Child Care and Development Fund, Report to Congress for Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003
CHILD CARE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK (CCTAN)
CCB coordinates the work of the TA contractors and grantees through the Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN). During FY 2002 and FY 2003, CCTAN members assessed the needs of CCDF grantees, provided strategic direction, shared resources between projects, and coordinated efforts to improve TA services. Through the network approach, CCB supports both coordinated services and specialization by each TA provider. Services are provided without charge to States, Territories, Tribes, and the public, with a few limited exceptions (for example, reprint costs on some publications).
In late FY 2002, CCB launched two new multiyear projects aimed at understanding and meeting the needs of school-age children, and infants and toddlers, respectively. The Afterschool Investments Project and the National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative are described below. Child care for these age groups is distinct in terms of workforce characteristics, access and availability for families, regulatory issues, and market dynamics. CCB hopes that these targeted efforts will build capacity at the Federal, State, and local levels to sustain systems of care for infants, toddlers, and school-age children.
Afterschool Investments Project
Afterschool Investments provides TA to CCDF grantees and other State and local leaders supporting out-of-school time efforts. CCDF is one of the largest public funding sources for out-of-school time programs; over a third (36 percent) of children served are aged 6-12. Many States devote a significant portion of CCDF quality dollars to enhance and expand school-age programs.
The project provides practical tools that help CCDF administrators make strategic decisions about after-school programming. The project identifies other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF administrators in supporting out-of-school time programs and provides models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors. The Finance Project serves as a contractor in partnership with the National Governors Association for this project.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Produced publications and tools to help States and communities document the supply and demand for after-school programs
-
Promoted coordination between CCDF and the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers
-
Conducted workshops on State after-school collaboration at national and regional conferences and provided information and resources at State-level meetings for after-school program developers and policymakers
National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative
The National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative works with CCDF administrators and their designated teams to develop and implement action plans to improve child care for children under age 3. Participating States and Territories were provided onsite and distance consulting, resources to support the work of the State teams, and evaluation assistance to measure progress. ZERO TO THREE serves as the contractor for this project.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Developed and implemented a Web site with State profiles and a searchable database of initiatives in infant and toddler child care in all 50 States and Territories
-
Expanded the national Birth to Three Institute to build leadership capacity for an additional 75 leaders in infant and toddler child care and related fields
-
Provided resource materials on infant and toddler child care to over 1,000 organizations serving children and families
Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning (CSEFEL) promotes the social and emotional development of children as a means of preventing challenging behaviors in early childhood programs. Jointly funded by the Head Start and CCB, this 5-year project began in FY 2001. Serving as the grantee for this project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign works with other nationally recognized researchers and trainers from a variety of universities and early childhood organizations, including the University of Colorado at Denver, the University of South Florida, the University of Connecticut, Tennessee Voices for Children, Inc., and Education Development Center, Inc.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Developed and disseminated over 50,000 copies of "What Works Briefs," which highlight evidence-based practices to support young children's social and emotional development
-
Developed a series of training modules that have been used to train over 6,000 early care educators
-
Facilitated strategic planning in 20 States to improve children's social and emotional development through better classroom practices in child care and Head Start
-
Worked with six local demonstration sites to implement evidence-based practices in early childhood settings; activities included training for early care providers, developing cohorts of local trainers, creating demonstration classrooms, and developing materials to support families
-
Initiated the first annual National Training Institute focusing on supporting young children's social and emotional development and preventing challenging behavior
Child Care Aware
Child Care Aware (CCA) connects families to local child care experts who help them understand what to look for in a child care setting and how to locate child care and other parenting resources. The CCA Web site and toll-free hotline provide easy access to approximately 800 local child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&R) as well as consumer education materials for parents.
