Last month we shared with you information about our newest module, National Data System (NDS) Web Services, which includes new API data integration functionality. This new tool is part of our goal to support child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) and governments in carrying out work around the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), including providing tools to help NDS users seamlessly integrate data with the new childcare.gov website included in CCDBG. To learn more about the NDS Web Services module, contact our helpdesk at ndshelpdesk@usa.childcareaware.org for an orientation.
Even before CCDBG was signed in 2014, many state leaders and CCR&R staff were driven to go above and beyond to provide exceptional resources for families. This is probably not a surprise to many of you who were included in that population of state leaders and CCR&R trailblazers. One of the many ways states have and continue to push the limits is by implementing processes for families to offer more direct and seamless access to child care inspection and complaint histories within their online child care search tools.
Now that the ink has dried on CCDBG, all states will need to focus on implementation. During an upcoming NDS lunch and learn webinar, the NDS team will highlight three ways NDS licensees and their partners can integrate child care referral data and licensing data within a single child care search. The presentation will focus on the unique technical aspects of implementations in Minnesota, Indiana, and Washington state. Following the webinar, attendees will have an enhanced technology vocabulary and understanding of the capabilities that are available to you as an NDS user.
The recommended audience for this webinar includes staff responsible for managing an agency’s NDS Online Referral Module (ORM) profiles, those tasked with implementing other local and statewide child care searches, CCR&R staff responsible for communication with state administrators and their staff about data, and anyone passionate about helping families make more informed child care decisions who is open to expanding their knowledge of how technology can help achieve this outcome.
This session is offered exclusively to NDS licensees and their state government funders. If you are not an NDS licensee but would like to learn more about these projects, please contact our NDS Help Desk at ndshelpdesk@usa.childcareaware.org.