Early Childhood Advisory Council

1. Early Childhood Advisory Council September 20, 2018

2. GOEC Staff • Hannah Coulter, Program Support Specialist • Linda Hampton, Executive Director • Sally Shepard, State Head Start Collaboration Director • Diana Hutch, Administrative Specialist III • Juanita Webb, Professional Development Manager • Karen Elswick, Administrative Specialist III • Holly LaFavers, Project Manager • Emily Keyser, Intern • Erin Mitchell, Communications Director

3. ECI2018Update

4. The Early Childhood Institute (ECI) was held June 13-15, 2017 with 1,500 in attendance. This year’s theme was: “Leading the Way for Kids of Kentucky” • 146 Professional Development Sessions • Child Care Training Hours • 25,236 Hours • Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) • 1,764 Professional Development Hours Issued Through the Kentucky Department of Education • ECI provides an opportunity for teachers, administrators, leaders and advocates to receive high quality professional development. Together we are “Leading the Way” for Kids of KY and together, we are building Kentucky’s future! • The Institute featured nationally recognized keynote speakers, including Steve Pemberton, author of “A Chance in the World”. • ECI also included exhibitors, networking opportunities and professional development workshops.

5. Some ECI fun…

6. Preschool Partnership Grants

7. Who Is in Your Family? Book Launch

8. Department for Public Health Early Childhood Program Highlights: HANDS & ECMH

9. Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Purpose: to build capacity to meet the mental health needs of young children and their families Co-Administered by the Departments for Public Health and Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities • Amount Tobacco Funding: $1,000,000 per year

10. ECMH • Structure: Funds support Early Childhood Mental Health Specialists in the regional Comprehensive Community Mental Health Centers (14 total) • ECMH services include working with community child-serving agencies to: • Consult on social-emotional issues • Train on social-emotional issues • Evaluate/assess children ages birth through 5 • Provide therapeutic services to children ages birth through 5 and their families

11. ECMH Accomplishments • Served 4,756 children and families in FY18 • Provided 2,838 consultations to child-serving agencies • Provided training to over 1,000 early care and education staff in Head Start, childcare, and state-funded preschool

12. ECMH Accomplishments • Increased capacity to implement services based on evidence-based practices/programs such as: • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy • Moving beyond Depression • Nurturing Parent • Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy • Child-Parent Psychotherapy

13. Connect the Dots training and visuals were created by Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), Division of Child Care (DCC) in collaboration with Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant and the Early Childhood Mental Health Program (ECMH), August 2016

14. What is Connect the Dots? Connect the Dots (CTD) summarizes social and emotional best practices into 4 easy-to-remember steps. It provides a common language and a common approach to addressing challenging behaviors in a way that builds strong social and emotional skills in children ages 2-5 years.

15. Connect the Dots Focuses on Protective Factors 1) Social and Emotional Competence of Children 2) Nurturing and Attachment

16. Connect the Dots 4 Easy Steps Ensure a Supportive Environment Embrace Unique Strengths Encourage Positive Behaviors Emphasize Positive Discipline

17. Training Capacity Staff worked closely with the KY Strengthening Families Training Workgroup, Early Childhood Mental Health, Child Care Health Consultation, HANDS Home Visiting Program, First Steps Part C program and others to develop this training program and supporting materials. “Real life examples really helped connect it with everyday situations,” said a training participant. 500+ 195 Total trainings Trainers People not in the childcare training system (*estimated) People trained in ECE 3,477 3,300

19. Health Access Nurturing Development Services, aka HANDS • Voluntary weekly home visiting program administered by local health departments • Designed to: • Assist overburdened parents/caregivers during the prenatal period until the child’s third birthday • Improve health outcomes for both mother and child • Improve social outcomes for child and family

20. Goals • Healthy pregnancies and births • Optimal child growth and development • Children live in healthy and safe homes • Family self-sufficiency FY18 • 8,994 families served • 118,624 services provided

