7.2 Use of Quality Set-Aside Funds

Lead Agencies must use a portion of their CCDF expenditures for activities designed to improve the quality of child care services and to increase parental options for and access to high-quality child care. They must use the quality set-aside funds on at least one of 10 activities described in CCDF and the quality activities must be aligned with a Statewide or Territory-wide assessment of the State's or Territory’s need to carry out such services and care. 7.2.1 Quality improvement activities a. Describe how the Lead Agency will make its Quality Progress Report (ACF – 218) and expenditure reports, available to the public. Provide a link if available. CDD posts the Quality Progress Report (ACF-218) on the CDD website, which is a fully compliant website. The posting of this report is done on an annual basis, shortly after the submission and acceptance of the report. The most recent report can be found at: https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Reports/QPR-FFY- 2023-Vermont.pdf b. Identify Lead Agency plans, if any, to spend CCDF funds for each of the following quality improvement activities. If an activity is checked “yes”, describe the Lead Agency’s current and/or future plans for this activity. i. Supporting the training and professional development of the child care workforce, including birth to five and school-age providers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. NL at CCV is contracted through the state to be the hub of professional development for Vermont's early education and afterschool workforce. NL offers a diverse range of training and various modules to support the workforce in developing and building skills that foster children's development, well-being, and safety. NL at CCV professional development that support providers in gaining and advancing their knowledge and skills related to the three elements of quality defined in Vermont’s STARS: 1) Adult-Child Interactions; 2) Responsive Practices; and 3) Family & Youth Engagement . Vermont also invests CCDF funds in SPARQS, which offers child care and afterschool programs across the state quality coaching and mentoring to support the culture of quality throughout Vermont’s early childhood education program. A team of quality support specialists provides comprehensive support through self- directed program resources, direct consultation and referrals, training and updates, and coaching and mentoring. NL at CCV is contracted through the state to be the hub of professional development for Vermont's early education and afterschool workforce. NL@CCV offers a diverse range of training and various modules to support the workforce in developing and building skills that foster children's development, well-being, and safety. NL@CCV offers professional development that supports providers in gaining and advancing their knowledge and skills related to the three elements of quality defined in STARS: 1) Adult-Child Interactions, 2) Responsive Practices and 3) Family & Youth Engagement. In addition to NL at CCV and SPARQS, school-age child care providers are also provided dedicate training, conferences, and professional development by Vermont Afterschool. Vermont also launched the VBAT program with CCDF funds and run by a newly-establish Vermont office of First Children’s Finance. Vermont also invests CCDF funds to support the VECN. CCDF funds also support an Early Childhood Education Summer Institute through VSU that provides college-level courses at no or low-cost for those working in regulated child care programs. CDD has recently launched or expanded these efforts and plans to continue making these investments into these quality support services. ii. Developing, maintaining, or implementing early learning and developmental guidelines. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. CDD has and maintains the Vermont Early Learning Standards along with our partners at AOE. Vermont Early Learning Standards are incorporated into STARS, training and professional development facilitated by NL at CCV, and Vermont’s child care regulations. Updating the Vermont Early Learning Standards is in Vermont’s current PDGB-5 grant. As part of the revision, new Vermont Early Learning Standards modules will be published, a new website developed, and new professional development opportunities in partnership with AOE will be implemented. Vermont included the Vermont Early Learning Standards in the current VIPS B-5 grant and is in the early stages of revising the 2015 document. iii. Developing, implementing, or enhancing a quality improvement system. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. On July 1, 2023, CDD launched a revision to STARS. The revised model reflects the unique culture and identity of quality practices in Vermont’s early childhood and afterschool programs and offers equitable opportunities for programs and providers to participate. The system focuses Vermont’s efforts more closely on positive outcomes for children, engagement of families, and responsive practices. As providers engage with the new model, we are continuing to make small adjustments to STARS to enhance it and ensure it is a model that effectively supports the continuous quality and improvement of programs and supports providers in participating in STARS’s continuous quality improvement model. Vermont will leverage SPARQS to implement and enhance STARS. CDD will use state funds to provide financial incentives achievements within STARS. iv. Improving the supply and quality of child care services for infants and toddlers. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. CDD has invested CCDF funds in increasing regulated infant and toddler child care capacity by maintaining existing infant and toddler child care slots or establishing new slots for infants and toddlers in regulated early childhood programs. Although child care capacity trend data has identified that infant and toddler child care capacity has increased slightly over the last two years, Vermont still does not have sufficient early childhood education opportunities that meet families' needs. CCDF funds will support continued efforts to sustainably increase and maintain infant and toddler child care slots across Vermont by providing subgrants to individual early childhood and afterschool programs for fiscal support through expansion and stability projects. These funds are leveraged by accompanying training, technical assistance and coaching from SPARQS and First Children’s Finance. NL at CCV also facilitates low-cost training related to infants and toddlers. Vermont is also in the early stages of developing and Infant and Toddler Credential which is designed to provide a strong foundation for early childhood educators for working with infants and toddlers in a variety of group settings including Center-based child care and family child care homes. Vermont will partner with a higher education organization and use a scholarship model to support credit-bearing coursework which will include Infant and Toddler Development, Social Emotional Growth and Guidance, Children with Exceptionalities, Curriculum and Assessments for Infants and Toddlers and Families and Communities. v. Establishing or expanding a statewide system of CCR&R services. [x] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. vi. Facilitating compliance with Lead Agency child care licensing, monitoring, inspection and health and safety standards. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x]Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. Funded by CCDF, SPARQS provides varying supports for creating a culture of quality early childhood education throughout the state. In addition to providers accessing SPARQS to obtain assessments and coaching to support their participation in STARS, licensors may make a referral for a program to access SPARQS services if they identify a program that is in need of support to either maintain being in compliance with licensing, or for a program who has been suspended and who wishes to meet the requirements for reopening. vii. Evaluating and assessing the quality and effectiveness of child care services within the State/Territory. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. STARS has five (5) levels, which serve as building blocks for programs engaging in continuous quality improvement. STARS Levels recognize a program’s engagement in continuous quality improvement through internal and external assessments, followed by the program identifying areas for improvement and creating goals to address those areas. All licensed programs in good standing are automatically enrolled in STARS at Level one (1). Level two (2) is focused on self-study where programs assess any knowledge gaps related to the STARS elements of quality, tools, approaches and frameworks. Level three (3) moves into early implementation, with Level four (4) being improved implementation and Level five (5) representing programs that have fully implemented STARS elements of quality and requirements. The SPARQS team provides CLASS assessments for ECE programs and the YPQA assessment for ASP working to achieve level three (3) or higher. Achievement in STARS is used as a quality measure to assess eligibility to offer SCC and to participate in UPK. viii. Accreditation support. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. CDD provides financial reimbursements for programs that are seeking to obtain or maintain program accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care Accreditation. ix. Supporting State/Territory or local efforts to develop high-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development. [x] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. x. Other activities determined by the Lead Agency to improve the quality of child care services and the measurement of outcomes related to improved provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, or kindergarten entry. [ ] No plans to spend in this category of activities at this time. [x] Yes. If yes, describe current and future investments. As described above, CDD partners with NL@CCV as the professional development hub for early childhood and afterschool professionals. In 2024, Northern Lights is reassessing their "Fundamentals"￿ training to meet emerging needs such as Emergency Preparedness and other identified areas. This assessment has brought together Child Care Licensing, CDD Systems/Quality, and Children’s Integrated Services to discuss needs, updates and improvements. though CDD’s CIS programs, Specialized Child Care Coordinators provide consultation to regulated programs to support the successful inclusion of children with identified needs. also recruit high-quality early childhood education programs interested in being designated as Specialized Child Care programs and connecting potential Specialized Child Care programs with training on the use of developmental screening tools and referral systems 8 Lead Agency Coordination and Partnerships to Support Service Delivery Coordination and partnerships help ensure that the Lead Agency’s efforts accomplish CCDF goals effectively, leverage other resources, and avoid duplication of effort. Such coordination and partnerships can help families better access child care, can assist in providing consumer education to parents, and can be used to improve child care quality and the stability of child care providers. Such coordination can also be particularly helpful in the aftermath of disasters when the provision of emergency child care services and the rebuilding and restoring of child care infrastructure are an essential part of ensuring the well-being of children and families in recovering communities. This section identifies who the Lead Agency collaborates with to implement services, how match and maintenance-of-effort (MOE) funds are used, coordination with child care resource and referral (CCR&R) systems, and efforts for disaster preparedness and response plans to support continuity of operations in response to emergencies.