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6.1.2 Describe how the state/territory developed its professional development framework in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (if applicable) or similar coordinating body if there is no SAC that addresses the professional development, training, and education of child care providers and staff. As reported previously, ECICC is the statewide advisory body identified by the Governor as the SAC. ECICC provides recommendations for the professional development system. The 2018 Report to the Governor, including ECICC’s recommendations for 2018 has not been completed. However, the 2016 recommendations include the following professional development related items.

Recommendation #1: Recruit, Train and Retain Enough Highly Skilled Early Childhood Professionals to Meet Statewide Needs. Nebraska does this in the following ways: - Coaching Initiatives: Coaching through the Step Up to Quality program. Early Childhood programs, both family child care homes and center-based programs who have completed the training requirements for Step 2, are eligible to receive a trained coach at no cost to the program. As of 3-29-18 there were 88 programs actively receiving coaching. As of that date 114 programs have received coaching through Nebraska’s young quality rating and improvement system. - The Early Childhood Education Endowment, commonly known as Sixpence, is a public- private program providing grants to school districts for high quality infant and toddler center and home-visiting programs. Recent legislation has expanded the Sixpence program to use CCDF infant/toddler funds for school district child care partnerships (CCP). These CCP programs require school districts to partner with center-based or family child care programs to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers. All programs participate in Step Up to Quality and the school district employed coach participates in coach training and reflective practice with the state Step Up to Quality Coach Coordinator. Currently, the Sixpence CCP program provides coaching to 17 centers or family child care homes. - The Nebraska Nurturing Healthy Behaviors grant combines state general fund dollars with private foundation money to improve the quality of early childhood education and care programs within the context of social-emotional health. The Nurturing Healthy Behaviors grant works with local communities to support social emotional health through parent engagement ( via Circle of Security Parenting) mapping of community resources and coaching through the Pyramid Model for social and emotional competence in child care centers and family child care homes. Coaches for this initiative have received the same Nebraska Coach training that Step Up to Quality and Sixpence coaches have received. By the end of 2017, child care providers in 55 programs have received Nebraska Page 253 of 314