Source: https://ccdf-fundamentals.icfcloud.com/welcome-fundamentals-ccdf-administration
Timestamp: 2019-02-19 16:50:32
Document Index: 754679514

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 8', 'art 9']

Welcome to the Fundamentals of CCDF Administration | Office of Child Care | Fundamentals of CCDF Administration
Welcome to the Fundamentals of CCDF Administration
Structure and Regions
Welcome to the Fundamentals of CCDF Administration Resource Guide. This guide reflects the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 and the CCDF final rule. The guide addresses the requirements of the new law and final rule, which can be complex and highly technical. The guide provides as much clarification as possible, especially for newer CCDF Administrators and Lead Agency Administrators. However, its focus is on describing the basics of the law rather than interpreting the legal language.
The CCDBG Act of 2014 specified dates when certain provisions were effective and allowed time to implement the new requirements:
Monitoring, including annual inspections of CCDF providers—became effective November 19, 2016
Posting results of monitoring and inspection reports— became effective November 19, 2017
Criminal background checks—became effective September 30, 2017 (further clarification provided in Section 6)
Where the Act did not specify a date, the statutory requirements became effective upon the date of enactment (November 19, 2014) and States had until September 30, 2016 to implement them
In September 2016, the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule based on the Act that provided additional details and clarification on the law’s requirements. Provisions of this final rule generally became effective on November 29, 2016, 60 days after the final rule’s publication in the Federal Register, except for the provisions with a delayed statutory effective date. States are expected to be in full compliance by October 1, 2018, which marks the beginning of the next triennial CCDF Plan period. In the meantime, states must comply with the Act itself based on a reasonable interpretation of the law.
The CCDF Fundamentals resource guide was created for CCDF Administrators, especially those who are new to their positions. CCDF Administrators, which is the term used throughout this document, are often referred to as State Administrators and Territory Administrators. In some states, the CCDF Administrator is responsible for all components of the CCDF program; in others, Co-administrators are designated or interdepartmental agreements are established with other agencies for key components such as licensing administration.
The contents are also applicable to administrators and fiscal staff of Lead Agencies who need a basic understanding of the implementation of the CCDBG Act of 2014.
Note: Separate resources are available to support the work of American Indian and Alaska Native CCDF grantees. These resources are available on the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance System website.
New CCDF Administrators as well as more seasoned CCDF Administrators will find the website helpful for the following:
Providing introductory or refresher training, including as part of an onboarding process for CCDF Administrators as well as for Lead Agency staff and administration as applicable
Providing introductory or refresher training, including as a part of an onboarding process for CCDF Administrators as well as for Lead Agency staff and administration as applicable
Training other Lead Agency staff; for example, quality, licensing, or subsidy staff
Working with the Office of Child Care regional office to receive new CCDF Administrator training—the Child Care State Systems Specialists may also support this type of training opportunity
Tracking CCDF implementation effective dates
Searching for information on a specific CCDF administration topic
Providing training with collaborative partners such as those in the State Advisory Council and agency staff in state departments of health, education, or the lead agency for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Organization of Content by Tiles
The tiles of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Fundamentals website are organized into broad areas of focus to support understanding the goals of the CCDF as well as implementation of the CCDBG Act of 2014.
Part 1. Introduction to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)
Provides an overview of the basics of CCDF administration including CCDF history and purposes, key statutory provisions, federal contacts and regional map, terms, and acronyms. Responsibilities of Lead Agencies and the New CCDF Administrator Checklist are included in this section.
Part 2. Define CCDF Leadership and Coordination with Relevant Systems
Includes information to support the management of the various components of CCDF-funded activities and requirements, as well as coordination with other public and private partners. Emergency preparedness is also covered in this section.
Part 3. Promote Family Engagement through Outreach and Consumer Education
Provides an overview of the requirements related to consumer and provider education information and interactions with parents to help them make the best child care choice for their families, including the requirement for a state consumer education website. Developmental assessments are included in this section.
Part 4. Provide Stable Child Care Financial Assistance to Families
Contains an overview of CCDF requirements to provide more stable child care financial assistance to families on their path to financial stability, including extending children’s eligibility for child care regardless of temporary changes in parents’ earnings and work, training, or school schedules. Eligibility, parent fees, and increasing access are outlined in this section.
Part 5. Ensure Equal Access to Child Care for Low-Income Children
Includes an overview of grants and contracts, market rate survey requirements, setting payment rates, and timely payments to providers.
Part 6. Establish Standards and Monitoring Processes to Ensure the Health and Safety of Child Care Settings
Contains information about licensing child care providers, including requirements, exemptions, and child-to-provider ratio and group size. This section includes information about monitoring, the child abuse reporting requirement, and criminal background checks. In addition, information is included about how families and providers can access the results of monitoring, inspections, and background checks.
Part 7. Recruit and Retain a Qualified and Effective Child Care Workforce
Describes requirements related to the professional development of the child care workforce and a discussion of early learning and development guidelines.
Part 8. Support Continuous Quality Improvement
Provides an overview of the requirements to improve the quality of child care services at the program level. Includes key elements of quality improvement, description of the funding requirements, and the options states and territories have for quality activities.
Part 9. Ensure Grantee Program Integrity and Accountability
Includes information about funding and the use of funds, required reporting, accountability and program integrity, and waivers.