Engaging Families and Early Educators with Direct Experience in Child Care and Early Childhood Systems

To: State and Territory Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) lead agencies and Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grant recipients

Subject: Engaging Families and Early Educators with Direct Experience in Child Care and Early Childhood Systems

References: The CCDF program is authorized by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.); 45 CFR Parts 98 and 99. The PDG B-5 grant program is authorized by section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Public Law 114-95 (December 10, 2015), 42 U.S.C. 9831 note.

Purpose: This Information Memorandum (IM) affirms that funding provided through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) can be expended to engage individuals with direct experience in the child care subsidy system and early childhood services and systems. ACF is providing joint guidance since CCDF and PDG B-5 implementation responsibilities are often co-located within the same state agency. Moreover, families and early educators often interact with multiple systems that may be funded by CCDF and PDG B-5, such as child care subsidy, quality rating and improvement programs, early childhood mental health, professional development, and early intervention services. Notably, CCDF funds support child care for children birth through age 12 and, at lead agency option, care for children incapable of self-care through age 18 (45 CFR 98.20), whereas PDG B-5 funds are focused on systems of services for young children under age 6. As it relates to CCDF funding and purposes, this guidance should be read to include school-age child care in addition to early childhood. The IM also clarifies CCDF lead agencies and PDG B-5 grant recipients may use federal funds to compensate families and early educators[1] for their participation and engagement using CCDF and PDG B-5 grant funds. 

ACF welcomes Tribes to use this guidance to the extent it is useful to them. However, since engagement in Tribal communities is inherently shaped by the culture and traditions specific to each Tribe, ACF defers to Tribes on best practices for engagement related to child care and early childhood services.