1.3 Consultation in the Development of the CCDF Plan

The Lead Agency is responsible for developing the CCDF Plan, and consultation with and meaningful input and feedback from a wide range of representatives is critical for CCDF programs to continually adapt to the changing needs of families, child care programs, and the workforce. Consultation involves meeting with or otherwise obtaining input from an appropriate agency in the development of the State or Territory CCDF Plan. As part of the Plan development process, Lead Agencies must consult with the following: (1) Appropriate representatives of general-purpose local government. General purpose local governments are defined by the U.S. Census at https://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/g12_org.pdf. (2) The State Advisory Council (SAC) on Early Childhood Education and Care (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act) or similar coordinating body pursuant to 98.14(a)(1)(vii). (3) Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s) within the State. This consultation should be done in a timely manner and at the option of the Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s). 1.3.1 Consultation efforts in CCDF Plan development Describe the Lead Agency’s consultation efforts in the development of the CCDF Plan, including how and how often the consultation occurred. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with appropriate representatives of general- purpose local government: The Lead Agency meets with Human Service Zone directors and supervisors monthly to discuss upcoming policy changes, ask for feedback and touch base on issues the zones may be experiencing relating to CCDF. Human Service Zones are collections of counties working together to provide essential services. Local offices, formerly known as county social service offices, assist with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), and other economic assistance. These offices also offer referrals to additional local resources. The "Host County" within each Human Service Zone manages administrative functions such as payroll and HR responsibilities. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: The Early Childhood Council (ECC) meets at least twice annually. The Lead Agency attends every meeting to discuss CCDF-related strategies and initiatives. Insights and perspectives shared during the discussions have been incorporated into plan development. The Lead Agency will continue to engage in regular communication on CCDF plan related items during the course of plan implementation. b. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: The Lead Agency has both traveled to and held virtual meetings with Turtle Mountain, Spirit Lake, Three Affiliated Tribes, and Trenton Indian Service Area to discuss CCDF-related strategies and initiatives. Additionally, to gather input on the 2025-2027 State Plan, the Lead Agency hosted a consultation meeting with the Tribal CCDF Administrators. The Lead Agency will continue to communicate with the Tribal CCDF Administrators during the course of plan implementation. c. Identify other entities, agencies, or organizations consulted on the development of the CCDF Plan (e.g., representatives from the child care workforce, or statewide afterschool networks) and describe those consultation efforts: Representatives from the Lead Agency attended annual national and regional conferences to consult with other states and develop new initiatives to support quality care and workforce. Representatives from the Lead Agency held, at a minimum, quarterly meetings with: the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, contracted vendors, and the statewide afterschool network while preparing the draft responses for the state plan. 1.3.2 Public hearing process Lead Agencies must hold at least one public hearing in the State or Territory, with sufficient Statewide or Territory-wide distribution of notice prior to such a hearing to enable the public to comment on the provision of child care services under the CCDF Plan. Describe the Statewide or Territory-wide public hearing process held to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the provision of child care services under this Plan. i. Date of the public hearing: 5/30/2024 Reminder: Must be no earlier than January 1, 2024. If more than one public hearing was held, enter one date (e.g., the date of the first hearing, the most recent hearing date, or any hearing date that demonstrates this requirement). ii. Date of notice of public hearing: 5/9/2024 iii. Was the notice of public hearing posted publicly at least 20 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: iv. Describe how the public was notified about the public hearing, including outreach in other languages, information on interpretation services being available, etc. Include specific website links if used to provide noticeOn April 15, 2024 initial information about the public hearing date and comment period was published in the Lead Agency’s provider e-newsletter. On May 9, 2024, a public notice was posted to the Lead Agency's website at: https://www.hhs.nd.gov/news/publicnotice and to the Secretary of State’s website at: https://apps.nd.gov/sos/ndpmn/mainmenu.htm. The State of North Dakota provides automatic translation for nd.gov websites, courtesy of Google Translate. Public notices include Lead Agency contact information for individuals who need accommodations to participate in meetings. Relay North Dakota services are also available. Relay North Dakota services are free and enable people who are deaf, hard of Hearing, deafblind or those with a speech disability to place and receive phone calls. Communications Assistants are specially trained to facilitate the calls. v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory: The public hearing is a virtual event, allowing participants to join the meeting from their home, and enabling access to all geographic regions of the State. vi. Describe how the content of the Plan was made available to the public in advance of the public hearing (e.g., the Plan was made available in other languages, in multiple formats, etc.): A copy of the draft plan was posted to the Lead Agency's website. A link to the webpage was included in the public notice and in the Lead Agency’s provider e-newsletter. If any accommodations were needed, contact information was included in the public notice. vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan: Public comments are taken into consideration by determining if any immediate changes could be made to the plan, or if the comments would involve a more long-term program and policy evaluation and implementation. A summary of public comments and the Lead Agency’s responses will be posted to the Lead Agency's website. 1.3.3 Public availability of final Plan, amendments, and waivers Lead Agencies must make the submitted and approved final Plan, any approved Plan amendments, and any approved requests for temporary waivers publicly available on a website. a. Provide the website link to where the Plan, any Plan amendments, and waivers (if applicable) are available. Note: A Plan amendment is required if the website address where the Plan is posted changes. https://www.hhs.nd.gov/cfs/early-childhood- services/child-care-development-fund b. Describe any other strategies that the Lead Agency uses to make submitted and approved CCDF Plan and approved Plan amendments available to the public. Check all that apply and describe the strategies below, including any relevant website links as examples. i. [x] Working with advisory committees. Describe: The Lead Agency regularly meets with the Early Childhood Council (ECC) and Early Childhood Services Advisory Board to discuss CCDF related items. The ECC has multiple member seats for child care providers and the meetings are open to the public. The Early Childhood Services Advisory Board is solely comprised of child care providers from across the state and represent a cross-section of provider types. The availability of the Plan and Plan amendments have been discussed with each group. ii. [x] Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: The Lead Agency’s contracted resource and referral vendor was invited to share information on their social media platforms. iii. [ ] Providing translation in other languages. Describe: iv. [x] Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: The CCDF State Plan has been highlighted in the Lead Agency’s provider e-newsletter, along with a link to where the plan, plan amendments, and applicable waivers are posted on the Lead Agency’s webpage. The public is able to sign up to receive the e-newsletter via a link on the Lead Agency’s website. Information about the public hearing was shared on the Lead Agency’s social media platforms. Additionally, the Lead Agency’s contracted resource and referral vendor shared the Lead Agency’s social media posts. v. [ ] Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: vi. [ ] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: The CCDF State Plan has been highlighted in the Lead Agency’s provider e-newsletter, along with a link to where the plan, plan amendments, and applicable waivers are posted on the Lead Agency’s webpage. Child care providers are able to sign up to receive the e-newsletter via a link on the Lead Agency’s website. viii. [ ] Other. Describe: 2 Child and Family Eligibility and Enrollment and Continuity of Care Stable and reliable child care arrangements facilitate job stability for parents and healthy development of children. CCDF eligibility and enrollment policies can contribute to these goals. Policies and procedures that create barriers to families accessing CCDF, like inaccessible subsidy applications and onerous reporting requirements, interrupt a parent’s ability to work and may deter eligible families from participating in CCDF. To address these concerns, Lead Agencies must provide children with a minimum of 12 months between eligibility determinations, limit reporting requirements during the 12-month period, and ensure eligibility determination and redetermination processes do not interrupt a parent’s work or school. In this section, Lead Agencies will identify how they define eligible children and families and how the Lead Agency’s eligibility and enrollment policies support access for eligible children and families.