8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: The Lead Agency works closely with the Oklahoma Tribal Child Care Association by participating in regular meetings to share information and updates. Coordination is also done with the Lead Agency through regular licensing meetings with tribes that a formal tribal agreement is maintained. These meetings are used to discuss cooperative agreements and coordinated monitoring of programs that overlap licensing by both tribal and Lead Agency monitoring. Licensing staff working within tribal agreement agencies also participate in licensing new worker trainings and regular attending division wide and supervisory level trainings. The Lead Agency also works closely with the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR) with the Child Care Services director serving as a board member and through OPSR supported Clearing House projects investing in early childhood initiatives.