Montana National Infant

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Montana National Infant Toddler Child Care
Initiative
DPHHS/Early Childhood Services Bureau
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Montanas Infants Toddlers
An average of 2,312 children 03 are served per
month by the Child Care and Development Fund
(FY 2001 ACF-801 data) In Federal Fiscal Year 2
003 the Infant/Toddler Child Care and Development
Fund Set-Aside 302,641 (FY 2003 CCDF Final All
ocations and Earmarks, U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF)
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32,532 Children Under 3 Live in Montana
US Census 2000
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(No Transcript)
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Montanas Infants Toddlers
245 children plus 145 Tribal children served by 7
grantees are in Early Head Start
Early Head Start Funded Enrollment (EHSNRC
DatabaseJuly 2003) 49 of all the requests for
child care to the child care resource and
referral programs were for infant and toddler
care (Child Care Profile, United States/NACCRRA,
March 2003) 574 children under 3 are served by
the Early Intervention Program
(U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Ed.
Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS), Dec.
2002)
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Professional Development of Infant/Toddler Careg
ivers

• Infant/Toddler Caregiver Credential
• 300 WestED Certified Infant/Toddler Caregivers
• Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate
• 22 Issued in 2000
• 1 Issued in 1998
• Early Learning Guidelines for 0-3
• No

Council on Professional Recognition
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Ratios

• In Center-Based Care the staff-to-child ratios
  are
  
• 14 for 0 to 23 months
• 18 for 24 to 36 months
• In Family Child Care the staff-to-child ratios
  are
  
• 14 infants only (024 months)
• 16 with no more than 3 under 2 years of age
• In Group Family Child Care the staff-to-child
  ratios are
  
• 14 for 0 to 23 months (infants only)
• 112 with only 6 under the age of 2

(State Licensing Regulations)
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Building an Infant/Toddler System

• Phase I
• Development of a High Quality Training System and
  Certification Program for I/T Caregivers
  
• Train the Trainers to Teach WestED
• Train 40 Individuals to Use I/T Environmental
  Rating Scale
  
• Phase II
• Development of Actual I/T Child Care Models
  through Montanas I/T Demonstration Project
  

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Building an Infant/Toddler System

• For Child Care Facilities to Participate They
  Must
  
• 1. Infant/Toddler Caregiver Certification
  Credential
  
• Current I/T or Family Child Care CDA
  Credential
  
• Complete Four Modules of WestED Program for I/T
  Caregivers
  
• Complete Child Care Specialist Apprenticeship
  (30 hrs of
  
• Documented I/T Coursework) OR
• AA or Bachelors in EC/CD That Includes 30 hrs
  of Documented
  
• I/T Instruction

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Building an Infant/Toddler System

• 2. Support High Quality Facilities
• Accreditation through NAEYC or NAFCC
• 3. Support Infant/Toddler Teachers Salaries
  With
  
• Stipends
• Support Wages and Benefits of Certified
  Infant/Toddler Caregivers
  
• Reduce High Turnover Rate
• 4. Create Favorable Business Environment
• Compensation for Investment in Appropriate
  Environmental Design
  
• and Director Program Support

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Building an Infant/Toddler System

• Preliminary Results
• Total Funding Over the Last Four Years
  (1,121,212) has Resulted In
  
• National Accreditation of 20 Child Care
  Facilities
  
• Raised Standards in All Program Areas Through
  the Use of the
  
• I/T Environmental Rating Scale
• Additional Funding to Facilities Does Make a
  Difference in
  
• Meeting Quality Standards

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National I/T Child Care Initiative

• Presently a research report is being developed
  that includes data, analyses, and conclusions
  regarding the impact of the I/T Demonstration
  Project. This report will include the
  following
• Description and history of the I/T Demonstration
  Project
  
• Turnover rates of I/T Certified Caregivers
• Quality as measured by pre and post ITERS and
  FDCRS
  
• Comparison of wages of I/T Demo participants with
  DOL statistics

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National I/T Child Care Initiative

• Comparison of number of I/T trainers and
  certified I/T caregivers
  
• before and after I/T Demo Project
• Comparison of licensing inspection deficiency
  statements for I/T Demo
  
• participants and a random sample of providers
• Number of children impacted by the I/T Demo
  Project
  
• Number of referrals for I/T care
• List of concerns and successes identified
  through quarterly reports and
  
• group meetings with I/T Demo Project
  participants

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National I/T Child Care Initiative

• The Results of Our Research Report on the Impact
  of the I/T Demonstration Project will Guide our
  Future Goals Of
  
• Continuing and Refine the I/T Demonstration
  Project
  
• Educating Parents About High Quality I/T Care and
  Its Actual Costs
  
• Developing a Strategy to Promote I/T
  Certification and Intermediate
  
• and Advanced Caregiver Training
• Developing Early-Learning Guidelines for Children
  Birth to Three
  
• Years