ELAC members gather for last meeting under DEL

Members of the Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) gathered for their final meeting under the Department of Early Learning (DEL) earlier this month. The council discussed topics ranging from the new early learning facilities grant program to the July 1 transition to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

One of the meeting’s highlights was a discussion on the early learning facilities grant program. The program, administered by the Department of Commerce, will provide nearly $15 million in grants and loans for early learning facilities. These grants will reimburse child care providers for up to 75 percent of the total cost of capital projects. Grants can range from $10,000 to $800,000. Eligible providers include those who serve or intend to serve children through the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or Working Connections Child Care.

The meeting also touched on aspects of the DCYF transition. Members received an update on the new department’s outcome goals and measures, which will serve as the basis for the work of the new department. The goals will focus on the education, health and resilience of children, youth and families in Washington state. ELAC members encouraged the Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability to focus on prevention and strength-based resilience measures as they move forward.

Council members also began the task of streamlining the stakeholder advisory process. Both DEL and Children’s Administration, which is also joining DCYF on July 1, meet regularly with groups of stakeholders such as ELAC to get recommendations on policies and programs. Under DCYF, stakeholder groups will be combined, eliminated and added as necessary to establish a more effective advisory system.

“July 1 is just the start date,” said DEL Assistant Director Frank Ordway. “It’s really the beginning of the next chapter of work.”     

Also on the agenda were updates on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and the standards alignment process. ELAC members wished a fond farewell to departing member Peter Finch, assistant superintendent at the West Valley School District, who has been an active member on the council for two years.

“I really appreciate the lens you bring, Peter, to this table. Your passion and your energy are very evident when you talk about young children in early learning,” said ELAC Regional Advisor Enrica Hampton. “We’re going to miss you tremendously.”

Although he is leaving the group, Finch said he hopes to attend future meetings as a member of the public.

The next ELAC meeting will be held August 14 in Spokane. For updates on ELAC’s activities, visit https://del.wa.gov/partnerships/elac/meetings.

Parent Advisory Group gathers for April meeting

At the most recent Parent Advisory Group (PAG), the Department of Early Learning (DEL) sought input from its parent advisers about budget priorities and long-term early learning goals. The meeting was held April 4 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tukwila following the meeting of the Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) on April 3.

The day began with a discussion with Chris Stanley, DEL budget director. Stanley provided PAG members with an introduction to the budget process and sought input on DEL’s budget priorities. Parents praised DEL’s home visiting programs, Head Start and ECEAP programs, and parent engagement initiatives. They said they would like to see more funding to support behavioral health and provider training, for extended ECEAP services such as full-year, full-day, and extended-day services, and for subsidy rate increases, especially for infant and toddler care.

At lunch, Vickie Ybarra, director of the Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability at the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), discussed the early learning goals of the new department. DCYF will focus on three areas of child outcomes: education, health, and resilience. Ybarra sought ideas on specific goals and the measurement of those goals. PAG members emphasized the need to focus on reducing trauma and measuring family stability. Ybarra said she would return to the group at a future date to continue the conversation about DCYF’s goals and measurements.

PAG members also discussed the ELAC meeting the day before and heard from one member on her experience with the negotiated rulemaking process. The parents also participated in a focus group as part of DEL’s ongoing Parent Needs Assessment.

PAG members participated in a team-building exercise and closing questions before ending their day. They will reconvene for their next meeting this summer.

The next meeting may include some new faces: PAG is currently recruiting new members from across the state.

“This is such an opportunity for parents to engage,” said longtime PAG member Natasha Fecteau, who is also a member of ELAC.

For more information on the open PAG positions, visit the DEL website at: https://del.wa.gov/parents-family/parent-advisory-group.

The Parent Advisory Group serves as a sounding board for decisions, ideas and questions that shape the future of early learning in Washington. PAG is made up of parents and family caregivers of children in communities across Washington state. To find out more about PAG, visit http://del.wa.gov/parents-family/parent-advisory-group.

