7.1 Quality Activities Needs Assessment

7.1.1 Needs assessment process and findings a. Describe the Lead Agency needs assessment process for expending CCDF funds on activities to improve the quality of child care, including the frequency of assessment, how a diverse range of parents and providers were consulted, and how their views are incorporated: South Carolina used Preschool Development Grant funding for the 2019 SC Needs Assessment with a two-pronged approach for its needs assessment to 1) Determine State Priorities through a robust, and multi-faceted feedback approach facilitated by researchers from Clemson, University, College of Charleston, Francis Marion University, South Carolina State University, and the University of South Carolina and 2) Address Key Domains and Questions identified by the US Department of Health and Human Services through engaging organizational leaders and stakeholders. The Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) was updated multiple times and members of organizations represented on the ECAC were heavily involved to address key questions and domains. The Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Collaborative used standardized, research-based strategies to collect and analyze data to identify statewide priorities and barriers to reach goals related to the priorities. Experts in equity and family studies critically reviewed the process, documents, and results to identify areas for improvement or clarification. Three data collection strategies engaged more than 5,000 people to determine statewide priorities (needs): 1) 15 regional meetings were held statewide with 440 participants facilitated by the IHE Collaborative using a standardized process to reduce bias and increase participant voice, 2) online survey with 3,114 responses focused on priorities of parents/caregivers, and 3) approximately 130 focus groups engaging more than 1,495 people within each SC county focused on engaging families/caregivers of young children. Key areas were vulnerable and underserved children and children in rural areas; quality of care and education, unduplicated number of children being served and awaiting served, gaps in data or research, priority data needs, State’s current measurable indicators of progress, early childhood facilities, and transition supports. In 2020-2024, the Needs Assessment was expanded to better understand the amount of need in the priority areas identified in 2019, and four to five high-need areas were established in early learning and development, health and wellbeing, and family support and community. These needs were established based on a survey of almost 3,000 parents/caregivers of young children administered in English and Spanish and 38 in-depth interviews with a variety of parents/caregivers including mothers, fathers, grandparents, and foster parents. These high-need areas were presented across the state at stakeholder meetings in which 158 people attended. At the stakeholder meetings, attendees noted or developed strategies that would best meet these pressing needs. These strategies were presented by area on an online survey (administered in Winter 2024), and the strategies with the highest agreement will be communicated to the SC DSS, SC First Steps, Head Start, ECAC, and other groups leading efforts related to the SC Birth-Five Strategic Plan. b. Describe the findings of the assessment, including any findings related to needs of different populations and types of providers, and if any overarching goals for quality improvement were identified: More parents/caregivers reported the need for some or a lot of help in early learning and development (56%-75%) than in health and wellbeing (20%-55%) and family support and community (22%-53%). Larger percentages of parents/caregivers needed some or a lot of help in the following early learning and development areas: 1. Knowing what to do for child to be ready for kindergarten 2. Finding community programs or services that support early learning 3. Finding resources or materials to help child learn at home 4. Paying for high quality early care and education programs Larger percentages of parents/caregivers needed some or a lot of help in the following health and wellbeing areas: 1.Understanding how children develop 2.Involving child in physical activities that are age appropriate 3. Paying for healthcare for child 4. Finding early intervention programs 5. Paying for nutritious foods Larger percentages of parents/caregivers needed some or a lot of help in the following family support and community areas: 1. Knowing how to be a more effective parent 2. Building strong relationships with child 3. Learning how to be an advocate for child 4. Furthering career education/job training to support family Parents/caregivers’ level of education, age, number of children in the home, and number of caregivers in the home were associated with their need for help in all three areas with differences that were small to moderate. Parent/caregiver race/ethnicity, income, and primary language spoken at home were associated with parents/caregivers’ need for help in all three areas with differences that were moderate to large. Among parents/caregivers who reported adverse experiences in the previous year (43% of those who surveyed/approximately 750 people), the top three categories of adverse experiences that parents/caregivers reported include: mental illness, housing instability, economic hardships. Multiple quality improvement strategies were identified related to strategies to address the most pressing needs including increasing salaries and benefits for the early childhood workforce to enhance quality, increasing access to affordable, high-quality early care and education, and expanding and enhancing school readiness programs. In addition, more focus on developmental screenings and services (within early education programs and in community) and system change were noted. Findings from the survey to identify priority strategies related to needs are as follows. The top three strategies that emerged from the survey related to early learning and development were: 1) increase salary and benefits of early education/child care workforce; 2) increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and education; and 3) develop and promote birth to age 3 early learning strategies for parents/caregivers and community groups to encourage early development. The top three strategies in health and wellbeing were: 1) enhance developmental screenings and services; 2) work toward system change in early learning and community-based settings; and 3) use schools as forum for health and wellbeing activities. The top three strategies in family support and community were: 1) expand and enhance readiness strategies and programs; 2) increase family support and education programs with opportunities for parents/caregivers; and 3) promote community partnerships/engagement. The overarching goals with indicators (objectives) were: 1. South Carolina’s children are ready for kindergarten. 2. South Carolina’s youngest children are safe and healthy, both physically and mentally. 3. South Carolina’s families with young children are supported by communities and organizations that are family friendly and are culturally responsive, inclusive and linguistically accessible. 4. South Carolina’s ECE stakeholders practice coordination, communication, and collaborative strategies that encourage shared goals, effective use of resources and aligned policies and practices to create unified targeted efforts to support children and families. Note: For more specifics of the 139 page report, please access the report at Microsoft Word - Designed SC Needs Assessment Final Report: https://www.scchildcare.org/media/74187/Designed-SC-Needs-Assessment-Final-Report- 11-01-2019-v3.pdf.