REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL JUNE 11, 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 May 14, 2025 DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and possible action to approve the Early Childhood Council’s 2026 goals for the July 2024-June 2025 annual review DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Updates from Decision Information Resources (DIR) regarding current activities and next steps for the quality-of-life study of Austin’s families with young children Presentation from Jason Gindele, YMCA, regarding the child care center at the new City of Austin Dove Springs Public Health Facility Presentation from David Feigen, Texans Care for Children, regarding the potential impacts of the 89th Texas Legislative Session on the early childhood sector Updates regarding the implementation of the Travis County voter-approved child care and out-of-school time initiative Discussion about the time and location of the ECC regular meeting on Saturday, August 16, 2025 8. Updates from the May Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meeting STAFF BRIEFINGS 9. 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, Child Care Regulation, and Workforce Solutions Capital Area FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities …
Goals from the Early Childhood Council’s 2023-2024 Annual Review In the new calendar year, the ECC will: 1. Continue to support the development and implementation of the Early Childhood Quality of Life Study and use results to inform future recommendations that align with the mission of the ECC. 2. Continue to monitor the City of Austin development and implementation of the Infrastructure Academy to ensure that there are sufficient investments, resources, and capacity in the local childcare system to meet the anticipated increased demand. (The Infrastructure Academy is estimated to need to train and upskill an additional 4,000 workers each year.) 3. Ensure collaboration and coordination with City of Austin Economic Development Department’s new role in oversight of childcare investments to maximize the benefits of this transition. 4. Continue to elevate and prioritize the voices of those with lived experience in informing the priorities and recommendations of the Early Childhood Council. 5. Increase the impact of Early Childhood Council actions by continuing to improve communications between ECC members, Joint Inclusion Committee, and City Council and Mayor’s offices. Proposed addition(s) for 2025-2026 • Monitor the implementation of the Travis County voter-approved child care and out-of- school time initiative.
Texas 89th Legislative Session Early Childhood Recap June 2025 We drive policy change to improve the lives of Texas children today for a stronger Texas tomorrow. Overview Building on interim House and Senate hearings on child care and early learning, lawmakers considered numerous bills and passed several key measures affecting children and caregivers. Highlights include: ● ● $100 million for more child care scholarships $8.5 billion into public schools 3 State of the Texas Child Care ● The average waitlist for the CCS program in Texas is approximately 95,000 children. ● Child care programs are operating on barely sustainable margins (typically less than 1 percent), Texas child care educators are paid about $12 per hour with little to no benefits, and parents are paying more than they can afford – with infant care costing more than college. ● Primarily due to an inability to recruit and retain enough staff, Texas child care centers are serving only 68 percent of the kids they have room to serve. ● The lack of affordable, high-quality child care options for working families in Texas results in an estimated loss of $9.4 billion per year for the Texas economy. 4 Child Care Scholarships ● SB 1 includes $100 million investment in child care scholarships! 5 Additional Bills That Support Child Care ● SB 462 will improve the supply of child care by helping child care educators secure care for their own kids. ● SB 599 will remove local barriers to licensed and registered child care homes. ● HB 2294 will provide a new tool in the toolbox for local communities to support and incentivize child care programs who participate in the Child Care Services program. 6 Governance of Early Childhood Programs The legislature also passed a number of bills aimed at improving and streamlining the state’s governance and oversight of early childhood programs. ● HB 2310 will bring together key state agencies to develop a plan to improve early learning opportunities for young children with disabilities. ● HB 117 establishes the Governor’s Task Force on Governance of Early Childhood Education and Care. ● HB 3693 codifies the creation of an Early Childhood Integrated Data System to better assess program capacity and effectiveness. ● HB 4903 establishes a Quad-Agency Child Care Initiative to review and streamline state regulations that impact child care programs. 7 Education The legislature debated a number of education bills that covered a …
