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: The Lead Agency conducts needs assessment activities every three years. The results of the 2022 needs assessments are used to develop a strategic plan on the same three year cycle. Each year, the Lead Agency distributes a stakeholder survey to all early childhood system stakeholders, including child care providers, administrators, and the state and regional Parent Advisory Councils. As part of their quarterly meeting activities, the Early Childhood State Advisory Council reviews and discusses the results of the survey and strategic plan activities. 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: As part of the state’s Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five activities, the Lead Agency contracts with a public university to analyze program and service utilization data. The most recent needs assessment report is available at https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/2022-early-care-education-needs-assessment and shows the information below in bullet points. These data helped inform the offering of grants and training/professional development for childhood professionals. • Missouri has the capacity to serve 39% of the population who may need child care, and 77% of the counties in the state (89 of 115) are considered a child care desert. • 17% of children under age six had a developmental screening from a home visiting program. • 14% of Missouri’s licensed and license-exempt child care programs are accredited with a state recognized accrediting body. During the needs assessment the lead agency found that that too few families have access to quality early childhood programs. The Lead Agency developed two goals to address the findings. The first goal of the Childhood Strategic Plan is to expand access to high quality programs and services. This will be done by identifying current gaps and maximizing existing and new resources. The second goal is to improve the quality of programs and services. This will be done by developing an agreed upon definition of quality and providing aligned support and incentives for professionals to drive continuous improvement in the quality of early childhood programs and services.