ERIC ED463840: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal and State Early Education Regulations and Requirements Affecting Early Care and Education in Connecticut, Fall 2001.

46 Pages·2001·1.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 463 840
PS 030 243
AUTHOR
Morrison, Julie, Ed.; Schlesinger, Ann, Ed.
TITLE
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal and State Early
Education Regulations and Requirements Affecting Early Care
and Education in Connecticut, Fall 2001.
INSTITUTION
Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, Hartford.
SPONS AGENCY
Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Washington,
DC
PUB DATE
2001-00-00
NOTE
45p.; Produced with the QUILT Project (Quality in Linking
Together Early Education Partnerships), Education
Development Center, Inc.
PUB TYPE
Reports - Descriptive (141)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Comparative Analysis; *Day Care; *Early Childhood Education;
*Federal Regulation; Partnerships in Education; Public
Policy; *State Regulation
IDENTIFIERS
*Connecticut; Day Care Regulations
ABSTRACT
In order to advance early childhood education and services
across the state of Connecticut, early education leaders at the federal,
state, and local levels were convened by the Connecticut Head Start-State
Collaboration Project to identify each funder's requirements in key
categories and to discuss specific policies and practices of those
requirements. This report presents a side-by-side comparison of federal and
state early education regulations and requirements affecting early care and
education. The regulations and requirements are presented for the following
agencies:
(1) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for
Children and Families (Head Start and Child Care and Development Fund block
grants);
(2) Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE)
(State Head
Start and School Readiness Severe Need Districts);
(3) Department of Social
Services (DSS)
(State-funded centers, Child Care Assistance Program
Subsidies, and Quality Enhancements); and (4) Joint SDE and DSS programs
(Grants for Slot Expansion and Quality Enhancement). Requirements and
regulations are delineated in the following areas:
(1) philosophical
underpinnings;
(2) service standards/scope related to child education, child
literacy, disability services, transition, parent
education/training/employment, parent and community collaboration, family
literacy, family services, health services/policies, nutrition services,
mental health services;
(3) service requirements, including eligibility,
length of day/year and service options;
(4) staffing, including
qualifications/training requirements, teacher-child ratios, and staff
development;
(5) facilities, including new construction/renovation and
health/safety standards;
(6) technical assistance/training mechanisms,
including funding resources and topics;
(7) outcomes and measures;
(8)
program review/monitoring, including program and fiscal monitoring and state
licensing;
(9) funding, including per child cost; and (10) additional
funding, including expansion grants and opportunities for statewide
initiatives.
(KB)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
ED
CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
CENTER (ERIC)
BEEN GRANTED BY
This document has been reproduced
as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
_aent_c_km-b1
0 Minor changes have been made
to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not necessarily represent
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
official OERI position or policy.
A joint Project of the Connecticut Head Start Collaboration.Office and the QUILT Project
AVAILABLE
BEST COPY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The individuals listed below and the organizations they represent participated throughout the
process of developing this document. Their active participation, significant
contributions,thoughtfulness, questions, information-sharing, and attention to detail mack
the document possible.
Camillefackson Alleyne
Connecticut Department of Education
George Barnwell
DHHS/ACF RetOon PHead Start
Maryellen Connors
DHHS/ACF Region I/Head Start
Dona Ditrio
NEON Head Start
Pat Doolan
Litchfield County Head Start/Education'Connection
'Louise Eldridge
DHHS/ACF Region I
Paul Flinter
Connedticut Department .of Education
Mary Guertin
TVCCA Head Start
Ruby Hugh
DIIHS/ACF Region I/Child Care
Peter Palermino
Connectidut Department of Social.Services/Child Care
Sheila Skngton
Education Development Center, Inc../QUILT PrOject
Susan Sponheimer
Stamford Head Start
Joy Staples
Conneeticut bepartmeht of Education
Richard Stirling
DHHS/ACF Region I
Eileen Triber.
Trumbull/Monroe Head Start
Grace Whitney
Connecticut Head Start-State Collaboration Project
Sue Wilson
Connecticut Department of Social Services/Child Care
Special thanks goes to Julie Morrison and Ann Schlesifiger,.staff from the QUILT project at EDC in
Newton, Massachusetts, for their talents and untiring efforta in designing and editing the document.
