1.3 Consultation in the Development of the CCDF Plan

The Lead Agency is responsible for developing the CCDF Plan, and consultation with and meaningful input and feedback from a wide range of representatives is critical for CCDF programs to continually adapt to the changing needs of families, child care programs, and the workforce. Consultation involves meeting with or otherwise obtaining input from an appropriate agency in the development of the State or Territory CCDF Plan. As part of the Plan development process, Lead Agencies must consult with the following: (1) Appropriate representatives of general-purpose local government. General purpose local governments are defined by the U.S. Census at https://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/g12_org.pdf. (2) The State Advisory Council (SAC) on Early Childhood Education and Care (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act) or similar coordinating body pursuant to 98.14(a)(1)(vii). (3) Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s) within the State. This consultation should be done in a timely manner and at the option of the Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s). 1.3.1 Consultation efforts in CCDF Plan development Describe the Lead Agency’s consultation efforts in the development of the CCDF Plan, including how and how often the consultation occurred. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with appropriate representatives of general- purpose local government: The Lead Agency’s director, Michael Leach, provides updates to legislative committees regarding the status of the work and initiatives being undertaken to improve the quality and access of child care in the state. In March, the director of Child Care Licensing conducted a presentation to the Joint Committee to Study Child Care to provide updates regarding regulatory compliance, upcoming special initiatives, followed by a question and answer period during the meeting. In addition, the Lead Agency staff is maintaining efforts to partner with the SC Chamber of Commerce to increase awareness of initiatives undertaken by the Lead Agency to improve the availability and quality of child care across the state. This work includes creating and/or facilitating opportunities to solicit feedback from key decision makers in the state regarding the need for high quality child care. Meetings and child care presentations are happening with the county Chambers of Commerce in our state. The local county First Steps partnerships attend the bi-monthly Technical Assistance Partners Forum meetings, in which child care regulations, ABC Quality and Child Care Scholarships policy, procedure, and training issues are discussed. There was a specific meeting held by the Partners Forum to include the local partnerships and the Division of Early Care and Education to discuss the CCDF Plan and time given to provide input. a. Describe how the Lead Agency consulted with the State Advisory Council or similar coordinating body: The Lead Agency’s director, Michael Leach, is a member of the State Advisory Council. He regularly provides updates to members regarding various CCDF- funded initiatives. Most recently the Alternative Methodology and Rate Setting statewide initiative for Child Care and work on suspension and expulsion guidelines were presented to the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) and feedback was requested. The Lead Agency reviewed the State Plan with council members during their June 20,2024 meeting and encouraged input on the CCDF plan. Feedback was solicited from the members during the meeting, and they were informed of the email address (CCDFPlancomments@dss.sc.gov) that is available to submit follow-up input. b. Describe, if applicable, how the Lead Agency consulted with Indian Tribes(s) or Tribal organizations(s) within the State: CCDF Administrator, Director of Child Care Licensing, and Director of ABC Quality met with new leadership of the Catawba Nation to discuss with them changes implemented by the federal government that affect the Nation and resources available to them as partners with the Lead Agency. They explored policy issues with ABC Quality relating to mandated reporting for child abuse and neglect and agreed to follow-up to reach a consensus on stated policy. Additionally, ABC Quality has been working with the Catawba staff on naturalizing the outdoor play area to reflect their history and culture and Child Care Licensing is partnering with the Catawba Nation on a federal disaster preparedness grant. c. Identify other entities, agencies, or organizations consulted on the development of the CCDF Plan (e.g., representatives from the child care workforce, or statewide afterschool networks) and describe those consultation efforts: The CCDF State Administrator conducted a PowerPoint presentation during the SC Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) quarterly Partner’s Forum on May 29, 2024 regarding the development of the State Plan. Each section was reviewed and discussed, and current work specific to each section was highlighted. Forum participants representing the landscape of early childhood professions including providers, technical assistance specialists, PD trainers, Child Care Licensing Specialists, ABC Quality Assessors who were asked for their feedback during and after the presentation. 1.3.2 Public hearing process Lead Agencies must hold at least one public hearing in the State or Territory, with sufficient Statewide or Territory-wide distribution of notice prior to such a hearing to enable the public to comment on the provision of child care services under the CCDF Plan. Describe the Statewide or Territory-wide public hearing process held to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the provision of child care services under this Plan. i. Date of the public hearing: 6/14/2024 Reminder: Must be no earlier than January 1, 2024. If more than one public hearing was held, enter one date (e.g., the date of the first hearing, the most recent hearing date, or any hearing date that demonstrates this requirement). ii. Date of notice of public hearing: 5/24/2024 iii. Was the notice of public hearing posted publicly at least 20 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: iv. Describe how the public was notified about the public