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 Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council (ECICC) consists of Governor-appointed members who represent various career and parenting categories. The CCDF Administrator and CCDF Program Specialist are appointed to this council and attend quarterly meetings. The council provides recommendations for the professional development system and is charged with advising the Governor and other State Agencies with issues related to early childhood education and care. Coordination goals continue to be ensuring that the CCDF Administrator and Program Specialist have a presence at all scheduled ECICC meetings and planning opportunities. CCDF representation will highlight CCDF issues for the council’s discussion, recommendations, and change if needed. CCDF representation will look for opportunities to enhance partnerships, services, support, and provide ongoing education about CCDF to this council and the array of members and agencies represented. CCDF continues to be a standing topic at every ECICC meeting. The Lead Agency also assists in the creation of the Governor’s Biennial Report. 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 Lead Agency's goal is to establish and build a working relationship with the Nebraska Tribes receiving CCDF, which are the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Ponca Tribe, and Winnebago Tribe. During State Plan consultation, the Lead Agency met with the CCDF administrator of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and provided an overview of the state’s CCDF program. Winnebago also provided a high-level overview of how their program is run, as well. Monthly meetings will be set up, as well as in-person meetings. The Lead Agency will continue to communicate with Winnebago about CCDF and the State Plan, as both entities are able and willing. [ ] 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 works with the program responsible for children with special needs, which includes intervention and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Part C for infants and toddlers and Section 619 for preschool). The goal is to continue coordination that include the Lead Agency and this program meeting on related topics for children with special needs, expulsion/suspensions, and early screenings with a goal to link comprehensive services to children in child care settings. Planning for IDEA is facilitated through Nebraska's Early Childhood Interagency Coordination Council (ECICC). The Lead Agency continues to be an active member of the council and offers additional consultations, planning, and supports as needed. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency works with the director of Nebraska's Head Start Collaboration Office regularly through a variety of forms. The goal of this collaborative work is to align early care and education services and supports for children and families prenatally to age 5, focusing specifically on the Early Head Start and Head Start eligible population in quality child care settings. Additionally, opportunities to work together to collect and use data to guide decision-making and improve child and family outcomes, and to support the expansion of and access to high-quality workforce and career development opportunities for early care and education staff in this shared space are priorities for this work. The Lead Agency will continue to work with the Head Start Collaboration Office Director to review and align CCDF requirements and standards with the Head Start Act and the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Both entities will continue meeting to discuss and explore state licensing regulations, fingerprint/background check requirements, and child care subsidy as they apply to the state’s Head Start grant recipients. The results from this work will lead to better service coordination between all programs, additional resources for families, and improved outcomes for children in Nebraska. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Division of Public Health is responsible for immunizations and is part of the Lead Agency. Public Health and the CCDF program will continue to work together to increase immunization awareness, education, and access. The goal for coordination is to provide educational information on the Child Care Subsidy and Licensing websites to include information on the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), which is an entitlement program and would benefit low-income children and families. Holding ongoing meetings and increasing communication will take place to implement this goal. Results of this goal and coordination will increase awareness and education about immunization, especially related to COVID-19 vaccinations, for child care providers and parents. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Nebraska Department of Labor is responsible for employment services workforce development. The Lead Agency coordinates with the Department of Labor through an Economic Mobility Taskforce. This tasks force meets on a quarterly basis with partners from Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Vocational Rehabilitation and external partners that work with the SNAP Employment and Training Program. The Economic Mobility Taskforce’s goal is to build bridges so families can thrive. The Economic Mobility Taskforce has taken a role in addressing the benefits cliff that Nebraskans may face when they receive pay increases through their current employment or are offered higher paying positions. Through the Economic Mobility Taskforce, a Benefit Cliff Tool from the Atlanta Federal Reserve is now being utilized with a small population as a pilot to collect data and will be rolled out statewide once an analysis can determine the positive impacts of utilizing this tool for different State Agencies. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency has a continuing relationship with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). NDE is the agency responsible for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education including monitoring of the state pre-kindergarten programs and other birth-to-age-5 programs operated by Local Education Agencies (LEA) and intermediate service agencies. The Lead Agency grants money to NDE to operate the regional early childhood provider training system, the professional records system (NECPRS), and together, the two state agencies partner to implement Step Up to Quality, Nebraska’s Quality Rating and Improvement system, and are Co-Lead Agencies for Part C early intervention. