The resources below have been provided by the Office of Child Care to support States and Territories with important information regarding Reauthorization, the CCDF Final Rule, and other important CCDF topics.
Federal TA Resources
Define CCDF Leadership and Coordination with Relevant Systems
- Early Care and Education Partnerships: A Review of the Literature
This literature review, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research as part of the Study of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, assesses the current knowledge base for early care and education (ECE) partnerships, highlights promising models or components of models for these partnerships, and identifies gaps in the research.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/early-care-and-education-partnerships-a-review-of-the-literature
- Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/resource/child-care-resources-for-disasters-and-emergencies
- Developing a Comprehensive Child Care Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
This resource includes state examples and a six part webinar series.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/emergency-preparedness-0
- Early Care and Education Systems that Support Quality Care for Babies and Toddlers: Key Elements
This paper presents an overview of key early care and education system elements and the characteristics that reflect how such a system can offer quality child care to infants, toddlers, and their families.
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/state-community-policy/nitcci/ece-key-elements-for-infants-and-toddlers.pdf
- Early Child Care and Education: State Governance Structures
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-child-care-and-education-state-and-territory-governance-structures
- Early Childhood Disaster-Related Resources from the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR)
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohsepr/information-for-providers
- Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-head-start-child-care-partnerships-top-10-ways-ccdf-can-support-early-head-start
- Office of Child Care Information Memorandum, "Child Welfare and Child Care Partnerships: Partnering with Families Involved in Child Care Subsidy Programs"
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/resource/im-child-welfare
- Pre-Kindergarten and Child Care Coordination Initiatives
The document provides examples of pre-kindergarten and child care coordination initiatives and highlights the income eligibility requirements, funding streams, and eligible provider requirements for both programs.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/pre-kindergarten-and-child-care-coordination-initiatives
- Quick Facts: State/Territory Coordination Activities to Support CCDF Services
This quick facts document provides counts of coordination activities reported by CCDF Lead Agencies in section 1.5.1 of the CCDF Plans for FY 2012-2013. It also highlights State coordination activities that promote child welfare and well-being, consumer education, family self-sufficiency, health/safety and licensing, nutrition, professional development, quality improvement, and special needs and inclusion services.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/quick-facts-stateterritory-coordination-activities-support-ccdf-services
- Quick Facts: State/Territory Coordination Plans and Designated Coordination Entities
The document provides information about early childhood/school-age coordination plans and designated entities responsible for program coordination within a State/Territory.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/quick-facts-stateterritory-coordination-plans-and-designated-coordination-entities
- Resource Guide: Emergency Preparedness and Response Resources for Child Care Programs
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/resource-guide-emergency-preparedness-and-response-resources-child-care-programs
- State Profiles of Successful Public-Private Partnerships for Early Learning
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/state-profiles-successful-public-private-partnerships
- Systems Resource Guide: Collaborative Governance Module
This module serves as a framework and tool for CCDF Administrators and their partners to use as they explore and establish strategic steps to implement and sustain shared goals related to systems building.
https://ecesystemsbuilding.icfwebservices.com/collaborative-governance/overview
- Systems Resource Guide: Strategic Planning Module
This module helps the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Administrators (SAs) and their partners to prepare for, lead, and sustain strategic planning efforts. It provides an overview of key concepts, delineating what strategic planning is, why it is important to systems building, and key associated principles.
https://ecesystemsbuilding.icfwebservices.com/strategic-planning/overview
- Systems Resource Guide: Strategic Relationships Module
This module assists CCDF Administrators in identifying the key elements in building strong, trusting relationships throughout the state to leverage existing service delivery systems to increase the supply and quality of services for children and families.
https://ecesystemsbuilding.icfwebservices.com/strategic-relationships/key-concepts
- What is a Public-Private Partnership and Why Do They Matter?
