consultation and inclusion coaching services for those providers serving children with disabilities and their families. The department coordinates with staff at MDE and CICC to link services for children with special needs on child care assistance to appropriate school district and other resources with the goal of providing access to comprehensive full day services. In 2023, the department approved higher rates for 9 children at the request of the child care provider and parent. Two agencies have approved higher rates for 13 providers serving children identified as meeting the criteria for an at- risk population. In addition, Mental Health Consultation is available to child care programs across Minnesota. This consultation service can assist in linking providers and families to appropriate early intervention resources. The department also coordinates with the Early Childhood Special Education Part B/619 Coordinator as a part of broader cross-division/ cross-agency early childhood expulsion and suspension prevention efforts. The department continues to engage with these partners to develop inclusive policies including a recent legislative change to allow up to 20 hours of child care assistance per week for parents with referral from a mental health professional. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with the Head Start Collaboration Specialist to expand access to full day services and continuity of care for children who receive CCAP. A list of approved full-day Head Start programs is posted to help make CCAP authorization easier. Local agencies pay child care assistance to providers that are providing integrated full day Head Start services from five Head Start grantees. There is a process any Head Start grantee can use if there is a need for the state to verify they are providing full day services. The department also coordinates regularly with the Minnesota Head Start Collaboration Director and other staff at MDE on the development and implementation of Parent Aware policies and procedures that relate to Head Start programs with the goal of ensuring alignment in areas such as curriculum and assessment review and processing and making consumer information available on Ratings. The department issues automatic Parent Aware Ratings to Head Start programs, allowing them to accept Early Learning Scholarships and higher CCAP rates if they are a program that charges for wrap-around services, as they earn a Four-Star Rating. The department also works with the Head Start Collaboration Office, Department of Education and individual Head Start grantees to make Head Start training available to local child care providers. The department engaged with Head Start Directors from across the state to get input on upcoming legislative ideas and received valuable input to inform policy development. At a July presentation, department staff presented to approximately 30 Head Start Directors from across the state, and at an August engagement session, several Head Start providers and administrators gave in depth feedback on how Minnesota plans to improve services for children. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the agency responsible for immunizations) during public health emergencies to support continuity of care and throughout the year when necessary to provide guidance for providers and local CCAP administrative agencies on public health best practices. The department also coordinates with staff from the Minnesota Department of Health on the development and implementation of Parent Aware program policies and quality standards, including related to a Parent Aware evaluation and possible resulting changes to quality standards that will occur in this and the next federal CCDF Plan periods. Additionally, the Minnesota Governor’s Children’s Cabinet Senior Leadership Team and Interagency Leadership Team provide partnership and alignment between the Minnesota departments of Education, Health and Human Services, in addition to other state agencies serving communities with a whole family approach. Under the auspices of this collaborative work and governance structure, the department coordinates with MDH to ensure alignment with the state’s Title V Maternal and Child Health program, including the development of its needs assessment and strategic plan. The department also coordinates with MDH on issues related to Family, Friend and Neighbor caregiver supports, early childhood expulsion and suspension prevention, and other early childhood system supports. New positions have been added to better explore early childhood expulsion and suspension prevention and new staff have been hired to better examine these impacts. Additionally, department licensing staff coordinate with MDH regarding implementation of immunization policy. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division (EAESD) to ensure that local agencies, job counselors and others are coordinating efforts to support TANF families and other low-income families. The department’s policy staff coordinate policy development, procedures, manuals and staff training to ensure that policies are aligned which makes it easier for local agencies to administer the programs and easier for families to understand program policies. Work in recent years has focused on aligning the income definitions for TANF and CCAP. Results of this coordination include more cohesive income requirements between programs and more collaborative communications sent to local agencies to explain how to implement changes. The department also coordinates with EAESD, providing blended funding and governance, for the Whole Family Systems (WFS) grant program. Minnesota Whole Family Systems Initiative is a partnership among state agencies, local organizations, families and communities to create system change across government. The WFS vision is to enable and support whole family approaches and responses to families’ challenges that encompass all aspects of their lives, including well-being, family preservation, housing, childcare, health and economic stability. The department’s staff regularly attend cross- division meetings with Employment Services policy and front-line staff and supervisors to ensure broad understanding and alignment of CCAP and TANF policies. The department also coordinates with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) on the WF1 Connect mobile application, which helps families communicate more easily with their public assistance workers. The department further coordinates with DEED on funding opportunities for start-up and/or expansion of child care facilities in an effort to increase the supply of child care. The department and DEED partner on another initiative to recruit, train and place individuals in child care programs in an effort to increase our child care workforce. