8.1 Coordination with Partners to Expand Accessibility and Continuity of Care

Lead Agencies must coordinate child care services supported by CCDF with other federal, State/Territory, and local level programs. This includes programs for the benefit of Indian children, infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. 8.1.1 Coordination with required and optional partners Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates and the results of this coordination of the provision of child care services with the organizations and agencies to expand accessibility and continuity of care and to assist children enrolled in early childhood programs in receiving full-day services that meet the needs of working families. The Lead Agency must coordinate with the following agencies: a. State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The CCDF Co-Administrator is the Lead Agency representative to the Tennessee Young Child Wellness Council (TNYCWC), the designated state advisory council on early childhood care and education for Tennessee, regularly attends scheduled TNYCWC meetings, and serves on the TNYCWC steering committee to coordinate statewide CCDF early care and education services. Coordination with TNYCWC supports and facilitates the continuity of care for a child, enabling a child to remain in a stable environment, which will lead to positive child development outcomes and better preparation them for school and ongoing educational success. Stable child care is critical to strengthening the ability of parents and caregivers to go to work, improve their prospects in the job market, and increase earning potential crucial to self-sufficiency. The TNYCWC includes representatives from across sectors, such as education, health, child welfare, advocacy, higher education, Head Start and other state and nonprofit organizations. Through the TNYCWC, the Lead Agency is able to gather valuable and diverse perspectives to inform policy and resource allocation decisions to improve continuity of care and accessibility. The Child Care Services Program within the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) as CCDF Lead Agency is committed to promoting early childhood environments that are safe, healthy, and educationally rich. In 2019, TDHS embarked on transformation activities to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. b. Indian Tribe(s) and/or Tribal organization(s), at the option of the Tribe or Tribal organization. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination, including which Tribe(s) was (were) involved: [x] Not applicable. Check here if there are no Indian Tribes and/or Tribal organizations in the State/Territory. c. State/Territory agency(ies) responsible for programs for children with disabilities, including early intervention programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency regularly meets with representatives from the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), the agency that administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Tennessee. These meetings provide a platform for coordination, brainstorming, and assessment of current and opportunities for potential services needed to support children’s early learning and development. The CCDF Co-Administrator also serves on the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), a voluntary program that offers therapy and other services to infants and young children with development delays or disabilities. The SICC for TEIS has established a guiding vision to support the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (TDDA) through a statewide comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in Tennessee. This council is statutorily created and required by law. Through partnerships with TDOE and TDDA, the Lead Agency is able to gather valuable and diverse perspectives to inform policy and resource allocation decisions to improve continuity of care and accessibility for children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Coordination of these activities supports transformation of the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency is committed to promoting early childhood environments that are safe, healthy, and educationally rich. The CCDF Co- Administrator is the Lead Agency representative who regularly engage with and attends meetings of the Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) for information sharing and consultation to strengthen the quality of and accessibility to child care services. Through quarterly engagements with the Head Start Collaboration Office and the Tennessee Head Start Association, the Lead Agency is able to gather valuable and diverse perspectives to inform policy and resource allocation decisions to improve continuity of care and accessibility for children with disabilities in inclusive settings and support transformation activities and initiatives organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Child Care Services Program within the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) as CCDF Lead Agency is committed to promoting early childhood environments that are safe, healthy, and educationally rich. In 2019, TDHS embarked on transformation activities to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. The Lead Agency contracts with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) to conduct environmental inspections of child care providers licensed or subject to licensure by the Lead Agency as defined at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01. The Lead Agency also contracts with TDH and six (6) regional public health departments with responsibility for immunizations to conduct immunization record audits for child care providers licensed or subject to licensure by the Lead Agency as defined at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01 consistent with statutory and/or regulatory requirements and recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and applicable Tennessee laws. f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency maintains strong working relationships with state and local entities responsible for employment services and workforce development. The CCDF Co-Administrator participates in the Workforce Development council. The Lead Agency also participates in the State Workforce Development Board (SWDB). Under the direction of the State Workforce Development Board (SWDB) and in consultation with the Operations Committee, the American Job Centers (AJC) Job Seeker workgroup seeks to ensure an