Tag Archives: Partnership

IM 15-03 Policy and Program Guidance for the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP)

Posted on by

8/6/2015

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership Grantees and Partners

SUBJECT: Policy and Program Guidance for the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP)

INFORMATION:This Information Memorandum (IM) reinforces the purpose and vision of the Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP) and provides policy and program guidance for grantees and their partners.1 This IM specifically addresses various issues and questions raised by grantees during the EHS-CCP orientations and start-up phase of the grants.

The EHS-CCP program will enhance and support early learning settings to provide full-day/full-year, seamless, and comprehensive services that meet the needs of low-income working families and those in school; increase access to high-quality, full-day child care (including family child care); support the development of infants and toddlers through strong relationship-based experiences; and prepare them for the transition into Head Start and preschool. The EHS-CCP is a unique opportunity which brings together the best of Early Head Start and child care through layering of funding to provide comprehensive and continuous services to low-income infants, toddlers, and their families. The EHS-CCP grants will serve as a learning laboratory for the future of high-quality infant/toddler care.

All infants and toddlers attending an EHS-CCP site will benefit from facilities and homes that are licensed and meet safety requirements. All children in classrooms with EHS-CCP-enrolled children will benefit from low teacher-to-child ratios and class sizes, qualified teachers receiving ongoing supervision and coaching to support implementation of curriculum and responsive caregiving, and broad-scale parent engagement activities. While only enrolled EHS-CCP children will be eligible for direct family-specific benefits such as home visits, health tracking and follow-up, and individualized family support services, EHS-CCP programs must operationalize services to ensure there is no segregation or stigmatization of EHS-CCP children due to the additional requirements or services.

The long-term outcomes of the program are:

  1. Sustained, mutually respectful, and collaborative EHS-CCP
  2. A more highly educated and fully qualified workforce to provide high-quality infant/toddler care and education
  3. Increased community supply of high-quality early learning environments and infant/toddler care and education
  4. Well-aligned early childhood policies, regulations, resources, and quality improvement support at national, state, and local levels
  5. Improved family and child well-being and progress toward school readiness

The EHS-CCP brings together the strengths of child care and Early Head Start programs. Child care centers and family child care providers respond to the needs of working families by offering flexible and convenient full-day and full-year services. In addition, child care providers have experience providing care that is strongly grounded in the cultural, linguistic, and social needs of the families and their local communities. However, many child care centers and family child care providers lack the resources to provide the comprehensive services needed to support better outcomes for the nation’s most vulnerable children. Early Head Start is a research-based program that emphasizes the importance of responsive and caring relationships to support the optimal development of infants and toddlers. Early Head Start provides comprehensive family centered services that adhere to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS)2 to support high-quality learning environments. Integrating Early Head Start comprehensive services and resources into the array of traditional child care and family child care settings creates new opportunities to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families.

Attachment A provides topical policy and program guidance around:

  • Seamless and Comprehensive Full-Day/Full-Year Services
  • Partnership Agreements
  • Layered Funding
  • Child Care Subsidies
  • Citizenship and Immigration Status
  • Child Care Center Ratios and Group Sizes
  • Staffing and Planning Shifts for Staff
  • Staff Qualifications and Credential Requirements
  • Federal Oversight and Monitoring

Please share this IM with your partners and direct any questions to your Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Regional Office.

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of infants and toddlers and their families.

/ Linda K. Smith /
Linda K. Smith
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development
Administration for Children and Families

/ Blanca Enriquez /
Dr. Blanca Enriquez
Director
Office of Head Start

/ Rachel Schumacher /
Rachel Schumacher
Director
Office of Child Care

Source: Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, and Office of Child Care

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_ime_003.html

Baby E-lert, Sharing Information on the Quality Care of Infants, Toddlers, and their Families

Posted on by

3/3/2014

This Baby E-lert features information about federal partnerships, breastfeeding resources, and math in the home. Share the information and resources with program administrators, co-workers, families, and other early care professionals!

Source: Early Head Start National Research Center

Available at: http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=579784392aff8aa5d251c89ab&id=a28a310a15&e=f28bfaf0fd

Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships

Posted on by

2/27/2014

As part of President Obama’s Early Education Plan, ACF will support states and communities in expanding high quality early learning to over 100,000 infants and toddlers through the Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships. Through these partnerships, Early Head Start grantees will partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and provide comprehensive, full-day, full year high-quality services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships will provide children and families with access to high-quality early learning experiences that support working families by providing a full-day, full-year program so that more vulnerable children have the healthy and enriching early experiences they need to realize their full potential.

In addition to high-quality early learning experiences, Early Head Start programs provide high quality comprehensive services that benefit children, families, and teachers, including:

  • Health, developmental and behavioral screenings
  • Higher health, safety and nutrition standards
  • Increased professional development opportunities for teachers
  • Increased parent engagement opportunities

How will Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership funds be awarded?

Funds will be awarded competitively through the Early Head Start grant process.

Who is eligible to participate in the Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships?

All agencies eligible to apply for Early Head Start funds can apply for Partnership competition grants, including tribes and territories, community organizations, non-profit or for profit organizations, and state and local governments.

Additional Resources

 

Source: Administration for Children and Families

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/early-head-start-child-care-partnerships

Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships: Survey and New Web page from ACF

Posted on by

Greetings,

We have created a survey to capture your questions, concerns and perspectives on relevant federal public policy priorities. Please take a moment to respond to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EHS-CC_Partnerships_Survey. ­­­We ask that you complete the survey by COB Monday, February 17th. This is a quick turn around, but we wanted to survey the field to ensure your voices are heard and the various needs of the child care community are fully represented during this process.

Additionally, the Administration for Children and Families has released a new web page focusing specifically on the Early Head Start-Child Care partnerships.

Make sure you check out the release below:

ACF Releases Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Web Page

As part of President Obama’s Early Education Plan, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will support States and communities in expanding high-quality early learning to infants and toddlers through the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. Through these partnerships, Early Head Start (EHS) grantees will partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet EHS Program Performance Standards and to provide comprehensive, full-day, full-year, high-quality services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

ACF has launched an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Web page. The launch includes the following resources:

· Read an overview of the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Initiative (PowerPoint).
· Learn more about the President’s Early Learning Initiative.
· Learn how to apply for ACF grants.
· Explore resources to develop successful partnerships between EHS grantees and family child care providers.

Please continue to check back with this site regularly, as ACF will update this page with new resources as they are developed.

The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Web page is now published:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/early-head-start-child-care-partnerships