To:
|
State and Territorial Lead Agencies administering
child care programs under the Child Care and Development Block Grant
Act of 1990 as amended, and other interested parties.
|
Purpose:
|
This Program Instruction conveys the Preprinted State Plan (ACF-118)
for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) services for the FY 2002-2003
biennium and the guidance document for completing and submitting
the Plan. The Plan is required by Section 658E of the Child Care
Development Block Grant Act.
|
References:
|
Section 418 of the Social Security Act; the Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 1990 as amended; 45 CFR Parts 98 and 99.
|
Preparing
the Plan :
|
The content of the State Plan Preprint (ACF-118) for the FY 2002-2003
biennium is generally the same as for the FY 2000-2001 biennium.
Lead Agencies should also be guided by the amended Act and the regulations.
Each section in the Plan contains references to the applicable sections
in the Act and/or the regulations.
Changes have been made to a few parts of the Preprint to make it
more easily understood, to reduce redundancy, and to collect information
required under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.
Agencies are encouraged to pay particular attention to modifications
in the following Parts: (Please note that this is not an inclusive
summary of the modifications.)
- Part 2, Section 2.1. To eliminate redundancy, Sections 2.1 (Consultation)
and 2.2 (Coordination) have been combined into a single section.
- Part 3, Section 3.3.1. To reduce confusion, the column "Very
low income" has been eliminated in the matrix. "Very
low income" is now included as a term to be defined in Appendix
2 - "Eligibility and Priority Terminology." Additionally,
Section 3.3.2 now asks that Lead Agencies describe how they determine
family income for eligibility purposes.
- Part 5. Note that the sections in this part have been reordered
for purposes of clarity.
- Part 6. In Section 6.6, Lead Agencies are asked to provide additional
information about their enforcement of health and safety requirements.
Though Agencies will be familiar with most of the information requested
in the Plan, they should review the attached guidance, which reflects
the current regulations and ACF's experience with Plans submitted
in the past.
|
Why
Detail Is Important:
|
By submitting detailed information in their Plans, States and
Territories provide readers and researchers with a better understanding
of their CCDF programs, describe how the child care needs of children
and families are being met, and assure the public and Congress that
tax money is being spent responsibly and to best advantage. The
public takes considerable interest in the way States and Territories
operate their CCDF programs. ACF makes Plan information available
to many users including members of Congress, Congressional committees,
State and local child care administrators, advocacy groups, researchers
and the general public. In addition, CCDF is subject to reauthorization
by Congress in FY 2002. ACF anticipates that this will result in
heightened interest in the information submitted in the FY 2002-2003
Plans.
|
Planning
Process:
|
ACF reminds Lead Agencies that in preparing
their biennial Plans, the Act requires Lead Agencies to: (1) Consult
with appropriate representatives of local governments; (2) Coordinate
the provision of services with Federal, State and local child care
and early childhood development programs; and (3) Provide statewide
notice of at least one hearing before the Plan is submitted to ACF
to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the child care
services to be provided under the new State Plan. (Section 658D(b)(1)
and (2); 45 CFR 98.14(c))
The regulations further specify that the statewide notice of the public
hearing be given at least 20 days before the hearing and that the
contents of the proposed Plan be made available to the public in advance
of the hearing. (45 CFR 98.14(c)) A meaningful public comment process
must consider written comments from private citizens or representatives
of organizations unable to attend a hearing. The importance of the
hearing is such that the Preprint requires the Lead Agency to describe
its public hearing process. (Section 2.2)
While the Act requires a minimum of one public hearing, ACF encourages
Lead Agencies to convene additional public hearings, since the concern
of the Act is to allow broad public participation in preparing a Plan.
The hearings are meant to be an integral part of planning a child
care program and should not be an occasion merely to comment on an
already completed Plan. Many Lead Agencies have on-going Planning
processes with broad community involvement that convene regularly
during the year.
In the two previous biennial planning cycles, Lead Agencies showed
great diversity in fulfilling the public hearing requirement. Some
sponsored focus groups with parents and providers, community roundtables,
regional meetings and forums spread over several months and culminating
in the public hearing(s). Statewide notification of the public hearing
has also varied greatly. Most States use the media to publicize the
hearing(s), e.g., an announcement in the Legal Notices section of
the State's major newspapers. Many States send press releases to a
broad array of news and information outlets. Widespread use of the
Internet has influenced the way states publicize their public hearings.
Many States have posted both their hearing notices and their draft
Plans on the Lead Agency's Web site. Some States allow interested
parties to comment on the draft Plan via the Internet; others have
an 800 number the public can call to comment.
|
Electronic
Format:
|
States are encouraged to submit their Plans
through electronic means. The State Plan Preprint (ACF-118) is available
in word-processing format from ACF Regional Offices. If a Lead Agency
intends to submit its Plan electronically, it should: (1) Inform the
appropriate Regional Office; (2) "Write protect" the Plan;
(3) Submit a letter signed by the program administrator to the appropriate
Regional Office confirming that on a specific date the Plan is submitted
for review and approval.
|
Reminder
Amending the Plan:
|
To make a substantive change to a CCDF
program after the Plan has been approved, a Lead Agency needs to submit
a Plan amendment to ACF for approval. Amendments are to be submitted
within 60 days of the effective date of the change. ACF will approve
amendments not later than the 90th day following the date on which
the amendment is received, unless a written agreement to extend that
period has been secured. (45 CFR 98.18(b)) Lead Agencies should enter
information about the amendment on the Amendment Log at the beginning
of the Plan.
|
Deadlines
and Effective Dates:
|
Lead Agencies must submit their Plans for
ACF review by July 1, 2001. Plans approved by the appropriate ACF
Regional Office will become effective on October 1, 2001.
|
Submitting
the Plan:
|
Copies of the Plan should be submitted as follows:
1 copy to the: ACF Regional Administrator (The attached address
list includes the electronic mail address for plans submitted electronically.)
1 copy to the:
Child Care Bureau
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
Electronic mail address:
lreese-smith@acf.hhs.gov
|
Inquiries: |
All inquiries should be directed
to the ACF Regional Administrator. |
|
/s/
______________________________
James Harrell
Acting Commissioner
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
|