Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Request for Applications (RFA) Release

The CDE, ELCD is announcing the release of the Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Request for Application (RFA). The RFA is designed to align with the QCC professional development system and to focus on local workforce needs across all care setting types. The QCC Workforce Pathways Grant RFA, in combination with the unified QCC Local Consortia and Partnerships Grant RFA (QCC Unified RFA), represents investments by the CDE/ELCD to support an effective statewide Quality Improvement System and Quality Rating and Improvement System. As the state invests in quality improvements, including workforce development, it will continue to encourage QCC system alignment in order to build a stronger quality system.

 

The CDE would like to highlight the following changes:

• Funding has been reduced to an $11,000,000 one-year statewide allocation.
• The QCC Workforce pathways have been streamlined.
• The former stipend administrating agency in the county will have the first right of refusal. The QCC Consortia Lead will have the second right of refusal.
• The QCC Workforce pathways grant will be available to all counties and to Tribal Childcare.
• The CDE is moving forward with an equity-focused funding formula, but has set caps on both increases and decreases to the amount of funding that any county will receive in comparison to the 2019–20 Assembly Bill 212 allocation.

 

The grant was released on May 26, 2020, and the applications are due June 15, 2020, by close of business. There is no Letter of Intent required for this grant.  Please see additional key dates on the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant web page, located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/qccelcwork2021rfa.asp.

 

Quality Counts California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant Webinar

An informational webinar will be held on Friday, May 29, 2020, 1–2 p.m. to review the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant RFA. Below you will find the link to register. It is not necessary to pre-register.

For more information regarding the QCC ELC Workforce Pathways Grant or webinar, please email the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant Team at QCCWorkforce@cde.ca.gov.

 

Attendee Information

Topic: Quality County California (QCC) Workforce Pathways Grant RFA Technical Assistance Webinar

Time: May 29, 2020 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

 

Web Link:

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/98803336887

Password: 914014

 

Telephone:

Dial:

USA 215 861 0692

USA 8882512909 (US Toll Free)

Conference code: 410566

The CDE, ELCD and Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services (CDNFS) office has received questions from contractors about when the Early Learning and Care contracts for 2020-21 will be sent to contractors. The information below pertains specifically to the following CDE contracts: Alternative Payment Program (CAPP), Migrant Child Care (CMIG and CMAP), California State Preschool Program (CSPP), General Child Care (CCTR), Family Child Care Home Education Networks (CFCC), Care for Children with Severe Disabilities (CHAN), and CalWORKs Stages 2 and 3 (C2AP and C3AP).

 

Agencies holding these CDE contracts can expect to receive fiscal year 2020-21 contracts by June 1. These contracts will not reflect any of the proposed changes in the May Revise. While the changes in the May Revise are proposed changes to the budget, contractors should review what has been proposed and assess their current financial situation to make informed decisions and plan accordingly. Once the final budget is enacted, any changes made in the final budget will be reflected in contract amendments. The CDE will process Budget Act amendments, which will incorporate all changes to funding. Budget Act amendments are typically released in September.

 

If you have any questions regarding this correspondence, please contact your assigned CDNFS fiscal analyst from the CDNFS Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.

Attention: All Executive Officers and Program Directors of California Department of Education Early Learning and Care Programs and Operators of Private Programs

 

On April 29, 2020, the CDE ELCD announced funds authorized by the Governor and Legislature to provide funding to providers for cleaning, personal protective equipment, and other supplies to support emergency childcare during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

 

The CDE, ELCD has released a letter to update the Apportionment Guidance to Resource and Referral (R&R) Program Contractors. The purpose of this guidance is to revise some of the content from the original guidance letter dated April 29, 2020. Some of the items superseded by this guidance include the timeline for expending Cleaning and Supplies for Childcare Providers (CSCP) funding, clarifying eligible providers, use of funds, and reporting the use of funds to the CDE. Content from the April 29 letter that is not superseded by this letter remains in effect.

 

The letter can be found on ELCD’s COVID-19 Guidance and Resources web page: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/elcdcovid19.asp

 

If you have any questions about these funds, please refer to ELCDEmergency@cde.ca.gov.

An opportunity for you to hear what other colleagues around the state are doing to support students, each other, and themselves amidst the COVID-19 challenges.

The webinar information is below.

Our panelists will feature educators from across the state, including one of our 2020 California Teachers of the Year, Mandy Kelly; one of our Classified School Employees of the Year; and Mara Madrigal-Weiss, Director of Student Wellness and Student Achievement with the San Diego County Office of Education.

Feel free to share this information with your colleagues. We are here to support each and every one of you during this pandemic.

To join the webinar by VIDEO, click the below link:

https://zoom.us/j/96401448065

Meeting ID: 964 0144 8065

Password: 181959

 

To join via Facebook Live, go to the CDE’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CAEducation

NOTE: You do not need to have a Facebook account to view.

To join by AUDIO ONLY, please call:

1-602-333-2014

1-888-204-5984 (U.S. Toll-Free)

Conference code: 764260

Password: 181959

This survey is being jointly administered by the CDE and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to collect key information needed for the COVID-19 response.

 

Pursuant to the CDE’s Management Bulletin (MB) 20-04 (https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2004.asp), released March 18, 2020, and the CDSS All County Welfare Directors Letter (https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACWDL/2020/ACWDL_3-30-20.pdf) released March 30, 2020, the CDE and the CDSS are now collecting data on the number of dual payments referred to in that guidance. This data will inform the state’s understanding of how programs are responding to COVID-19 and is critical for decision-making purposes.

 

Accordingly, pursuant to the above-referenced guidance, the CDE and the CDSS are requiring all Alternative Payment contractors and County Welfare Departments that administer CalWORKs Stage 1, 2, 3, the California Alternative Payment Program, and the California Migrant Alternative Payment Program to complete this survey by 5pm on May 11, 2020.

 

This survey contains the same questions asked in the last survey. In addition to identifying information about your agency or department, the survey asks two key questions:

 

1. What percentage of children receiving a voucher from your agency or department moved from one provider to a secondary provider due to the closure of their primary provider?

a.    Periods this data will be collected for:

                          i.     March 16 to March 31

                         ii.     The month of April

2. What percentage of children receiving a voucher from your agency or department were on a variable schedule? (only asked to CDE contractors)

a.    Periods this data will be collected for:

                          i.     The month of March

                         ii.     The month of April

We are asking agencies and departments to resubmit information for March now that more complete information is available.

 

If you are able to submit data before the deadline, please do so.

 

Alternative Payment contractors who administer CalWORKs Stage 1 on behalf of their County Welfare Department must provide CalWORKs Stage 1 data in addition to data on their CDE contracted programs.

 

Contractors operating in multiple counties should only submit one survey response that includes all counties served.

 

To complete the survey, please answer all questions. If you have any questions about filing out this survey, please contact ELCDEmergency@cde.ca.gov or CCPB@dss.ca.gov.

 

Link to the survey: https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/mayimpactsofcorona.asp

ELCD Management Bulletin 20-07 (MB 20-07), available at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2007.asp, provides guidance to local child care and development planning councils (LPCs) about updated requirements and instructions during the declared State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

MB 20-07 requires LPCs to update their agencies’ emergency response plans by May 5, 2020 [originally April 27, 2020] for staffing and continuity of services to include references to current guidelines related to COVID-19, share this information with the community, including families, providers, early learning and care contractors, and other local partners, and train staff as information is updated. 

The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BFXVCQR, and provides a template for LPCs to use to submit their emergency response plan.