We also thank Joy Staples and Sue Wilson for their help in determining the final format for presenting
the informaticin.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS
This Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal and State Requirements Affecting Early Care and
Education in Connecticut represents the.work of a dedicated group of individuals committed to
advancing early childhood education and services across Connecticut. In the spring of 1999, the
Connecticut Head Start-State Collaboration Project convened the group, comprised of early education
leaders at the federal, state, and local levels. The QUILT Project at Education Development Center,
Inc., was engaged to guide and facilitate this process. Initially, these leaders met to discuss early
education partnership issues that the group identified. During this discussion, the group recognized the
need to deepen their knowledge and understanding of one another's programs. The group decided to
embark on a process that identified each funder's requirements in key categories and to discuss the
specific policies and practices of those requirements.
Through discussions of each program's statutory authority, policies and practices, commonalities, and
distinctions, the group recognized new possibilities for coordination. As a result of this process, state
and federal leaders carry with them new knowledge and understanding for making policy decisions and
shaping the future for Connecticut's young children and their families.
Information provided in this document is current as of November 2001. It is intended to be used only
for comparison purposes. In order to understand the requirements in detail, the full documents must be
read. Some of these are online at the following Web addresses:
Head Start Program Performance Standards:
www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb
www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccb/policy1/index.htm
Child Care and Development Fund:
www.dss.state.ct.us/ccare/ccare.htm
Conn. Department of Social Services:
Conn. Department of Education:
www.state.ct.us/sde
Connecticut Charts-A-Course:
www.ctcharts-a-course.org
If you have any questions about this document, please contact Grace Whitney, Connecticut Head Start-
State Collaboration Projectphone: 860-424-5066, email: [email protected]
The Connecticut Head Start-State Collaboration Project and the QUILT Project are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services/Administration for
Children and Families (DHHS/ACF)
State Department of Education (SDE)
State Head Start
School
Readiness
Child Care and
Head Start
Severe Need
Development Fund
Extension of
Categorical Grant
(CCDF)
Districts
Expansion for
Direct Federal to Local
day/year
Quality
Block grant to State
Full Day/Year
Additional
children
Philoso hical Underpinnings
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social
increase
J'urPrf!Mt§siOn
same as
,
focus this
same as
see Priority
.
competence/
availability,
year enhance
DHHS/Head
DHHS/Head
School
school success
affordability, and
Start; also to:
child/family
Districts4
Start; also
for child by
quality; focus on
support
literacy
to: support
enhancing social
parental choice;
parents
...
development;
parents
and cognitive
maximum flexibility
employed or
(annual
employed or
development;
for states;
in training;
quality
in training;
.
family
strengthen the role
respond to
priorities
'4
respond to
involvement and
of family; improve
special
identified by
special
decision-making
quality and
needs of
commission)
needs of
,
key principles to
coordination among
children and
children and
service design
programs and
families
families
and delivery;
coordination of
service delivery;
at least 10% of
respond to families'
enrollment must
changing needs;
be children with
support TANF work
documented
provisions; child
disabilities
care to achieve
independence from
public assistance
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal
and Sate Early Education Regulations and Requirements Affecting Early Care and Education in Connectict
CONNECTICUT
Department of Social Services (DSS)
School Readiness Priority Districts
Child Care Assistance
Quality Enhancement
Grants for Slot Expansion
Quality
State-Funded
Program(CCAP)
Enhancements
Centers
(DSS Budget transfer to SDE)
(SDE Budget)
Subsidies
improve the
supports low
full day/full year
improve the quality of
significantly increase the
quality of
income working
quality care and
School Readiness and
lumber of spaces in
child day
and TANF
education for
non-School Readiness
accredited and/or approved
care
families to access
children from low
programs; including
arograms for young children to
providers
child care setting
and moderate
family child care
provide greater access to high-
and enhance
of their choice;
income working
providers and kith and
quality school readiness
services to
supports special
families
kin providers,
programs; significantly
children and
target populations
increase the number of spaces
parents
as defined by
for young children to receive
state or federal
full-day, full-year school
statute
readiness and child day care
to meet family needs and
enable parents to become
employed; and establish a
shared cost for such school
readiness and child day care
programs among the state and
its various agencies, the
communities and families
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services/Administration for
Children and Families (DHHS/ACF)
State Department of Education (SDE)
State Head Start
School
Readiness
Child Care and
Head Start
Severe Need
Development Fund
Extension of
Categorical Grant
(CCDF)
Districts
Expansion for
day/year
Direct Federal to Local
Quality
Block grant to State
Full Day/Year
Additional
children
Head Start
parental choice;
maximum
maximum
see Priority
Program
maximum flexibility
5% local
5% local
School
to states; minimum
Performance
program
Districts+
program
Standards/ 4% on quality
administra-
administra-
services shaped
(statutory
tive cost;
tive cost
by documented
guidance-state
available to
local needs and
decision about
states
by local decision
priorities);
complying
making bodies;
maximum 5% state
with existing
individualized
administrative
formula
case
costs; lead agency-
management in
single point of
all specialty areas
contact which
(i.e. mental
retains overall
health, nutrition,
responsibility for
family services,
CCDF
etc.)
