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This Information Memorandum (IM) provides an overview and guidance to Tribal CCDF lead agencies, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start award recipients, and Tribal MIECHV recipients regarding how CCDF, Head Start, and Tribal MIECHV funds can be used to address challenges recruiting and retaining an effective Tribal early childhood workforce serving Tribal communities where access to affordable housing is limited.

This information memoranda provides guidance for state and territory Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) lead agencies and Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) recipients on meaningful engagement with families and early educators with direct experience in child care and early childhood systems. 

The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care (OCC), along with the Office of Head Start (OHS) and Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), and with support from the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA) released the Early Care and Education Workforce Salary Scale Playbook: Implementation Guide on April 25, 2024.  This resource is designed for state, local and ECE program leaders and provides practical guidance on the essential actions necessary to build and implement a comprehensive, equitable salary scale for early educators and caregivers in ECE system and program contexts. 

To: State, territory, and Tribal lead agencies administering the Child Care and Development Fund program, and other interested parties.

Subject: Using the Child Care and Development Fund to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Child Care Workforce.

Reference: The Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.); Child Care and Development Fund Regulations (45 C.F.R. Part 98).

Purpose: This information memorandum (IM) provides guidance to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) lead agencies regarding how CCDF funds can be used to improve the mental health and well-being of children, families, and the early care and education workforce. This IM does not include any changes to the Office of Child Care’s (OCC) existing interpretation of how CCDF funds can be used but clarifies allowable uses for supporting mental health.

TO: All Head Start Grant Recipients

SUBJECT: Strategies and Recommendations for Supporting Mental Health

PURPOSE: This Information Memorandum (IM) highlights the Head Start Program Performance Standards and related strategies for integrating mental health supports across all Head Start programs.

TO: Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five grant recipients

SUBJECT: Using PDG B-5 to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Early Care and Education Workforce

REFERENCES: This grant program is authorized by section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act, Public Law 114-95 (December 10, 2015), 42 U.S.C. 9831 note.

Purpose: The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM) is to provide recommendations to Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth through Five (B-5) Planning and Renewal grant recipients (“recipients”) on key strategies for promoting the mental health and well-being of children, families, and the early care and education (ECE) workforce. This IM does not include any changes to the Office of Early Childhood Development’s interpretation of how PDG B-5 funds can be used but clarifies allowable uses for supporting mental health.
Background: The purpose of the PDG B-5 grant program is to strengthen the state’s integrated ECE system to prepare low-income and disadvantaged children to enter and have a seamless and high-quality early childhood experience from birth to kindergarten and into elementary school. In the service of this goal, states and territories invest in strengthening the early childhood workforce, expanding access to high-quality ECE programs, and collaborating with partners to enhance coordination across the early childhood system.

Opportunities for the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Tribal MIECHV Workforce

We are writing to encourage you to work with local educational agencies and early childhood partners in your states and communities to serve more of our youngest learners in high-quality preschool1 through a mixed delivery approach. A mixed delivery approach involves a coordinated effort on the part of States and local communities to support preschool programs across a range of quality settings, building on the expertise and capacity of existing providers and leveraging existing Federal, state, and local funding.

The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), in partnership with the Office of Child Care (OCC) and Office of Head Start (OHS), recently announced the release of a draft Tribal Early Childhood Facilities Combined Application Guide in the Federal Register. This draft resource aims to streamline application submission and review processes for Tribal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start grant recipients that jointly apply to construct, renovate, or improve early childhood facilities using both CCDF and Head Start funds. ECD is soliciting public comment on the draft application guide during a 30-day comment period.

The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), in partnership with the Office of Child Care (OCC) and Office of Head Start (OHS), recently announced the release of a draft Tribal Early Childhood Facilities Combined Application Guide in the Federal Register. This draft resource aims to streamline application submission and review processes for Tribal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start grant recipients that jointly apply to construct, renovate, or improve early childhood facilities using both CCDF and Head Start funds. ECD is soliciting public comment on the draft application guide during a 60-day comment period.