hearing, including outreach in other languages, information on interpretation services being available, etc. Include specific website links if used to provide noticeA notice was added to the Lead Agency's www.scchildcare.org website. A statement was also added to indicate if interpretation services were needed, the public can email CCDFPlancomments@dss.sc.gov to request assistance. Social media was also used to make public aware of the hearing. v. Describe how the approach to the public hearing was inclusive of all geographic regions of the State or Territory: The Public Hearing was made available virtually via the TEAMS platform. Therefore, people statewide could attend virtually and not have to travel to attend an in-person meeting. vi. Describe how the content of the Plan was made available to the public in advance of the public hearing (e.g., the Plan was made available in other languages, in multiple formats, etc.): A draft of the CCDF Plan was made available on the Lead Agency's www.scchildcare.org website two business weeks prior to the public hearing. A statement was also added to make the public aware of the hearing and if special accommodations were needed to review the plan, they may notify CCDFPlancomments@dss.sc.gov. vii. Describe how the information provided by the public was taken into consideration regarding the provision of child care services under this Plan: All questions submitted from the public were taken into consideration and adjustments to the Plan made where applicable. If suggestions or comments were against federal regulations, the state took the time to explain regulation to the commenter. A copy of any questions and answers was added to the website for the public to access. 1.3.3 Public availability of final Plan, amendments, and waivers Lead Agencies must make the submitted and approved final Plan, any approved Plan amendments, and any approved requests for temporary waivers publicly available on a website. a. Provide the website link to where the Plan, any Plan amendments, and waivers (if applicable) are available. Note: A Plan amendment is required if the website address where the Plan is posted changes. https://www.scchildcare.org/resources/ b. Describe any other strategies that the Lead Agency uses to make submitted and approved CCDF Plan and approved Plan amendments available to the public. Check all that apply and describe the strategies below, including any relevant website links as examples. i. [x] Working with advisory committees. Describe: The Lead Agency communicates with the Governor's Advisory Committee on the Regulations of Child Care Facilities to provide updates regarding activities described in the Plan. Upon federal approval of the Plan, the Lead Agency will make the Plan and amendments available to this committee. The Early Childhood Advisory Council will also be made aware of the submitted and approved Plan as well as any amendments. ii. [x] Working with child care resource and referral agencies. Describe: The Lead Agency staff maintains regular contact with the SC CCR&R, provides updates on the Plan and seeks input and support for activities described in the Plan. SCCCR&R has a weblink to www.scchildcare.org and therefore has access to the approved Plan and any amendments. The Plan will also be shared with the Director’s Forum which includes the child care directors. iii. [x] Providing translation in other languages. Describe: All written materials distributed by the Lead Agency are created for various audiences and are available in both English and Spanish. The written information helps the public understand the CCDF State Plan. Additionally, the Lead Agency contracts with an organization that provides interpretation and translation services in over 100 languages, upon request. iv. [x] Sharing through social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). Describe: Information regarding the State Plan availability is provided on social media to include a link to the Plan on the www.scchildcare.org website as regarding the submitted and approved State Plan including any amendments. v. [x] Providing notification to key constituents (e.g., parent and family groups, provider groups, advocacy groups, foundations, and businesses). Describe: The Lead Agency will use regularly scheduled webinars and meetings with provider groups to provide access to the Plan and amendments via our www.scchildcare.org website. vi. [x] Working with Statewide afterschool networks or similar coordinating entities for out-of-school time. Describe: The Lead Agency continues to work in partnership with the United Way Association of South Carolina to coordinate and provide support for local community-based initiatives to expand the availability and accessibility of child care to include afterschool programs. vii. [x] Direct communication with the child care workforce. Describe: SC Endeavors continues to enhance professional development opportunities, resources, and tools for early education professionals. The state’s workforce registry keeps track of important information about all child care professional including training, academic coursework, work experience, and certifications. The Plan will also be shared through Division newsletters, at SCAEYC conference and during the Town Hall sessions with providers. viii. [ ] Other. Describe: 2 Child and Family Eligibility and Enrollment and Continuity of Care Stable and reliable child care arrangements facilitate job stability for parents and healthy development of children. CCDF eligibility and enrollment policies can contribute to these goals. Policies and procedures that create barriers to families accessing CCDF, like inaccessible subsidy applications and onerous reporting requirements, interrupt a parent’s ability to work and may deter eligible families from participating in CCDF. To address these concerns, Lead Agencies must provide children with a minimum of 12 months between eligibility determinations, limit reporting requirements during the 12-month period, and ensure eligibility determination and redetermination processes do not interrupt a parent’s work or school. In this section, Lead Agencies will identify how they define eligible children and families and how the Lead Agency’s eligibility and enrollment policies support access for eligible children and families.