REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MAY 14, 2025, 9:00 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: Choquette Hamilton, Chair Brooke Freeland Chloe Latham-Sikes Cathy McHorse Craig McNary Hilda Rivas Brianna Menard, Vice Chair Eliza Gordon Cynthia McCollum Andrea McIllwain Alice Navarro Ellana Selig 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 1. Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on April 9, 2025 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Updates from Korey Darling, Division Director of the Research & Planning Division at Travis County Health and Human Services, regarding implementation of the voter- approved child care and out-of-school time initiative 3. 4. Presentation from Decision Information Resources (DIR) regarding current activities and next steps for the quality-of-life study of Austin’s families with young children Updates from the April Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meeting and the special called May 7th JIC meeting STAFF BRIEFINGS 5. Briefing from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health (APH), regarding updates from related local early childhood groups such as Austin Chapter of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Austin ISD, Success By 6 Coalition, and Child Care Regulation 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 or Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. at Austin Public Health, call Caitlin Oliver 512-972-6205 at For more information …
Travis County Voter Approved Child Care and Out of School Time Fund Presentation to the Early Childhood Council May 14, 2025 Background On November 5, 2024, Travis County voters approved Prop A. By approving Prop A, Travis County residents approved a 2.5 cent tax rate increase per $100 valuation on property taxes. This will generate approximately $75 million. The money from these property taxes will be collected in a special fund. This fund will support programs in Travis County that: • Increase access to affordable and high-quality child care and out of school time programs; • Increase capacity and strengthen the quality of child care and out of school time programs; and • Support opportunities for parents to work, participate in job training, and further their education. Overview of Strategies These four strategies will serve as a baseline for expanding and strengthening child care and afterschool and summer programming in Travis County. Strategy 1: Expand slots for infants/toddlers (ages 0-3) and for afterschool and summer programming (PreK-12th grade) Strategy 2: Expand non-traditional hour care Strategy 3: Build quality and capacity Strategy 4: Build a Business Government Alliance for leveraging business contributions and matching public funds to reduce employee child care costs Transition Plan • Staffing: Hiring staff at Health and Human Services and in other County Departments • Community Engagement Activities: Sharing an update and gathering community insight and feedback • Online survey • Targeted community input sessions stakeholder groups • Three in-person community listening sessions and one online zoom session. • Community Advisory Council: Planning for a community advisory committee composed of community members and child care and out of school time stakeholders. Application process - Summer 2025. • Short term investments: Exploring amending existing County contracts and implementing Interlocal Agreements to serve more families while planning and procurement for services is underway. Next Steps in Procuring Services • As a government entity collecting and investing public tax dollars we use a multi-step procurement process to fund services. • The process to plan and procure services within the four baseline strategies includes: • Refining initial strategy design by learning from other communities, analyzing community input, and aligning with County policies, procedures, and systems. • Seeking approval of program policies by Commissioner’s Court. • Developing scopes of work for County services. • Releasing solicitations, evaluating proposals, and negotiating new contracts. • A contracted third-party evaluator will …
Quality of Life Study for Austin's Families with Young Children May 14, 2025 Update Providing High Quality Research, Evaluation, & Technical Assistance for Making Informed & Equitable Decisions RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Agenda • Introductions • Study Design • Current Activities • Timeline/Next steps • Questions Introductions RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Our Team Tiara N. Jackson, PhD Project Director Sylvia R. Epps, PhD Equity Advisor Kathy Buek, PhD Quantitative Lead Simone Jackson, PhD Qualitative Lead Tiffany Ricks, PhD Community Engagement Lead Tiffany Ricks, PhD Background: • PhD in Nursing, University of Texas at Austin (2013) • 10+ years of experience in research, evaluation and policy work • Certified MEASURE Educator for MEASURE Austin Areas of Expertise: • Equitable and culturally-responsive evaluation • Community activism & collaboration • Qualitative/mixed-method research Study Design RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Mixed-Methods Approach Landscape Analysis Focus Groups Caregiver Survey Interviews and family well-being. . Theoretical Framework Equity & Other Contextual Factors Community Resource & Supports Socioeconomic Need Caregiver Mental Health Quality of Life Adapted from the Family Stress Model: • Explains how stressors like poverty impact family function • Links parental stress to child and family well-being • Highlights pathways of risk and resilience in families. • Guides targeted support and intervention efforts Research Questions 1. What are the key social and economic challenges and needs affecting quality of life for families with young children? 2. How do the needs and resources of families differ by demographic characteristics and geography? 3. How do families perceive and experience the impact of institutional policies, practices, and resource allocation on their quality of life? 4. What do families perceive as the power dynamics and differentials in Austin? Current Activities RESEARCH • EVALUATION • SURVEYS • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE www.dir-online.com Community Outreach & Engagement • Conducting direct outreach to local organizations • Engaging potential participants about their interest in the study and potential study topics • Attending local events to promote the study Community Outreach & Engagement • Community Organizations • El Buen, United Way, Family Connects, Black Men’s Health Clinic, AVANCE, Texas Association of Promotores & Community Health Workers, UT Austin School of Nursing, Austin Urban League and others • Events • Dinner & Learn with Austin Urban League (3/27) • Citywide Maternal Health Equity Collaborative Meeting (4/3) • Central TX Food is Medicine Summit …
