PDG B-5 grantees are required to develop or revise a strategic plan that supports collaboration and coordination among existing ECE programs in a mixed delivery system with a state or territory. The plan will focus on establishing and maintaining an ECE system designed to support all children and their families, but particularly those identified as most vulnerable by their state or territory. Each state or territory’s PDG B-5 Strategic Plan will identify goals and action steps to directly address the specific areas for improvement identified in the needs assessment and reflect a comprehensive systems-plan approach. Grantees have the opportunity to create their strategic plan in a way that best fits their needs, and should establish the strategies that fit the needs of the participants involved in the work and invested in the outcome.

The following set of resources was created to support PDG B-5 grantees in creating strategic plans for comprehensive, mixed-delivery systems for children and families.  

Fundamentals of Data Integration

In partnership with AEM Corporation

Increasing Access, Quality, and Affordability of Early Care and Education through Systems Building and Building and Change Management 

In partnership with BUILD

Overwhelming evidence speaks to the critical nature of creating a comprehensive system of early care and education to achieve measurable and long-term outcomes for children and families. Showcasing the journey of three states - Connecticut, Washington, and New York - and their lessons learned, this webinar will highlight activities states can engage in through their PDG B-5 grants to create a common understanding and formalized coordination across agencies, such as:

• Statewide action sessions/stakeholder convenings
• Shared services, trainings, referrals, and community partnerships
• Capacity building for data collection and analysis

Early Childhood Health and Mental Health 

Hosted by Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) 

Infant-toddler mental health was identified by PDG B-5 states as an important component to their state’s comprehensive mixed delivery system.  For many grantees and communities, supporting infants and toddlers is a new initiative and necessitates acquiring new perspectives and skills.  Understanding infant-toddler and preschool mental health and how to effectively support families and practitioners across a wide array of early childhood service providers and settings is a critical competence addressed through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC).  IECMHC programs are in the unique position to effect widespread change by engaging early childhood stakeholders, providers and families across systems.

Early Childhood Data Analytics: Distinct Count of Children Served 

Hosted by Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) 

This webinar covers key factors for defining a distinct count of children from Early Childhood Integrated Data Systems (ECIDS) for states to analyze and answer key program and policy questions, particularly as it relates to the PDG B-5 comprehensive needs assessment requirement. Panelists from Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina shared how their ECIDS creates an unduplicated count of children, how that information has been used to date to make data-informed decisions to support the children and families they serve, and how the distinct count is currently being used in their PDG B-5 needs assessments. 

Additionally, if a state/territory has not already done so, we suggest finding out if your state/territory has a SLDS grant and who is working on that plan.

Strategies to Engage Families as Partners that are often Difficult to Reach

Engaging families as partners in the early learning process is imperative. This includes engaging them as co-partners in both the assessment of needs in their communities and in planning strategically for state and community early learning strategies. This presentation will leverage the experience and expertise of the presenters in large and small scale early learning community engagement and communication strategies and will offer best practices to successfully connect with traditionally difficult to reach families. This will include lessons learned directly from communities that have lived such strategies and practical and accessible ways to assess and integrate best practices locally. An opportunity to engage in Q&A will also be offered with ACS leadership as well as other states.

Strategies to Engage Family Child Care Providers as Partners in Planning

Engaging providers as partners in the early learning process is imperative. This includes engaging them as co-partners in both the assessment of needs in their communities and in planning strategically for state and community early learning strategies. This presentation will leverage the experience and expertise of the presenters in large and small scale early learning community engagement and communication strategies and will offer best practices to successfully connect with traditionally difficult to reach families. This will include lessons learned directly from communities that have lived such strategies and practical and accessible ways to assess and integrate best practices locally. An opportunity to engage in Q&A will also be offered with ACS leadership as well as other states.

Developmental Screening Community of Conversation 

In partnership with CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. 

This webinar/CoC will focus on the utilization of Developmental Screening within Early Childhood.  The presentation will feature the work of four PDG B-5 states: Alabama, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Texas.  These states have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program.  CDC supports Act Early Ambassadors who are state and territory point of contacts and who serve as liaisons to the CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program.  CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program aims to improve early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities or delays so that children and families get connected to needed services and supports.  These Act Early Ambassadors support states in addressing developmental screening, developmental monitoring and referral to services.  

During this webinar/CoC, Act Early Ambassadors will discuss their state’s goals for improving developmental screening, monitoring and referral as well as their progress in leveraging Help Me Grow programs, collecting needs assessment data, and conducting trainings. The CoC will also highlight resources to help strengthen developmental screening and monitoring.

Using IDEA Part C and 609 Data in the PDG B-5 State Systems Needs Assessment 

In partnership with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) and The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy Center) 

States awarded PDG B-5 are actively engaged in assessing the current needs for children and their families identified as vulnerable. States are taking a comprehensive approach to exploring needs and are tasked with bringing together key partners to strengthen the diversity of input and contributions to the process. The identification and inclusion of diverse data sources adds strong value to the assessment process. The IDEA 619 and Part C systems bring rich sources of data useful for states and communities in their continuous assessment and improvement processes.

This presentation will highlight the types of data collected by states IDEA 619 and Part C and where the data is located. Discussion will focus on collaboration with state partners to integrate these sources into the broader state picture of how children and families are being supported. Included will be suggestions for how the data can be used and analyzed for effective decision making.