6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning. 6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines are: i. [x] Research-based. ii. [x] Developmentally appropriate. iii. [x] Culturally and linguistically appropriate. iv. [x] Aligned with kindergarten entry. v. [x] Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry. vi. [x] Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines. i. [x] Cognition, including language arts and mathematics. ii. [x] Social development. iii. [x] Emotional development. iv. [x] Physical development. v. [x] Approaches toward learning. vi. [ ] Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: c. When were the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? The MELS was reviewed in 2021. Revisions were determined to be necessary by a broad stakeholder group of early childhood partners. Under the leadership of PDG B-5 and the Lead Agency Quality Team, the MELS is being reviewed and updated. Revisions are scheduled for completion December 2025. d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. https://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/Early%20Childhood/Docs/14EarlyLearningS tandards.pdf 6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. The MELS is a tool available for every early childhood and related service professional working with young children and their families. The MELS is used by early care and education practitioners, elementary school teachers, early interventionists, parent/family educators, family support specialists, home visitors, mental health providers, and child/family health practitioners. The MELS is a tool for those who plan and provide early childhood professional and career development, including college instructors, high school teachers, professional development specialists, and technical assistance personnel. The MELS is available on several websites and a booklet copy is provided free upon request. It is one of several resources sent to all QRS participants. The current versions of MELS is used to: (1) Acknowledge the diverse value systems in which children learn and grow; (2) Assist early childhood professionals in communication/collaboration with policy makers, community members, and key stakeholders; (3) Develop training and education programs for adults working with children and their families; (4) Emphasize the importance of early care and education to the community; (5) Help teachers focus on what children can do and reinforce the idea that children are capable learners; (6) Help teachers meet children’s developmental needs, including those of children with disabilities, at the level they require and in an individual capacity; (7) Help teachers recognize the critical need to meet children’s emotional/social needs and that meeting those needs serves as the basis for a child’s future learning; (8) Help teachers recognize their own value and abilities; (9) Improve quality in early care and education programs and serve as a model for teaching and building secure relationships with young children; (10) Increase the flow of information among early childhood teachers, professionals, and policy makers; (11) and to support teachers in learning more about child development. The Lead Agency’s QRS has embedded a training titled ￿Introduction to the Montana Early Learning Standards￿ at level 2 which the Director and lead teachers are required to complete. The curriculum is required to be aligned with The MELS at level 3. The Lead Agency will continue to support and promote the use of The MELS and MELS training in the new QRS, set to launch in the Fall of 2025. b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that: i. [x] Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF. ii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider. iii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness. iv. [x] Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF. v. If any components above are not checked, describe: 7 Quality Improvement Activities The quality of child care directly affects children’s safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan. Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways: 1. In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period. 2. An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements. 3. An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures. In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.