ELAC discusses future early learning investments, DCYF transition

Members of the Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) met for their second meeting of 2018 on April 3 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tukwila. The day-long meeting had a full agenda that included discussions on negotiated rulemaking, early learning policy development, and the transition to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

DEL Assistant Director Luba Bezborodnikova provided an update on the negotiated rulemaking process. The negotiated rule makers have reached consensus on 110 out of 116 sections of regulation and have received and reviewed more than 1,500 public comments as part of the process. ELAC members provided input on possible partnerships for trainings on the new licensing rules. Training and communication about the new rules will take place between August 2018 and August 2019, when the rules will go into effect.

Vickie Ybarra, director of DCYF’s Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability (OIAA), discussed the mission of OIAA, which is to develop and present a plan for DCYF to achieve the best possible results for Washington’s children and families. To do that, Ybarra’s six-member team is crafting stakeholder engagement plans to aid in the development of child outcome goals and measurements. ELAC members emphasized the need to measure behavioral and mental health and to consider new approaches to early learning and measurements of child outcomes.

ELAC members also provided their input on excerpts from the 2018 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan, which will be submitted to the federal government on July 1. The CCDF is the primary source of federal funding for Washington’s child care subsidies. DEL is required to draft plans and present them for public comment every three years.

Assistant Director Frank Ordway ended the day seeking input from ELAC on future early learning investments. Governor Jay Inslee requested proposals for increasing investments in the education of 3- and 4-year-olds in Washington state. DEL is working to put together a recommendation for Governor Inslee by June and sought initial input from ELAC. Ordway stressed his hope that ELAC play a large role in the development of policy recommendations for the governor.

“I am committed to public engagement, and it’s critical that we get your support,” Ordway said. “We need the support of the advocacy community and providers across the state.”

ELAC members offered some initial thoughts on early learning investments, including the need for better data and close collaboration with other state agencies. Some members also suggested greater investment in wrap-around services such as mental health and dental care. The topic will be on the agenda for further discussion at the next ELAC meeting.

Ordway and State Representative Tom Dent, an ELAC member, also took a moment to honor Representative Ruth Kagi, who announced she would not seek re-election this fall after serving 20 years in the state legislature. Kagi has been an advocate for children since her election to the House of Representatives in 1998 and served as chair of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee since 2002. Kagi co-sponsored the 2015 Early Start Act and the 2017 bill that established the new DCYF.

Representative Dent praised Kagi in remarks he made to ELAC members.

“It was a great experience for me and I’m personally going to miss her,” he said. “She was so open to my ideas.”

ELAC was created by the state legislature in 2007 to provide input and recommendations to DEL to ensure that the department’s strategies are well-informed and broadly supported. Meetings are held six times a year and are open to the public. The next meeting will be held June 5. To keep updated on meeting agendas and locations, visit: https://del.wa.gov/partnerships/elac/meetings.

ELAC discusses Market Rate Survey, DCYF proposals during February meeting

The Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) held its first meeting of 2018 on February 6. Using the K-20 Education Network, ELAC members participated via video conference from nine sites around the state.

The full-day meeting included updates on DEL’s Quality Practice and Professional Growth (QPPG) division, the 2018 Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) plan, the current legislative session, and the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

DEL Assistant Director Nicole Rose provided ELAC members with an update on the Market Rate Survey, which was made available to Washington providers in January. ELAC helped revise the survey for the current year and learned during the meeting how their feedback was implemented before the survey was released.

The council was also invited to participate in a webinar next month to review the Cost of Quality survey, which will be released this spring. This survey will help DEL better understand the operating costs of child care facilities.

The QPPG presentation included information on the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) expansion and on efforts to encourage inclusion of children with disabilities in early learning settings. The QPPG division is also working to address issues with provider professional development, including compensation, career pathways, and evaluations of the current workforce.

ELAC members received an update on the CCDF 3-year plan that will be submitted to the federal government by July 1, 2018. The plan will outline the state’s current child care subsidy programs, which are partially funded by federal CCDF grants. Once DEL has drafted a plan, the department will seek input from the community, including from ELAC, on the plan’s contents, repercussions, and changes from the previous plan.

