Children Now Comments - CCDF Plan PrePrint - Nov 2010

November 19, 2010

Attention: ACF Reports Clearance Officer

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Administration, Office of Information Services

370 L’Enfant Promenade, S.W.

Washington, DC 20447

Re: Comments on the Proposed FFY 2012 – 2013 CCDF Plan Preprint

To whom it may concern,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan Preprint. Children Now is highly supportive of efforts by the Office of Child Care to ensure the quality of early learning and development programs funded through CCDF. In particular, we applaud the Preprint’s integrated approach to systems that support program quality and its emphasis on state accountability through established goals and performance measures.

Children Now is a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization working to raise children’s well-being to the top of the national and state policy agenda. The organization focuses on ensuring quality health care, a solid education and a positive media environment for children.

California is currently working on several fronts to improve its early learning system, including efforts by the Early Learning Quality Improvement System (ELQIS) Advisory Committee and the newly established Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) to establish a state Quality Rating and Improvement System and coordinate an early childhood information data system. The revisions to Part 3 of the Preprint (Health and Safety and Quality Improvement Activities) that establish the three-part process of self-assessment, goal-setting and annual reporting will not only push the state to consider the role of CCDF funded quality improvement initiatives within its larger quality improvement efforts, but also collect the data necessary for determining if these initiatives are achieving their objectives. Children Now has actively supported the California Department of Education in its efforts to better track the impact of its quality improvement activities, and the Preprint’s requirements will move the state even farther along in this process.

On behalf of California’s youngest children, we thank you for your work to improve the quality of early learning opportunities across the country, and we look forward to utilizing the CCDF Plan Preprint in California.

Sincerely,

Ted Lempert

President