Specifications include, but are not limited to: This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by the Louisiana Department of Education (herein referred to as the State) for the purpose of seeking proposals for Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services including referral to early childhood care and education services, training and technical assistance. In order to support implementation of the Early Childhood Care and Education Network, CCR&R services will be expected to provide for a parish, multiple parishes, an entire region, multiple regions, or statewide: 1. Consumer Education and Referral Services: Provide families with information about all early care and education options through referral and Community Network common enrollment activities 2. Foundational Learning Opportunities: Support providers to build knowledge and skills through training related to: o Louisiana Birth to Kindergarten Early Learning and Development Standards (Standards) o The importance of teacher child interactions (including use of Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS)) o Using child assessment information to adjust instruction (including use of Teaching Strategies GOLD (TS GOLD)) 3. Technical Assistance: Support teachers and leaders, concentrating on Community Network Pilot members, through targeted technical assistance and coaching to implement the Standards, CLASS and TS GOLD in order to improve quality. o CCR&Rs are asked to prioritize technical assistance to those providers participating in Community Network Pilots (in collaboration with Coordinating Partners) and to prioritize foundational support to those providers not in a Community Network Pilot. o At the direction of the agency, CCR&Rs are required to allocate and administer grants, including materials, to child care providers.
