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. [x] Home visiting programs. x. [x] Other. Describe: Websites are available in 10 languages apart from English. ODHS staff have access to translation and interpretation services for any language that may be required. ODHS policies allow all staff who pass language competency testing to receive a bilingual pay differential. There are minimum bilingual staffing levels, but no top end restriction to the number of bilingual staffing levels. The Lead Agency aims to provide all vital licensing and provider documents in the five primary languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese), and posts them to the website. The Lead Agency also provides a staff contact that users can call if they need additional ADA or language support. The Lead Agency employs bilingual staff and strives to hire staff fluent in the five languages listed above. The Lead Agency utilizes a translation process for important documents and communications around complaints, provides interpretation for public meetings, and contracts with Language Link at the state level to provide services in languages without available translation and/or interpretation services. Google translate provides basic web page translation for the DELC primary site and DELC News website. In addition, the following statement is posted on DELC websites: ￿You are entitled to language assistance services and other accommodations at no cost. If you need help in your language or other accommodations, please contact the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) at 503-947-1400.￿ State of Oregon websites are designed by a third-party vendor and are formatted to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA, Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Plain Language Act of 2010. 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. [x] 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. [ ] Other. Describe: 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: 211info (statewide referral for child care and other social services). 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. The Agency collaborated with the coordinator of the McKinney-Vento program at the Oregon Department of Education to create a self-study training to learn how to enroll and assist families experiencing homelessness. This self-study is titled ￿Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness￿ and is 1 hour in length in the core knowledge category of Families and Community Systems (FCS). The training is located here: www.oregon.gov/delc/providers/CCLD_Library/CCLD-0586-SFEH- Self-Guided-Training-EN.pdf . 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. Description for Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness Training: ￿Sometimes all it takes is a series of unfortunate events and no safety net to quickly make a once thriving family lose their home. Whether this is occurring to a family that is new to your program or an existing family in your child care setting, homelessness has a devastating impact on families and their young children. This training will provide early learning professionals with an introduction to families experiencing homelessness and strategies to provide compassionate care during this traumatic time for these children and their families.￿ Individuals who complete this training also come away with identifying the name and contact information for their McKinney -Vento Liaison. There is a questionnaire at the end of the training. If the individuals pass the quiz to receive a certificate and credit in ORO for the training. The Lead Agency encourages all staff who work with families to take this training. In addition, eligibility staff at ODHS are required to take the "Eligibility Essentials" and "ERDC Eligibility" trainings. Each section covers how the agency defines homelessness, how to have a discussion about a family's living arrangements, and how to appropriately code it on ONE. Additional trainings around trauma- informed care through a poverty reduction lens are provided to Family Coaches, who work with families receiving TANF and those experiencing domestic violence. The Lead Agency passed new rules allowing providers to care for children experiencing homelessness prior to receiving immunization records, enrollment forms and other written parental permissions, thus reducing barriers for families. OAR 414- 305-022 (2) A certified child care center may provide care for children who are in foster care or experiencing homelessness while parents/guardians are taking necessary actions to comply with immunization requirements of the center. OAR 414-305- 0230 (6) If a family served by a certified child care center is experiencing homelessness, the center must make efforts to follow OAR 414-305-0230 (1) through (5). If a certified child care center is unable to acquire written parental permissions, permissions may be received verbally, when documented by the certified child care center, or electronically, such as through a text message or e-mail.