About Us
The Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) and its partners promote excellence through high-quality, practical resources and approaches. They are designed to build early childhood program capacity and promote consistent practices across communities, states, territories, and Tribes. These centers bring together the knowledge and skills from Head Start, child care, and health partners across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Child Care State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) works with state and territory leaders and their partners to create innovative early childhood systems and programs that improve results for children and families. SCBC focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of programs implemented under the CCDF, improving the quality and affordability of child care services.
The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) provides training and technical assistance to the state, territory, and tribal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies and their designated networks, which include the statewide afterschool networks, State and Local Education Agencies (SEAs/LEAs), provider associations, and child care resource and referral agencies. The goal of NCASE is to ensure that school-age children in families of low-income have increased access to high-quality afterschool and summer learning experiences that contribute to their overall development and academic achievement.
The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA) supports state and community leaders and their partners in the planning and implementation of rigorous approaches to quality in all early care and education settings for children from birth to school age. The center's expert staff use collaborative approaches to do the following: advance strong health and safety standards and licensing regulations that align with the CCDF and Head Start Performance Standards; support the development and enhancement of state quality initiatives, including quality rating and improvement systems; and enhance quality assurance systems through the use of technology, data analyses, and research that promote continuous quality improvement, efficiency, and innovation.
The Child Care Automated Reporting System TA Team (CARS) supports States, Territory, and Tribal Child Care and Development Fund grantees in collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting child care administrative data. The CARS TA Team’s efforts are available to help build or enhance grantees' capacity to improve the quality of administrative data and are provided through email, a toll-free helpline, remote national and regional trainings events, customized onsite technical assistance activities, and specialized data tools.
The National Center on Subsidy Innovation and Accountability (NCSIA) provides technical assistance to CCDF programs in developing child care subsidy systems that are child-focused, family-friendly, and fair to providers. NCSIA works with grantees to help them reach goals related to subsidy eligibility, integrating quality and subsidy, strengthening program integrity, payment rules, rate setting, and other policies and practices that support serving more low-income children in high-quality care.
The Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center, a service of the Office of Child Care, supports Tribal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grantees in meeting the requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 and the 2016 CCDF Final Rule and to meet their goals to enhance the quality, affordability, and availability of child care in their Tribal communities. Universal, targeted, and intensive training and technical assistance services, including resource development, assist more than 539 Federally recognized Tribes, either directly or through Tribal consortia. The Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center team is ready to work closely with Tribal CCDF grantees in their efforts to increase child care provider payment rates that align with the cost of operating a quality program, increase wages for child care staff, and improve child care supply in low-income areas. For Tribal Lead Agencies, the Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center team provides technical assistance that respects, honors, retains, and builds on individual Tribal cultural identities and existing practices across all programs. To request training and technical assistance, reach out to your assigned Office of Child Care Regional Office to be connected to your Tribal Technical Assistance Specialist. Feel free to explore the resources available on our website. We look forward to serving Tribal CCDF grantees.
Technical Assistance Partners
The National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL) shares best practices for identifying, developing, promoting, and implementing evidence-based practices for child development, teaching, and learning. These practices are culturally and linguistically responsive, lead to positive child outcomes across early childhood programs, and support strong professional development systems. NCECDTL informs Office of Head Start priorities by serving as an intersection for synthesizing research, data, knowledge, and experience. It responds to the unique needs of dual language learners, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, and those attending Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs, as well as other diverse populations.
The National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS) designs evidence-based resources and delivers innovative T&TA to build capacity within Head Start and other early childhood programs. NCHBHS is responsive to the unique needs of children who are dual language learners, children in AI/AN or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs, children with special health care needs, and children who are living in foster care or experiencing homelessness.
The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) provides T&TA for Head Start and Early Head Start staff who work with families. NCPFCE professional development activities reflect current evidence and lead to improvements in family outreach, recruitment, attendance, well-being, and engagement in children’s learning and development; community partnerships that support families; and outcomes for children and families enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
The National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations (NCPMFO) supports and shares clear, consistent messages on Office of Head Start priorities for developing and implementing sound management systems and strong internal controls. NCPMFO’s work includes topics such as risk management, governance, data collection and analysis, budgeting, and management of multiple funding sources. NCPMFO also helps organizations implement and enhance the infrastructure needed to support a well-managed early care and education system.