9.2 Consumer Education Website

Lead Agencies must provide information to parents, the general public, and child care providers through a State or Territory website, which is consumer-friendly and easily accessible for families who speak languages other than English and persons with disabilities. The website must: • Include information to assist families in understanding the Lead Agency’s policies and procedures, including licensing child care providers; • Include monitoring and inspection reports for each provider and, if available, the quality of each provider; • Provide the aggregate number of deaths, serious injuries, and the number of cases of substantiated child abuse that have occurred in child care settings; • Include contact information for local CCR&R organizations to help families access additional information on finding child care; and • Include information on how parents can contact the Lead Agency and other organizations to better understand the information on the website. 9.2.1 Consumer-friendly website Does the Lead Agency ensure that its consumer education website is consumer-friendly and easily accessible? i. Provide the URL for the Lead Agency’s consumer education website homepage: https://www.parentaware.org ii. Does the Lead Agency certify that the consumer education website ensures broad access to services for families who speak languages other than English? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: iii. Does the Lead Agency certify that the consumer education website ensures broad access to services for persons with disabilities? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: 9.2.2 Additional consumer education website links Provide the direct URL/website link for the following: i. Provide the direct URL/website link to how the Lead Agency licenses child care providers: For licensed family child care providers: https://mn.gov/dhs/partners- and-providers/licensing/child-care-and-early-education/family/index.jsp ii. Provide the direct URL/website link to the processes for conducting monitoring and inspections of child care providers:: For licensed child care centers: https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/licensing/child-care-and-early- education/centers/index.jsp iii. Provide the direct URL/website link to the policies and procedures related to criminal background checks for staff members of child care providers: https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/background-studies/faqs/child-care-provider- faq/ iv. Provide the direct URL/website link to the offenses that prevent individuals from being employed by a child care provider: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/245C.15 9.2.3 Searchable list of providers a. The consumer education website must include a list of all licensed providers searchable by ZIP code. i. Does the Lead Agency certify that the consumer education website includes a list of all licensed providers searchable by ZIP code? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: ii. Provide the direct URL/website link to the list of child care providers searchable by ZIP code: https://www.parentaware.org/search/#/ iii. In addition to the licensed child care providers that must be included in the searchable list, are there additional providers included in the Lead Agency’s searchable list of child care providers? Check all that apply: [x] License-exempt center-based CCDF providers. [ ] License-exempt family child care CCDF providers. [x] License-exempt non-CCDF providers. [ ] Relative CCDF child care providers. [x] Other (e.g., summer camps, public pre-Kindergarten). Describe: Tribally licensed providers. b. Identify what additional (optional) information, if any, is available in the searchable results by ZIP code. Check the box when information is provided. Provider Information Available in Searchable Results All licensed providers License- exempt CCDF center- based provide rs License- exempt CCDF family child care home provide rs License- exempt non- CCDF provider s Relative CCDF providers Contact information [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Enrollment capacity [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Hours, days, and months of operation [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Provider education and training [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Languages spoken by the caregiver [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Quality information [x] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Monitoring reports [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Willingness to accept CCDF certificates [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Ages of children served [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Specialization or training for certain populations [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Care provided during nontraditional hours [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] c. Identify any other information searchable on the consumer education website for the child care provider type listed below and then, if checked, describe the searchable information included on the website. i. [x] All licensed providers. Describe: Other information includes whether the department or Tribally licensed program accepts child care assistance payments and/or is eligible to receive Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships; program's license status, if license is in good standing; license number; optional pricing and openings information; curriculum; assessment; environmental factors, such as if the program is accessible; and a map to the program. ii. [x] License-exempt CCDF center-based providers. Describe: Other information includes whether the program accepts child care assistance payments and/or is eligible to receive Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships, optional pricing and openings information, curriculum, assessment, environmental factors, such as if the program is accessible, and a map to the program. iii. [ ] License-exempt CCDF family child care providers. Describe: iv. [ ] License-exempt, non-CCDF providers. Describe: v. [ ] Relative CCDF providers. Describe: vi. [ ] Other. Describe: 9.2.4 Provider-specific quality information Lead Agencies must identify specific quality information on each child care provider for whom they have this information. Provider-specific quality information must only be posted on the consumer education website if it is available for the individual child care provider. a. What specific quality information does the Lead Agency provide on the website? i. [x] Quality improvement system. ii. [x] National accreditation. iii. [ ] Enhanced licensing system. iv. [x] Meeting Head Start/Early Head Start Program Performance Standards. v. [ ] Meeting pre-Kindergarten quality requirements. vi. [ ] School-age standards. vii. [x] Quality framework or quality improvement system. viii. [ ] Other. Describe: b. For what types of child care providers is quality information available? i. [x] Licensed CCDF providers. Describe the quality information: On ParentAware.org, all licensed programs (Tribal or department-licensed): if the program has earned a Parent Aware Rating, the Star Level is shown with a gold star for each level achieved (up to four-stars); if the program is accredited, the name of the accrediting body is indicated in the Accreditations box. A program may be both Accredited as well as hold a Parent Aware Rating. The majority of Head Start/Early Head Start programs are licensed and are indicated as a Head Start program type. ii. [x] Licensed non-CCDF providers. Describe the quality information: On ParentAware.org, all licensed programs, (Tribal or department-licensed): If the program has earned a Parent Aware rating, the Star Level is shown with a gold star for each level achieved (up to four-stars); if the program is accredited, the name of the accrediting body is indicated in the Accreditations box. A program may be both Accredited as well as hold a Parent Aware Rating. The majority of Head Start/Early Head Start programs are licensed and are indicated as the program type of Head Start. iii. [x] License-exempt center-based CCDF providers. Describe the quality information: On ParentAware.org, accreditations held are shown for all license- exempt center-based programs in the box ￿Accreditations.