integrated, viable, physically and programmatically accessible workforce system for Tennesseans regardless of an individual's point of entry. To ensure accessibility and access for ALL Tennesseans, this workgroup is instituting a whole family approach, leveraging public-private partnerships and support from community and faith-based organizations, and state and local government. Tennessee has fully integrated child care services for low-income families enrolled and in compliance with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) Program through a collaboration with Child Care Services, SNAP, and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). These partners designed and managed a plan to maximize the delivery and availability of safe and stable child care services that assist families seeking to become independent from public assistance while parent(s) are either working or attending job training or educational programs in order to achieve self-sufficiency. This Two-Generation initiative seeks to redesign child care service delivery to better meet the needs of families and children and help access opportunities to increase their financial security, education and skills, social capital, and health and well-being. Families First, the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, is a workforce development and employment program under the Lead Agency. It is temporary and has a primary focus for gaining self-sufficiency through employment. The Families First program supports participants achieving this goal by providing transportation, child care payment assistance, education, job training, employment activities, and other support services. Temporary cash assistance is also provided to families with dependent children when at least one parent is incapacitated, unemployed, deceased, or absent from the home, and the family is unable to pay for essential living expenses. By providing continuity of care for a child, we are enabling that child to remain in a stable environment, which will better prepare them for school and ongoing educational success. Stable child care is critical to strengthening the ability of parents and caregivers to go to work, improve their prospects in the job market, and increase earning potential crucial to self-sufficiency. The Lead Agency established the Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance program to offer support and access to quality child care for working families and those pursuing post-secondary educational goals allowing the Lead Agency to apply Two-Generation approaches in alignment with its commitment to creating cycles of success. Smart Steps aligns with Office of Child Care priorities for increasing access to quality child care services. This supports eligible families with child care financial assistance to foster self- sufficiency and promote children's learning and development in quality early care and educational programs. In January 2022, the Lead Agency implemented the Re-Employment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) child care assistance category of care in partnership with TDLWD to support participants who referred by TDLWD and currently unemployed and actively engaged in job search activities. g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency regularly meets with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to strengthen supports for children and families and alignment of early learning and Pre-K and Kindergarten standards. Engagement between TDOE and the Lead Agency offer opportunities for discussion, brainstorming, and coordination for potential services that may be needed to support children’s early learning and development. This collaboration strengthens early care and education by cultivating a system of understanding and communication that connects quality child care programs, school readiness, and positive outcomes. Coordination with TDOE supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency is responsible for licensing child care provider in Tennessee. i. State/Territory agency responsible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other relevant nutrition programs. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS), as CCDF Lead Agency, also administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Tennessee has fully integrated child care services for low-income families enrolled and in compliance with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) Program through a collaboration with the Lead Agency Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program, SNAP, and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). Lead Agency program management partners with CACFP and SFSP to provide a bridge for child care providers that offer afterschool snack and meal options for children from at-risk environments. The Lead Agency promotes good nutrition and physical activity among child care providers, including those enrolled in CACFP, and encourages participation among eligible child care providers as a demonstration of its commitment to promoting early childhood environments that are safe, health, and educationally rich. Coordination with CACFP, SFSP, SNAP, and TDLWD supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. j. McKinney-Vento State coordinators for homeless education and other agencies providing services for children experiencing homelessness and, to the extent practicable, local McKinney-Vento liaisons. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS), as CCDF Lead Agency, administers the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) through a network of 20 local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that outreach to all 95 counties in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) administers the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Grant Program and the state’s liaison to the National Center for Homeless Education. The Lead Agency engages and coordinates with TDOE and CAAs through the Tennessee Association of Community Action (TACA) to collect and share data share data on families with children (ages birth to 5 years) experiencing homelessness as defined at section 725 of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a). CAAs assess community needs and resources, establish priorities, determine strategies to address local poverty issues, and in partnership with community organizations, deliver a broad range of comprehensive services to create economic opportunity and have a measurable impact in the lives of those in our communities. The Lead Agency also leverages Family Engagement Quality Coaches from the Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R) to provide outreach services to families experiencing homelessness by implementing strategies to increase networks for families through supportive cross-sector collaborations. Coordination with CSBG, its network of CAAs, TACA, and TDOE supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency also administers TANF with a goal to improve service delivery and provide consumer education to TANF recipients. Lead Agency Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program and Family Assistance staff working in local Lead Agency offices administer child care services for eligible families. