6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning. 6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines are: i. [x] Research-based. ii. [x] Developmentally appropriate. iii. [x] Culturally and linguistically appropriate. iv. [x] Aligned with kindergarten entry. v. [x] Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry. vi. [x] Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines. i. [x] Cognition, including language arts and mathematics. ii. [x] Social development. iii. [x] Emotional development. iv. [x] Physical development. v. [x] Approaches toward learning. vi. [ ] Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: c. When were the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? The most recent update to the guidelines was in 2017, when the Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten guidelines were released. d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. DELC references all the early learning and developmental guidelines used by and with partners on the page here: https://www.oregon.gov/delc/providers/pages/professional- standards-competencies.aspx Note that DELC uses a variety of early learning and developmental guidelines for its programs. It uses the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Head Start link: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/article/head-start-early- learning-outcomes-framework For programs serving school aged children, DELC uses the Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines found at the Oregon Department of Education website here: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/Transitioning-to- Kindergarten/Pages/Early-Learning-and-Kindergarten-Guidelines.aspx For Infant and Toddler programs funded by DELC the Zero to Three Critical Competencies are identified, the Zero to Three Institution link found here: https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/zero-to-three-critical-competencies-for-infant- toddler-educators/ 6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. The various early learning and developmental frameworks chosen by DELC are used in in different contexts depending on the provider type and ages of children served by the provider, and in some cases, providers may choose a framework that best meets their needs. For example, in Early Head Start classrooms with Baby Promise Program slots, the provider is already using the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. At present, DELC’s early learning guidelines do not include guidelines for birth through three, so the Lead Agency utilizes Head Start’s Early Learning Outcomes Framework for this population. In addition to using this framework Early Educators are also trained in the Zero to Three Critical Competencies (via their contracting agency, the CCR&R) in order to broaden their practice with infants and toddlers, deepen their knowledge of child development and provide a framework for engaging in technical assistance (via coaching, Focused Child Care Networks, and Communities of Practice with Agency content area specialists, CCR&R technical assistants, and colleagues in the field. A Family Home Provider with a mixed age group and Baby Promise Program Slots will be required to use Zero to Three with infants and toddlers and may choose to use a different developmental framework with older children. Center based facilities transitioning children from one classroom to another may also use more than one developmental framework both to understand growth and development, and to assist co-staff in determining readiness of children for transition to new settings as they grow. b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that: i. [x] Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF. ii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider. iii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness. iv. [x] Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF. v. If any components above are not checked, describe: 7 Quality Improvement Activities The quality of child care directly affects children’s safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan. Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways: 1. In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period. 2. An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements. 3. An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures. In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.