7.2 Use of Quality Set-Aside Funds

Lead Agencies must use a portion of their CCDF expenditures for activities designed to improve the quality of child care services and to increase parental options for and access to high-quality child care. They must use the quality set-aside funds on at least one of 10 activities described in CCDF and the quality activities must be aligned with a Statewide or Territory-wide assessment of the State's or Territory’s need to carry out such services and care. 7.2.1 Quality improvement activities a. Describe how the Lead Agency will make its Quality Progress Report (ACF – 218) and expenditure reports, available to the public. Provide a link if available. The ACF-218 will be posted on the Department of Children and Youth (DCY) website state plan page. The expenditure report will be listed as available upon request, instructions on how to request this report will also be listed. The DCY website Child Care Section continues to be built out at: https://childrenandyouth.ohio.gov/for-providers/resources/child-care-and- development-fund-state-plan. It is expected that this will be available on the website by 10/1/2024. Currently expenditures are available to the public at https://checkbook.ohio.gov/State/Expenses/Type.aspx b. Identify Lead Agency plans, if any, to spend CCDF funds for each of the following quality improvement activities. If an activity is checked “yes”, describe the Lead Agency’s current and/or future plans for this activity. i. Supporting the training and professional development of the child care workforce, including birth to five and school-age providers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Ohio has increased investments in Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Ohio scholarship and Powering Optimal Wages and Encouraging Retention (POWER) Ohio to support more early care and education providers with earning their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credentials, Associate and Bachelor Degrees. ii. Developing, maintaining, or implementing early learning and developmental guidelines. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. In 2021, the Ohio Departments of Education (ODE) and Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS) led the charge to revise the then ten-year-old Early Learning and Development Standards. The standards were drafted, reviewed, and edited by more than 150 early care and education providers, technical assistance providers, content experts, state agency staff, and other stakeholders with subject-matter expertise. After public comment and input, the State Board of Education voted to adopt the updated standards on June 15, 2022, which are aligned to the CDC’s Milestones and Ohio’s Learning Standards (K ￿ 12) Implementing. Since their release, the state has implemented the updated Early Learning & Development Standards by creating, releasing, and leading professional development, including a comprehensive Overview; Standards in the Context of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: For Preschool; For Infants and Toddlers; For Family Child Care/ Mixed Age Groups; and Selecting Curriculum & Assessment. Each of these five trainings comes with resources and hours that count toward required professional development (PD) in the state’s Tiered Quality Rating System (TQRIS). Early Learning and Development Resource Guides were created for each of the nine domains, which include examples for skills, as well as tools and resources for the developmental area. An Infant and Toddler Resource Guide and a Family Child Care and Mixed Age Group Guide provide even more support for standards implementation. Regional technical assistance and training partners have been given full training and access to deliver these resources, messages, and supports across the mixed delivery system in the state. Finally, the state created and continually updates its Standards-Curriculum-Assessment Alignment webpage, which helps all providers meet the licensing and TQRIS requirements to use these Ohio Early Learning & Development Standards and a curriculum and assessment that align to the standards. " iii. Developing, implementing, or enhancing a quality improvement system. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Ohio engaged with stakeholders from August 2023 until April 2024, to gather feedback on updating Ohio's Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS). Through this time the State reviewed two validation studies, the current program enrollment, authorization and utilization data, and Kindergarten Readiness Assessment data, and leaned heavily on community and provider feedback to propose changes to the State's Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) program. The goals were sustainability, child outcomes, and ease of administrative burden. Through proposed changes, the State has remained focused on curriculums, assessments, statewide screening tools, professional development and maintaining community resources to ensure providers can assist with the full needs of the family to ensure optimal learning. iv. Improving the supply and quality of child care services for infants and toddlers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The State has utilized the one-time American Rescue Plan Act ( ARPA) funds along with $15M in state general revenue funds to focus on maintaining and expanding access to quality child care programs. Additionally, the State has made concerted efforts to expand family child care through grants to the first 100 new programs to become licensed and specific recruitment events. Most recently the State dedicated $6M to the State's Preschool Development Grant to focus on building relationships between child care programs and businesses to assist with better supporting child care wages and access to quality programs and reliable child care for the workforce. DCY is committed to continuing to improve the availability and quality of infant and toddler care through the use of the 3% quality set-aside. The funding is and will continue to be used to support the state's network of infant and toddler specialists that are available through the child care resource and referral network. These specialists provide technical assistance and training on topics related to the comprehensive development of babies. v. Establishing or expanding a statewide system of CCR&R services. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Increased investment is going to the Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies to continue to build support and professional development as programs transition to the new Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) standards and improved outreach and engagement through work of the parent and youth ambassadors to ensure parents have access to all the information needed to make the best choices for their children. The State Support Teams will also be providing support to school-based programs who may provide services to children funding through the Publicly Funded Child Care program. The CCR&Rs and SSTs meet quarterly to share resources and ideas for technical assistance. vi. Facilitating compliance with Lead Agency child care licensing, monitoring, inspection and health and safety standards. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x]Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Licensing specialists will regulate health, safety and quality of all programs regardless of setting (i.e., school, centers, family child care). The specialists will also provide tiered technical assistance and guidance to ensure best practices are provided when non compliances occur. vii. Evaluating and assessing the quality and effectiveness of child care services within the State/Territory. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Licensing specialists will regulate health, safety and quality of all programs regardless of setting (i.e., school, centers, family child care). The specialists will also provide tiered technical assistance and guidance to ensure best practices are provided when non compliances occur. Tiered technical assistance will be more necessary over the next few years as we transition to a new Step Up to Quality system. All providers will need to understand the curriculum and assessment to ensure the Science of Reading is being implemented to fidelity. viii. Accreditation support. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is currently evaluating National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) updated criteria to determine where accredited programs align with the new Step Up to Quality program standards. ix. Supporting State/Territory or local efforts to develop high-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Through the new Step Up To Quality standards community resources will be compiled to meet the needs of families in the areas of housing, food, mental health resources, transportation, etc. The new standards require providers to evaluate the needs of the families they are serving and The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) will continue to work to streamline resources to make it efficient and easy to support families with stabilization. x. Other activities determined by the Lead Agency to improve the quality of child care services and the measurement of outcomes related to improved provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, or kindergarten entry. [x] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. 8 Lead Agency Coordination and Partnerships to Support Service Delivery Coordination and partnerships help ensure that the Lead Agency’s efforts accomplish CCDF goals effectively, leverage other resources, and avoid duplication of effort. Such coordination and partnerships can help families better access child care, can assist in providing consumer education to parents, and can be used to improve child care quality and the stability of child care providers. Such coordination can also be particularly helpful in the aftermath of disasters when the provision of emergency child care services and the rebuilding and restoring of child care infrastructure are an essential part of ensuring the well-being of children and families in recovering communities. This section identifies who the Lead Agency collaborates with to implement services, how match and maintenance-of-effort (MOE) funds are used, coordination with child care resource and referral (CCR&R) systems, and efforts for disaster preparedness and response plans to support continuity of operations in response to emergencies.