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency engages and consults with TennCare, the state agency that administers both TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, and CoverKids, the state’s Child Care Health Insurance program to ensure current information and resources are available for families, child care providers, and the general public at the Lead Agency website. The Lead Agency shares and makes available information about CoverKids to families and children receiving child care services and through the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program. Consumer education services are provided by the Lead Agency and its CCDF Quality Child Care Partners, including the Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network (CCR&R), community outreach, family engagement, and consumer education publications and websites. This coordination supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency is among a collaborative network of participants working with the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) to support specific goals through the Resilient Tennessee Collaborative: Building Strong Brains which continues the Building Strong Foundations for Families project originally funded through a grant from ZERO TO THREE focusing on infant and early childhood mental health practices, strengthening Tennessee’s comprehensive early childhood system, and connecting families to services. This coordination with the network of agencies and organizations collaborating with TCCY supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies Through its CCDF Quality Child Care Partners, the Lead Agency promotes the goals of the collaborative network of TCCY among the early care and education workforce through classroom modeling best practices and us of such resources as the Pyramid Model developed by the Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, Conscious Discipline, and Building Strong Brains, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and Trauma-Informed Care. Information and supports relating to social emotional and behavioral health with families, the general public, and child care providers are shared by the Lead Agency and through programs and services delivered through its CCDF Quality Child Care Partners, including the Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R) and the Association of Infant Mental Health Tennessee (AIMHITN). CCR&R also liaises with and facilitates connections and referrals to the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) and Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (TDDA) for children up to age three (3) to expedite assessments and home-based therapies; and to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) for children ages three (3) through five (5) to support smooth transitions between early care and kindergarten. n. Child care resource and referral agencies, child care consumer education organizations, and providers of early childhood education training and professional development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency coordinates early care and education programs and services statewide in collaboration with its CCDF Quality Child Care Partners, including the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHITN), Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R), Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), and University of Tennessee Social Work Office of Research and Public Services (SWORPS) to improve the quality of child care services for families, children, and the child care workforce. Coordination with CCR&R and the CCDF Quality Child Care Partners supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. o. Statewide afterschool network or other coordinating entity for out-of-school time care (if applicable). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency coordinates early care and education services statewide for school-age children in collaboration with the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Tennessee Afterschool Network to improve the quality of child care services for families, children, and the child care workforce. The Lead Agency also maintains working relationships with several child care provider groups to coordinate services to support families with out-of-school care, including the Tennessee Head Start Association, Tennessee Association for Children’s Early Education, and ChildCareNashville.com. Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) at Tennessee State University convenes a Summer Research Institute annually featuring research-based content on relevant Early Childhood Education/Child Development topics as well as a School-Age Summer Research Conference in collaboration with the Tennessee Afterschool Network emphasizing School-Age Development and quality program standards. Coordination with Tennessee Afterschool Network, CACFP, SFSP, and other working partnerships supports transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Lead Agency coordinates statewide emergency responses and communications for early care and education in collaboration with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in support of the Tennessee Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The Lead Agency coordinates support for child care providers and assures the provision of safe and healthy child care alternatives for families during and after a disaster or emergency. The Lead Agency developed its Child Care Services Emergency Preparedness Plan in consultation with TEMA and the Tennessee Young Child Wellness Council (TNYCWC), the designated state advisory council on early childhood care and education, to mitigate the impact of an emergency, develop capacity to respond to disasters, and assist families and child care programs with returning to a