21. HANDS Multiple Funding Sources

22. Building on Strong Foundations • ECMH and HANDS have increased the skills and knowledge of early childhood professionals over the years • Investing in capacity-building puts KY in the position to address current issues without delay—we don’t have to wait to develop resources

23. A Small Group Experience with Wrap-Around Services for Mothers and Babies in Recovery. In partnership with the Floyd County Health Department

24. Key Points Pregnant and parenting women with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Support group experience “One-stop-shopping” Building protective factors to buffer stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Parent-driven and strength-based program Resources for physical and mental healing Education and skill building for nurturing parenting Supports for success in long-term recovery

25. HEART Staff • Regional Project Coordinator • Substance User Disorder-Peer Support Specialist/ “Peer Recovery Coach” • Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist • Parent Education Leaders (HANDS) • Child Care Staff • Floyd County Wrap-Around-Services • Substance Abuse Clinician (as needed) • State Technical Assistance

26. In Summary…. Tobacco settlement funds make this possible!

27. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies Early Childhood Advisory CouncilSeptember 2018 Compass Evaluation and Research

28. Today’s Presentation • Eight recommendations for consideration and discussion • Informed by validation and sustainability studies • Discussion and questions • Next steps Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

29. Take-Aways A Focus on Implementation • Coordinating Office or Officer Continued need to foster and support cross-agency collaboration and coordination 2. All STARS continuous quality improvement Cross agency process to monitor progress and align with best practices Model Fidelity and Best Practices 3. Intensive professional development and coaching Increase access to ongoing, on-site coaching Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

30. Take-Aways Sustaining Quality through Strategic Financing 4. Develop strategic financing mechanisms to ensure a high-quality and accessible early care and education system that includes a well qualified and supported workforce Collaboration at the Local Level 5. Community Early Childhood Councils and School Readiness Summits Support and continue/expand summits, action planning and grants 6. Blended pre-kindergarten models Support blended models, identify best practices and reduce administrative burdens Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

31. Take-Aways Data-informed programming and decision-making 7. Ongoing data support and development of data plan with research questions Supporting vulnerable families 8. Increase awareness and support for parents and professionals in responding to adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

32. Focus on Implementation Three focal questions: • What are we implementing? • How well is the system functioning? • What should be maintained? Improved? Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

33. What is the All STARS model? Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

34. Validating the Model • Early childhood professionals, parents, and system stakeholders were invited to provide feedback • Over 300 sites received on-site visits and observations • Over 600 professionals across the state provided feedback • Examined: • Face validity, • Content validity, and • Procedural validity • Also examined infrastructure supports and challenges Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

35. Face Validity • General agreement that All STARS criteria reflect what is necessary to provide quality at sites. • Most of the existing standards received widespread support • Some populations may not yet be connecting concepts about quality with All STARS • In particular, there is a need for education and outreach among parents • Stakeholders agree on the importance of “every day quality.” • Implications for system guidance, professional learning supports and monitoring. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

36. Content Validity • All STARS standards were chosen through a careful process of review and pilot testing • General research and literature support for constructs • Emerging interests: • Quality for children with special or developmental needs • Quality for highly vulnerable children (and families) • Deeper dives into classroom interactions and socio-emotional supports • Every day quality in every age group Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

37. Procedural Validity • Three operational models • Private child care • Preschool programs • Head Start sites • Model affects ability to advance in rating Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

38. Procedural Validity • Three models with: • Differences in vision or goals • Additional standards or requirements to be met • Different procedures and supports for: • Rating, • Monitoring, • Staffing, • Technical assistance or coaching, • Professional development, and • Financing or incentives. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

39. Procedural Validity • Advancement also reflects: • Desire to advance in rating, • Ability to implement structural and administrative improvements in quality, • Ability to recruit and retain qualified teaching staff, and • Costs of achieving or maintaining high quality. • Direct and indirect expenses related to quality are important for decisions to advance in rating • Time and access to professional supports also may be important Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

