Page 29

child care (FCC) businesses, (2) help refugee families gain access to licensed FCC businesses that will meet the early care and developmental needs of refugee children, and (3) assist refugees in learning how to navigate mainstream child care services. - Early Childhood Business Collaboratory Team: The team consists of representative from the Lead Agency CCDF/Subsidy program, local early childhood collaborative and professional development coordinator, a statewide shared services provider, a private philanthropist, two representatives from a statewide public-private organization providing technical assistance to child care providers utilizing CCDF and communities using private dollars to increase accessibility to leaders from our state's QRIS, Department of Education-Office of Early Childhood, Nebraska AEYC-TEACH, policy entities, and small business development support services providers. The ECE Business Collaboratory is a unique opportunity to consider actions that are promising practices for achieving long term economic sustainability for child care providers and the families they serve. The team has developed a work plan with the following strategies to support and strengthen child care business practices: 1) Conduct a landscape analysis and inventory existing resources and services; 2) Connect resources, including new CCDF regulations, with current and future early care and education providers; 3) Develop and implement Early Learning Scholarships; 4) Coordinate with other statewide groups supporting early care and education providers; i.e., NeAEYC, Step Up to Quality, Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission. The Lead Agency also partners Early Head Start programs and other child serving programs to support with collaboration and CCDF funding other quality initiative across Nebraska. This partnership builds upon the experiences and knowledge gained through the various pilot projects, planning efforts, and research to offer an option to Nebraska families, children, and early care and education providers which assists in supporting healthy social, emotional, and behavioral development in the child’s natural environment. These initiative are intended to build the capacity of both early childhood and mental health professionals, with enhanced ability to address the challenging behaviors and life circumstances of young children.

Effective Date: 10/01/2018

1.7 Coordination With Local or Regional Child Care Resource and Referral Systems

Lead Agencies may use CCDF funds to establish or support a system of local or regional child care resource and referral (CCR&R) organizations that is coordinated, to the extent determined Nebraska Page 29 of 314