normalcy during recovery. The Lead Agency also participates in the Tennessee Children in Disaster Task Force, including TEMA, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHITN), Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R), Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), and other public, nonprofit, and institutional partners to provide emergency preparedness and response training and awareness for child care providers statewide. Close coordination critically supports and facilitates the continuity of care for a child, in preparation for, during, and in response and recovery to a disaster or emergency enabling a child to remain in a safe and healthy environment. These relationships support transformation activities by the Lead Agency to revolutionize the child care industry with a focus on improving quality, increasing access, and creating opportunities that make doing business with the State of Tennessee an easier process. Understanding the needs of the community and those who are directly impacted, TDHS engaged all stakeholders, inclusive of advisory councils, child care providers, families, partner State agencies and advocacy groups in defining priorities as development of strategies to achieve these goals were implemented. Initiatives are organized into three categories: • Supporting families through access to child care payment assistance, with a focus on family-friendly policies and strengthened communication for consumer education. • Strengthening child care providers through financial stabilization, business tools, quality supports and resources for sustainability, and increased professional development opportunities. • Growing capacity of child care providers statewide through strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, and technical assistance. TDHS is focused on engaging Tennessee employers to invest in their workforce through innovative child care strategies. q. The following are examples of optional partners a Lead Agency might coordinate with to provide services. Check which optional partners the Lead Agency coordinates with and describe the coordination and results of the coordination. i. [x] State/Territory/local agencies with Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants. Describe: The Lead Agency coordinates early care and education services through multiple Early Head Start Child Care Partnership statewide. As required by Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grant guidelines, the Lead Agency provides support by maintaining 25% subsidized slots for each approved Early Head Start classroom. Reimbursement rates are based on each provider’s Quality Rating Improvement System annual score card. The Lead Agency also maintains a relationship and coordinates activities with the Tennessee Head Start Association. ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: The Lead Agency maintains extensive partnership with Tennessee State University (TSU) and the University of Tennessee to support early care and education services for children and families statewide, including the introduction of a Registered Apprenticeship Program administered by TSU. The Lead Agency provides financial assistance for students enrolled in early childhood education programs at institutions of higher education that compliment other state initiatives, e.g., TNPromise and TNReconnect. The Lead Agency additionally collaborates through its partnerships with universities, community colleges, and colleges of applied technology as institutions of higher education coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to facilitate the development of articulation and accreditation planning to support the early childhood workforce in Tennessee. iii. [ ] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: The Lead Agency maintains multiple collaborative partnerships with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), the state agency responsible for implementing MIECHV, to explore opportunities to cross promote priority initiatives of the Lead Agency and TDH. v. [x] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: The Lead Agency maintains multiple collaborative partnerships with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), the state agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Lead Agency and TDH staff participate in recurring meetings to coordinate, brainstorm, and assess current and potential service nee to strengthen support of children’s early learning and development and implementation of Building a Thriving Tennessee: A Two-Generation (2Gen) Approach to family supports. vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: The Lead Agency coordinates with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TDCS) allowing TDCS to make direct arrangements with the Lead Agency for child care payment assistance for children in foster care or protective services. The Lead Agency is granted limited access to the Child Abuse Registry maintained by TDCS for purposes of completing in-state abuse registry checks on prospective child care staff. TDCS and the Lead Agency also work collaboratively to investigate reports of imminent risk or allegations of child abuse and/or neglect, including serious injuries and/or fatalities. vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: The Lead Agency coordinates with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TDCS) allowing TDCS to make direct arrangements with the Lead Agency for child care payment assistance for children in foster care or protective services. The Lead Agency is granted limited access to the Child Abuse Registry maintained by TDCS for purposes of completing in-state abuse registry checks on prospective child care staff. TDCS and the Lead Agency also work collaboratively to investigate reports of imminent risk or allegations of child abuse and/or neglect, including serious injuries and/or fatalities. viii. [ ] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: ix. [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: x. [x] Other. Describe: The Lead Agency also serves on the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), a voluntary program that offers therapy and other services to infants and young children with development delays or disabilities. The SICC for TEIS has established a guiding vision to support the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (TDDA) through a statewide comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in Tennessee. This council is statutorily created and required by law.