40. Procedural Validity • Observations (Environment Rating Scales) conducted at sites: • Confirm there is general advancement in quality from 1 to 5 stars • 1-star and 3-stars may have their quality underestimated • Results from the Family Provider Teacher Relationship Quality Scale: • Many sites score “average” as regards their supports and practices for family engagement • May have some room for development in the area of “Attitudes” • Openness and commitment to engagement between teachers and parents Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

41. Model Fidelity and Best Practices • Professional supports are critical infrastructure • Technical assistance, coaching, or training • Many professionals cited the importance of “Knowing who to contact for help, coaching, or technical assistance” • Professionals also interested in: • Ongoing discussions and trading ideas in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) or Communities of Practice, • Observing others in high quality sites or classrooms (having things modeled for me), • On site coaching with external consultants/coaches, and • Offsite professional development trainings or classes. • Incentives and financial supports • Scholarships • Monetary and non-monetary supports for quality Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

42. Sustaining Quality - Barriers Cost is a barrier to achieving and sustaining quality • 2017 Cost of Quality study found that reimbursement rates were significantly lower than the actual cost of care for the Kentucky Preschool Program and Child Care Assistance Programs. • Top cost factors that impact quality: • Costs of paying teachers and staff more, and • Costs of finding and retaining high qualified teachers or staff Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

43. Sustaining Quality – Critical System Elements • 2018 National Academy of Sciences report indicates that early childhood financing should reflect the total cost of early care and education, including: • Highly qualified and appropriately compensated workforce, and • Mechanisms that support providers, families, workforce and the overall system • Critical system elements for sustaining quality include: • Teacher scholarships, • Teacher compensation to sustain a highly qualified workforce, • Professional development that is ongoing and intensive, • Subsidy reimbursement rates that reflect the full cost of care, and • Specialized supports and services for children with high needs. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

44. Local Collaboration and Supports • Community Early Childhood Councils (CECC) and School Readiness Summits provide key supports for local communities • Further collaborations with the school system and foster school readiness, • Further outreach and education with families, • Utilize and disseminate data, and • Identify and meet emerging needs. • Blended pre-kindergarten models allow leveraging of resources and sharing expertise • There are operational challenges • Need ways to support high performing blended models. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

45. Data for Decision Making • Early childhood data has been integrated into the longitudinal data system and meaningful data tools and analysis. Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies • Intentional data plan with research questions would further enhance the use of data for program improvement and decision making. • Additional support of local partners through trainings and technical assistance on how to use data could inform stakeholders’ work at the local level.

46. Supporting the Most Vulnerable • Who are the most vulnerable? • 51% of respondents reported that “Families with mental health or substance abuse issues” do not get enough attention/ need more support • 43% reported “Children who have had traumatic experiences in their home or community” • 32% reported “Children involved with child welfare or foster care” • 29% reported “Homeless children and families” and “Children with special needs” Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

47. Supporting the Most Vulnerable • How well do All STARS classrooms support inclusion? • On average, preschool and Head Start sites tend to provide higher- rated practices and principles for inclusion Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

48. Supporting the Most Vulnerable • Many professionals reported working with a highly vulnerable population • 73% of respondents reported working with an average of 7 children with high ACES (at their classroom or site) • 86% of respondents at preschool sites reported working with an average of 10 children • Overall, 58% reported no formal training or professional development on ACES • Most common techniques for working with vulnerable children and families were referrals to outside resources Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

49. Summary of Interim Findings • Face validity • Content validity • Procedural validity • Operational model affects ability to advance in rating • 1-star and 3-star sites may have their quality under-estimated in some domains • Opportunities to invest in ongoing professional supports (including monetary and non-monetary supports) and supports for providers serving the most vulnerable children Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies

50. Next Steps • Receive feedback and questions regarding interim report • Finalize the validation study • Final report: December 2018 • Preschool Development Grant development • September-November 2018 Kentucky All STARS Validation and Sustainability Studies