CCA administers the Consumer Education Quality Assurance Program, a national, voluntary system of performance benchmarks for local child care resource and referral agencies. The project is operated through a cooperative agreement between the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and CCB.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Launched Child Care Aware Consumer Education Quality Assurance Program, a national, voluntary quality assurance system for community child care resource and referral agencies designed to ensure public access to consistent, high-quality consumer education and referral services
-
Distributed over 600,000 publications to parents via direct mailings
-
Hosted over 650,000 visitors to www.ChildCareAware.org who received child care information and parenting resources in both English and Spanish
-
Connected over 65,000 consumers to local CCR&Rs and parent information through a toll-free hotline and Web site and served 9,401 families in English and Spanish through a national toll-free information line
-
Recognized as the number one search result for "child care" on Google, Yahoo!, and Alta Vista internet search engines
Child Care Information Systems Technical Assistance Project
The Child Care Information Systems Technical Assistance Project helps States, Territories, and Tribes collect and submit accurate and timely data about services provided under CCDF. Grantees face many challenges in data collection, management, and reporting, including outdated systems, the use of multiple systems across jurisdictions, and limited communication between information system staff and child care program staff. Staff offer a wide range of support including free software, computer-based training, a toll-free hot line, data review and analysis, and onsite visits to help resolve complex data collection and system problems. In addition, the project analyzes data to paint a picture of child care services, including the number of families served and the characteristics of families and providers participating in CCDF. Anteon Corporation serves as the contractor for this project.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Deployed a new Web-based national child care information system that enables State administrators to electronically input their administrative CCDF data and develop analyses of State profiles
-
Completed analysis of requirements and design of the new CCB Information System (CCBIS) and began system development
-
Developed and launched the ACF-800 data submission site to allow for electronic submission of the ACF-800 annual data
-
Provided extensive customized TA to States and Territories including the District of Columbia, Guam, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands
-
Responded to over 2,000 requests for assistance from State, Territory, and Tribal grantees, and from CCB Regional and Central Office staff
Healthy Child Care America
Healthy Child Care America (HCCA) is a collaboration of health professionals, child care providers, and families to improve the health and well-being of children in child care. CCB sponsors TA for Healthy Child Care America, in partnership with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) at HHS's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which provided grants to States and Territories to support HCCA activities.
Healthy Child Care America, a cooperative agreement among MCHB, CCB, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, increased child care provider and health professional partnerships in all States and Territories. These partnerships help ensure that children in child care have access to safe physical environments and quality medical, dental, and preventive health services, including immunization screening.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Hosted 47,955 families, child care providers, and health care professionals on its Web site, providing information on strategies for promoting healthy, safe, and nurturing care environments for children
-
Developed a network of over 200 pediatric experts to provide health consultation to child care providers, offer classes to parents and providers, and teach pediatric residents and others about the links between child care and child health
-
Created a training kit on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for child care providers and a network of 265 trainers in 41 States and Puerto Rico
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) serves as the nation's one-stop clearinghouse on child care through its toll-free telephone line and Web site.
TA is provided to States on an ongoing basis through telephone consultation, research on innovative practices, audio conferences, and onsite consultation through TA liaisons. The project produces publications for State CCDF administrators on issues such as licensing regulations, tiered quality rating strategies, and partnering among State early childhood programs. The NCCIC Online Library, the largest online collection of child care and early childhood education resources, delivers more than 5,000 documents to support informed decision making by State leaders and others. Collins Management Consulting, Inc. served as the contractor for this project. It now continues with Caliber Corporation.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Responded to more than 1,650 TA requests and 2,000 information requests from State, Tribal, and Territorial grantees, other State and Federal agencies, and national organizations
-
Supported States in implementing administration priorities on literacy and early learning by aiding in the planning, design, facilitation, materials development and follow-up publications for the National Literacy Forum
-
Assisted in the design, facilitation, and follow-up to the first Good Start, Grow Smart Roundtable on early learning guidelines, in cooperation with the Department of Education and Head Start
-
Designed Good Start, Grow Smart training sessions focusing on early learning guidelines, professional development, and program coordination and financing that were delivered to all States through regional meetings and conferences
-
Researched and compiled information for State decision makers on key topics including subsidy administration, tiered reimbursement, funding, professional development of early childhood educators, regulations/standards, and literacy
-
Helped States plan improvements in their early care and education systems and supported Montana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, among others, in implementing their recently completed State early learning guidelines
Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC)
The Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC) provides targeted TA to Tribal grantees that encompass approximately 500 Indian Tribes. TriTAC builds capacity in Tribal child care programs by linking Tribes to share information and innovations. The project facilitates peer-to-peer learning and provides specialized training in program administration and quality improvement in Tribal programs. It also operates a toll-free information and referral line to respond to grantees' TA inquiries and also maintains TA resources on the project's Web site. Native American Management Services serves as the contractor for this project.
FY 2002-FY 2003 Accomplishments
-
Hosted two national conferences, six training sessions on working with providers to enhance the quality of tribal child care programs, and five training sessions on early learning and school readiness in support of the President's Good Start, Grow Smart initiative
-
Conducted four new administrator training sessions, designed particularly for grantees with new staff, to provide an overview of the CCDF program requirements
-
Provided TA leadership to tribal child care grantees and stakeholders on how to build and sustain collaborations across early childhood programs.
| CHILD CARE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK (CCTAN) In support of its TA goals, CCB sponsors the following projects through contracts and grants: |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
