Child Care and Development Fund, Report to Congress for Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003
EXAMPLES OF QUALITY ACTIVITIES
Child Care Services for Infants and Toddlers
States use CCDF funds to support a variety of initiatives to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, including: practitioner training and technical assistance; specialists who work with programs on unique health, safety, and developmental needs of infants and toddlers; and enhancement grants to allow programs to purchase needed equipment, make minor renovations, develop new curricula, or pursue accreditation.
Grants and Loans to Providers
A number of States offer support to child care programs by making start-up grants and loans available to providers including school districts and community-based organizations. In some cases, grants are targeted to programs that need funds to maintain compliance with health and safety standards. In others, funds are targeted to quality improvement such as the purchase of equipment.
Monitoring Compliance With Regulatory Requirements
CCDF funds support States in monitoring compliance with child care licensing and regulatory requirements. These Federal funds help States to lower caseloads for licensing staff and to expand training opportunities for these staff and create cross-system regulatory and technical assistance teams.
Training and Technical Assistance
Every State is involved in training and technical assistance. Increasingly, States view these services as part of a broader career development approach and link them to training strategies in other systems (such as Head Start, pre-kindergarten, and early intervention). States are also working with statewide systems like the child care resource and referral agencies and institutions of higher education to administer/coordinate training and technical assistance.
Child Care Resource and Referral Services
A September 2002 Government Accountability Office (GA0) report found that 20 percent of State expenditures for quality improvement initiatives in FY 2000 were for child care resource and referral (CCR&R) services. Local CCR&R agencies help families find child care and financial assistance and provide consumer education to inform parents of choices. Many CCR&Rs also play other roles, such as helping to train child care providers, document the supply of care, and administer the child care subsidy program.
Compensation of Child Care Providers
Several States provide additional compensation for child care providers such as grant programs specifically aimed at improving wages for child care providers. Over half the States have implemented some form of tiered reimbursement to pay higher rates for child care centers and family child care providers that achieve one or more levels of quality beyond the basic licensing requirements.
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