Short Description
Contractor is to provide services for 1) statewide quality improvement and workforce professional development programs for child care providers and practitioners, 2) supports the work of IDHS contracted child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs), 3) develops maintains, enhances and supports data systems that track comprehensive data related to #1 and #2, and 4) produces the Illinois Salary and Staffing Survey of Licensed Child Care Facilities and the Market Rate Survey of Licensed Child Care Programs In Illinois.
CCR&R agencies are permanent, local, adaptable structures through which public and private groups can work together to enhance the accessibility, improve the quality, and increase the availability of affordable child care.
For parents/guardians and families, CCR&Rs offer the information on options, quality indicators, and costs necessary to make informed child care choices. They also offer information, and provide eligibility determination and provider reimbursement for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
For child care providers, CCR&Rs offer opportunities to receive technical assistance, training and consultation to enter the field and provide ongoing quality care.
For communities and for the State, CCR&Rs provide the data on supply and demand necessary to make sound decisions on child care policy. CCR&Rs work with regional and local early childhood collaborations to improve services accessibility for families.
Contractor supports and assists IDHS in coordinating the work of the regional CCR&Rs. Contractor coordinates and provides professional development opportunities for local CCR&R staff specific to contracted IDHS services. Contractor develops, maintains and supports local CCR&Rs with the use of data systems that track comprehensive data on child care supply and demand, child care provider professional development and program improvement. Contractor also administers statewide professional and workforce development programs for child care programs and practitioners.
I. Develop, implement and maintain the Illinois Trainer’s Network (ITN) trainer of trainers program which offers/conducts training sessions and series for specific curricula. Train center and family home practitioners statewide.
A. Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) Contractor will provide training and technical assistance for trainers accepted into the program. Trainers must meet qualifications as established by IDHS & Contractor.
1. Recruit and train trainers as needed statewide or regionally.
2. ITN will sponsor train-the-trainer seminars, skill-building trainings, and meetings for qualified applicants of the program as needed.
3. Provide materials for supported curricula.
4. Provide evaluation of trainers.
B. ITN Contractor will support the delivery of trainings throughout the State of Illinois in coordination with the CCR&Rs.
1. Trainings on various ITN curricula will be held statewide for child care providers.
2. The trainings offered statewide will also be offered online to child care providers unless copyright or other restrictions exist on training content.
3. Curricula offered will include:
a. Program curriculum for infants and toddlers
b. Program curriculum for preschoolers (age 3-5 years)
c. Program curriculum for family child care
d. Foundations of Family Child Care
e. PITC Infant and Toddler series
f. Welcoming Each and Every Child
g. NAFCC Accreditation
h. Early Childhood Developmental Screening
i. Environment Rating Scales (ERS) training and Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale trainings
j. Early Care and Education, and School Age and Youth Development Level 1 Credential Training series
k. Illinois Early Learning Guidelines and Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards
l. ExceleRate Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) required trainings not listed in a. – k.
4. A standardized evaluation form will be completed by participants. Results will be used to inform future training content and delivery.
5. Ensure provision of training completion certificates and credentials to participants
II. Develop, implement and maintain CCR&R Network Development programs for staff of the Illinois CCR&R Statewide System.
A. Working with IDHS, offer/conduct CCR&R Network Development training and professional development opportunities annually for approximately 800 statewide System staff to include:
1. Offer a minimum of one training day or webinar/conference call training per group in coordination with DHS staff: CCAP Staff; CCAP Coordinators; Training Coordinators; Resource Development Coordinators; Parent Counselors/Parent Services Coordinators; Quality Specialists; Infant Toddler Child Care Specialists, Community System Development staff.
a. Working with QRIS Assessment Entity, coordinate training for Quality Specialists, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialists, and other CCR&R staff as needed, specific to program improvement and consultation.
2. Provide a minimum of 3 meeting events for the CCR&R System. Each event includes meeting day for CCR&R System Committees and meeting day for CCR&R System Administrators.
