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. [ ] Other. Describe: 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. [ ] Ensuring accessibility of environments and activities for all children. v. [ ] 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. [ ] Other. Describe: 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 Lead Agency contracts with the Child Care Licensing program to verify that all required training is completed each year by every provider. Training regarding identifying and serving children and families experiencing homelessness is one of the required topics Child Care Licensing verifies. Additionally, the Lead Agency has approved a 4-hour, online training offered through the Head Start Early Learning and Knowledge Center entitled Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness that covers learning how to identify families experiencing homelessness, conducting community outreach and other relevant topic areas. 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. Within the Lead Agency, the Eligibility Services Division and Workforce Development Division include training on identifying and serving homeless children and their families in their new employee training for staff who will be working with these families. This training includes details regarding how to connect families with child care services. If the policy or process for working with these families changes, all incumbent staff working with these families are provided with training on the changes. Where the population and need is higher, in more urban locations throughout the state, the Lead Agency has employment counselors stationed onsite at various homeless shelters to increase the access to programs and better connect families to resources. Staff at these onsite locations receive the above mentioned new employee training as well as Family Focus training, which includes information on motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care. In addition to regular core training, the homeless support team in Salt Lake County that has staff at homeless resource centers and housing sites receive regular training specific to homeless topics. These topics include health and safety, de-escalation, program and resource training of other homeless service providers and how to refer families to these services.