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/what-public-private-partnership-and-why-do-they-matter
Promote Family Engagement through Outreach and Consumer Education
- Consumer Education: Information about Provider Monitoring and Oversight
This issue brief includes an overview of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG Act of 2014) requirements specific to consumer education and how States share provider-specific information; aggregate information about deaths, serious injuries, and abuse; and information about State licensing processes. It includes a table that contains information on the content of five States’ reports: which providers are included in the search function; whether inspection dates, corrective actions, and information about licensing and enforcement processes are provided; and other notable features. Information is also provided about how States are currently sharing licensing and monitoring data. This is one of a series of four issue briefs that address CCDBG Act of 2014 requirements and provide state examples and links to state Web sites that can serve as examples for States and Territories in enhancing their own consumer education efforts.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/consumer-education-information-about-provider-monitoring-and-oversight
- Consumer Education: Full Diversity of Support Services for Families
This issue brief provides examples and brief descriptions of state Web sites that effectively direct families to specific support services and other supplemental resources. It includes an overview of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG Act of 2014) requirements specific to consumer education and information on programs, policies, and research that support families This is one of a series of four issue briefs that address CCDBG Act of 2014 requirements and provide state examples and links to state Web sites that can serve as examples for States and Territories in enhancing their own consumer education efforts.
/resource/consumer-education-full-diversity-support-services-families
- Consumer Education: Child Care Services and Resources for Choosing Care
This issue brief focuses on how to support families in choosing quality care and understanding a QRIS. Innovative state examples describe various ways to inform parents about what to look for when searching for child care, including guidebooks, checklists, videos, and public awareness campaigns. This is one of a series of four issue briefs that address Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 requirements and provide state examples and links to state Web sites that can serve as examples for States and Territories in enhancing their own consumer education efforts.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/consumer-education-child-care-services-and-resources-choosing-care
- Consumer Education: Online Inspection Reports Webinar
This PowerPoint presentation, used for regional Webinars, describes the requirements for consumer education Web sites and online inspection reports under the CCDBG Act of 2014.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/consumer-education-online-inspection-reports-webinar
- Developmental Screening Resources in Support of Reauthorization
The purpose of this overview is to provide a variety of resources to support Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Administrators in meeting the provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/293_1508_developmental_screening_resources_final_0.pdf
- Expulsion Policy Resources in Support of Reauthorization
The purpose of this overview is to provide a variety of resources to support Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Administrators in meeting the provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/297_1508_expulsion_resources_final.pdf
- Household Search for and Perceptions of Early Care and Education
This fact sheet reports preliminary findings from the newly available NSECE Household Survey to provide insight into how parents perceive the ECE arrangements available to them, how and why they search for care, and when searches result in a change in arrangement.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/factsheet_hh_search_for_and_perceptions_of_ece_100114.pdf
- Early Childhood Developmental Screening: A Compendium of Measures for Children Ages Birth to Five
This compendium has been created to help practitioners better understand this information and make informed choices about the developmental screening tools they use with children birth to age five.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/compendium_2013_508_compliant_final_2_5_2014.pdf
- Child Care Aware's interactive map with links to state resources including background checks and licensing/inspection history
http://www.childcareaware.org/node/1405
- Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! is a coordinated federal effort to encourage healthy child development, universal developmental and behavioral screening for children, and support for the families and providers who care for them.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/child-health-development/watch-me-thrive
- Child Care Licensing Inspection Policies
This resource includes a section on Public Access to Inspection and Enforcement Actions.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/contemporary-issues-licensing-child-care-licensing-inspection-policies
- Early Childhood Education, Financial Stability, and Asset Building Strategies for Families with Young Children
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/resource/im-2011-04
- Licensing Info Posted on the Internet
The purpose of this paper is to assist state licensing and child care administrators in assessing and enhancing the information they provide to families on the internet.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/licensing-information-posted-internet
- QRIS Resource Guide: Chapter 9 on Consumer Education
https://qrisguide.acf.hhs.gov/resource-guide/consumer-education
- Reporting, Tracking and Responding to Serious Injuries and Fatalities in Child Care
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/contemporary-issues-licensing-reporting-tracking-and-responding-serious-injuries-and
- Systems Resource Guide: Effective Communication Module
This module provides ideas on how to engage stakeholders and communicate effectively in different ways with different audiences. It includes a tool to assist State Administrators in developing a Communication Plan.
https://ecesystemsbuilding.icfwebservices.com/effective-communication/overview
- The Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Resource Catalogue 1.0
This is an annotated catalog of exemplary resources to promote effective parent, family, and community engagement in support of young children’s learning, development, and school readiness.
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/
- Use of Technology to Support Licensing Administration
This resource includes section on online licensing information for consumers.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/use-technology-enhance-licensing-administration
- Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns.
This is a free, one hour online training course for early care and education providers in response to an expressed need from child care providers around the country. This course is part of the "Learn the Signs. Act Early" program, a suite of free, evidence based and customizable resources and materials for early care and education providers that promote awareness of: healthy developmental milestones in early childhood, the importance of tracking each child's development, the importance of acting early if there are concerns.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
Provide Stable Child Care Financial Assistance to Families
Ensure Equal Access to High Quality Child Care for Low-Income Children
Establish Standards and Monitoring Processes to Ensure the Health and Safety of Child Care Settings
- Supporting License-Exempt Family Child Care
This issue brief aims to assist CCDF Administrators and their partners in their work to support license-exempt family child care (FCC) homes. In addressing the unique needs of exempt FCC homes, States and Territories can better support the children in their care and their families. This brief is organized into two sections: the first provides an overview of terminology, characteristics, parental preferences, and child care assistance data, and the second provides examples of several state and national initiatives to support exempt FCC. It is one of a series of three issue briefs that offer insights into how States and Territories have improved their systems with new requirements, monitoring policies, and support systems for exempt providers.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/supporting-license-exempt-family-child-care
- Monitoring and Supporting License-Exempt Care: Case Studies
This issue brief shares the experiences of six States (AR, AZ, IN, ND, NM, and UT) that have begun to address the challenges of monitoring exempt care. In addition to describing their structures, the issue brief highlights their differences in needs, cultural diversity and compliance levels, efforts to retain exempt home providers, lessons learned, and how they cultivated support for policy changes. Though the issue brief is primarily focused on exempt homes, information about how these States oversee exempt centers is also addressed. It is one of a series of three issue briefs that offer insights into how States and Territories have improved their systems with new requirements, monitoring policies, and support systems for exempt providers.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/monitoring-and-supporting-license-exempt-care-case-studies
- Monitoring License-Exempt CCDF Homes
This issue brief explores decision points in developing a monitoring system, including requirements; inspections; and processes for responding to violations, complaints, referrals, and appeals. Caseloads, number of providers, and compensation and support systems for monitors and supervisors are discussed as factors that influence the cost of implementing a monitoring system. Four monitoring models are described and state examples are provided. It is one of a series of three issue briefs that offer insights into how States and Territories have improved their systems with new requirements, monitoring policies, and support systems for exempt providers.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/monitoring-license-exempt-ccdf-homes
- Monitoring and Supporting License-Exempt Child Care Webinar
This PowerPoint presentation includes an overview of licensing thresholds, common exemptions, national data on monitoring, cost of monitoring, and supports for exempt family child care, including training.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/monitoring-and-supporting-license-exempt-child-care-webinar
- CCDF Health and Safety Requirements Fact Sheet: Health and Safety Training
This Fact Sheet provides information related to health and safety training requirements in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 for all providers that receive payment from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/286_1508_healthsafety_summary_training_final_0.pdf
- CCDF Health and Safety Requirements Fact Sheet: Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Using Safe Sleeping Practices
This Fact Sheet provides information related to the provisions about reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and safe sleep practices in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 for all providers that receive payment from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/259_1508_healthsafety_summary_sids_final.pdf
- Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Trauma: A Research-to-Practice Brief
This brief summarizes what is known about the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers, and the intervention strategies that could potentially protect them from the adverse consequences of traumatic experiences.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/impact-of-trauma-families-of-infants-and-toddlers
- Building Support for Licensing
This resource discusses the responsibilities of licensing agencies and how they build support for their efforts from various stakeholder groups—including child care providers, consumers of child care, other governmental agencies, and the legislature.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/building-support-licensing
- Caring for Our Children
This resource provides information on standards and benchmarks for meeting these requirements.
http://cfoc.nrckids.org/
- Caring for Our Children Basics
This resource provides proposed minimum standards for health and safety requirements.
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/12/18/2014-29649/caring-for-our-children-basics-comment-request
- CCDF Data Explorer tool
State-level data about child: staff ratios and group sizes in child care centers and the number of children allowed in family child care homes are available in the CCDF Data Explorer tool on the Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) Web site. Data include child-staff ratios and group sizes, criminal background checks, minimum pre-service qualifications, ongoing training hours, and types and frequency of routine licensing inspections.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/data
- Comparison of State Licensing and QRIS Standards for Infants and Toddlers in Child Care Centers: Learning Environment, Developmental Domains, and Assessment
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/comparison-state-licensing-and-qris-standards-infants-and-toddlers-child-care-centers
- Contemporary Issues in Licensing
A series of eight issue reports that include research as well as examples of innovative and diverse state practices.
- Revising State Licensing Requirements: Readiness for Change
This resource poses questions for States and Territories to consider as they begin the process of revising licensing requirements.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/revising-state-licensing-requirements-readiness-change
- The National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool
Prepopulated with national early childhood program standards (such as Head Start, accreditation, Caring for our Children). It is designed to help States that are developing and aligning program standards for licensing, quality rating and improvement systems, or prekindergarten programs to search and compare the content of several sets of national standards.
https://qrisguide.acf.hhs.gov/crosswalk
Recruit and Retain a Qualified and Effective Child Care Workforce
- Supporting Business Practices
This brief provides an overview of strategies that States and Territories can employ to promote and strengthen business practices and leadership in early childhood settings. This resource, which draws on State examples, is divided into four key sections: Licensing; Quality Rating and Improvement Systems; Professional Development; and Resources.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/state-policies-support-business-practices-child-care-providers
- Aligned Professional Development Systems Planning and Implementation Guide
Aligned professional development systems consist of interrelated supports and services that address a continuum of professional development. The common goal is to support the workforce through coordinated efforts that include training, technical assistance and education. Key elements of an aligned professional development system include core knowledge and competencies, career pathways, professional development capacity, access to professional development and compensation and workforce conditions.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/tool-assess-alignment-stateterritory-pds-and-qris
- Helping Children Recover from Exposure to Trauma: Resources for Child Care Providers and Parents
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/helping-children-recover-exposure-trauma-resources-child-care-providers-and-parents-0
- Infant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines Factsheet
This factsheet documents the ways that states and territories represent infants and toddlers in their Early Learning Guidelines.
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/state-community-policy/nitcci/infant-toddler-early-learning-guidelines.pdf
- Infant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines Implementation Tool Kit
This tool kit provides resources, tools, and process suggestions to assist states and territories in engaging in strategic planning to support the implementation of Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers.
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/webinars-conference-calls/it-elg-implementation-toolkit-introduction-508-compliant.pdf
- Professional Development for the Infant/Toddler Early Care and Education Workforce
This paper offers a framework and approaches to strengthen professional development opportunities for the infant/toddler workforce.
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/state-community-policy/nitcci/professional-development-for-the-infant-toddler-workforce.pdf
- Professional Development Overview: Support for Practitioners
Professional development systems are made up of connected services and supports that support the workforce. Supporting the practitioner's ongoing professional growth requires intentional planning and being responsive to the needs of the workforce which includes service delivery and supporting the sequential nature of portable professional development.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/professional-development-overview-support-practitioners
- State Early Learning Guidelines
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/state-early-learning-standards-and-guidelines
- The Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning training modules
This resource focuses on promoting social emotional development and school readiness for children birth through age 5. There are four modules for each age group, covering multiple topics.
- Trends documents describe staff roles, staff qualifications and ongoing training requirements, health and safety training, and orientation training by provider setting:
- Workforce Data and Implementation Guide
Consideration for how workforce data will be collected, tracked and analyzed is a priority for many states and territories. Alignment of data systems and development or enhancement of workforce data systems is a key component of an aligned professional development system.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/workforce-data-planning-and-implementation-guide
Support Continuous Quality Improvement
Ensure Grantee Program Integrity and Accountability
- Family Friendly Policies to Improve Program Integrity
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program provides funding to states, tribes, and territories to support child care assistance for low-income families. Eligibility policies that are family friendly, child focused, and fair to providers support CCDF goals. They can promote program access, economic stability for low-income families, and improved early learning and care outcomes for children. Streamlined eligibility practices also create administrative efficiencies, decrease the risk of improper payments, and create opportunities for using program resources to support program goals.
https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/family-friendly-policies-improve-program-integrity
- The CCDF Policies Database Book of Tables: Key Cross-State Variations in CCDF Policies as of October 1, 2013
The fourth report of this project, this book of tables presents key aspects of the differences in CCDF-funded programs across all 50 States, territories, outlying areas, and the District of Columbia, as of October 1, 2013.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/the-ccdf-policies-database-book-of-tables-key-cross-state-variations-in-ccdf-policies-as-of-october-1-2013
National Meeting Resources
January Reauthorization Meeting
Spring Cross-Regional Meetings