3. Administer annual training needs assessment. Use results to inform future training delivery and content.
4. Promote and provide technical instruction for use of IDHS approved online training modules for CCR&R staff orientation, CCAP and Quality services. Track CCR&R staff completion of modules. Working with IDHS, create new and revise existing modules when needed.
5. Provide online CCR&R new staff orientation module. Offer face-to-face CCR&R new staff orientation a minimum of 2 times per fiscal year.
6. Management/leadership training will be offered.
7. Based on need, offer/provide training on poverty simulation with customer service, customer services and diversity training, and/or training related to the care of children with special needs.
8. Based on need, develop, offer/provide training on relevant and best practices including continuous quality improvement and community systems development.
9. Administer distribution of CCR&R Staff Development Funds for 16 regional CCR&Rs including application processing for eligible training or formal education requests and verification of required documentation. Any approved travel must be in the State of Illinois.
10. Ensure data tracking and reporting of CCR&R staff participation.
III. Develop, implement and maintain the operation of Gateways to Opportunity Scholarship Program, Great START (Strategy to Attract and Retain Teachers) Wage Supplement Program (per legislation and rule), Gateways Credentials Program (per legislation and rule),and Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), using policy and procedure approved by IDHS.
A. Determine eligibility for all applications. Review applications for completeness and accuracy. If any information or documentation is missing, contact applicant in writing requesting what is needed. Verify all eligibility requirements. Enter data into computer tracking system approved by IDHS.
B. Approve payment or certification/credential award for eligible applicants and notify ineligible applicants of denial.
C. Disposition of applications will occur no more than 15 working days from date of receipt (Approve, Deny or Request Additional Information).
D. Provide ongoing case management for eligible participants. Follow up with participants per policy for each program to secure redetermination applications and required documentation.
E. Disposition of redetermination applications will occur no more than 20 working days from the date of receipt.
F. With IDHS approval, Contractor will implement changes in policy, procedure, eligibility and program requirements to maximize participation with funding available.
G. Fund approximately 1000 Gateways scholarship participants.
H. Pay approximately 4000 Great START participants.
I. Administer QRIS certification for approximately 1400 child care providers.
IV. Develop, implement and maintain components of the Gateways to Opportunity Registry and Professional Development System
A. Accept and process Registry membership applications for practitioners in early childhood and school age care fields. Ensure and verify accuracy of data in the tracking system as approved by DHS. Implement procedures to obtain annual updates from practitioners.
B. Implement and maintain Registry database of approved trainers and training including application and document approval processes. Ensure periodic updating of information.
C. Registry will support a minimum of 100,000 members.
D. Implement and maintain Registry statewide online training calendar.
E. Facilitate education of the Gateways Career Lattice and Core Knowledge components to colleges and universities, encouraging and engaging their participation.
F. Facilitate face-to-face, webinar and conference call planning meetings for the Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC) and its subcommittees. A minimum of 3 PDAC Council meetings will be supported.
V. Develop, implement and maintain the Professional Development Advisor (PDA) program for individual child care practitioners to provide education and career advisement as approved by IDHS. Train PDAs and approve them to provide advisement. Advisement can be conducted face-to-face, by phone and email.
VI. Develop, implement and maintain Special Projects as contracted including:
A. Statewide Accreditation Mentoring Project to provide child care programs (centers and family homes) with consultation services to achieve national accreditation. Work in collaboration with the CCR&Rs.
B. Coordinate and conduct statewide child care research projects including:
1. The biennial Salary and Staffing Survey of Illinois Licensed Facilities. Collect survey and Gateways Registry data in the spring of odd numbered years; draft report to be delivered to IDHS in December of odd numbered years.
2. The Market Rate Survey of child care programs in Illinois, to be completed within 2 years of when each federal Child Care and Development Fund State Plan is due.
3. Conduct additional data analysis and reports as needed and requested by IDHS, including:
a. CCR&R service delivery area Salary and Staffing Survey profile reports, and
b. recalculation of CCAP rate percentiles when CCAP rates change.
VII. Develop, implement and facilitate the maintenance and use of computer systems that track data related to Illinois CCR&R System statewide and local programs. Design and produce various data reports.
Develop and maintain data collection and reporting systems for local CCR&R agencies and state aggregate data. Maintain statewide files for child care provider database, parent referral database, provider support activities database and individual practitioner database including NACCRRAware and the Data Tracking Program (DTP).
A. Provide ongoing technical support and training to statewide CCR&R staff and contractor staff on supported computer programs.
1. Ensure that phone and email support are available at least 90% of all business hours through the fiscal year when Contractor’s office is open.
2. Hold face-to-face, webinar or telephone conference trainings for CCR&R staff as needed.
3. Conduct on-site visits or webinar training to train new CCR&R staff and provide other needed technical assistance.
4. Coordinate/offer training on computer software, network and computer support to CCR&R staff on an as needed basis.
5. Provide on-site technical assistance and training support, and phone/email support to the CCR&Rs regarding network, internet, software and hardware as needed.
6. Provide DTP technical assistance, support and training on data systems to IDHS contracted and subcontracted Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant Program staff.
B. Work with statewide CCR&R staff to ensure accurate and timely data entry. Perform, at a minimum, quarterly data checks. Conduct regular and planned follow up with CCR&R staff to ensure correction of data input errors.
1. Work with IDHS and CCR&R committees/ad hoc work groups to ensure data definitions are consistent statewide and across data tracking systems.
C. Provide requested data to CCR&Rs, IDHS, communities, legislators, child care providers and others per data policies and procedures approved by IDHS.
D. As funding is available and approved by DHS, provide technology upgrades to CCR&R agencies to increase level of technology and efficiency including new equipment and upgrades necessary for the CCAP, replacement of computer work stations and monitors a minimum of 5 years old, upgrades to servers and to phone systems.
E. Develop, maintain, revise and enhance web-based system for online child care referrals and consumer education.
F. Develop, maintain, revise and enhance components for the Gateways, ExceleRate and contractor supported websites as needed and requested by IDHS.
G. Receive CCAP data downloads from IDHS. Use policies and procedures approved by IDHS for managing this data for the QRIS, providing requested data, tracking CCAP provider training and other activities as requested by IDHS.
1. The first week of each month, Contractor will receive an IDHS data file of CCAP providers
2. On the last business day of each month, a data report of eligible QRIS providers will be generated and sent of IDHS for payment processing of CCAP quality add-ons.
3. On the last business day of each month, a data report of QRIS recipient providers with a change in status (ie. move up a level/tier; become ineligible) will be generated and sent to IDHS.
VIII. Develop, implement and maintain educational outreach and promotional activities for statewide and local CCR&R System programs and initiatives. Analyze data to determine need for targeted outreach.
A. Develop, maintain a statewide toll free phone line and website for parents/guardians, child care providers and the general public. Both will connect customers to the local CCR&R agencies for child care related services, and to the IDHS website for child care assistance and other services.
B. Develop and distribute information and materials, website and social media messages, including brochures, flyers, newsletter pieces, applications, eligibility policies, etc. for contractor managed programs as approved by IDHS.
C. Promote and educate practitioners on statewide managed programs at state and regional conferences, at child care provider meetings and sites, and at college meetings and events.
D. Contract annually with the local CCR&Rs to promote Contractor managed statewide programs and to hold regional training/recognition events for participants of statewide managed programs.
E. Contractor shall have written policy and procedure for use of video/electronic equipment for the purposes of promotion, professional development and best practices. Policy must address prior written consent from anyone recorded (parent/guardian consent for children under the age of 18). Contractor must disclose to anyone recorded how the material will be used and not used.