REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL AUGUST 16, 2025, 10:30 A.M. CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY, MEETING ROOM #2 1161 ANGELINA 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 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 June 11, 2025 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discuss the Early Childhood Council’s 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review and the mission of the ECC 3. 4. 5. 6. Updates from the ECC Quality of Life Study Workgroup regarding study and final report timeline Updates from the June & July Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meetings Discuss early childhood-related funding and the fiscal year 2026 City of Austin budget Updates regarding the implementation of the Travis County voter-approved Child Care and Out-of-School Time (CCOST) initiative STAFF BRIEFINGS 7. Briefing from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health (APH), about the Austin-Travis County Family Child Care Educator Network and 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 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. or Please Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. …
Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2024 to 6/30/2025 __________________Early Childhood Council__________________ The Board/Commission mission statement (per the City Code) is: The Early Childhood Council shall: 1. Make recommendations to the city council for the creation, development, and implementation of programs that promote optimal development for young children, 2. Develop, for recommendation to city council, programs and activities that contribute to the continued development of a system of high-quality early care and education and after-school programs for Austin's children; 3. Explore and develop, for recommendation to city council, cooperative arrangements with area governments in the metropolitan region to support a system of quality early care and education; 4. Encourage volunteerism and philanthropic efforts in order to generate broad- based community involvement and support for quality early care and education and promote the wellbeing of families of young children; and 5. Develop, for recommendation to city council, strategies encouraging individuals and agencies to continually improve the quality of their services for young children; and 6. Support innovative approaches to quality early care and education and leadership development in fields relating to the optimal development of young children. 1. Describe the board’s actions supporting their mission during the previous calendar year. Address all elements of the board’s mission statement as provided in the relevant sections of the City Code. (Reference all reports, recommendations, letters or resolutions presented to the City Council on mission-specific issues. If some of the elements of the mission statement were not acted on by the board in the past year, the report should explain why no action was taken.) On August 10, 2024, the Early Childhood Council (ECC): • Encouraged the Austin City Council to adopt the Place-Based Enhancement Program (PBEP)recommendations. o Outcome: On September 26, 2024, the Austin City Council approved Ordinance No. 20240926-012 and Ordinance No. 20240926-013. The PBEP offers incentives to development, both new construction and remodeling, that supports community benefit targets including small businesses, nonprofits, and community development projects. Childcare centers are major community benefit targets addressed in the program guidelines for all categories. The Business Expansion Program is also available to childcare centers that are expanding by hiring new staff, with a category specifically designed for small businesses. On August 10, 2024, the Early Childhood Council (ECC): • Voted to approve a representative from Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA) as a community member of the ECC Quality of Life Study …
EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 16, 2025 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2025 The Early Childhood Council convened in a regular meeting on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Carver Branch Library, Meeting Room #2, 1161 Angelina Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Hamilton called the Early Childhood Council Meeting to order at 10:33 a.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair Hamilton, Vice Chair Menard, and Members Freeland, Gordon, Latham-Sikes, McCollum, McHorse, McIllwain, McNary, Navarro, and Rivas 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. There was no public comment. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on June 11, 2025 The minutes from the meeting on 6/11/2025 were approved unanimously on Member Menard’s motion and Member McNary’s second, on a 9-0 vote. Members McCollum and Rivas were off the dias. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. Discuss the Early Childhood Council’s 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review and the mission of the ECC Members discussed their reactions to the internal review and the focus of the ECC in the new calendar year. Updates from the ECC Quality of Life Study Workgroup regarding study and final report timeline EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 16, 2025 4. 5. 6. Caitlin Oliver, staff liaison, shared updates on the QoL study and the researcher’s plan to present the study findings at the September 10th ECC meeting. Members discussed alignment of the ECC study with the QoL studies being done by the Commission on Aging and the Commission for Women. Updates from the June & July Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meetings Members McIllwain and Navarro shared updates from the Joint Inclusion Committee meetings and encouraged the ECC to appoint two members to the JIC when their terms end. Discuss early childhood-related funding and the fiscal year 2026 City of Austin budget Member McHorse summarized the City of Austin budget that was passed earlier in the week and the items in the budget related to the ECC’s budget recommendations, such as social service contracts and staffing. Members discussed the Pre-K classroom startup funds and the Family Stabilization Grant funding. Updates regarding the implementation of the Travis County voter-approved Child Care and Out- of-School Time (CCOST) initiative Member Rivas, the Travis County …
