EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL February 9, 2022, 8:30 A.M. CITY HALL, BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM #1101 301 WEST SECOND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Early Childhood Council may be participating by videoconference AGENDA CALL TO ORDER Public comment will be accepted in person and by phone. To make a comment by phone, register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting by contacting Caitlin Oliver, Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or email: Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers to register will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns not on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from January 12, 2022, meeting 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Update from the Community Engagement and Policy Workgroups on a response to the Workforce Solutions Capital Area letter to the ECC that was discussed at the January 12, 2022, meeting 3. NEW BUSINESS AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS a. Joint Inclusion Committee and Community Engagement Work Group updates- Raul Alvarez i. ii. JIC/Quality of Life (QoL) Commission Budget Town Hall on Affordability and Resiliency (February 16, 2022) Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) Budget Timeline/Process - Budget proposals are due to the JIC by March 14th if individual boards/commissions seek JIC endorsement b. Policy Work Group updates- Anna Lisa Conlin i. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding update ii. Discussion of fiscal year 2022-2023 budget recommendations, including brief review of ECC budget resolutions from the past two years iii. Austin-Travis County COVID-19 Child Care Task Force survey on child care 4. STAFF UPDATES staffing a. COVID-19 updates b. Child care center at the Dove Springs Austin Public Health facility FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS a. Update about Head Start from Child Inc b. Updates from organizations/programs receiving ARPA funds ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Caitlin Oliver, Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or email: Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Early Childhood Council, please contact Caitlin Oliver, Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or email: Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov.
STRATEGIC PLAN | 2019-2023 ARPA INVESTMENTS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE FUNDING TO ADDRESS GAP CREATED FOR FAMILIES DUE TO CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT STATUS Original request: $6M *Create a step-down child-care fund for Workforce Program Graduates to mitigate the benefits cliff. * Increase funding for Continuity of Care Program Workforce Solutions Capital Area - Continuity of Care Expansion City: $1,965,104 - Anticipated Council Action March 24 County: $906,399 - in process Prioritize funding for infants/toddlers on subsidy waitlist, Additional priority populations: training programs, Travis County (outside COA) ARPA INVESTMENTS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE FUNDING TO ADDRESS GAP CREATED FOR FAMILIES DUE TO CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT STATUS Original request: $6M *Create a step-down child-care fund for Workforce Program Graduates to mitigate the benefits cliff. * Increase funding for Continuity of Care Program Workforce Solutions Capital Area - Child Care Access Family & Community Engagement Navigator & Supervisor City: $370,588 - Anticipated Council Action March 24 County: $168,233 - in process Funds to provide the Child Care Subsidy Contractor with the necessary staffing support to more efficiently and effectively connect families with low-income who are in need of child care services in Travis County to child care providers with child care service openings ARPA INVESTMENTS STABILIZING THE CHILD CARE WORKFORCE Original request: $1M Wage Supplements & Tuition Supports Workforce Solutions Capital Area - Child Care Essential Worker Premium Pay City: $765,945 - Anticipated Council Action March 24 County: $385,785 - in process Expand the Jeannette Watson Wage Supplement to include awards for professionals with a Child Development Associate credential (CDA); provide an annual premium pay wage stipend for two years to Jeannette Watson recipients in addition to their Jeannette Watson award. Annual premium pay wage stipends will also be provided to non-credentialed essential child care professionals (including center support staff, such as cooks and cleaners) with tenure in the child care sector. Tuition Support through T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Texas Scholarship Program City: $157,000 - pending Council Action (April 2022?) Additional wrap-around supports to early childhood professionals who are pursuing higher education in the early childhood field: includes completion bonuses after the first semester, second semester, and upon contract completion; commitment bonuses; and quality staff retention incentives for sponsoring centers. ARPA INVESTMENTS SUSTAIN & SCALE INNOVATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE QUALITY CARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL FAMILIES Original request: $2.2M *PreK Partnerships Hub *Family-Based Child Care Networks PreK Partnerships Hub City: …
REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, February 9, 2022 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MINUTES The Early Childhood Council (ECC) convened on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse, Council Members Alvarez, Bliss Lima, Conlin, Demby, Gordon, Hedrick, Hosking Pulido, Huston, and Schennum Staff in attendance: Caitlin Oliver, Donna Sundstrom, Cindy Gamez, and Michelle Rodriguez CALL TO ORDER – Chair McHorse called the meeting to order at 8:37 a.m. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No citizen communication. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from January 12, 2022, meeting – Member Demby moved to approve the minutes from the January 12, 2022, regular meeting. The minutes were approved by a unanimous vote of 9-0 (Member Schennum not on the dais at time of vote). 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Update from the Community Engagement and Policy Workgroups on a response to the Workforce Solutions Capital Area letter to the ECC that was discussed at the January 12, 2022, meeting Member Gordon said the Community Engagement Workgroup has discussed potentially offering their support to Workforce Solutions (WFS) in the development of a community engagement group, which was one of the recommendations the ECC members made to WFS in 2021 to improve customer service. Member Conlin, Chair McHorse, and Member Huston shared that the Policy Workgroup discussed responding to WFS with some follow-up requests, including: 1) a regular monthly update to the ECC concerning WFS progress on the recommendations the ECC made; 2) that the ECC have a representative on the WFS Tiger Team or that WFS consult with the ECC members on what community members to include on the Tiger Team; and 3) an opportunity to discuss interpretations of the customer service data that WFS shared with the ECC members. Member Conlin noted that the City is in the process of incorporating performance measures into contracts with WFS that incorporate customer service satisfaction. Member Hedrick posed the idea of including Baker-Ripley, the company WFS contracts with for child care services, in the conversation about customer service improvement. Member Hosking Pulido asked that the response to WFS include a request for a list of the onboarding training that child care services staff receive. Chair McHorse encouraged ECC members to review the spreadsheet that WFS provided to the ECC, which includes the customer service data for child care services. McHorse plans to send a follow up email to WFS with the additional requests discussed at today’s meeting. 3. NEW BUSINESS AND …
