EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL May 11, 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. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once, either in-person or remotely, and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register, contact Caitlin Oliver, Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers to register will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from April 12, 2022, meeting 2. PRESENTATIONS a. Updates on Texas legislative actions in the 87th Legislature impacting the City of Austin Presenter: • Brie Franco, City of Austin Intergovernmental Relations Office, Intergovernmental Relations Officer b. Austin Public Health updates on City actions since 2017 Child Care and Pre-K Resolution Presenters: Services • Donna Sundstrom, Austin Public Health, Assistant Director of Community • Rachel Farley, Austin Public Health, Early Childhood Program Coordinator 3. NEW BUSINESS AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS a. Policy Work Group updates i. Prioritization of early childhood education workforce and families with young children in City anti-displacement planning ii. Discuss adding standing agenda item inviting early childhood related groups to share updates as needed iii. Discuss access to competitive bidding process for City social service contracts b. Topics to bring to Joint Inclusion Committee 4. STAFF UPDATES a. COVID-19 updates FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 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.
Updates: High Quality Child Care and Pre-K 3 Resolution Work Group 2018 recommendations to Council Early Childhood Council May 11, 2022 DONNA SUNDSTROM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RACHEL FARLEY, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM COORDINATOR Background • Sept. 2017 Council Resolution 20170928-057 • 12 deliverables • APH convened work group of early childhood stakeholders • April 2018 staff response to 2017 resolution sent to Council • Interactive Map • 14 recommendations from work group • August 2019 staff update to Council Policy Recommendations Policy Recommendation 1 RECOMMENDATION UPDATES Explore fee waivers for expenses related to opening, expanding or operating high quality child care centers Explore increasing zoning categories where child care is a permitted use or consider waiver for the condition use permit process and/or waiver for condition use permit fees Council Resolution 20181004-036 – evaluate fee and zoning regulations relating to child care centers. January 2019, APH amended the Fee Schedule and City Code Chapter 10-3 – waived fees for food establishment permits ($359 annual savings) and general environment/licensing inspections ($110 annual savings) for high quality child care centers that accept scholarships April 12, 2019, response to Council from Planning and Zoning and Development Services Departments with recommendations APH is in discussion with Planning & Zoning Dept. and Austin Fire Dept. Policy Recommendation 2 Develop a policy in consultation to include the option and related price estimate for an affordable, high quality child care facility for Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Applications (RFAs), and other competitive processes that the City conducts to lease or develop space for projects such as affordable housing, office space, Parks facilities, and/or mixed use development. • Consider feasibility • Consider if quality child care needed in the area Any future City projects that will house a significant number of employees such as the space for the Development Services Department on the Highland Mall campus, the future headquarters for Austin Energy, the future headquarters for the Austin Police Department, and any other large facilities should include a cost estimate and option for inclusion of an onsite quality child care center for Council to consider as part of each project. Policy Rec. 2 Updates 2019 – Revised of guidelines for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Resolution program In process – Rental Housing Development Assistance Program (RHDA) scoring system application and scoring being updated to incorporate access to affordable, high-quality child care 2021 – Council resolution 20210826-108 reaffirming that new …
REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, May 11, 2022 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MINUTES The Early Childhood Council (ECC) convened on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse, Council Members Alvarez, Bliss Lima, Conlin, Hedrick, Hosking Pulido, McCollum, and Schennum Staff in attendance: Caitlin Oliver, Donna Sundstrom, Cindy Gamez, Rachel Farley, and Michelle Rodriguez CALL TO ORDER – Chair McHorse called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No public comment 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from April 12, 2022, meeting – Member Hedrick moved to approve the minutes from the April 12, 2022, regular meeting. Member Conlin seconded. The minutes were approved by a unanimous vote of 8-0. 2. PRESENTATIONS a. Updates on Texas legislative actions in the 87th Legislature impacting the City of • Brie Franco, City of Austin Intergovernmental Relations Office, Intergovernmental Relations Officer Austin Presenter: Presentation to be rescheduled. Resolution Presenters: Services b. Austin Public Health updates on City actions since 2017 Child Care and Pre-K • Donna Sundstrom, Austin Public Health, Assistant Director of Community • Rachel Farley, Austin Public Health, Early Childhood Program Coordinator The presenters provided updates on work completed and underway in response to a City Council resolution passed in September 2017 which directed staff to respond to twelve deliverables related to expanding existing affordable high-quality child care services and access to Pre-K. • 2017- Austin Public Health (APH) convened a High Quality Child Care and Pre-K Resolution Work Group made up of early care and education stakeholders. • April 2018- Staff submitted a response to Council which included a map of child care and Pre-K in Austin-Travis County, information on the availability of affordable, high-quality early care and education, and 14 recommendations from the work group—two policy recommendations, four funding recommendations, one bond recommendation, and seven recommendations related to both policy and funding. • April 2019- Council (Resolution No. 20190411-020) directed the City Manager to implement any policies from the High Quality Child Care and Pre-K 3 Report that could be implemented without Council action and to present a feasibility report for full Council consideration. APH communicated with various City departments and reconvened the stakeholder work group. A link to the staff response to Council is included in the presentation slide deck, which has been posted as a backup document for this meeting. The work group proposed 2 policy recommendations: • Policy Recommendation 1—Explore fee waivers for expenses related to …
