DFCS

Contractor is to provide Early Childhood Leadership Training, which includes: 1.) Taking Charge of Change Leadership Training for child care center administrators, 2.) Technology Training for child care center administrators and 3.) Family Child Care Management Institute which brings family child care providers together for training with a focus on best business practices for operating a quality family child care program. Training topics are determined based on feedback from conducting a needs assessment of home providers. Contractor is to conduct on-site assessments at the Silver and Gold levels of the quality rating & improvement system- ExceleRate Illinois. ExceleRate Illinois is comprised of Circles of Quality (Licensed, Bronze, Silver & Gold). There are multiple assessment tools used to assess the classroom quality & business practices of family child care homes and center-based early care and education programs. These include: a. Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS)- designed to assess family child care homes serving children infancy through school-age; b. Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS)- designed to assess classrooms with children from birth to 2 ½ years of age; c. Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)- designed to assess classrooms with children from 2 ½ to 5 years of age; d. School Age Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) - designed to measure the quality of learning environments and teaching practices in classrooms for children 5 to 12. *Each Environment Rating Scales (ERS) tool looks at over 30 items such as Space and Furnishings, Activities, Interaction, Program Structure, Parents and Staff, etc. e. Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is a tool that will be used in center based programs to measure teacher-child interactions and overall program quality across multiple domains including Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. f. Program Administration Scale (PAS) - used to measure early childhood leadership & business practices in center based programs. PAS measures items such as Center Operations, Fiscal Management, Family Partnerships, Marketing and Public Relations, Technology. g. Business Administration Scale (BAS) - used to measure and improve the overall business practices in family child care settings. BAS measures items such as Income & Benefits, Fiscal Management, Record keeping, Parent-Provider Communication, Community Resources, Marketing & Public Relations. As requested by DHS, contractor will offer training on PAS and BAS to providers during the contract year (July-June). Contractor is also responsible for providing extensive training to the Quality Specialists and Infant Toddler Specialists of the statewide Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) system on ERS, PAS, and BAS as well covering topics such as continuous quality improvement, and the ExceleRate verification process. Contractor will provide ongoing technical assistance to CCR&R staff related to all the Scales. Early Childhood Leadership Training I. Management and Leadership Training for Program Administrators A. Develop, maintain and implement a training institute for a minimum of 20 administrators of center based programs. Priority is given to administrators whose programs serve 25% or more IDHS funded children B. Provide an eight-day intensive leadership and management training institute during the contract year on topics such as: Individual and organizational change; Reflective practice; Leadership styles; Continuous quality improvement; Making data-driven decisions. C. Participants will complete self-assessment of their center using the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES) and then implement a Continuous Quality Improvement Plan (CQIP). Participants receive a small quality enhancement grant to purchase specific CQIP items approved by the contractor. II. Technology Training for Center-Based Program Directors A. Develop, maintain and implement technology training modules for a minimum of 30 administrators of child care centers. Priority is given to administrators whose programs serve 25% or more IDHS funded children. B. Provide three full-day workshops (2 in northern IL; 1 in central/southern) where participants receive 6 hours of instruction and follow-up technical assistance online. Topics could include digital marketing, presentation graphics and digital photography. Each workshop will include seven to eight administrators. III. Family Child Care Institute A. Develop and implement 3 community based training institutes (2 in northern IL; 1 in central/southern IL) for a minimum of 20 family child care home providers. Priority is given to administrators whose programs serve 25% or more IDHS funded children. Topics may include: using assessment tools to improve business practices, family child care accreditation, business management, and marketing. B. Participants complete a Training Needs Assessment before and after the training institute. At completion, participants draft a CQIP applying the skills and knowledge learned during the institute. IV. Technical Assistance Supports A. Plan, survey, analyze data, write, design and distribute a research newsletter 3 times per year to over 14,000 center based administrators and higher education instructors. Information will be related to current issues in the field. B. Design and maintain an interactive web-based resource library to build on the information shared in each newsletter, targeted to center-based administrators. 20 new resources will be added in the contract year (July-June). Electronic notification of the library resources will reach over 14,000 professionals. Quality Rating & Improvement System- ExceleRate Illinois I. Implement and maintain a quality rating assessment program for Illinois licensed child care centers and homes for ExceleRate Illinois per IDHS approval, with direction and input from the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (OECD). A. Within 2 weeks of receiving eligible program information from ExceleRate administrative entity, contact provider and schedule on-site verification visit. B. Conduct on-site assessments to licensed child care center based programs and licensed family child care providers that have applied for the Silver or Gold Circle of Quality. a. Classroom assessment will be conducted using Environment Rating Scales (ERS). In centers, a minimum of one assessment per age group in care will occur using the appropriate assessment tool. Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is an available option to assess children ages 3-5 in centers. b. Program Administration Scale (PAS) for child care centers & Business Administration Scale (BAS) for family child care providers will be used to assess leadership & business practices. c. On-site visit may also include documentation review and verification of several additional ExceleRate Illinois program standards. C. Upon completion of on-site assessment, an electronic report will be developed including the score(s) received and whether the additional ExceleRate Illinois verification items were met or not met, if necessary. D. As assessments are completed, transfer site visit reports of completed assessments to ExceleRate administrative entity for processing of final ExceleRate Illinois eligibility determination. E. Contractor will work to accomplish a goal of 85% or higher inter-rater reliability for each assessment instrument. F. In coordination with ExceleRate administrative entity (and DHS & the Governor’s OECD as needed) respond timely to appeals of programs that have applied for the Gold Circle of Quality. G. Develop and maintain technical assistance sheets regarding program assessment for providers. H. Provide on-going training to CCR&R staff responsible for technical assistance, consultation and verification. I. Provide PAS and BAS training, as needed, for center and home providers working in collaboration with IDHS and local CCR&Rs.

Social Security Act, as amended, Title IV, Section 418.42, 42 US Code 618 Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, as amended (42 USC 9857,et seq) American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2)

20ILCS505/5.15c 305ILCS5 Article 9

Title 89:ChapterIV:Subchapter a: Part 50

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11/3/2021

FY 2019 : $1,784,700