Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting of the Early Childhood Council - Hybrid meeting; Attend by Webex or in person

Agenda — original pdf

1. 2. REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 14, 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 via 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 by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Caitlin Oliver, Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Cathy McHorse, Chair Raul Alvarez Eliza Gordon Johanna Hosking Pulido Cynthia McCollum Casie Schennum Matt Worthington, Vice Chair Ashley Bliss Lima Tom Hedrick Aletha Huston Rhonda Paver AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers to register prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DISCUSSION ITEMS Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on August 13, 2022 Updates from related groups (as needed), including Austin Chapter of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Austin ISD, Child Care Regulation, Child Inc, E3 Alliance, Success By 6 Coalition, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, and other groups in attendance Presentation by Jeremy Garza, Equity Office, regarding City quality-of-life study for some boards & commissions, including the Early Childhood Council Updates from Raul Alvarez regarding the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC), including an overview of the process for proceeding with a quality-of-life study DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Approve the creation of and appointment of members to a working group with authorization to make decisions about the quality-of-life study on behalf of the Early Childhood Council Approve a recommendation from the ECC Policy Work Group regarding City of Austin fee waivers for child care programs WORK GROUP UPDATES Updates from Policy Work Group, including considerations about new City Council members in 2023 STAFF BRIEFINGS 9. Staff briefing by Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health, regarding COVID-19 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 …

Draft Recommendation regarding City fee waivers for child care (Item 6) — original pdf

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Early Childhood Council 20220914-6: Fully Implementing Fee Waivers for High-Quality Affordable Early Child Care Centers WHEREAS, in the City of Austin, only 36% of children under the age of four living in households with low income are receiving any early learning services at all; and WHEREAS, 90% of these children aged birth to 4 are children of color; and WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the early childhood sector in Texas with an estimated loss of 22% of the state child care supply, as well as a disproportionate impact on communities of color in Austin; and WHEREAS, in September 2017, Council resolution 20170928-057 created 12 deliverables related to child care; and WHEREAS, Austin Public Health, after convening a workgroup of early childhood stakeholders, developed and sent to Council in April of 2018 the High Quality Child Care and Pre-K 3 Report Response to Council Resolution No. 20170928-057, which included fourteen considerations to support the child care sector and improve access to affordable, high-quality early care and education; and WHEREAS, one of the considerations in the High Quality Child Care and Pre-K 3 Report - Policy Consideration 1 – was to explore waiving City of Austin fees assessed for high quality child care centers; and WHEREAS, a Memorandum dated April 12, 2019, to the Mayor and Council Members from the Development Services and Planning and Zoning departments in response to Resolution No. 20181004- 036 outlined options for fee waivers for Council consideration, including annual fees collected by Austin Public Health and the Austin Fire Department, and project-specific development process fees assessed when opening or expanding a child care center; and WHEREAS, on January 31, 2019, Mayor and Council amended Chapter 10-3 of the City Code relating to food enterprise permits to exempt qualified high quality child care that accept child care subsidies from paying food permit fees (Ordinance No. 20190131-017), and on that date also approved an ordinance to exempt those child care centers from the general environment/licensing inspection fee and food establishment fee (Ordinance No. 20190131-016); and WHEREAS, during the May 11, 2022, regular meeting, the City of Austin Early Childhood Council received an update on the status of all considerations to Council that were included in the April 2018 High Quality Child Care and Pre-K 3 Report Response to Council Resolution No. 20170928-057, and found that waivers for Austin Fire Department fees and …

20220914-6: Fully Implementing Fee Waivers for High-Quality Affordable Early Child Care Centers — original pdf

Recommendation