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Child care licensing and child care subsidy are administered out of different divisions within the Lead Agency. Child care licensing and child care subsidy have continual communication, coordination, and collaboration to better serve child care providers and the children served. Child care licensing and child care subsidy share communication about providers, including concerns or violations, and provider changes (i.e., household members, address, etc.). Both divisions strive to streamline processes and align policies where available. Both divisions will work to ensure health and safety requirements are being met by all providers and background check processes align with federal requirements. The Lead Agency is currently working together to streamline a plan to renew fingerprint background checks for all required individuals. Coordination goal results will include a more cohesive administration of child care subsidy and licensing, allowing for a better experience for child care providers. Results will also include the completion of provider/staff/family background checks as both divisions work together on this requirement. 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 Lead Agency and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), administered through the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), have ongoing communication. The goals are to continue communication, inform parents, providers, and the community of the CACFP program on the subsidy website and work together on cases where there may be issues or concerns. Currently, license-exempt providers receive an incentive payment for their participation with CACFP. Results of these goals will ensure all child care providers are aware of the CACFP resource, which if utilized, increase healthy and nutritional meals served to children and assist with the cost of food for child care providers. CACFP trainings are listed on the Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS) training calendar. The NDE office that operates CACFP also operates a farm-to-child care program working with child care programs across the state to use local agricultural products in their food supply. 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 McKinney-Vento program and the CCDF Subsidy program continue to meet to provide each other program overviews and updates. Representation from the McKinney-Vento program has also participated in the state's ECICC council. When Subsidy regulations changed, the Lead Agency notified the McKinney-Vento program that CCDF Subsidy now uses the McKinney-Vento definition for homelessness. Homelessness is a need for service for families newly applying for child care subsidy, which allows families time to seek and secure employment while receiving full-time childcare subsidy. The overarching goal between the Lead Agency and Nebraska’s McKinney-Vento program will continue to be to provide education about resources to families applying for subsidy, and assisting in child care subsidy eligibility and authorizations, as well as providing information on other economic assistance programs (e.g., SNAP, TANF, LIHEAP, etc.) to families. Ongoing meetings and communication will continue to take place to implement these goals. Results will lead to increased access to child care for families experiencing homelessness, which can assist in securing stable housing and employment. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: Families receiving TANF assistance may be required to participate with Employment First. Employment First is a workforce development and employment program which helps families achieve economic self-sufficiency through job training, education, and employment preparation. The Lead Agency administers the TANF and CCDF programs. Ongoing communication and planning occur between TANF and CCDF to ensure child care is not a barrier for individuals to participate with Employment First. The goal continues to be ongoing communication, participation in monthly alignment meetings, and to serve this population the best way possible. Results will ensure that access to child care is not a barrier for families participating with Employment First. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: CCDF and the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are administrated out of different divisions within the Lead Agency. Program leaders participate in monthly meetings to provide updates and any new information or resources regarding their programs. Coordination between CCDF and Medicaid will continue to ensure families can contact ACCESSNebraska for their child care, medical, and any other economic assistance needs. Application processes will continue to be reviewed and streamlined when possible. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: There are various entities across the state that incorporate early childhood mental health (ECMH) supportive services in early care settings and/or provide consultation. Currently, the Lead Agency coordinates and supports various initiatives both privately and publicly driven; some of these initiatives include implementation of the Pyramid Model. Nebraska's Early Development Network, Section 619, Part C, Early Head Start and Head Start, Nurturing Healthy Behaviors, and Rooted in Relationships all partner to provide a variety of ECMH supports. The goal remains to continue to be engaged with planning and coordination with all these entities/initiatives. Lead Agency staff will attend meetings to stay informed and provide education about child care subsidy. Results of this goal will help bring together key members in the state to ensure family access to these services through multiple avenues. 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: Regularly scheduled meetings between the Lead Agency and the Department of Education (NDE) occur. NDE implements the Early Childhood Training System (ECTC) and operates the CCR&R for the state and will be taking over operation of the Child Care Referral Network (CCRN). Meetings include program updates, planning, and coordination. Both CCR&R and ECTC are supported by CCDF funds. The goal is to continue these meetings and work on strengthening communication and resources for parents, children, and providers. Results of this will help families find quality child care that fits their needs. 