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 CCDF Advisory Council's exists to improve collaboration and coordination across government and non-profit organizations providing early childhood services and to bridge gaps between community and State early childhood needs. Duties include the following objectives: families with young children are supported in their community; social, emotional, and mental health needs of young children and families are supported; children have access to high quality early childhood programs, child care is recognized as an integral component of strong economies and business environments throughout the state. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. 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: A representative for tribes sits on the CCDF Advisory Council. The Head Start State Collaboration Director employed within the Lead Agency sits on the Building Strong Foundations for Families workgroup committed to the inclusion of American Indian content and leadership in infant and toddler care statewide. The Head Start State Collaboration Director coordinates with tribal organizations in the following ways: Coordination with all tribal HS programs; Coordination and regular communication with the AIAN HSCO, and members of the AIAN HSCO National Advisory Council; and tribal collaboration with the Office of Public Instruction. On May 16, 2024, representatives of the Lead Agency met with Tribal child care representatives from Northern Cheyenne, Crow, Chippewa-Cree, Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The meeting was held in Billings, MT. with options for in person and remote attendance. This body met to review Montana’s 2025-2027 State Plan draft. The assembled body also agreed to future meeting agenda items including continuity of services for Tribal families who move on and off Tribal Lands. This topic will be a standing agenda item moving forward. [ ] 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: Children’s Special Health Services (CSHS) is a program within the Lead Agency. Children and youth with special health needs are children and youth who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions, and who also require additional health or related services. Children served in this program include children in foster care and/or children residing on reservations. The Lead Agency is working to increase referrals to early intervention. Part C is a program within the Lead Agency. Montana Milestones/Part C of the IDEA Early Intervention Program is Montana’s comprehensive system of early intervention services and supports for families who have infants or toddlers, from birth through three, who have significant developmental delays or disabilities or have been diagnosed with an established condition associated with significant delays in development. The Montana Family Support Services Advisory Council (FSSAC) serves as Montana’s interagency coordinating council to advise and assist Montana’s Part C Program to plan, develop, and implement Montana’s multi-disciplinary, coordinated program of early intervention and family support services for children with disabilities, birth through age two, and their families. Members of the Lead Agency are part of the FSSAC. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Montana Head Start State Collaboration Office (HSSCO) Director is supervised by the part of the Lead Agency. The HSSCO Director has a seat on the CCDF Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Representation from the Children’s Mental Health Bureau sits on the CCDF Advisory Council. In addition, joint projects occur among these partner agencies such as with the Family and Community Health Bureau, and the Public Health office on Immunization training and outreach. The Council provides advisory capacity for comprehensive early childhood services in Montana, including CCDF. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency’s coordination with the Department of Labor and Industry and their work with Apprenticeship program has led to an increase in the number of apprenticeship participants including the development of a pre-apprentice program to support workforce growth for students still in high school. Students can get college credit for some of the course work they take. A member of DLI has a seat on the CCDF Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: OPI has representation for the Homeless Children and Youth Specialist on the CCDF Advisory Council. Results of this coordination include a data sharing agreement between the Lead Agency and OPI to better track and report longitudinal data, ongoing work between early years special needs services and elementary through secondary special needs services, and ongoing work and resource sharing around transitions. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Child Care Licensing Program is part of the Lead Agency and participates in monthly meetings with other programs. Programs shares data with licensing and vise versa. There is significant collaboration between the subsidy, quality, and licensing state staff. The coordination has resulted in comprehensive services to recruit and retain child care providers. 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: CACFP is located within the Lead Agency. CACFP has representation on the CCDF Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. Coordination with CACFP results in an improved access to nutritional meals at licensed child care facilities, layered financial support for providers, and a more streamlined administration of the CACFP program. 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: The State Coordinator for Homeless Education is housed in OPI and is part of the CCDF Advisory Council. Results of this crossover include updates to subsidy program policy to allow for greater flexibility when gathering documentation provided to families experiencing homelessness. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The state’s TANF program has a seat on the CCDF Advisory Council. Results of this work include an annual review of the subsidy process for a TANF family eligible for the scholarship. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Many families accessing the Best Beginnings Scholarship are also eligible for Medicaid or are current Medicaid participants. The Lead Agency works with the Medicaid and Health Services Branch, which administers Medicaid and the state Children's Health Insurance Program and includes the Children's Mental Health Services Bureau (CMHB). The CHMB is responsible for supporting Medicaid reimbursements that support children in a variety of ways including supporting providers who serve children with emotional disturbances and other diagnosed conditions related to mental health. The Lead Agency is working to strengthen partnerships with CMHB to concretize support for mental health services using Medicaid codes and other avenues for children and families. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Staff from the Lead Agency sit on the Montana Access to Pediatric Psychiatry Network (MAPP-Net) advisory council. MAPP-Net is within the Lead Agency’s division, the Early Childhood and Family Support Division (ECFSD) of the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). The Lead Agency is working to support the social emotional and mental health needs of children and families. The coordination results have been the infant/toddler mental health initiative. A staff member from MAPP-Net sits on the Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. 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: Scholarship contractor and provider support contractor agency leadership sits on the CCDF Advisory Council. Also, the Lead Agency and the contracting agencies hold monthly meetings to review quarterly data, brainstorm and address challenges and opportunities to further professional development and training. The Lead Agency contracts with Child Care Training.org (CCT), a long-distance on-line training organization, to create and deliver required child care trainings. CCT provides the Lead Agency with quarterly report data to monitor outcomes and contract deliverables. In addition, CCT and the Lead Agency conduct regular meetings to review data, coordinate efforts, and plan for implementation of new professional development and training opportunities. 