administration (lead
agency can share
admin. with other
entities), usually a
state office
Service Standards/Sco e
.rogfam*-
provider: parent
provider &
same as
same as
see Priority
-Management/
community: no
decision making
DHHS/Head
DHHS/Head
School
-,,,,5,,,,- v.1,-,-,,, v
:,!Poiefilana,
specc
boy; 51
d
must
%
Start
Districts4
ifi
Start
be present Head
requirements
,
rbliicceP
,:,
Start parents;
state: public input
,
representation
on plan
'
must reflect
.
developmentat
program's
least one public
options/service
;=
hearing;
design &
coordination with
population served
other public and
state &
private agencies
community: no
4, ,
specific
requirements
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal and Sate Early Education Regulations and Requirements Affecting Early Care and Education in Connectict
CONNECTICUT
Department of Social Services (DSS)
.
1
D
School Readiness Priority Districts
Child Care Assistance
Quality
Quality Enhancement
State-Funded
Grants for Slot Expansion
Program(CCAP)
Enhancements
Centers
(DSS Budget transfer to SDE)
(SDE Budget)
Subsidies
allows for
federal and state
must meet
must meet NAEYC standards,
variety of
regulations
NAEYC
Head Start standards or CT
activities
govern
standards; unit
Plus,standards; the
ranging from
implementation
rate
Benchmark document gives
provider
and lay out key
reimbursement;
expected child outcomes;
training to
provisions
continuing
School Readiness Councils
family day
contracts with
oversee, identify needs;
care
community-based
School Readiness Councils
networks to
organizations and
establish local policy to ensure
start-up
municipalities;
compliance with legislative
expenses to
performance
requirements including the
consultants
measures; local
implementation of the 10
needs determine
quality components.
the age of
children served
which can include
infants, toddlers,
preschoolers and
school age
provider: non-
state,
provider: local
provider & community:
School Readiness
community,
profit status;
board of directors
Councils and local
parents must be involved in
and local
varies dependant
or municipality
vendors
the decision making process
organizations
on respective
through membership on the
provider
local School Readiness
Councils and opportunities
provided at the local program
level
8
5
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services/Administration for
Children and Families (DHHS/ACF)
State Department of Education (SDE)
State Head Start
School
Readiness
Child Care and
Head Start
Severe Need
Development Fund
Extension of
Categorical Grant
(CCDF)
Districts
Expansion for
Direct Federal to Local
day/year
Quality
Block grant to State
Full Day/Year
Additional
children
Ithildfducatio
developmentally
no CCDF federal
same as
same as
see Priority
and linguistically
requirements;
DHHS/Head
DHHS/Head
School
appropriate,
state
Start
Districts+
Start
decisionsstate
individualized,
child care licensing
integrated,
standards or more
balanced, written
stringent
curriculum that
requirements as
encompasses all
lead agency
specialty areas
requires
and is based on
sound child
development
principles;
parents integrally
involved in the
development of
curriculum;
minimum of 2
teacher home
visits and 2
parent
conferences
required
9
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Federal and Sate Early Education Regulations and Requirements Affecting
Early Care and Education in Connectic
CONNECTICUT
Department of Social Services (DSS)
School Readiness Priority Districts
Child Care Assistance
Grants for Slot Expansion
Quality Enhancement
State-Funded
Quality
Program(CCAP)
Enhancements
Centers
(SDE Budget)
(DSS Budget transfer to SDE)
Subsidies
governed by
programs must
programs must meet NAEYC
School Readiness
not
meet NAEYC applicable
respective child
standards, Head Start Council discretion
care providers
standards, or Connecticut
standards
Standards for Preschool
Programs
The Preschool Curriculum
Framework and Student
Benchmarks for Children in
Preschool Programsgives
guidance on curriculum
content and outcomes for
children
1 0