2.4 Lead Agency Outreach to Families Experiencing Homelessness, Families with Limited English Proficiency, and Persons with Disabilities

The Lead Agency must conduct outreach and provide services to families with limited English proficiency, families experiencing homelessness, and persons with disabilities. 2.4.1 Families with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities: outreach and services a. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with limited English proficiency. Check all that apply. i. [x] Application in languages other than English (application and related documents, brochures, provider notices). ii. [x] Informational materials in languages other than English. iii. [x] Website in languages other than English. iv. [x] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. v. [x] Bilingual caseworkers or translators available. vi. [x] Bilingual outreach workers. vii. [x] Partnerships with community-based organizations. viii. [x] Collaboration with Head Start, Early Head Start, or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. ix. [ ] Home visiting programs. x. [ ] Other. Describe: b. Check the strategies the Lead Agency or partners utilize to conduct outreach and provide services to eligible families with a person(s) with a disability. Check all that apply. i. [ ] Applications and public informational materials available in braille and other communication formats for access by individuals with disabilities. ii. [x] Websites that are accessible (e.g., Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act). iii. [ ] Caseworkers with specialized training/experience in working with individuals with disabilities. iv. [x] Ensuring accessibility of environments and activities for all children. v. [x] Partnerships with State and local programs and associations focused on disability- related topics and issues. vi. [x] Partnerships with parent associations, support groups, and parent-to-parent support groups, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers. vii. [x] Partnerships with State and local IDEA Part B, Section 619 and Part C providers and agencies. viii. [x] Availability and/or access to specialized services (e.g., mental health, behavioral specialists, therapists) to address the needs of all children. ix. [x] Other. Describe: American Sign Language (ASL) consultants are provided to assist children in classroom settings. 2.4.2 Families experiencing homelessness: Outreach and technical assistance efforts a. Check, where applicable, the procedures used to conduct outreach for children experiencing homelessness and their families. i. [x] Lead Agency accepts applications at local community-based locations. ii. [x] Partnerships with community-based organizations. iii. [x] Partnering with homeless service providers, McKinney-Vento liaisons, and others who work with families experiencing homelessness to provide referrals to child care. iv. [x] Other. Describe: DHS/DFD has consulted with the New Jersey State Coordinator of Education for Homeless Children & Youth Programs to ensure that DHS/DFD has information on the full range of child care services. DFD also posts child care information on its website and distributes information to partners and stakeholders. b. The Lead Agency must provide training and technical assistance (TA) to providers and appropriate Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff on identifying and serving children and families experiencing homelessness. i. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for providers in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. Coordination and partnerships with local service providers that work with children experiencing homelessness is a required standard through DHS/DFD's contract with service providers. McKinney-Vento liaisons provide awareness and sensitivity training to CCR&Rs to support providers working with families experiencing homelessness. Additionally, DHS/DFD is in the process of building a repository of targeted training resources for providers, which will include interactive modules and technical assistance from several key sources: ● The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement: "Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness in Early Childhood Programs", ● The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness: "Caring for the Health and Wellness of Children Experiencing Homelessness", and ● School House Connection's Early Care and Education Advocacy Training. Once trained, DHS/DFD contracted service agencies will also be responsible for delivering targeted technical assistance to support child care providers in identifying homeless families and referring them to child care services. ii. Describe the Lead Agency’s training and TA efforts for Lead Agency (or designated entity) staff in identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness. DHS/DFD will provide technical assistance and training to CCR&Rs on how to develop an outreach plan to establish partnerships that will help identify and refer families experiencing homelessness to the CCDF program. DHS/DFD required elements of the CCR&Rs outreach plan include: ● Utilizing a residency questionnaire that prompts families to answer key questions about their living situation and training staff to be able to ask sensitive questions; ● Establishing partnerships with their counties' designated McKinney-Vento liaison(s). County-based McKinney-Vento liaisons would provide technical assistance in: Identifying children and youth experiencing homelessness; and ensuring that children experiencing homelessness can enroll immediately and participate fully in school and child care. DHS/DFD partners with CCR&Rs to identify and prioritize homeless children and families. CCR&Rs work closely with homeless shelters to ensure families in need of child care are identified and receive support services. Technical assistance is provided by the CCR&Rs to homeless shelters to ensure their understanding of the federal definition of homelessness and improve access to child care for families participating in services for the homeless population. Some CCR&Rs are members of their County Continuum of Care (CoC) to end homelessness and have MOUs with the local McKinney-Vento liaisons and participate in annual training. Technical assistance and training are provided through DHS/DFD’s various quality service provider contracts to ensure child care providers receive the support needed to best meet the needs of families and children experiencing homelessness, as well as the array of supports that families may need (e.g., early childhood mental health consultation or other services related to supporting children).