Everything You Need to Know about the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

Everything You Need to Know about the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)

On March 23, Congress passed the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill which included a $2.4 billion increase for CCDBG— the largest in the history.

Child care resource and referral (CCR&Rs) agencies are uniquely positioned to influence their respective state’s child care preprint plan. Per the Office of Child Care (OCC), those preprint plans are due on August 31. A lot of work goes into developing a preprint plan for each state, which is why Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) offers complimentary training assistance and resources to help CCR&R’s improve their implementation expertise. Whether you are directly responsible for writing your state’s plan or desire to use your organization’s expertise and systems to influence and implement the plan, CCAOA is your go-to resource for all-things CCDBG. 

CCDBG Background 

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance for families and funds child care quality initiatives. CCDBG is administered to states in formula block grants. States use the grants to subsidize child care for low-income working families. CCDBG also funds Child Care Resource and Referral services and quality projects for infants and toddlers.

In February 2018, Congressional leaders and the White House reached an agreement to authorize $300 billion through September 30, 2019. Of this, the agreement included $5.8 billion in in new discretionary funding for CCDBG. On March 23, Congress passed the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill which included a historic increase of $2.4 billion.

On Friday, June 8, 2018, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published the final State/Territory Child Care and Development Fund Plan Preprint for FY 2019-2021. As result of the delay in releasing this, ACF has extended the plan submission deadline to August 31, 2018. In the final guidance, ACF encourages states to use the recent funding increase towards activities that will help one’s state comply with the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2014.

In the coming weeks, ACF will issue more information on the submission process. We will continue to provide resources, including direct staff consultations, to assist you in working with your state administrators on finalizing the FY 2019-2021 Preprint.

What's the difference between CCDBG and CCDF?

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) authorized the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which is administered by states, territories, and tribes. States use CCDF to provide financial assistance to low-income families to access child care so they can work or attend a job training or educational program. States can also use CCDF dollars to invest in improving quality through teacher workforce, supporting child care programs to achieve higher standards, and providing consumer education to help parents select child care that meets their families’ needs. 

 How CCAoA Can Help CCR&Rs with CCDBG

Getting a seat at the table to influence your state’s plans starts with enhancing and updating your CCDBG implementation expertise. CCAoA offers free resources and complimentary 1-on-1 technical assistance sessions to help CCR&Rs deepen their impact and secure funding. Our experts can talk you through how the CCDBG affects areas like:

• Advocacy
• Consumer Education & Engagement
• Disaster Preparedness & Relief
• Federal Policy
• Health & Safety
• National Technical Assistance
• Research & Mapping
• Professional Development & QRIS TA

Because of both its internal programming and its national network of state and local CCR&Rs, CCAoA is uniquely positioned to increase the effectiveness by which states invest new CCDF funds and implement CCDBG in 2018. Only CCAoA has:

• National, grassroots, community-based AND statewide infrastructure working directly with all players in the early childhood system (parents, child care providers, community partners & policy makers/funders) 
• Access to real-time information and insights into a uniform set of topics, including CCDBG focus areas such as recruitment and retention, professional development, QRIS, and disaster planning
• Research initiatives, fueled by CCR&R contributions, providing quick access to national overview data, individualized state and local data for public policy and implementation tracking purposes
• Access to a diversity of voices representing all possible populations of families and child care providers from every corner of the country documenting real life impacts of policies and funding
• A pulse on innovative approaches to service delivery generated by community-based needs

Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) Pre-Print Resources

Below are resources based on each of the eight categories that ACF uses to determine state compliance with the requirements of the law and rule. If you don’t see a resource that you need, please reach out to one of our experts.

Define CCDF Leadership and Coordination With Relevant Systems 

• Webinar: Defining the Role of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies in Disaster: A National Conversation 
  CCR&Rs know the landscape of child care. Through presentations from CCR&R staff, we've explored the various roles that CCR&Rs can play before, during, and after a disaster.
    
• Disaster Response Webinar Series 
  This webinar series introduced CCR&Rs to partnering organizations who serve in a response/recovery capacity and provided an overview of resources available to children and families.  
  
  
• State Spotlights & CCDF Plan Summaries 
  In Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities, Child Care Aware® of America is working with six state teams to examine opportunities to enhance standards around healthy, active living. Learn more about the six partner states with these state spotlights and see how they’re including health and wellness in their state CCDF plans.
   
• Recommended Language for CCDF State Plans to Support Creating Healthier Child Care Environments 

• Ignite the Future Initiative at CCAoA – Education on the CCR&R system 
  • What is a CCR&R? 
  • State CCR&R Network Model 
    

Promote Family Engagement Through Outreach and Consumer Education 

• Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities Consumer Education Tip Sheet

• Building Effective Websites That Meet CCDF Requirements Webinar  
  This webinar was hosted by the Office of Child Care (OCC) and the Child Care State Capacity Building Center (SCBC). The purpose was to help CCR&Rs explore strategies for meeting Child Care and Development Fund website requirements 
   
• Consumer Education Websites: Creating a Family-Friendly Experience 
  This guide offers research-based information that agencies and organizations can use to create or enhance a family-friendly consumer education website.  
   