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with staff at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to increase access and continuity of care when families qualify for multiple programs, such as Head Start and/or Early Learning Scholarships. Due to the resources needed to build and rollout the Early Learning Scholarships online application, development was paused on integrating an automated categorical eligibility process with plans to resume exploration after the application statewide rollout (anticipated for July 2024). For 2025-2027, the Early Learning Scholarships team will continue to explore an automated verification process utilizing the new Salesforce Early Learning Scholarship Application and Early Learning Scholarship Administrator Hub. The new Department of Children, Youth, and Families will allow for easier and greater access to include foster care and SNAP as well. If an automated verification is not deemed to be feasible, the team will explore designating SMI access to the Early Learning Scholarship Area Administrators to conduct checks to verify eligibility. The department also coordinates regularly with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the development and implementation of Parent Aware program policies and procedures that relate to public preschool programs. The department’s Child Care Services Division also coordinates regularly with the Early Learning Services Division previously housed in the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the development and implementation of Parent Aware program policies and procedures that relate to public preschool programs. We approach this work with the goal of ensuring alignment around policies and procedures related to areas such as curriculum and assessment review, and processing and making consumer information available on Parent Aware Ratings. In addition, coordination will occur related to a Parent Aware evaluation and possible resulting changes to quality standards during this and the next federal CCDF Plan periods. The department also issues Ratings to public preschool programs, which allows them to accept Early Learning Scholarships. In addition, coordination occurs on activities related to the development and delivery of professional development opportunities including, but not limited to, the release of the new Knowledge and Competency Framework for Early Childhood Professionals. Under the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families, staff are exploring opportunities to align CCAP and Early Learning Scholarships requirements to form a new Great Start Scholarships Program that aims to streamline the application process for families in need of child care assistance. This program will not roll out until 2028, but the department will submit a status report to the legislature by July 1, 2026. The department also participates in an advisory group for the Early Learning Scholarships, which are administered by MDE, to coordinate data-sharing and outreach, and advice on Early Learning Scholarship policies related to access and continuity of care for children. Additionally, Minnesota’s Preschool Development Birth through Five grant supports coordination between the department and public education through targeted efforts on transitions between early childhood and the early grades, focused efforts on technology and policy alignment to improve the coordination of eligibility and services. The department also coordinates with the Department of Education Early Learning Services Director and Supervisor as a part of broader cross-division/ cross-agency early childhood expulsion and suspension prevention efforts. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department is responsible for directly licensing child care centers and monitoring county licensure of family child care programs. On-going coordination occurs between Licensing, Background Studies, Quality and Family Supports, Provider and Workforce Supports and Child Care Assistance Program staff with the goals of system alignment so that providers, staff and families working with or supported by each system have the same information and access to available information and resources. . The department meets with staff from these areas at least monthly to coordinate efforts. As a result of this coordination, department staff are working with licensing to finalize the provider hub for child care providers. This will act as a place for providers to receive notices and ultimately register with the state to provide care for children through child care assistance. i. State/Territory agency responsible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other relevant nutrition programs. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to share program data and to advise on CACFP program policy development when requested. Information about CACFP is included in the Child Care Assistance Program Child Care Provider Guide (https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5260-ENG) and the Paying for Child Care brochure (https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3551-ENG). The department also partners with CACFP to make training available to child care providers. The department collaborates with CACFP when requested by CACFP staff and data may be shared when needed because of a data sharing agreement with the department of education. Meetings with CACFP and the department occur as needed. j. McKinney-Vento State coordinators for homeless education and other agencies providing services for children experiencing homelessness and, to the extent practicable, local McKinney-Vento liaisons. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) coordinated with the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, local CCAP agencies and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to implement an expedited application process for families. Currently, the department has 11 grant contracts with local agencies that provide enhanced outreach and referral services for families to connect them to child care and CCAP. These Child Care Access Grants are designed to support families experiencing homelessness to complete a CCAP application and navigate the child care selection process; and provide support and resources to decrease barriers in maintaining participation in CCAP and child care as families navigate housing transitions. The Department has also developed training for child care providers on serving homeless families. It is delivered through the Child Care Aware system. The department work with Early Learning Scholarships, a state funded program, to coordinate available resources and supports for families experiencing homelessness. Families experiencing homelessness are considered a priority group for Early Learning Scholarships. