Versión en español a continuación. Special Called Early Childhood Council Meeting August 16, 2021 A Special Called Early Childhood Council meeting to be held 8/16/2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (8/15/2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the Early Childhood Council Meeting, members of the public must: •Email or call the board liaison at Rachel.Farley@austintexas.gov or 512-663-2792 no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to Rachel.Farley@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn- live (Note, the Early Childhood Council meetings are not broadcast live.) Reunión Especial del Early Childhood Council 16 de agosto de 2021 La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (15 de agosto antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Envíe un correo electrónico o llame al enlace de la junta en Rachel.Farley@austintexas.gov o 512-663- 2792 a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que …
CHILD CARE SERVICES Workforce Solutions Capital Area is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available, upon request, to persons with disabilities. Relay Texas: 1.800.735.2989 (TDD) / 711 (Voice) www.wfscapitalarea.com 1 Agenda 1. Programmatic Information 2. Direct Services 3. Eligibility Requirements 4. Enrollment & Recertification Overview 5. How To Apply 6. Local Match 7. Continuity of Care 8. Special Projects 9. Quality Initiatives 10. Community Engagement 2 Programmatic Info Child Care and Development Block Grant Funding (CCDBG) • The Child Care Services (CCS) program is directed by federal and state rules, state policies and guidance, and local policies. • Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the Lead Agency in Texas. TWC contracts with 28 Local Workforce Development Boards throughout the state. • As the Texas Workforce Development Board for Capital Area ,we are responsible for the administration of the subsidized child care program in Travis County. Funding is invested in two ways to serve the families in our community. Through direct child care services to promote economic self sufficiency for low-income families and quality investments that support healthy development and school readiness needs of children. C C E H P A 3 Direct Child Care Services Target: 2,795 children served per day PRIORITY GROUP 1 MANDATORY POP. PRIORITY GROUP 2 DISCRETIONARY POP. Guaranteed child care services • Choices Services dependent upon availability of funds • Children needing protective care • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Children of a qualified veteran or qualified spouse Applicant • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) • Former Choices • Children of a foster youth • Children experiencing homelessness • Children of parents on military deployment • Children of teen parents • Children with disabilities C C E H P A 4 Direct Child Care Services Target: 2,795 children served per day PRIORITY GROUP 3 BOARD-APPROVED POPULATION Services dependent upon availability of funds • Pre-K Partnerships • Former CPS • Siblings of children currently receiving care • Children of customers who are participating in TWC workforce funded programs (WIOA), the WERC Program or other Special Projects defined by the Board where child care is needed for customers to participate while working/training in a program designed to help the customer achieve self-sufficiency. • Children of young adults between the ages of 16-24 at the time of enrollment. Young adults will be participating in a program operated by an Austin Opportunity …
ARPA Funding Recommendations from Success By 6 Early & UWATX City of Austin approved $11 million for the following recommendations. Recommendation Child care fund for Workforce program grads to mitigate benefits cliff Increase Continuity of Care funding UWATX Pre-K Partnerships Hub to expand access to public Pre-K Expand/sustain family/home-based child care networks Plan and pilot non traditional hours child care system Plan and implement shared services alliance Expand wage supplements and tuition support to recruit and retain qualified early childhood educators Cost of living increase for Ready Families Collaborative programs Family Connects Program expansion by 2,000 births per year and program evaluation DVISD- Expand access to Pre-K4 for those who do not meet state income eligibility but cannot afford Pre-K 4 tuition AISD 1- Full day care for Pre-K 3 (highest option total = $4,125,000) AISD 2- Expand 2-Gen Families as Partners Program Scale United Way’s ConnectATX free navigation service 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 3-year total amounts requested Recommendation Link $4,500,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,500,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,200,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,000,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,000,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,500,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,000,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $250,000 Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $3,540,000 Family Connects Supplemental Rec for Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,500,000 DVISD Supplemental Rec for Transforming the ATX Early Childhood System $1,375,000 AISD Proposals to Support High Quality Early Education $429,150 AISD Proposals to Support High Quality Early Education $550,000 UWATX Rebuilding Systems Recs- social svc navigation, WF dev't, school-age child care 14 15 16 Expand 2-Gen United Way workforce development program for young parents with low income in middle skill job training Improve school-age child care in Austin- Youth Program Quality Instrument to assess 36 sites and make site improvement plans Embed Americorps VISTA early literacy and math tutors in out of school time programs $300,000 UWATX Rebuilding Systems Recs- social svc navigation, WF dev't, school-age child care $250,000 UWATX Rebuilding Systems Recs- social svc navigation, WF dev't, school-age child care UWATX Rebuilding Systems Recs- social svc navigation, WF dev't, school-age child care $625,000 $20,519,150
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING Monday, August 16, 2021 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MINUTES The Early Childhood Council (ECC) convened on Monday, August 16, 2021. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse; Members Gordon, Alvarez, Wren, Huston, Paver, Hedrick, and Conlin Staff in attendance: Rachel Farley, Caitlin Oliver CALL TO ORDER – Chair McHorse called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL – No citizen communication 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from June 9, 2021 meeting – Member Hedrick moved to approve the minutes. Member Huston seconded the motion. The minutes were approved by a vote of 7-0 2. NEW BUSINESS AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS a. Policy Work Group updates i. American Rescue Plan Act funding- Anna Lisa Conlin Member Conlin reported that Travis County approved 15 months of ARPA funding and will then reassess future funding. Can be used for up to 3 years, with 15-month assessment periods. The approved funding matches the original Success by 6 recommendations. Staff liaison Rachel Farley added that the recommendations for the extension of existing funding may move more quickly. Of the recommendations that are new funding, the Del Valle ISD interlocal agreement (ILA) is the farthest along. Chair McHorse encouraged attendees to extend a thank you to their City Council member for approving the ARPA funding for early childhood. ii. U.S. Chamber of Commerce report on lack of affordable child care- Tom Hedrick Member Hedrick updated members about two forthcoming studies that report on the economic consequences of inadequate child care in Texas. The studies look at both the availability of child care seats available and quality of programs. The Ready Nation (subgroup of Council for a Strong America) report estimates a $3.5-4 billion cost to Texas in the pre-natal to 3 arena. This report is to be published soon. Uncertain on when the US Chamber of Commerce report will be released. It addresses pre-natal to 6, and estimates a cost that is roughly double that of the Ready Nation report. The variables that go into calculating the economic costs are things like: Getting parents back to work and how child care relates to that; Parents that would have to stay home can now work; Parents who are working will be this much more productive and won’t miss work; Productivity and breakdowns in child care and absences due to child care, etc. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, participation in the workforce by parents with …