DEL Director Heather Moss also discussed the proposed DCYF regional structure, which was adapted from a six-region map used by the Department of Social and Health Services. Council members expressed a desire to maintain sub-regional identities during the transition. DEL Assistant Director Frank Ordway described the proposed organizational structure for the new department.

The next ELAC meeting will be held April 3 in Tukwila. To keep updated on ELAC’s meetings, DEL's ELAC meeting page. 

ELAC holds final meeting of 2017

The Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) held its final meeting of the year on December 5 in Seattle. Regional Advisor Enrica Hampton set an uplifting tone for the meeting by asking attendees what they are looking forward to most with the transition to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Responses varied, but a reoccurring theme is that many are hopeful about the positive change the transition will bring for families and children.

“What I really appreciate about this transition is that the family is core and central. Research is showing children and families need to be the focal point and I am glad that Washington State agencies are responding to that research appropriately,” said Catherine Duffy, the Developmental Disabilities Community representative.

The meeting progressed with an agenda providing the opportunity for the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to update attendees on topics such as the Early Start Act (ESA) Report, Market Rate and Cost of Quality surveys, regionalization, and general department updates.

Vickie Ybarra, Research Director of DCYF, gave an update about the ESA report and shared how she and her team are using research and data to better understand the various factors that are impacting children, families, and providers in regards to childcare. Some factors that directly link to a shortage in family home providers was the potential impact of Early Achievers requirements, providers retiring, and providers exiting because their child has phased out of the system. 

DEL Director Heather Moss responded to the decline of family home care. “We have not seen a decrease in children served, but a decrease in family home care. Not a decrease in care, but in choice of care.”

Following the ESA report, attendees had the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the Market Rate and Cost of Quality surveys. Although DEL is only required to send out the Market Rate survey, Director Moss highlighted that by providing both surveys, “It will allow us to quantify what the market is bearing, versus what providers are charging and allows comparison for subsidy rate and how we identify them in the future and the costs associated with licensing and regulatory changes.”

With a goal of having a 75 percent response rate, members of ELAC stepped up to say they would commit to helping DEL by sharing information about the survey with providers in their area. 

Director Moss gave a brief overview of possible DCYF Regional Structures and asked attendees how they would like to be involved in conversations about regions. With a final decision being made by the end of December many attendees voiced ideas and recommendations such as ensuring that tribal nations stay intact and perhaps following a structure similar to the Educational Service Districts.

Following lunch, DEL Assistant Director Frank Ordway took questions and touched briefly on general DEL updates regarding the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program Expansion Think Tank, Early Childhood Education Workforce Council, Attendance Project, and Negotiated Rule Making. 

To conclude the meeting, attendees were asked about the development of a reflection report that would highlight all of the work done by ELAC in 2017. The hope is to develop a report that not only captures the accomplishments of the group, but can be shared with those outside of ELAC.

Indian Policy Early Learning members discuss upcoming transition, DEL programs

The Indian Policy Early Learning (IPEL) advisory group met for their most recent meeting on November 16, 2017 to provide input on upcoming changes to early learning in Washington. The meeting, hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe at the Little Creek Casino and Resort, was attended by representatives from 23 of Washington’s 29 federally recognized tribes and 16 elected tribal leaders.

The meeting began with a joint discussion with the Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) Indian Policy Advisory Committee (IPAC) about future changes at DEL. Notably, the two committees discussed the transition to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which DEL will join next summer. Children’s Administration, which is currently a part of DSHS, will also become part of the new department.

DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter engaged with IPAC and IPEL members in a discussion about how DCYF and Washington’s tribes will work together moving forward. Secretary Hunter acknowledged that government policies have had a disproportionate and negative impact on children of color, and particularly tribal children.

“We can’t do this without partnerships with the tribes,” he said of the transition.