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with its Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division (EAESD) to ensure that local agencies are coordinating efforts to support TANF families and other low-income families. The department’s CCAP policy staff coordinate policy development, procedures, manuals and staff training to ensure that policies are aligned. The department’s CCAP staff regularly attend cross- division meetings with policy and front-line staff and supervisors to ensure broad understanding and alignment of CCAP and TANF policies. Application and eligibility processes for families are aligned and families can apply for TANF and CCAP at the same time using mnbenefits.mn.gov. Workers who talk with families and process eligibility are informed about the Child Care Assistance Program and about encouraging families to use parentaware.org, Minnesota's Consumer Education website. The goal is to ensure that families who receive TANF get the information they need to apply for the CCAP and understand their options for selecting quality care. CCAP attends bimonthly meetings with employment service providers and state TANF staff to address potential barriers for families receiving TANF and local agency workers. Department staff coordinate with EAESD staff when developing legislative proposals that impact TANF recipients. Additionally, families who receive TANF are able to receive child care assistance immediately upon verification of income and activity requirements without being placed on a waiting list until funds are available. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department is responsible for Medicaid and the state Children's Health Insurance Program. The department’s staff coordinate to ensure accurate information about the programs are shared with low-income families that apply for CCAP. Information about the Children’s Health Insurance Program is included in the Paying for Child Care brochure (https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3551-ENG) that all families receive when they inquire about CCAP. This results in more families having access to plain language information on the Medicaid and state Children’s Health Insurance Programs. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department is responsible for Children's Mental Health. Coordination occurs across divisions with the goal of system alignment so that child care providers, including family, friend and neighbor caregivers; coaches serving providers; and families are supported by and have access to information and resources. Mental health consultation focuses on building child care provider capacity to support infant and young children's emotional development and to prevent, identify, or reduce mental health challenges. Collaboration also occurs with the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Education so that infant and early childhood mental health consultation is also available for school districts, home visiting and county child welfare staff. It remains that there is a shortage of consultants. In addition to supports for children’s mental health, as of May 2025, MFIP child only families will be able to receive up to 20 hours of child care assistance upon referral from a mental health professional. n. Child care resource and referral agencies, child care consumer education organizations, and providers of early childhood education training and professional development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department coordinates with Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies in Minnesota via grant contracts with the goal of implementing and continuously improving the following programs and services -- the Parent Aware Quality Rating and Improvement System, training, grants to child care providers to improve quality and provision of consumer education to parents about quality care and education options. In 2023, the percentage of children enrolled in a Parent Aware rated setting increased to 71% from 65% in 2021. Additionally, as of 2023, 32% of child care and early education programs had a Parent Aware rating. Recent state legislative changes will promote Parent Aware ratings by automatically enrolling all licensed child care programs as 1-star Parent Aware rated. o. Statewide afterschool network or other coordinating entity for out-of-school time care (if applicable). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department’s staff meet with out-of-school time care providers across the state to explain the certification process that allows for receipt of CCAP payments. In SYF2023 there were 550 Certified License-Exempt centers registered to serve children receiving CCAP. During this plan period, the department’s staff will work together with staff from the Department of Education and afterschool partners to align and streamline standards. The Minnesota Department of Education administers the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program (https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/oos/after/21/) to expand community learning centers that provide students with enrichment opportunities during non-school hours. MDE partners with Ignite Afterschool to screen external organizations that provide community learning centers with mentoring and guidance to ensure professional development aligns with Believe It. Build It. Minnesota’s Guide to Effective Afterschool Practices. To provide coordinated support to the field, the department has funded Ignite Afterschool to implement a school-age care accreditation program that integrates Believe It. Build It, Minnesota’s Guide to Effective Afterschool Practices with continuous program improvement. The Ignite School-Age Care Accreditation Process (I-SAC) provides programs access to personalized coaching, the latest research and best practices in the field to support them on their continuous quality improvement journey. Research has shown high-quality programs result in positive outcomes for young people, including improved academics, healthier lifestyles, and more successful careers. The department doesn't have a method to track data for these results. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The department worked with Emergency Management and Response staff in Minnesota on the development of the Minnesota State Child Care Emergency Plan. Goals include ensuring continuity of services at local and state levels to ensure Child Care Assistance Program eligibility and payments continue, increasing awareness of child care needs in the event of an emergency and collaboration on development of emergency plan processes for the state. In addition, the department worked with Minnesota Management and Budget to develop the DHS Business Impact Analysis and Continuity of Operations Plan. The goals of this work are state prioritization and completing a Business Impact Analysis process every four years with annual updates; developing the Continuity of Operations Plan based on the Business Impact Analysis every four years with annual updates; and ongoing monthly and quarterly meetings and presentations to staff to ensure familiarity with the Business Impact Analysis and Continuity of Operations Plan. As a result of emergency planning, the department was able to respond to needs to child care providers impacted by flooding. q. The following are examples of optional partners a Lead Agency might coordinate with to provide services. Check which optional partners the Lead Agency coordinates with and describe the coordination and results of the coordination. i. [x] State/Territory/local agencies with Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants. Describe: The department coordinates with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and local Head Start grantees to expand access to full day services and continuity of care for children who may qualify to receive CCAP and Early Head Start services. The department also coordinates with Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grantees to explore options for helping early care and education programs work toward meeting both the Head Start performance standards and the measures included in the Parent Aware Quality Rating and Improvement System. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: The department coordinates with staff at the Higher Education Office and some higher education institutions to provide families information about eligibility for CCAP and the Post-Secondary Grant Program offered by the Higher Education Office in Minnesota. The department also coordinates with higher education institutions on the development of training curriculum, articulation of non-credit based training, and the promotion of T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships to provide access to coursework through higher education institutions. iii. [x] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: The department coordinates with state and local organizations providing and advocating for school-age and youth developmental services, including school districts, park and recreation programs, Ignite Afterschool, the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children (MnAEYC) and other organizations that provide before and afterschool programming, especially as it relates to the certification of license-exempt child care programs, to ensure that school-age programs that are license-exempt can continue to receive payments when they care for children who receive CCAP by meeting minimum standards. In SYF2023 there were 550 Certified License-Exempt centers registered to serve children receiving CCAP. iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: The department coordinates with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to ensure that information about maternal and childhood home visiting programs is accurate and available to families through the comprehensive consumer education website and other family communications. Information about the Family Home Visiting Program is included on (https://www.parentaware.org/learn/more-statewide-resources/) https://www.parentaware.org/learn/more-statewide-resources/. The department and MDH also coordinate outreach strategies for these programs, resulting in greater awareness of the programs by families. v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment, known as Child and Teen Checkups in Minnesota. The department coordinates with Child and Teen checkups staff to ensure accurate information about the programs are shared with low-income families that apply for CCAP. Information about Early Childhood Screening is included on (https://www.parentaware.org/learn/more-statewide- resources) https://www.parentaware.org/learn/more-statewide-resources. Child Care Information Staff at Child Care Aware also provide information on early childhood screening, resulting in greater awareness of resources by families. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The department is responsible for Child Safety and Permanency (CSP). Department staff coordinate to ensure that local agencies and other staff involved in child welfare are aware of resources available under CCDF. Minnesota has implemented North Star Care for Children, a benefit program for families involved in foster care, relative care and adoptions. This program includes benefits for some child care costs and the two divisions work together to share applicable information so that families can be referred appropriately, and child care expense funds can be fully maximized. In 2023, the legislature enacted a policy that will allow foster parents and relative caregivers who meet CCAP requirements to be eligible to receive CCAP effective August 25, 2024. vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The department coordinates with provider groups to share information and obtain feedback during phases of various policy and program development and discuss active or potential legislation. The department also responds to requests for information and/or attends provider group meetings and presents information and/or listens to concerns. Sometimes this is done in cooperation with county, Tribal or other local agencies. Since 2023, the Child Care Assistance Program Provider Support Policy Specialist has virtually convened a group of child care providers who are registered with CCAP. The group discusses policies, processes, and procedures that CCAP providers face. The Department gets direct feedback from providers and uses their feedback in planning and program development. The department utilizes a Family Child Care Training Advisory Committee to advise and make recommendations to the department and contractors working on the child care licensing modernization project on updates to rules and statutes, training requirements, difficulties meeting training requirements, and other ideas to improve access to and quality of training available to family child care providers. viii. [x] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: A new Parent Aware Advisory Committee (PAAC) was launched in 2023 to include community-partnered, stakeholder-engaged discussion, consideration of issues and the development of recommendations. The Advisory Committee’s new purpose is to advise the department on Parent Aware policy and implementation issues, providing a channel for two-way communication between the department and state and local implementation partners and community members, while centering equity. With the launch of the new PAAC last year, the group included nine parents of young children who attend Parent Aware Rated programs, four Parent Aware Rated family child care program owner/directors, four child care center program staff, one Head Start program representative and one school-based PreK program representative, five Parent Aware partner organization representatives and five state agency staff. In participating, individuals will be able to provide reviews of issues and develop recommendations for Parent Aware. ix. [x] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: The department shares information and updates with the coordinator regarding CCDF related services and programs. There are partnerships that overlap efforts, such as Ignite Afterschool, which is an organizing body for some out of school time providers. 21st Century grantees conduct needs assessments and design their programming to meet local needs. Those needs assessments and subsequent activities may include referring families to CCDF-related programs or services, such as CCAP or Parent Aware (child care resource and referral). The Children’s Cabinet also convenes programs serving school age children and youth regularly so that common issues and resources are shared, and potential coordination efforts are identified. x. [x] Other. Describe: The department coordinates with organizations serving refugee and immigrant families who speak languages other than English through a contract with one of the organizations included in Minnesota's CCR&R system. That contract funds provision of a toll-free hotline and interpreters to ensure these families can access consumer education resources.