1. Consultation as a Strategy to Support Child Care Providers Serving Infants and Toddlers in Inclusive Settings Eleventh Early Childhood Inclusion Institute Chapel Hill, NC May 17, 2011

2. Amanda Moore State Inclusion Network Coordinator Agency for Workforce Innovation Office of Early Learning amanda.moore2@flaawi.com Deana Buck Education/Early Childhood Program Group Leader Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU (yes, that VCU) dmbuck@vcu.edu Terry Butler, Inclusive Child Care Program Coordinator Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities terry.butler@state.or.us

3. For Today… Explore successes and challenges in developing and implementing regional and statewide networks in three states; Build on successes and challenges to create and sustain networks; and Provide examples and resources for implementing networks.

4. Oregon Population = 3,825,657 Children under 5 years old = 222,393 Children under 5 in paid child care = 77,041 Population clustered in 1/3 of the state (western side) Large geographic areas with very few people Community level connections: EC teams, LICC State level connections: Child Care & Education Coordinating Council, SICC, Early Learning Transition Team

5. Oregon Background Identified consultation as key support to inclusion Established a vision for statewide consultation system, including structure, competencies, etc. Not yet a reality. Challenges = Funding, infrastructure, professional/systemic silos

6. Oregon Consultation examples to build upon: Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative Partnerships for Inclusive Child Care & Education Child Care Health Demonstration Project Inclusive Child Care Program Mental health consultation in early childhood settings CaCoon

7. Oregon Related supports to infants & toddler consultation networks: Infant/Toddler credential - Oregon’s professional development system Infant/Toddler Mental Health Graduate Certificate – Portland State University

8. Discuss… What might you like to know or discuss from Oregon’s experience? If no formal infrastructure for infant/toddler inclusion consultation exists, what actions can sustain the vision and move it forward?

9. Population 18,801,310 Children under age five > 1,000,000 ~600,000 attend early learning programs 216,575 total children receiving School Readiness funding* 61,261 (28%) Infants and Toddlers enrolled in School Readiness* 788 identified children with special needs enrolled in School Readiness* Office of Early Learning administers School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten and Child Care Resource & Referral programs Fla. Stat. § 411.01015 (2010) requires consultation to child care centers and family child care homes regarding health, developmental, disability, and special needs issues by administering a statewide toll-free Warm-Line. Florida

10. State of Florida Early Learning Coalitions Santa Rosa Okaloosa Walton Holmes Jackson Washington Bay Calhoun Gadsden Leon Jefferson Madison Hamilton Taylor Wakulla Liberty Franklin Gulf Lafayette Suwannee Columbia Alachua Dixie Union Bradford Gilchrist Baker Nassau Duval Clay St. Johns Putnam Flagler Marion Levy Citrus Pasco Volusia Hernando Sumter Lake Hillsborough Manatee Pinellas Polk Seminole Orange Brevard Osceola Highlands Sarasota Hardee DeSoto Okeechobee Charlotte Lee Glades Hendry Collier Indian River St. Lucie Martin Palm Beach Broward Monroe Dade 1 Escambia 3 27 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 12 24 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ELC (# inclusion specialists - # counties served) *=Inclusion - Infant/Toddler Specialist 1 ELC of Escambia (1-1) 2 ELC of Santa Rosa (1-1)* 3 ELC of Okaloosa & Walton Counties (1-2) 4 ELC of North West Florida (1-7) 5 ELC of the Big Bend Region (1-7)* 6 ELC of Florida’s Gateway (1-5) 7 ELC of the Nature Coast (multiple-5)* 8 ELC of Alachua (1-1)* 9 ELC of CNBB (1-4) 10 ELC of Duval (2-1) 11 ELC of St. Johns & Putnam (1-2) 12 ELC of Marion (1-1)* 13 ELC of Flagler & Volusia Counties (1-2) 14 ELC of Orange (1-1) 15 ELC of Seminole (1-1) 16 ELC of Lake (1-1)* 17 ELC of Pasco & Hernando Counties (3-2) 18 ELC of Pinellas (1-1) 19 ELC of Hillsborough (2-1) 20 ELC of Polk (1-1) 21 ELC of Osceola (1-1) 22 ELC of Brevard (1-1)* 23 ELC of Manatee (1-1) 24 ELC of Sarasota (multiple-1) 25 ELC of Florida’s Heartland, Inc. (multiple-4) 26 ELC of Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee (2-3) 27 ELC of St. Lucie (multiple-1) 28 ELC of Southwest Florida (1-4) 29 ELC of Palm Beach (1-1) 30 ELC of Broward (1-1) 31 ELC of Miami/Dade & Monroe (3-2) Current as of 4/27/11 2 10 25 26 28 29 30 31