￿ For license-exempt Head Start/Early Head Start centers, the Head Start program type is displayed, and these programs may also hold a Parent Aware Rating, indicated by gold stars (four of four stars). License exempt programs meeting statutory requirements for School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten or School Readiness Plus programs may also have earned a Parent Aware Rating, indicated by gold stars (four of four stars). iv. [ ] License-exempt FCC CCDF providers. Describe the quality information: v. [x] License-exempt non-CCDF providers. Describe the quality information: On ParentAware.org, accreditations held for all license-exempt center-based programs are shown in the box, ￿Accreditations.￿ For license exempt Head Start/Early Head Start centers, the Head Start program type is shared and these programs may also hold a Parent Aware Rating, indicated by gold stars (four of four stars.) License exempt programs meeting statutory requirements for School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten or School Readiness Plus may also have earned a Parent Aware Rating, indicated by gold stars, (four of four stars.) vi. [ ] Relative child care providers. Describe the quality information: vii. [ ] Other. Describe: 9.2.5 Aggregate data on serious injuries, deaths, and substantiated abuse Lead Agencies must post aggregate data on serious injuries, deaths, and substantiated cases of child abuse that have occurred in child care settings each year on the consumer education website. This aggregate data must include information about any child in the care of a provider eligible to receive CCDF, not just children receiving subsidies. This aggregate information on serious injuries and deaths must be separated by category of care (e.g., centers, family child care homes, and in-home care) and licensing status (i.e., licensed or license-exempt) for all eligible CCDF child care providers in the State/Territory. The information on instances of substantiated child abuse does not have to be organized by category of care or licensing status. Information must also include the total number of children in care by provider type and licensing status, so that families can better understand the data presented on serious injuries, deaths, and substantiated cases of abuse. a. Certify by checking below that the required elements are included in the Aggregate Data Report on serious incident data that have occurred in child care settings each year. i. [x] The total number of serious injuries of children in care by provider category and licensing status. ii. [x] The total number of deaths of children in care by provider category and licensing status. iii. [x] The total number of substantiated instances of child abuse in child care settings. iv. [x] The total number of children in care by provider category and licensing status. v. If any of the above elements are not included, describe: NOTE: For legal nonlicensed providers, the total number of children in care is not included as this information is not tracked electronically b. Certify by providing: i. The designated entity to which child care providers must submit reports of any serious injuries or deaths of children occurring in child care and describe how the Lead Agency obtains the aggregate data from the entity: Licensed child care centers and certified license-exempt centers must submit reports of serious injuries and deaths of children occurring in child care to the department’s - Licensing Division within 24 hours. Licensed family child care providers must submit reports of serious injuries and deaths of children occurring in child care to their local county licensing agency immediately. County licensing agencies are required to report deaths and serious injuries requiring hospitalization to the department’s- Licensing Division immediately and must report aggregate serious injury information to the Licensing Division quarterly. Legal non-licensed providers must submit reports of serious injuries and deaths of children occurring in child care to their local agency administering child care assistance. Local agencies administering child care assistance are required to report aggregate numbers of serious injuries and deaths to the department - Child Care Assistance Program quarterly. The department annually submits their respective reports to Child Care Aware of Minnesota for posting on Minnesota's consumer education website. ii. The definition of “substantiated child abuse” used by the Lead Agency for this requirement: Substantiated child abuse, referred to as "child maltreatment determined" under Minnesota law, means that by a preponderance of evidence, one or more of the following acts or omissions occurred: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental injury, emotional harm, medical neglect, and/or threatened injury. (See Minn. Stat.260E). iii. The definition of “serious injury” used by the Lead Agency for this requirement: A serious injury is an injury that requires treatment by a physician or dentist. c. Provide the direct URL/website link to the page where the aggregate number of serious injuries, deaths, and substantiated child abuse, and the total number of children in care by provider category and licensing status are posted: https://www.parentaware.org/learn/serious-injuries-deaths-maltreatment-in-child-care/ 9.2.6 Contact information on referrals to local child care resource and referral organizations The Lead Agency consumer education website must include contact information on referrals to local CCR&R organizations. a. Does the consumer education website include contact information on referrals to local CCR&R organizations? [x] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not applicable. The Lead Agency does not have local CCR&R organizations. b. Provide the direct URL/website link to this information: https://www.parentaware.org/programs/join-us/ 9.2.7 Lead Agency contact information for parents The Lead Agency consumer and provider education website must include information on how parents can contact the Lead Agency or its designee and other programs that can help the parent understand information included on the website. a. Does the website provide directions on how parents can contact the Lead Agency or its designee and other programs to help them understand information included on the website? [x] Yes. [ ] No. b. Provide the direct URL/website link to this information: A link to the department website is embedded in the department logo at the bottom of the home page of (http://www.parentaware.org/) ParentAware.org. A toll-free number, prominently displayed on (http://www.parentaware.org/) ParentAware.org, directs families looking for assistance to Child Care Aware of Minnesota, the lead agency's designee for maintaining and operating Parent Aware. 9.2.8 Posting sliding fee scale, co-payment amount, and policies for waiving co-payments The consumer education website must include the sliding fee scale for parent co-payments, including the co-payment amount a family may expect to pay and policies for waiving co- payments. a. Does the Lead Agency certify that their consumer education website includes the sliding fee scale for parent co-payments, including the co-payment amount a family may expect to pay and policies for waiving co-payments? [x] Yes. [ ] No. b. Provide the direct URL/website link to the sliding fee scale. https://www.parentaware.org/families/paying-for-care/