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 attends regular meetings and collaborates with the statewide afterschool network, Beyond School Bells. CCDF funds are granted to Beyond School Bells to support the work of the statewide network, including providing support for statewide conferences and professional development. This work builds on work the Lead Agency provided to the Beyond School Bells by granting CCDF CARES Act funds to assist with afterschool programs and summer learning care programs for children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Coordination goals continue to include supporting quality enhancements, finding ways to increase the number of children eligible for CCDF/Subsidy in quality afterschool programs and supporting attempts to build locally sustainable programs. The Lead Agency also offers technical assistance for afterschool programs working through state licensing and child care subsidy requirements. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency works with Public Health, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Head Start, Children’s Services Licensing, and the Nebraska Department of Education to develop and implement appropriate emergency management and response procedures. The Division of Public Health is part of the Lead Agency and coordinates disaster and emergency planning and response throughout entities across the state. Nebraska’s CCR&R also coordinates with several emergency management and response entities and remains in regular communication with the Lead Agency. Partnership with these divisions has allowed the Lead Agency to develop and implement emergency preparedness procedures for licensed and license-exempt child care providers. The goal is to continue working together as needed, addressing child care needs. As a result, providers will have resources and tools to be prepared for emergency situations. 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 has provided and continues to offer technical assistance to the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant recipients in the state. A continued goal is to increase communication between EHS-CCP grant recipients, the Head Start Collaboration Office, and the Lead Agency, as needed, which will result in a better understanding of policies and procedures related to child care subsidy and current EHS-CCP grants and to identify potential opportunities to build further capacity and increase access in this area in the future. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: Through the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), CCDF supports a Career Development Specialist who facilitates the work of the Early Childhood Community College Consortium. The Consortium creates and uses common early childhood syllabi and course numbers for ease in getting and transferring credit among 2-year colleges. Community Colleges and the University of Nebraska system are part of the CDA Roundtable and work jointly with state agencies and others to improve CDA pathways. The University of Nebraska Extension employs early childhood staff who are professional development specialists for the Council for Professional Recognition’s CDA process. Early Childhood staff from 2- and 4- year institutions participate on regional Early Learning Connection Partnerships to identify needs, participate in training events, and provide input. iii. [ ] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: Nebraska CCDF and the Nebraska - Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visitation (N- MIECHV) program are administrated out of different divisions within the Lead Agency. Communication via emails, phone calls, and virtual calls will continue as needed. Both programs will look for opportunities to share information and meet. The CCDF program will provide the N-MIECHV program information about the CCDF Subsidy program to ensure home visitors are providing child care resources to the families they work with. Results will be an increase in coordinated services between both programs, serving families and children to the best capacity. v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: Nebraska's Early Development Network (EDN) is a collaborative effort of the Nebraska Department of Education and the Lead Agency to serve infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. EDN provides services and supports that are designed based on the needs of children birth to age 3 and their families, with the belief that parents know what is best for their families. These services are designed to act on what families think is important for their child and the family. The program helps families to understand their child's disability and assists in dealing with situations that interfere with the child's development. The goal of EDN is to provide coordinated services for Nebraska families as conveniently as possible. The Lead Agency will continue to provide information regarding EDN on the child care subsidy application and to child care providers. The result will increase family and provider awareness of these services. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The Lead Agency administers both CCDF and child welfare. The Lead Agency strives to keep an open line of communication between the two programs to best serve Nebraska’s children with CCDF and other resources. CCDF processes continue to be reviewed to find areas that can be streamlined or improved. Trainings have been developed and delivered by the CCDF Program for child welfare workers. Goals include the CCDF program to review and modify the child welfare application based on suggestions from field workers and to provide regular resources, tools, and tips to assist workers. The result will ensure services are being authorized timely and accurately. vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The Lead Agency attends regular meetings with providers and provider organizations. The goals of these meetings vary but include increasing communication on CCDF policies and procedures, providing up-to-date information on available funding, and hearing from providers what provider and subsidy family needs may be. The Lead Agency is willing to participate in opportunities to engage and communicate with providers. viii. [ ] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: ix. [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: x. [ ] Other. Describe: