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 Lead Agency is a voting member of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council(SECAC), which serves primarily to advise the Governor on issues related to early childhood education in Mississippi. The goal of coordination with the SECAC is to gain insights through the work of the Council that can inform the direction of the child care subsidy program, and to ensure a comprehensive system of services is available for families. 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 Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) is the only tribal entity within the state and is represented as a voting seat of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council. As part of the work of the Council, the Lead Agency collaborates with the MBCI to address the goal of accessibility for eligible families to a variety of affordable, quality programs. [ ] 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 Lead Agency meets monthly with the 619 Coordinator from the Mississippi Department of Education to discuss any opportunities or needs for children with disabilities within the state. The Lead Agency meets quarterly with a multi-disciplinary committee organized by the Mississippi Department of Health to coordinate goals for early intervention services. The goal of these meetings is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within a comprehensive early childhood system. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency works closely with the state's Head Start Collaboration Office and the Executive Director of the Mississippi Head Start Association to ensure coordination among private child care providers and Head Start grantees. The goal of this collaboration is to support the development of full-day services to meet the needs of working families. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency has regular ongoing meetings with the Director of Child Care Licensure at the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH). The MSDH is the agency responsible for public health, including immunizations, and is the agency responsible for licensing and monitoring childcare providers within the state. The goal of this coordination is to ensure continuity of care among program types within a system of quality child care providers. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency's Division of Workforce Development communicates regularly with the State Workforce Investment Board on a variety of issues occurring in the state, including those relevant to the child care sector. The intent of these interactions is to coordinate strategies across state agencies responsible for education, workforce, and health for the benefit of families. The goal is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency meets monthly with the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Early Childhood to identify opportunities for collaboration and coordination of services. The goal of these meetings is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. The Lead Agency partnered with the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Early Childhood in the current Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five Renewal Grant. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency meets bi-weekly with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Health Division of Child Care Licensure for the purposes of program alignment with all federal regulations and requirements and streamlined processes for child care providers to apply for a license or registration. The goal of these meetings is to support the quality of care offered to families through the monitoring process as well as eliminate duplicative processes required of child care providers. The Lead Agency is a voting member of the Child Care Licensing Advisory Council which meets quarterly. 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 Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is responsible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The Lead Agency and MDE coordinate through the work of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council to ensure the CACFP is efficient and that providers and families have access to information about this program. The Lead Agency also provides, through the Mississippi Department of Health, trainings for healthy menu planning and monitoring of healthy meal delivery. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. 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: McKinney-Vento State Coordinators for Homeless Education were consulted regarding consumer education related to child care subsidies available to the homeless population. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) administers the program for the state, and the Lead Agency coordinates closely with MDE to help ensure alignment of goals and works closely with McKinney-Vento state coordinators to develop recommendations and coordinate planning efforts. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency houses and administers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF Work Program (TWP) clients receive priority status for child care services in order to assist them with entering the workforce and developing skills for self-sufficiency. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) operates the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the state. The Lead Agency and the (DOM) share a common web portal for clients to apply for services. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MDMH) provides children and youth mental health services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. MDMH is a voting member on the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) and coordinates with all members within the Council to develop recommendations and planning. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. 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 Lead Agency has contracts in place with local government entities, non-profits, as well as two and four-year institutions of higher learning across the state to provide resource and referral centers to provide services statewide. In addition to these entities, the Lead Agency utilizes the Mississippi Department of Health to offer professional development statewide. The Lead Agency meets monthly with all contractors providing professional development and resource and referral services. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. 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 Lead Agency currently collaborates with Mississippi Department of Education (MDE)through quarterly meetings to identify opportunities to expand care and provide full-day services to meet the needs of working families. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency employs a full time emergency management coordinator who works closely with Mississippi Emergency Management Association (MEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and DECCD to ensure that the DECCD Emergency Plan meets the needs of parents and providers in an emergency. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. 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 Lead Agency partners with the Mississippi Head Start Association to offer an annual professional development conference for early childhood providers, Head Start staff, and other early childhood professionals. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: The Lead Agency contracts with community colleges within the state to provide resource and referral services, training, and professional development. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. iii. [x] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: The Lead Agency partners with the Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center(MECIC) at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to meet the needs of early childhood educators, families, and young children with disabilities by providing high quality early childhood inclusion. MECIC trains child care providers in caring for children with disabilities and upon completion offers a professional credential. MECIC offers training, technical assistance, screening, family resources, research, and information for consumers. In addition, the Lead Agency contracts with the City of Durant to provide a resource and referral center for the community and surrounding counties. The overall goal of coordination is to expand accessibility and continuity of care and improve quality within the early childhood system. iv. [ ] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: The Lead Agency has a voting membership on the State Interagency Coordinating Council for the Mississippi State Department of Health First Steps/Part C program. The Lead Agency hosts free developmental screenings for families and makes referrals directly to the First Steps/Part C program. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The Lead Agency receives direct referrals for children who are in custody of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services for child care services. The Lead Agency’s Family Navigator program works directly with MDCPS to provide services to any families for additional services (i.e., employment, parental training, food and clothing resources, etc.) vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The Lead Agency hosts quarterly Information Sharing Sessions during which all child care providers are welcome to attend. During these sessions, the Lead Agency providers key updates and allows any participants to ask questions and/or give feedback on Lead Agency activities. viii. [ ] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: ix. [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: x. [ ] Other. Describe: