During PDG-I in 2019, the team supported peer learning and leadership capacity building among tribal communities to build targeted support for an equitable and culturally relevant quality support system. During PDG-R, the team increased the support and capacity for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers; family child care providers; and home-visiting providers to provide quality care for underserved populations. PDG-P funding allowed continuation of efforts begun with PDG-R funding in 2023.
Activity 5: Improve Overall Quality and Service Integration (PDG-R)
Category: Infrastructure
Status: Complete
The PDG team increased the support and capacity for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers; family child care providers; and home-visiting providers to provide quality care for underserved populations, particularly infants and toddlers and low-income children and families living in rural and isolated communities and/or experiencing trauma stemming from homelessness, disasters, or other sources.
Activities included the following:
- Building capacity of local Quality Counts California consortia to assist caregivers and providers
- Improving early learning and care (ELC) workforce capacity to serve children with or at risk for developmental delays, children with challenging behaviors, and those who have experienced trauma
- Aligning quality standards across ELC programs and settings
- Expanding state and tribal partnerships to support high-quality ELC services for tribal families and their children
Start Date: 2/3/2020
End Date: 12/31/23
Partners:
- California Department of Education (CDE)
- WestEd
Activity 5a: Expand Local Quality Counts California Consortia to Build Early Learning and Care and Home-Visiting Capacity (PDG-R)
Category: Families
Status: Complete
In partnership with California Health and Human Services, the California Department of Education utilized PDG-R funding to increase the support and capacity for family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers; family child care providers; and home-visiting providers to provide quality care for underserved populations, particularly infants and toddlers and low-income children and families living in rural and isolated communities and/or experiencing trauma stemming from homelessness, disasters, or other sources.
This project was implemented through increased allocations, or subgrants, to the local Quality Counts California (QCC) consortia throughout the state. In developing their plans for more effectively supporting family child care providers, FFN providers, and home visitors, the consortia ensured that these providers were equipped with tools such as adverse childhood experience screenings, early childhood mental health consultation, and other trauma-informed care supports. Additionally, the consortia planned for ensuring smooth transitions from early learning and care to TK–12 to address the needs of children and families eligible for but not serviced by existing programs.
Start Date: 7/1/2020
End Date: 12/31/23
Last Updates:
Through PDG-R funds, the California Department of Education was able to support 49 unique counties and consortia in the mission to improve quality and increase support to all types of child care providers. In December 2022, 19 grantees closed out their grant.
Of the 19 grantees who closed out, 44 percent used PDG-R funding to support local parent cafés. A resounding 50 percent of grantees held trauma-informed care training with PDG-R funds, and 75 percent of grantees used PDG-R funding for literacy activities.
Many grantees used PDG-R funding to provide incentives for community providers to participate in quality activities, which often include monetary incentives, program material, or books for their program. Many of the grantees (75 percent) provided incentives to family, friend, and neighbor providers; 63 percent of grantees provided incentives to family child care providers; and 44 percent of grantees provided incentives to home visitors.
As the grant came to a close in 2023, 30 unique grantees had plans to continue their activities.
Partners:
- California Department of Education (CDE)
Activity 5b: Expand Partnership with Tribal Child Care Association of California (PDG-R)
Category: Families
Status: Complete
The PDG-R team created a training and technical assistance plan to improve the quality of interactions in tribal child care.
The team aligned systems to improve trainings from tribal early learning and care to school districts as well as work with the Child Care Resource Center to revise parent café materials and curricula to support tribal parents and ensure tribal cultural relevance.
Start Date: 7/1/2020
End Date: 12/31/23
Last Updates:
The Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC) has made great strides during the PDG-R period. Its Workforce Pathways project has been successful in supporting teachers and staff in tribal child care communities with culturally responsive and respectful professional development and resources.
Additionally, TCCAC has gained a full board of directors and achieved nonprofit status as an organization. The California Department of Education is working closely with TCCAC and looks forward to engaging with TCCAC as it plans and implements a tribal quality improvement system focused on data collection and continuous quality improvement in tribal child care throughout California.
Partners:
- California Department of Education (CDE)
- Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC)
Activity 5c: Expand the California Infant and Early Childhood Consultation (IECMHC) Network (PDG-R)
Category: Providers
Status: Complete
WestEd initiated planning and development in preparation for the delivery of the Reflective Practice and Supervision Training series.
Start Date: 7/1/2020
End Date: 12/31/23
Last Updates:
The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network undertook a variety of activities to expand its reach to support more early learning and care providers in addressing the early mental health and behavioral needs of their students and children:
- Recruitment for the Reflective Practice and Supervision Training through the Infant Development Association of California and the State Interagency Coordination Council on Early Intervention
- Facilitation of four groups of monthly community of practice cohorts
- Facilitation of sessions on the application process for the International Certificate of Core Competency in Reflective Practice and Supervision with 42 applicants
- Distribution of resource materials for cohort participants
- Follow up with all cohort participants to ensure successful completion and needed technical assistance
Partners:
Activity 5d: Redesign Systems for Quality Improvement, Quality Assurance, and System Equity (PDG-R)
Category: Infrastructure
Status: Complete
The California Department of Education (CDE) redesigned the state’s quality assurance protocols and implemented a multiyear competitive process to ensure accountability and opportunities for continuous improvement.
The CDE also streamlined the state’s quality infrastructure and investments, including Quality Counts California (QCC), and adopted best practices to focus on elements of quality that affect child outcomes.
Start Date: 7/1/2020
End Date: 12/31/23
Last Updates:
The CDE has worked in tandem with state partners to align state agency grants for the upcoming 2023–24 fiscal year. The request for applications for the California State Preschool Program Quality Rating and Improvement System Block Grant was released in spring 2023. The CDE, the California Department of Social Services, and First 5 California have been quality partners in the redesign and streamlining process to ensure all programs are supported by QCC.
As this high-level transformative work moves forward to co-create a quality system that recognizes culture, equity, diversity, and belonging, the CDE is committed to focusing on the elements of quality that ensure accountability and provide opportunities for continuous quality improvement through multitiered systems of support.
Partners:
- California Department of Education (CDE)