CSPECE Qualitative Narrative Reporting Supplement

Form Approved

OMB No. 0923-0057

Exp. Date 09/30/2023

ATSDR estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as one hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS HS 21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0923-0057).

Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE)

Qualitative Narrative Reporting Supplement CDC RFA-TS-23-0001

As part of the APPLETREE Annual Performance Reports (APRs), state partners must complete reporting requirements specific to CSPECE. There are two parts to complete:

1. Narrative questions, contained in this document

2. Quantitative metrics, contained in Excel workbook “CSPECE Quantitative Reporting Form.xlsx”

Both parts should be completed based on progress on CSPECE activities.

The CSPECE narrative questions should be included as an appendix in the APR.

The CSPECE Excel workbook is sent as an additional attachment with the APR. This does not replace other specific performance measures and evaluation projects outlined in the Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan (EPMP), and many times can help meet the specifications of the CSPECE section of the EPMP. In cases in which the CSPECE narrative questions and excel reporting reflect performance measures and evaluation projects specified in the EPMP, states do not have to duplicate reporting in multiple places and can reference results provided in this CSPECE Supplement.

Detailed instructions are provided below:

Narrative:

Purpose: The narrative questions are designed to guide you through activities you should complete as part of starting a new program and later as you enhance and expand your program. It also helps provide ATSDR with descriptive details of your state’s landscape, program plan, program implementation, and results that cannot be captured through numbers.

The specific questions each recipient completes will vary based on their progress with CSPECE. Working with your ATSDR Technical Project Team and using this guidance document, identify which questions you should complete for each reporting period. At a minimum, reporting should be submitted to align with the completion of activities specified in the APPLETREE Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Excel:

Purpose: The Excel workbook was designed to supplement the narrative and provide a template for the reporting questions that could be listed or enumerated, which helps provide ATSDR an aggregate picture of your program.  For some of the questions that are “describe,” in the narrative, the Excel worksheet quantifies or categorizes details. 

Narrative Questions

For previously funded recipients under TS20-2001

• Describe current CSPECE accomplishments.

• Describe current and planned activities such as screening, education, response actions, process or policy change activities that support the goals of CSPECE.

  • Provide current CSPECE sustainability plan.

For new recipients funded under TS-23-0001

Directions: The following questions are based on recommended CSPECE milestones for new programs. Complete the questions in this section (as appropriate) as you define the safe siting landscape in your state.

Define the Landscape and develop a program plan for safe siting of childcare centers

1. How do early care and education (ECE) licensing programs work within your state?

Quantifying ECE programs and populations

• Provide the total number of licensed ECE programs in the state, including:

  • Number of family/home based facilities and total number of children in those facilities.

  • Number of out of home facilities and the total number of children in those facilities.

• Provide the number of new ECE licenses that are applied for and granted annually. Averages or estimates can be provided.

  • Number of new licenses for family/home based facilities.

  • Number of new licenses for out of home facilities.

ECE licensing process and policies

• Describe the process for how ECE programs are licensed in your state (tip: a flowchart of the process may help), including:

  • The entities within your state that are involved in leading and supporting the licensing of ECE programs.

  • The costs associated with licensing an ECE facility.

• Describe how licensing policies are developed and applied in the state, including information about periodic reviews of the overarching policies.

• Describe guidance documents (if any) that are used to develop health or environmental licensing policies.

ECE licensing as it relates to environmental health

• Describe how ECE facilities are currently evaluated for environmental health issues, including what environmental health issues inspectors of ECE facilities look for, any environmental health items on inspection checklists, site-related contamination, safe drinking water, and how identified problems handled.

• Describe any environmental health training inspectors of ECE facilities receive.

• Describe how zoning in municipalities could affect site-related contamination at ECE facilities, including if any major municipalities in the state have zoning requirements for ECE facilities.

2. Who are the stakeholders of early care and education (ECE) licensing programs within your state, and how are they/how could they be involved in ECE licensing?

• Describe the agencies/stakeholders involved with ECE licensing.

• Describe which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have engaged with health issues in ECE licensing and that might be interested in future engagement.

• Describe public health programs that engage with ECE licensing in the state.

• Describe how the development of a CSPECE program will use input and guidance from stakeholders.

3. How have you built/will you build nongovernmental partnerships with ECE decision makers within your state?

• Describe how you conduct partnership engagement.

• Describe the challenges encountered building partnerships.

• Describe the primary motivations for partners to engage.

Develop a pilot program and use lessons learned to fully implement a CSPECE program

• How did your Choose Safe Places pilot program operate?

• Provide an updated flowchart for the operation of the pilot program.

• Describe the status of your program operations, including if your program is ready to be fully implemented and changes will you make as the program continues.

• What partnerships did your Choose Safe Places pilot program support?

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

• Describe how the program received input and guidance from the stakeholders.

• Describe how the program communicated with stakeholders.

• Describe if/how the program supported or engaged a coalition of stakeholders.

• What trainings did your Choose Safe Places pilot program receive and conduct?

• Describe the type of training topics received and conducted.

• Describe who developed and delivered needed trainings for your program staff, partners, and other stakeholders (provide the source, availability, and timeline for delivery).

• What data and processes did your Choose Safe Places program use to identify and respond to proposed ECE sites that had potential harmful environmental exposures?

• Describe the process of referrals to your program.

• Describe the process for screening proposed ECE sites.

• Describe what data was used to screen sites and what data, if any, was used if screening suggested an increased likelihood of harmful environmental exposures.

• Describe how you tracked the number of sites screened and the number of referrals to your CSPECE pilot program.

• Describe the challenges, limitations, and gaps you experienced with data collection.

• How will your CSPECE program operate?

• Describe how your CSPECE program will operate.

• Describe the program’s accomplishments (including success stories).

• Provide the results of process and outcome performance metrics.

• Describe the data you collected (provide descriptive summary of data).

• Provide an explanation of how you defined your own metrics you’ve created to evaluate your program.

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