Tribal representatives expressed a hope to see a deeper understanding from DCYF of what tribal sovereignty is and how tribal governments function. Some also sought stronger government-to-government relations, in part through the hiring of staff members at DCYF who understand and have empathy for tribal communities and children.

With the new DCYF, “we have an opportunity to create a durable working relationship” with the tribes, Secretary Hunter said.

After the joint DCYF discussion, IPEL members remained to conduct their regular meeting. They heard updates from several DEL programs and offered input on proposals from DEL staff. Some of these programs seek to work collaboratively with tribal nations through the hiring of people to work specifically with tribal communities.

Washington’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), which offers free early learning programs to low-income families across the state, hopes to expand access to the program to more tribal communities. Currently, ECEAP serves 225 tribal children in 8 programs. Through the creation of an IPEL workgroup, DEL hopes to build an ECEAP program that works for more tribal families.

The tribes’ input was also sought on how to do consultation for an upcoming deadline for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), a federal and state partnership program that funds child care programs for low-income families.

The next IPEL meeting has not been scheduled but will take place in early 2018. To keep up to date on IPEL activities, visit DEL’s Tribal Nations webpage. Contact DEL Tribal Liaison Tleena Ives at tleena.ives@del.wa.gov to be added to the IPEL e-mail list.

How DEL manages and maintains records

Lately, there have been a number of records issues in both the state and national news. Elected and appointed officials have received attention for everything from failing to disclose records to poor records management policies and procedures.

The Department of Early Learning takes document management very seriously and works hard to ensure that our records are well maintained. There are a number of ways to make sure that our records are kept in a manner consistent with the guidelines set forth in RCW 40.14. The office of the Secretary of State gives state and local agencies guidelines on proper record keeping as well.

There are two ways in which records are classified: the first way is through the State Government Records Retention Schedule – Version 6.0, which classifies a number of commonly used records that span throughout the entire state government. The second is through agency-specific retention schedules. Depending on the type of record, DEL maintains records for between 6 months and 25 years before destroying them. Records Retention Schedules for the State of Washington are held on the Washington Secretary of State website. 

One way records are maintained by the state is the State Records Center, which is operated of the Office of the Secretary of State. To find more information on the State Records Center please visit the Secretary of State's website. 

Another way the agencies’ records are kept is via in-house file cabinets and internal electronic records management systems. We are currently undergoing a large records management project in which we are working to move as many records to the State Records Center as is possible. This is in anticipation of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) merger between DEL and certain offices of DSHS per HB 1661.

In the upcoming months, DEL will work with our counterparts at DSHS to ensure that all records and retention schedules are seamlessly merged and transferred over to the new DCYF on July 1, 2018. 

ELAC's October meeting touches on DCYF, other topics

The Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) had a full agenda at its daylong October 3 meeting in SeaTac. The full room included ELAC’s newest members, state legislators, and visiting parents from the Department of Early Learning’s Parent Advisory Group.

One of the big questions on the table is how advisory councils like ELAC will evolve or change as DEL becomes the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Councilmembers provided feedback on the transition and what they envision for the future of early learning in Washington state. Many members stressed the importance of keeping early learning a focus of the new agency, while at the same time putting DEL’s collaborative culture to work for even more Washington families.

For DEL and for many ELAC members, the transition to DCYF represents an opportunity to build even more relationships with Washington communities.

“I think the legislature recognized that in order to have a system that truly supports children, youth, and families that the new department needs to be both informed by, directly partner with, and be held accountable by communities in the state, and in particular communities that have the greatest needs,” said Frank Ordway, DEL’s assistant director of communications and government relations. “It’s just an unbelievable opportunity to reset the relationship between the state government and communities within the state.”

In the coming months, DEL will continue to seek the input of advisory groups as it transitions into DCYF, both during meetings and through other stakeholder outreach in the near future.

Other highlights of the October ELAC meeting included:

• An update from the negotiated rulemaking team. This group of parents and providers is reviewing licensing regulations in an attempt to clarify, simplify, and remove redundancies in child care rules.
• A discussion on the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program and how to maintain continuous, uninterrupted services during the transition into DCYF. ELAC members stressed the importance of placing families’ needs front and center as part of the WCCC program moving forward.
• An initial discussion on ELAC members’ priorities for 2018.
• A panel of members of the Parent Advisory Group (PAG). Nine of the 18 parents in PAG attended the ELAC meeting and shared their views on choosing child care and on various types of childcare. They also answered questions from ELAC members.

One of those PAG members, Teneille Carpenter, was recently appointed to ELAC. She and her husband have been foster parents for 16 years, and 7 of their 9 children were adopted from Washington’s foster care system.

“Many of my children have come from trauma and have required special services,” Carpenter said. “In finding the services for my children, we have a lot of learning and growing to do as a family. It’s not intuitive and it’s not something we were prepared for from the beginning.”

Becoming a part of PAG nearly three years ago helped her give a voice to families like hers, she said. Now, as a part of ELAC, she can bring her perspective to a different group of influencers.

“What I love about ELAC is that they value the input of parents,” she said. “It’s a specific strength of ELAC and the Department of Early Learning in general, they just create an environment where you feel empowered to use your voice to change things but also to help inform people.”

Carpenter also hopes to bring her perspective as a parent in rural Grays Harbor County, where many families struggle to access care.

Carpenter is one of many new ELAC members. Carlina Brown-Banks was appointed to the committee by the Washington State Commission of African American Affairs. As the family engagement manager at the Road Map Project and a mother of 7 kids, she recognizes the importance of engaging children and families as early as possible.

“Early learning is the basis of the outcomes of families,” Brown-Banks said. “If we can get a strong early learning foundation for families…it will build better opportunities for children over the long haul.”

Brown-Banks, who has been recognized by the White House as a Champion for Change, also stressed the need for more diverse voices in discussions on how to support children and families.

Another new ELAC member is Susan Anderson-Newham, the early learning supervising librarian for the Pierce County Library System. As the Washington Library Association representative to ELAC, Anderson-Newham hopes to share with others what the state’s libraries can do for providers. It’s easy to forget all the free resources that libraries can provide – everything from trainings to pre-school story time, she noted.

Sharing resources, ideas, and perspectives can ultimately help Washington’s children, she said.

“If we could all start swimming in the same direction then we could create real movement in the water,” she said. “That’s sort of what we’re looking for is to try to sort of align, partner better, not recreate the wheel, share resources, share ideas.”

Also in attendance at the October 3 meeting were two of ELAC’s legislative council members, Senator Mark Miloscia of the 30^th legislative district, and Representative Tana Senn of the 41^st legislative district.

The next meeting of the Early Learning Advisory Council will take place on December 5. During this meeting, members will have additional opportunities to discuss their priorities for 2018 and the DCYF transition. More details about this meeting will be available in the coming weeks.

Letter from the Director: DEL's Budget Request

It’s that time of year again, when DEL submits its budget requests to the Governor’s office for consideration in the next legislative session. This year, however, will be a little unique. Because we’re in a transition phase from being the Department of Early Learning into being part of the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families, our budgeting process is happening in two stages this time around.

Linked here you’ll find the small ask that DEL submitted for two limited technical adjustments:

• Provide full funding for tiered quality reimbursements to child care providers by adjusting the department’s budget to match forecasted reimbursement levels;
• Streamline child care services for families experiencing homelessness and ensure compliance with federal law by transferring the budget for the Homeless Child Care Program from DEL to the Department of Social and Health Services (Economic Services Administration).

As I noted in my letter attached to the budget request, these packages constitute a $3.6 million dollar investment that will keep kids healthy and safe by reimbursing child care providers for high-quality child care environments and keep the state in compliance with federal law.

If you’re thinking “that can’t be everything,” I want to remind everyone that this is a supplemental budget year, meaning that the legislature is charged essentially with only taking up budget changes to fix problems. We are limited and focused in what we can request in supplemental years, and you’ll see that reflected in this year’s package. Additionally, the bulk of what would be considered a DEL ask will come out as the budget request of the new DCYF. Look for a post on that complete budget package on the DCYF website later this week.

Thank you to all of our stakeholders and partners who have provided meaningful feedback and advice during our budget development process.

Heather Moss

Director

Department of Early Learning

DEL to Have Strong, Familiar Leadership During Transition Year

Heather Moss and Ross Hunter

Starting August 1st, I will officially begin serving as the Secretary of the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).  While I’m excited about the opportunities we have to help improve outcomes for Washington’s most at-risk kids, I want to make sure we continue the crazy good work we’re doing here at DEL. I am pleased to tell you that Governor Inslee just offered our Deputy Director, Heather Moss, the position of DEL Director during this important transition year. 

Collectively, we have a lot of work to do in the next year to stand up the new DCYF, and I look forward to working with many of you to make this transition successful.  In the meantime, there is a lot of work still happening at DEL that needs the full energy and attention of a strong leadership team, and someone who knows the work intimately to steer the ship. I am extremely grateful to have Heather in this role.

In the almost two years that I’ve worked with her at DEL, she has been an excellent right-hand-woman, and she is well positioned to support DEL through this transition year. Below is a brief statement from her.  

Ross Hunter  

Dear DEL community,  

I am happy to serve as the Director of DEL during this important transition year. I am so proud of the work we all do here at DEL, and I have great respect for the partners, child care providers, Home Visitors, and everyone else who makes this a strong early learning system. As the Director, my focus will be on three areas:  

• Hold steady on the important work we are currently doing here at DEL; 
• Identify and celebrate the unique culture and values of the early learning field that we want to retain as we transition into DCYF; and
• Partner with Ross and his transition team to manage a successful integration of DEL (and CA and JR) into DCYF. 

I have been at DEL for about 3 ½ years now and have seen our agency change, grow, and mature during that time. Since DEL’s inception 11 years ago there have been even more changes which have consistently improved the system, so I am confident we can successfully take on this new challenge of merging into DCYF. 

Our structure may look a bit different this year and next, but the work that each of you do is and will remain an important part of the early learning system in Washington State. We’ve got this! I am looking forward to working with you over this coming year; please reach out via email or phone to share your ideas and input!  

Thanks, 

Heather Moss

Success! Announcing Expansion of ECEAP, Washington’s Preschool for Vulnerable Children

After a very long budget year, we are excited to announce that more at-risk children and families will have access to high-quality preschool, health services coordination, and family support this fall as a result of new funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). The Legislature invested $7,710,000 to create spaces for 800 more children for the 2017-18 school year. This funding will provide new “slots” of part-day services for 280 children, full-school day services for 480 children, and extended-day services for 40 children. In total, ECEAP will serve 12,491 children in 2017-18. 

As we outlined in a recent blog post which you can read here, ECEAP is Washington’s pre-kindergarten program that prepares 3- and 4-year-old children for success in school and in life. The Department of Early Learning oversees the program which is offered in more than 350 locations across the state. A 2014 evaluation by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) found that children who participated in ECEAP as preschoolers had significantly higher math and reading test scores in the third, fourth, and fifth grades than similar children who did not participate.

• Benton County – 164 slots
• Clark County – 73 slots
• King County – 135 slots
• Pierce County – 143 slots
• Snohomish County – 67 slots
• Spokane County – 24 slots
• Thurston County – 135 slots
• Yakima County – 147 slots

The Legislature also funded 1,000 more slots for children beginning in the 2018-19 school year and recommitted to serving all eligible children whose families are interested by 2022. 

DEL’s work isn’t done once we award slots. Over the coming months, DEL will provide technical assistance to those interested in applying for ECEAP expansion in the 2018-19 school year. We’ll also continue to partner with Child Care Aware of Washington to provide training and technical assistance to licensed child care providers (centers and homes) interested in providing ECEAP in their communities. Our goal: by the year 2022 there are enough high-quality ECEAP programs to serve all eligible children. 

Want to join us in achieving that goal? Visit our ECEAP page at https://www.del.wa.gov/eceap.