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: DHS/DFD is the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lead agency and contracts with the twenty-one (21) County Social Service Agencies to determine eligibility for families receiving TANF benefits, which includes child care and SNAP. DHS/DFD consults with local government regarding the Plan through general discussions with the County Social Service Agencies directors during various regular monthly meetings on a range of issues that directly impact families receiving TANF and SNAP, such as background check implementation, and family friendly policies. Additionally, DFD staff participates in and attends local government operational meetings using these opportunities to share certain sections of the Plan. Local government agencies are provided with information regarding the posting of the Plan and public hearing. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: DHS/DFD is a member of New Jersey's State Advisory Council, (Council for Young Children) and also facilitates the Child Care Advisory Group, which consists of many representatives of the council. Many of the council members also participated in the State Plan workgroup committees, responsible for drafting and providing recommendations for consideration. Through various meetings, representatives of the State Advisory Council are directly involved with providing input and consulting on the State Plan. Additionally, prior to posting the draft State Plan, the council was extended the opportunity to provide additional feedback. b. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: N/A 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: DHS/DFD's quality partners include technical assistance regional centers, health and mental health consultants, school age and parent advisory networks, as well as higher education institutions and CCR&Rs. Regular meetings are held to discuss and allow for input and recommendations for the development of 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: 6/10/2024 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: 5/20/2024 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 noticeThe State Plan Public Hearing notice was made available on New Jersey's Child Care website at: www.ChildCareNJ.gov. In addition, written notice of the State Plan Public Hearing was provided to the broad child care community, including other state agencies, stakeholders and partners, such as Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and Pritzker Leadership Team. A direct email was also sent to licensed/registered child care providers. Parents were provided notice through parent advisory groups including Child Care Aware of New Jersey (CCANJ) and Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory: The State Plan Public Hearing was held virtually using a video meeting platform. This platform readily accommodated all geographical regions of the state to ensure accessibility statewide. 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.): DHS/DFD made the draft State Plan available for viewing to the public through New Jersey's Child Care website, www.ChildCareNJ.gov. The public hearing notice also included a link to the website containing the draft plan, which was distributed to the broad child care community, CCR&Rs, providers and child care advisory group. vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan: All information provided by the public during the State Plan Public Hearing was reviewed and considered before the Plan was finalized. Also, in the development of the State Plan, DHS/DFD worked in conjunction with representatives from other state agencies: the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Children and Families Office of Licensing (DCF/OOL), the Department of Human Services Office of Emergency Management (DHS/OEM), and the Department of Education (DOE); as well as the CCR&Rs through small workgroups, to ensure consideration and inclusion of interested parties’ input. 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. The plan and dates for the public hearing will be posted on the www.ChildCareNJ.gov website. 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: A DHS/DFD child care advisory group including representatives from various agencies and organizations was established in September 2018 to offer a forum for interested parties and stakeholders to share information and updates regarding child care and the child care subsidy program. This group meets on a quarterly basis and they were also engaged in the process of the State Plan development. ii. [x] Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies are located in all 21 counties. They are responsible for administering the child care subsidy program and managing the Family Child Care Registration Program. They also provide training and technical assistance to help raise the quality of child care services. CCR&Rs participate on various workgroups which helped develop the State Plan; and they will proactively notify providers and the general public about the public hearing date and opportunity to comment. iii. [ ] Providing translation in other languages. Describe: iv. [x] Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: The plan and dates for the public hearing will be posted on the www.ChildCareNJ.gov website, shared on DHS social media and sent via email. v. [x] Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: DHS/DFD will utilize its contracted service providers, including CCR&Rs, provider groups, other state agencies, advisory councils, advocacy groups, partners and community-based agencies to disseminate information to the general public. Notice of the hearing will be provided in advance via email, meetings, and postings on websites. vi. [x] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) is one of DHS/DFD's quality partners and provides support, technical assistance and services to school age providers and parents. Regular meetings are held to discuss and allow for input, feedback, and recommendations; as well as disseminate and communicate information regarding the State Plan. vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: DHS/DFD has direct access to the workforce community registered in New Jersey’s Workforce Registry. The Registry is integrated within DHS/DFD provider management system, which allows easy posting of information and communication, such as email blasts to inform of the State Plan posting and public comment hearing. 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.