• Consumer Education and Engagement Page 
            
•  The Consumer Education and Engagement Social Media Guide 

• The Consumer Education and Engagement SMART Suite  

• Consumer Education and Engagement Under CCDBG/CCDF

• Community Perspectives on Child Care (coming soon)

Provide Stable Child Care Financial Assistance to Families 

• Paying for Child Care (CCA) and Budgeting for Child Care 
  This is a helpful tool for how parents budget for child care but also options for financial assistance programs. Some of these may be programs you can tap into 
• Serving Young Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness 
  Early childhood and school-age care and education professionals are a critical and valuable resource in the lives of young children and their families; especially during moments of hardships. Here's what you can do. 
  
  

Ensure Equal Access to Child Care for Low-Income Children  

• Parents and the High Cost of Care Report 
  Our 2017 report examines the unaffordability of child care for families across the country. We also discuss our policy recommendations for supporting families and child care providers. Use this as a tool to help determine the need in your area. 
  
  
• Millennial Map 
  Explore the story map below to learn more about the issues facing millennial parents, as well as a look at the affordability of full-time center-based care for an infant and of full-time center-based care for two children. 
  
  
• Mapping the Gap 
  Child Care Aware® of America partners directly with state child care leaders, using GIS technology, to share their unique stories via customized state story maps. Use these maps to determine how you can help your area gain equal access to child care for all. The is a great supply and demand tool for CCR&Rs.

• Applying an Equity Lens to the Child Care Setting

Establish Standards and Monitoring Processes To Ensure the Health and Safety of Child Care Settings 

• New Program Instruction on Background Checks  
  In October 2017, the Administration and Families (ACF) published a guidance updating the requirements on background checks mandated under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014.  
  
  
• Required background checks (CCA) 
  What Are the Federal and State Background Check Requirements? Find out here. 
   
• Nutrition Guidelines  
  Nutrition guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for healthy meals and snacks in child care. 
   
• Getting Your Business Licensed (CCA) 
  What is child care licensing? What is covered? And How can child care providers get one? 
   
• Licensing Database 
  The Child Care State Licensing Database was developed for policy makers, child care advocates, and providers interested in aligning state child care licensing requirements with Caring for Our Children Basics guidelines. This resource offers a state-by-state overview of ratings. 
   
• Suspension and Expulsion 
  This document provides research and materials on reducing the expulsion of young children in early childhood programs and examples of state efforts that can guide decision-making about expulsion policy decisions.  
    

Recruit and Retain a Qualified and Effective Child Care Workforce 

• Webinar about Power to the Profession 
  This webinar provides overall information on Power to the Profession and the importance of CCR&Rs providing input on each of the cycles, in particular cycles 3, 4, and 5. CCAoA is proud to partner with Child Care Answers, a local Indiana CCR&R agency,  to highlight how CCR&R agencies can be a leading participate in the Power to the Profession process to prepare for the evolving profession. Register here for our webinar, July 10 AT 2:30pm ET.
  
  
• Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education 
  The report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) explores how to finance quality early care and education (ECE) systems so that it is accessible to all families in all settings. This is a helpful resource in how you can retain an effective work force and educate the community on its importance. 
  
  
• Recruitment and Retention - Head Start 
  It can be a challenge to recruit and retain highly qualified professionals in early childhood education. In this resource, find examples of state systems and policies that help support recruiting and retaining a highly-qualified workforce. Also, learn strategies for data collection on staff turnover. 

• Early Care and Education Coaching 
  In this brief, learn more about the coaching landscape across the country. Also, find strategies and resources to promote systemic coaching approaches for state, territory, or regional considerations.  

• Paths to a Healthier Child Care Workforce Social Media Toolkit  
   

Support Continuous Quality Improvement 

• QRIS Resource Guide (NCEQA) 
  The QRIS Resource Guide is intended as a tool for states and communities to explore key issues and decision points during the planning and implementation of a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).  
  
  
• Engaging Family Child Care Providers in Quality Improvement Systems 
  These documents address promising strategies that states, territories, and tribes can use to improve quality of care, engage providers, and sustain provider participation in regulatory systems and quality improvement initiatives.  

• Family Engagement in QRIS 
  Family engagement is integral to quality child care and improved child and family outcomes. This project explores the state of family engagement in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS); identifies and defines key family engagement features and indicators from best-practice models and research; and recommends their incorporation into statewide early care and education quality improvement systems and provider practices.  
  
  
• Health Opportunities in CCDBG

Ensure Grantee Program Integrity and Accountability 

Policies and Procedures (CCA) 
Your policies and procedures will include a number of important topics. Some will be larger and overarching and others may seem less significant. All of these items, however large or small, are important to think about and establish ahead of time so that your business may run smoothly and all parties, from employees to families, know what to expect. 

Get Connected with Our Experts

Didn’t see what you needed in the above resources? Now through the end of August, you can make an appointment with our subject matter experts who will help you dig into the specifics.