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 Montana Afterschool Alliance is the organization body for afterschool advocacy and policy making in Montana. The Afterschool Alliance is represented on the Advisory Council. The goal of the coordination is to encourage afterschool providers to become licensed and open school-age slots for children receiving the scholarship. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. The coordination results in an increased awareness of after school time care needs by the State legislature and in new rules negotiations. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency coordinates with the State Continuity and Emergency Management Office (SCEMO) to develop, maintain, and review the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for the Lead Agency. The purpose of the coordination with SCEMO is to support the procedures that facilitate organized decision- making during times of chaos. Results of the coordination include a comprehensive statewide child care disaster plan, increased communication between SCEMO and the Lead Agency, and the availability of emergency management resources, supports, and information. SCEMO assists the Lead Agency in the following processes: (1) Decision making on priority issues in potentially volatile environments; (2) Process ranking information to assist in the allocation of limited recovery resources at the time of an incident; (3) Recovery procedures for a variety of incidents; (4) Protect State assets; (5) Preserve the State’s image and public confidence; (6) Communicate appropriately to the press and staff the nature and resolution of the incident coordination. The COOP establishes and supports an on-going continuity planning process that will: (1) Evaluate the impact of significant incidents that may adversely affect the processes identified in this plan; (2) Develop and maintain a plan to ensure the organization can restore the processes according to the priorities identified in this plan; (3) Support the National Essential Functions of Government for the citizens and businesses in the state of Montana in a timely manner; (4) Maintain external relationships and agreements with a wide variety of entities. This includes communications and interactions, as necessary, during a crisis with critical partners and organizations, including the federal government, other state, territorial, tribal and local governments, and private sector and non-profit organizations. 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 Head Start Collaboration Director for Montana is responsible for supporting the Early Head Start Partnership grantees and alignment within the state early childhood system. This group includes representation from the Lead Agency. The group meets as needed to coordinate smooth transitions for children between programs and to align quality of services. The partnership helps to increase awareness of program and family needs for Early Head Start, improve understanding of eligibility policies for Early Head Start programs, and align PD efforts. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: Representatives of higher education, including community colleges, participate in the CCDF Advisory Council. The Lead Agency partners with Montana State University - Western to assign and align assessors for the QRS program in Montana. The Montana Early Childhood Higher Education Consortium (MECHEC) convenes bi- annually to coordinate topics specific and relevant to advancing early care and education in higher education settings. The collective voice from institutions of higher education represents an expert lens on issues, trends, and needs in the early childhood professional field. Members of the consortium include faculty from all higher education programs, including community and tribal colleges, to ensure articulation and collaboration across the state. These partnerships help to increase enrollment in and completion of an Early Childhood Education degree. Thereby expanding the ECE candidate pool in Montana. iii. [x] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: The Children's Trust Fund is part of the Lead Agency. The Children’s Trust Fund works to prevent abuse and neglect in Montana. A Children’s Trust Fund representative is on the Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. Coordination with Children's Trust Fund results in an improved identification of vulnerable populations within CCDFs target audience. iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: The Healthy Montana Families program provides home visiting services throughout Montana and is located within the Lead Agency’s parent division. Home visiting services are voluntary and serve pregnant and newly parenting women and families/caregivers with infants and young children. The Healthy Montana Families home visiting program works with families referred by the Child and Family Services Division (CFSD). The Lead Agency maintains a strong state-level partnership with CFSD. v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: Many families accessing the Best Beginnings Scholarship (child care subsidy) are also Medicaid eligible or Medicaid participants. Medicaid and Health Services administers Medicaid and the state Children's Health Insurance Program. This branch includes the Children's Mental Health Bureau (CMHB) while the Healthy Montana Families (HMF) home visiting program, WIC, and the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant programs remain within the Lead Agency’s parent division. HMF requires child clients to receive well- child checkups as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures. In Montana, this requirement is aligned with the EPSDT benefit. These partnerships familiarize families with the need for regular well-child visits and recommended immunization schedules, ensuring children in child care arrive with current immunizations and documentation. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: CFSD is responsible for child welfare in Montana and has a seat on the CCDF Advisory Council. Referrals from CFSD are accepted by the Lead Agency and determined eligible for child care assistance. Regular meetings occur between Lead Agency and CFSD leadership to ensure collaboration. Lead Agency representatives sit on coordinating boards for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and coordinate with CFSD, utilizing a shared strategic plan, to reduce the number of CPS cases and foster care placements. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies directs the Period of Purple Crying for the Children's Trust Fund Board. These organizations, along with the Child Protective Services Administrator represent child welfare and sit on the Advisory Council. These partnerships promote a shared understanding of policies and programs. They blend funding models through shared conferences and programs to mitigate child abuse and neglect. vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: There are regional family and group provider organizations operating throughout the state. A child care provider representative is on the Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. Coordination with providers results in the creation of tools and resources to support the business and regulatory components of the industry. viii. [x] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: Coordination efforts with parent groups and organizations are supported through scholarship contractor and provider support contractor agencies. A parent representative is on the Advisory Council. The CCDF Advisory Council meets at least twice per year and more often if needed for consultation. During a meeting, feedback and input is given, notes are taken, and the Lead Agency can evaluate proposals based off the council member’s input. Coordination with parents results in a more family friendly approach in our consumer education efforts and application processes. ix. [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: x. [ ] Other. Describe: