SUMMER 2007
New Staff and Changing Staff Roles
Making sense of changes underway within the Professional Development System
Surge Support Child Care Project Update
Sharing the Wisdom of Many Voices Conference
PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES::
Contact: Professional Development Coordinator
651-290-9704 ext. 200
Not by Chance:
Contact: Professional Development Coordinator
651-290-9704 ext. 200
Ounce Scale MN Child Care Project
Contact: Mary Scott
651-433-2182
Sharing the Wisdom of
Many Voices Conference
Contact: Julie Wasiluk
651-290-9704 ext. 119
Contact: Cory Woosley
651-746-4024
Making sense of changes underway within
the Professional Development System
An open letter from the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network Professional Development Department
Dear Colleague,
It is a time of great change for professional development in Minnesota and for our entire field nationally. Although there is much we don’t yet know about specific details of the professional development system redesign in Minnesota, we have a conceptual framework in place that addresses the critical elements necessary for an effective system. We’d like to offer some talking points on why our state is undertaking such a redesign and the national context which has lead our community here. As you all know, there is a growing awareness about the impact of early childhood experiences on children’s later academic achievement and life success. Research has repeatedly found a connection between the skills and knowledge of the caregivers and the quality of child care delivered. What you may not know is that amidst this broad change a new professional development system model is emerging nationally.
The Federal Child Care Bureau provides Federal Child Care Development Funds (CCDF) to states. A portion of these funds are used to support quality improvement efforts, such as training and professional development efforts. These funds carry specific requirements and accountabilities for their usage. These requirements represent a driving force for the development of a more comprehensive and coordinated professional development system. States must develop strategies for updating their professional development systems to be increasingly effective at helping practitioners develop skills and knowledge that will help achieve school- readiness for children. Minnesota statutes direct the Minnesota Department of Human Services to develop and phase-in the implementation of a professional development system for practitioners serving children in early childhood and school-age settings. This work is being lead by the Community Partnerships Division, Child Development Services Team of DHS.
It is somewhat reassuring to have a clear sense of the key players and an understanding of the reasons behind the coming changes. We hope the information below is helpful in providing context and assuaging the concerns which community members may raise with you.
Let’s keep in close touch as we collectively learn more about the opportunities ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the specific goals and strategies of the Federal Child Care Development Funds (CCDF)?
In exchange for Federal CCDF funds, which include a set-aside to improve the quality of care, States are required to identify in their biennial State plan a set of quality-related criteria. Goals include:
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Early Learning Guidelines. Voluntary State guidelines on literacy, language, and pre-reading skills activities for children ages 3 to 5 that align with State K-12 standards. These guidelines should be able to be adapted to various child care settings;
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Professional development. A State plan for offering education and training activities to child care and pre-school teachers and administrators, which can also include Federally funded training initiatives;
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Program Coordination. A State plan for coordinating at least four early childhood programs, which may include CCDF, Head Start, programs in the public schools, and TANF, among others.
Where can I read more about Minnesota’s CCDF plan?
The plan can be accessed at http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/children/documents/pub/dhs16_138242.pdf
What are the primary goals and outcomes of Minnesota’s plan for professional development?
Goals
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Equip early childhood and school-age care practitioners with the knowledge, competencies, tools and confidence needed to effectively work with children and families;
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Promote coordination across all sectors of early childhood and school-age care and education;
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Ensure that educational opportunities for practitioners are grounded in a foundation of high ethical and quality standards and linked to the QRS system;
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Ensure access to all system components for practitioners, trainers and community partners regardless of geography, economic status, race or ethnicity, or language.
Outcomes
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Increased percentage of practitioners participating in the professional development system from licensed and legally unlicensed settings including family, friend and neighbor care;
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Increased knowledge and skills of practitioners, especially from underserved populations;
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Increased use of the Individual Training Needs Assessment (ITNA), especially from underserved populations;
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Increased numbers of practitioners accessing CCR&R training, especially from underserved populations.
How will Minnesota ensure that it meets its goals and outcomes?
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has spearheaded an effort to reprioritize, rethink and coordinate the professional development efforts it funds into a well-defined, integrated, accessible and accountable system that systematically raises the quality of care in all settings in Minnesota. As one of the initial steps to creating this system, the Department contracted with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) to collect information about the existing training content and trainers in Minnesota. This was accomplished by interviewing and surveying professional development coordinators and trainers on a variety of topics such as trainer recruitment and qualifications and training subjects and content. The results of this process are published in a document called The Child Care Professional Development Scan.
Additionally DHS contracted with DeYoung Consultants to gather information from key system stakeholders regarding the accessibility and coordination of the professional development system. Results from focus groups and individual interviews addressed:
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The barriers and challenges to accessing the child care professional development system
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Strategies to enhance coordination within the child care professional development system
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The barriers and challenges impacting the delivery of inclusive and culturally relevant services
The information from the scan, focus groups and individual interviews is being used to help the Minnesota Department of Human Services and their partners determine how to best build a coherent, statewide professional development system to meet the needs of practitioners and trainers. As a part of this work, the Minnesota Department of Human Services Child Development Services (CDS) team has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a 2 year contract in which identified key components of a professional development system will be developed, coordinated and implemented.
What are the specific elements of the professional development system redesign?
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The Learning Continuum Framework = identification, creation, adaptation and approval of training content;
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Trainer Approval and Support = processes, methods and tools to approve, support and train a full spectrum of trainers (including relationship-based trainers) delivering training that is approved by DHS;
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The Professional Development Registry = a Web-based tool to track practitioner learning records and career development, a trainer approval system, a list of approved content/trainings, connection with higher education and a centralized training calendar;
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CCR&R system = primary infrastructure for the delivery of child care professional development.
When will these changes take place?
The fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007 and running through June 30, 2008 will be the transitional period for the system change. The Minnesota Department of Human Services envisions full implementation in July, 2008. Many of the parts of this plan therefore are still in the early stages.
What role will CCR&R play with the Professional Development System Redesign?
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The Child Care Resource and Referral community in Minnesota is proud to be the backbone for the delivery of our state-funded professional development system for child care professionals, and we are committed to making this system both accountable and responsive in order to ensure that high quality care is available to all children.
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The Child Care Resource and Referral in Minnesota strives to connect the latest in national research, funding and best-practices with the needs of our local communities.
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The Child Care Resource and Referral community in Minnesota works to empower child care professionals with intentional, in-depth learning that matters.
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Well-educated child care professionals create a strong child care system in Minnesota. A strong Minnesota needs a strong child care system.
Community Belief Statement:
CCR&R believes that the purpose of training is to educate.
Community Goal Statement:
CCR&R training seeks to positively impact the experience of children in all child care settings by expanding the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs of individuals who care for them, leading to improved practice by child care providers and healthy outcomes for children.