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Platform Options
FAQs
What is ECE Shared Resources?
ECE Shared Resources is a password-protected web platform that forms an extensive knowledge hub of tools focused on supporting the needs of early childhood education and care professionals. Quick links to difficult-to-find state and federal regulations, samples and templates of procedures, policies, forms, toolkits, handbooks and more help providers manage their programs more efficiently and effectively, all available at the click of a mouse. The resources are created with the knowledge and expertise from early childhood education and care experts in 32 states and the District of Columbia, resulting in very high-quality, vetted tools. CCA For Social Good develops, hosts, and maintains the online platform.
How do states receive access to the ECE Shared Resources platform?
Associations, organizations or government agencies pay a fee to sponsor a customized version of the ECE Shared Resources platform. They in turn offer password access to their members for a fee or as a membership benefit of their organization. Because every state has different lead organizations, many different types of organizations have taken the lead in sponsoring and licensing the platform, including State and local affiliate Associations for the Education of Young Children, Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies including several Child Care Aware of America state organizations, foundations and other nonprofit organizations with a deep focus on early care and education. In some states, two or three organizations agree to be responsible for the financial and operational aspects of the platform. In other states, one organization takes the lead and is the sole party to the contract, and mutual memoranda of agreements set forth formal working arrangements between the contracting organization and other stakeholders.
Why Does this Matter?
The early childhood education and care sector is challenged with rising costs, shrinking budgets, rapidly changing workforce, diversified needs of children and their families and the increasing demand to improve quality. ECE Shared Resources is the only platform that provides a systems approach to address these challenges while strengthening the needs of this sector. ECE Shared Resources helps save time and money that can be invested in quality improvement efforts. Further, the pragmatic tools and resources enable practitioners to improve the quality of the education and care they provide while streamlining the reach of technical assistance and coaching specialists; this in turn helps states ‘take quality to scale’ in a cost-effective manner. The example below provides a highlight of only one opportunity for savings. There are many, many more.
Can ECE Shared Resources be customized to reflect our State’s very specific needs?
Yes. Each state has its own unique resources and challenges. The ECE platform is designed to be flexible, can be branded to meet your organization’s needs, and integrated with your specific state resources. Along with state regulations, states can upload and publish policies, handbooks, forms, and other materials to create their own state-specific knowledge hub. In addition, states can take advantage of over 2,200 resources that can be shared with early childhood education and care professionals quickly and easily. Further, the sample documents on the site are built to be downloaded by end users and easily customized – saving hours of time!
How does ECE Shared Resources Support QRIS?
With a customized platform, CCA For Social Good will program a QRIS Toolkit that guides providers advancing through the quality continuum. The toolkit includes step-by-step instructions with links to resources, samples, templates, and documents that meet each specific performance criteria from your state’s QRIS. In some states, over 500 resources have been provided to engage practitioners and support their quality improvement efforts.
Are savings or discounts offered?
Pre-negotiated everyday discounts are available on a variety of products and services used by early childhood education and care programs throughout the US. Types of savings programs include: payroll, office and classroom supplies, facilities and janitorial supplies, uniforms, website development, food, insurance, and more. Users choose which program they’d like to use and when they want to use it.
Are resources vetted?
Yes. Because CCA For Social Good recognizes that needs change, the ECE platform is designed to be a constantly evolving resource that responds to real-world needs and changing requirements. Facilitated by CCA For Social Good, the resources are informed by professionals highly engaged in current research and thinking in ECE including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning from Vanderbilt University, Penn State Better Kid Care and many, many more leaders. Further, our national ECE Steering Committee, a group of ECE platform sponsors across the United States, share learning, explore shared services models, and contribute their expertise to validate that the tools are of very high-quality and will benefit early childhood education and care professionals across the U.S.
What else comes with the ECE Shared Resources platform?
Each state that sponsors the use of a customized ECE platform receives a fully hosted, maintained, managed, password- protected website. A semi-automatic add member application allows simple member management. Authored content includes 40+ feature articles plus new and noteworthy resources and other content that keeps the homepage current, and a biweekly e-blast to assist with user engagement. In addition, your constituents are provided access to over 2,000 existing tools and resources already available in the platform. CCA For Social Good manages content, updates guides and handbooks periodically, and negotiates and governs all vendor programs. Analytics and user reports from the system provide meaningful insight into user behavior and preferences.
Are there any limits to the number of users on the platform?
No. Tiered membership fees are provided in the event there is an unusually high number of ‘active users’ on the site. Annual operating fees cover 2,000 active users. Active is defined as an individual who has logged into the site more than once and has completed their user profile.