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. [ ] 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. [x] 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. [ ] 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. [ ] 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. [ ] 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. [ ] 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: Ohio created a comprehensive document, the JFS 07501 "Program Enrollment and Benefit Information", for families that includes contact information for child care assistance, Medicaid, health screenings, early intervention services, developmental delays, and disabilities, Help Me Grow, mental health, and nutrition resources. This document is a tool used by child care providers, when the need for support services are suspected, to give to families to assist them in connecting with the services they may need for their child. When a child is identified as needing special needs child care, additional payment can be made to the provider to assist in serving children and ensuring access to child care programs. Special needs child care means child care provided to a child who is less than eighteen years of age and either has one or more chronic health conditions or does not meet age appropriate expectations in one or more areas of development, including social, emotional, cognitive, communicative, perceptual, motor, physical, and behavioral development and that may include on a regular basis such services, adaptations, modifications, or adjustments needed to assist in the child's function or development. The additional payment applies when the child's delays/conditions affect development to the extent that the child requires special adaptations, modified facilities, program adjustments, or related services regularly to function adaptively. Programs with a child in need of special needs child care receive a 5 percent enhancement on top of the base rate. If a program needs to make adjustments to its service delivery model to serve a child eligible for special needs child care (i.e. add an extra staff member in the room, decrease group size in the room, etc.), the program can submit documentation to request a 100 percent enhancement to its base rate for services provided to that child. The Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) offers accessible guidance for families and local education organizations. https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/A-Guide-to-Parent-Rights- in-Special-Education. https://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/num/JFS07501/pdf/ 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: All eighty-eight county agencies have outreach programs in place. The child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies have implemented a variety of methods to be proactive in meeting the needs of homeless families including participating in community events, offering parent education programs, and participating in local task force and non-profit organizational efforts. Additionally, connections have been established with local shelters, libraries, food/clothing pantries, schools, food banks, Catholic Charities, YWCA, Head Start, Habitat for Humanity and housing coalitions to assist families in securing needed resources. Many CCR&Rs have created and distributed brochures or other forms of communication informing of their services and have hired staff who focus specifically on outreach to families including assisting homeless families and children. In addition the State Support Teams provide assistance to school districts and families who may be experiencing homeless and/or may have a child with a disability. 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. All child care staff are required to complete the pre-licensing or staff orientation which includes information on identifying and serving homeless children and their families. 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. The child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies have implemented a variety of methods to be proactive in identifying and serve homeless families including participating in community events, offering parent education programs, and participating in local task force and non-profit organizational efforts. Additionally, connections have been established with local shelters, libraries, food/clothing pantries, schools, food banks, Catholic Charities, YWCA, Head Start, Habitat for Humanity, and housing coalitions to assist families in securing needed resources. Many CCR&Rs have created and distributed brochures or other forms of communication informing of their services and have hired staff who focus specifically on outreach to families including assisting homeless families and children. Additionally, county agencies, who work directly with families to assist at the time of application and provide needed services, are required by rule to complete training that includes all CCDBG requirements, including training on identifying and serving children and their families experiencing homelessness.