11. Thinking Outside the Examine current responsibilities Prioritize tasks Redefine tasks Split duties Rotating duties Recruit community partners Director-driven models Regional in-kind support Reassign existing staff with small incentives

12. Making the Networks Work Monthly statewide conference calls Quarterly cross-network webinars Plan regional network opportunities around required travel for other meetings/conferences Network specific & general Provider Services listservs Monthly I.N.F.O. calendar Encourage peer-networking, ask for outcomes Request network input on state initiatives: Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards Florida Early Care and Education Core Competencies

13. Discuss… How does the consultant link with the following systems? Early learning guidelines/standards, Quality rating systems Child care licensing Early Head Start Child Care Resource and Referral Part C Early Intervention In designing systems/networks, how have administrators planned for collaborations among and between networks? How are duplicated efforts addressed?

14. Virginia Population = 7,882,590 Children under 5 years old = 6.7% (543,898) 30% of population lives in Northern Virgina. 25% of Virginia’s children (under 18) live in NoVA Larger metropolitan areas in central Virginia and Tidewater with the remainder of the state largely rural and suburban Community level connections: Smart Beginnings Coalitions in 28 localities/regions, LICCs (40); VACCRN grantees, State level connections: VICC, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (Virginia’s Plan for Smart Beginnings), Early Childhood Advisory Council, ITSN State Leadership Team, Virginia Cross-sector Professional Development (VCPD) Group, Home Visiting Coalition

15. Virginia Background: Experience supporting infants and toddlers with disabilities in community settings Strong interest in collaborative efforts and activities SpecialQuest Birth to Five NPDCI Goal is to use existing resources to support inclusion: Infant & Toddler Specialist Network (www.va-itsnetwork.org) Virginia Child Care Resource and Referral Network (VACCRRN) Virginia DOE’s Training and Technical Assistance Centers Part C Smart Beginnings Coalitions Home Visiting Coalition

16. Virginia Excitement that is growing…. Collaboration across sectors Focus on caregivers of infants and toddlers Focus on quality of care benefits ALL children Important new resources in VA, especially ITSN Focus on infrastructure and systems work Expansion of Smart Beginnings Coalitions

17. Virginia Are we there yet? NO Challenges on the horizon… Funding Ability to work cross-sector (at all levels) Need to go to scale Figure out ways to support existing networks and systems so that caregivers have the support THEY need to care for infants and toddlers with disabilities Continue to learn from others states as we strengthen our consultation systems

18. Discuss… How do inclusion consultants keep up-to-date on community resources and supports, particularly if they cover large regions? Are there specific levels of technical assistance required for the program (i.e., length of time for consultations, frequency, and intensity of consultations)?

19. More Discussion… Competencies Infrastructure Linkages

20. Developing a Statewide Network of Infant and Toddler Specialists TA Manual for States and Territories http://nitcci.nccic.acf.hhs.gov/resources/ITSN_Manual_March_2011.pdf NAEYC/NACCRRA Early Childhood Education Professional Development: Training and Technical Assistance Glossary http://www.naeyc.org/GlossaryTraining_TA.pdf

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