7.2 Use of Quality Set-Aside Funds

Lead Agencies must use a portion of their CCDF expenditures for activities designed to improve the quality of child care services and to increase parental options for and access to high-quality child care. They must use the quality set-aside funds on at least one of 10 activities described in CCDF and the quality activities must be aligned with a Statewide or Territory-wide assessment of the State's or Territory’s need to carry out such services and care. 7.2.1 Quality improvement activities a. Describe how the Lead Agency will make its Quality Progress Report (ACF – 218) and expenditure reports, available to the public. Provide a link if available. The Lead Agency website shares relevant documents and resources related to its work. The Lead Agency Quality Progress Reports (QPR)are located on the website and contain expenditure reports including a link to the QPR: https://dphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/ChildCare/DocumentsAndResources b. Identify Lead Agency plans, if any, to spend CCDF funds for each of the following quality improvement activities. If an activity is checked “yes”, describe the Lead Agency’s current and/or future plans for this activity. i. Supporting the training and professional development of the child care workforce, including birth to five and school-age providers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Lead Agency is currently in contract with the Early Childhood Project (ECP), an outreach program within the Montana State University Department of Health and Human Development. ECP’s improves the quality of programs and services for Montana's youngest children and their families through the CCDF Professional Development Framework describe in Section 6. CCDF quality funds support another contract to provide on-line professional development (PD), Child Care Training (CCT). CCT offers statewide early childhood distance learning opportunities in partnership with the Lead Agency, other quality contractors, and ECP. They maintain a reliable and expansive platform for web-based learning and provide administrative and organizational oversight and assistance for instructors and users of the distance learning program. The Lead Agency is aware of the eminent need to prioritize efforts and funding on the recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. Several plans outlined below promise to expand existing initiatives and implement innovative approaches. (1) A new career path, designed by ECP in response to data gathered during the 2019 needs assessment and the 2021 licensing project, will begin implementation in 2024. ECP will educate and support providers during the transition. The new career path will include greater recognition of EC experiences and unrelated degree attainment. (2) In partnership with PDG B-5, the Lead Agency will operationalize the 2022 Montana Early Childhood Education Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base represents a core body of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions all early childhood educators must demonstrate to effectively support the development, learning, and well-being of young children and their families. The Knowledge Base can guide program planning and will be used in the new QRS framework as a self-assessment tool. (3) ECP will develop accessible resources and training supports for child care providers to increase their skills and improve program quality. (4) ECP may explore an option to ￿badge￿ or cluster identified trainings into groups. This feature will be used by the Lead Agency and other contractors to simplify credential attainment. (5) ECP has expanded the registry to include out-of-school time providers in preparation of the new licensing rule package incorporation of this unique group of caregivers. ECP will work with the Lead Agency to make the needed adjustments to training content and requirements to adapt and meet the needs of these new professionals. (6) The Lead Agency will host a ￿train the trainer￿ event for all ECE professionals interested in offering Relationship Based Care (RBC) training as a foundation for an increase in infant toddler specific PD. Through technical assistance with the Infant/Toddler Specialist Network, the Lead Agency plans to create an infant toddler network in Montana. (7) The Lead Agency will continue its on-going partnership with the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). CCDF and PDG B-5 funding will be used to fund a child care specialist position in the DLI to support the expansion of registered apprenticeships. The collaboration led to a CDA pilot and will continue to expand CDA opportunities. The work will also develop an evaluation methodology, strategies for more CDA aligned training, and improved approaches for mentors and organizations in which apprenticeships occur. (8) The Lead Agency is pursuing a blended funding model to implement Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). The Lead Agency’s model focuses on staff retention and burnout, attempting to increase IECMHC desirability across a mixed delivery system. The Lead Agency will use evaluation data to determine the specific child care model to be used following the pilot but plans to use CCDF funds and prioritize caregivers working with infants and toddlers. (9) CCDF Quality funds pay for CCDF and QRS required training. Providers are encouraged, during the QRS redesign phase to complete QRS identified trainings. Although they are not required as part of QRS participation, they can be used for the 16-hour annual registry renewal requirement. (10) The Lead Agency will support working professionals at out of school time care programs and school age providers with professional development and training in the Guiding Principles for Quality Out of School Time Programs. ii. Developing, maintaining, or implementing early learning and developmental guidelines. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Montana Early Learning Standards (MELS) is a tool available for every early childhood and related service professional working with young children and their families. The MELS has been 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 also a tool for those who plan and provide early childhood professional and career development, including college instructors, high school teachers, PD specialists, and TA personnel. It 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. An Introduction to the MELS training is currently available to all child care staff, free of charge, and an embedded resources in QRS. Efforts to revise the MELS or adopt another set of standards has begun and will continue for the next 12 to 16 months. The Lead Agency, in partnership with PDG B-5, will engage stakeholder in the use, or future use, of the new standards. The State may expand early learning standards to include the development of older children based on State funding for Targeted Literacy Classrooms in schools and the addition of the out-of-school time licensing track in the new rule package. iii. Developing, implementing, or enhancing a quality improvement system. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Lead Agency is currently redesigning Montana’s Quality Recognition System (QRS). The new QRS framework is set to launch October 2025. Lead Agency goals for this project is a quality system that’s simple, flexible, and family focused. The framework places all licensed programs automatically at level one. Programs can then choose to engage in the QRS framework at higher level but may remain at level one as a licensed program. The Lead Agency’s comprehensive data system manages CCDF related data and provides data solutions for the redesign. QRS redesign goals: (1) Increase consumer education for families to inform decisions about quality child care; (2) Rebrand the quality system; (3) Encourage greater provider participation in the Best Beginning Child Care Scholarship program; (4) Create an initial step for all licensed or registered providers, a foundation of child care quality; (5) Use data to inform decisions; (6) Increase access to quality infant/toddler and after-school care; (7) Reflect broader distribution of quality funds; (8) Create a user-friendly, quality system offering choice and flexibility. iv. Improving the supply and quality of child care services for infants and toddlers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. In addition to the expansion of the infant toddler professional development and workforce supports, the Lead Agency is planning to partner with Early Head Starts (EHS) programs to discover how to increase EHS-Child Care Partnerships and expand service hours to increase access for families needing infant toddler care. The Lead Agency will look to increase provider usage of developmental and social/emotional screening tools when making care decisions and referring families to additional evaluation and services. In partnership with PDG B-5, Ages and Stages ￿train the trainer￿ offerings will rebuild a body of trainers able to support providers to use screening data to make informed decisions. IECMHC will support infant and toddler professionals. v. Establishing or expanding a statewide system of CCR&R services. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Lead Agency has successfully contracted services required under CCDF regulations for many years and will continue to rely on contract partnerships to implement many services for children and families. During the next contract cycle the Lead Agency has defined the following quality contractor outcomes: (1) Support the recruitment, retention, and sustainability of newly licensed/registered child care programs for all licensed/registered provider types; (2) Facilitate community-based solutions to expand child care options; (3) Encourage partnerships between existing child care and early education entities to increase the supply and quality of child care services; (4) Provide technical assistance to prospective providers and support them throughout their first year of licensure; (5) Enhance the knowledge of the workforce, support best practices for child development, and offer support to navigate the licensing renewal process; (6) Support quality initiatives that support the development of individual’s skills; (7) Generally support best business practices. vi. Facilitating compliance with Lead Agency child care licensing, monitoring, inspection and health and safety standards. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x]Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. An important improvement delivered by the 2021 Licensing Project is the implementation of formal and informal child care licensing, CCL Support Plans. These plans are initiated by licensors and supported through collaboration with contracted TA services. The plans may be required (formal) or voluntary (informal) and range from supporting a licensing deficiency to navigating the licensing renewal process. The QRS redesign is exploring for implementation several resources to support meeting and expanding basic health and safety requirements. The intentional focus on consumer education defined in the QRS goals is designed to build the public’s understanding of the program quality achieved through licensing. The Lead Agency markets to families and the public the value of becoming a licensed child care program. vii. Evaluating and assessing the quality and effectiveness of child care services within the State/Territory. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Lead Agency contracts with the University of Montana Western to employ three Early Childhood Assessors to conduct assessments throughout the state. The Environment Rating Scale (ERS) assessment tools, Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3) for preschool age, Infant/Toddler environment Rating Scale (ITERS-3), and Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS-3) for family/group homes) are used to assess the quality and effectiveness of the children’s environment. The Lead Agency also uses the Program Administration Scale (PAS) assessment for child care centers and the Business Administration Scale (BAS) assessment for family/group homes to assess and evaluate the business practices. The data gained from using these tools identifies child care program strengths, areas of need, and the prioritization of supports. A voluntary LearnERS Pilot Project is being implemented in collaboration with PDG B-5. It consists of two cohorts. The pilot will operate through March of 2025. The LearnERS training modules were chosen based on data. One cohort is participating in the coaching model. The second is participating in the self-paced model. Outcomes from the pilot will drive future spending decisions. As part of the redesign process, the Lead Agency is reimagining program quality measurement concurrently with an evaluation methodology redesign. Utilizing a comprehensive logic model, mission and vision statements, goals, and evaluation questions the redesign team is thinking through evaluation as the framework is being constructed. Below are several key evaluation questions that will guide the development and identification of quality performance indicators to be collected at the launch of QRS. QRS Key Evaluation Questions: (1) To what extent have supports increased the qualifications and stability of the workforce; (2) To what extent did consumer education improve family’s ability to make informed child care choices; (3) To what extent did Montana increase access to and participation in high-quality early childhood care and education across the mixed delivery system; (4) To what extent does the Quality system increase school readiness? In addition to the evaluative efforts connected to the redesign, the Lead Agency is developing new aligned indicators, for the next contract cycle, to effectively monitor outcomes. viii. Accreditation support. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. In the new QRS set to launch in the Fall of 2025, the Lead Agency will incorporate an alternate pathway to a higher stage of quality for programs who are accredited or who may become accredited through NAEYC, NAFCC or Montessori. Standards and key practices within the pathways in the new QRS will align with NAEYC standards and can assist programs in obtaining accreditation status by moving through the new QRS. The new QRS system and the revised Knowledge Base align quality efforts with NAEYC accreditation standards to support program’s accreditation attainment. The Lead Agency provides incentives to programs seeking accreditation and recognizes accreditation as the highest stage of quality. The Lead Agency will develop a process whereby providers can propose other accreditation options for review and potential adoption into the QRS framework. ix. Supporting State/Territory or local efforts to develop high-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Lead Agency utilizes research standards as the foundation for quality efforts. x. Other activities determined by the Lead Agency to improve the quality of child care services and the measurement of outcomes related to improved provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, or kindergarten entry. [x] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. 8 Lead Agency Coordination and Partnerships to Support Service Delivery Coordination and partnerships help ensure that the Lead Agency’s efforts accomplish CCDF goals effectively, leverage other resources, and avoid duplication of effort. Such coordination and partnerships can help families better access child care, can assist in providing consumer education to parents, and can be used to improve child care quality and the stability of child care providers. Such coordination can also be particularly helpful in the aftermath of disasters when the provision of emergency child care services and the rebuilding and restoring of child care infrastructure are an essential part of ensuring the well-being of children and families in recovering communities. This section identifies who the Lead Agency collaborates with to implement services, how match and maintenance-of-effort (MOE) funds are used, coordination with child care resource and referral (CCR&R) systems, and efforts for disaster preparedness and response plans to support continuity of operations in response to emergencies.