REGULAR MEETING OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026, AT 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, contact Caitlin Oliver-McLaughlin, 512- 972-6205, Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Choquette Peterson, Chair Delphi Alvizo Yvette Cárdenas Chloe Latham-Sikes Craig McNary Alice Navarro Eliza Sears AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Brooke Freeland, Vice Chair Christy Beauchemin Barbara Grant Boneta Andrea McIllwain Brianna Menard Hilda Rivas The first five speakers signed up 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 August 8, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. 3. Possible action to establish a workgroup to draft recommendations regarding Early Child Council membership and meeting accessibility. Possible action to appoint a primary representative and an alternate representative of the Early Childhood Council to the JIC. 4. Discussion regarding the City of Austin’s early childhood quality of life study and possible action to appoint a workgroup to discuss next steps related to the quality of life study. DISCUSSION ITEMS 5. 6. 7. 8. Presentation by Ascension Texas regarding the Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP). Presented by Jenny Laing, Director of Strategic Operations, and LaPorshia Maloy, HVIP Responder. Discussion regarding the proposed 2027 Early Childhood Council regular meeting schedule. Austin ISD Pre-K and Head Start updates from Yvette Cárdenas, AISD Executive Director of Academic Programs. Raising Travis County implementation updates from Hilda Rivas, Travis County Health & Human Services Research & Planning Division Senior Planner. STAFF BRIEFINGS 9. 10. Staff briefing regarding fiscal year 2027 social service investments related to early childhood. Presentation by Akeshia Johnson Smothers, MSW, Public Health Program Manager III, Austin Public Health, and by Ann Eaton, Assistant Director, Austin Economic Development. Briefing with updates from related local early childhood groups such as Austin Chapter of the Texas Association …
Early Childhood Council Membership Information Updated September 2026 Current Membership First Appointed Date(s) Reappointed Term Expires Officer Position Chair since 05/01/2025 (1st term) 05/01/2026 (2nd term) Appointed by: Mayor Kirk Watson Choquette Hamilton, Chair 05/15/2023 03/01/2025 (2nd term) 02/28/2029 Appointed by: Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, D1 (CM Harper-Madison leaving office January 2027) Eliza Sears Appointed by: Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, D2 Delphi Alvizo Appointed by: Council Member José Velásquez, D3 Andrea McIlwain Appointed by: Mayor Pro Tem José “Chito” Vela, D4 Barbara Grant Boneta 03/07/2019 03/23/2023 (2nd term) 02/28/2027 10/09/2025 02/28/2029 04/18/2024 02/28/2027 07/23/2026 02/28/2029 Appointed by: Council Member Ryan Alter, D5 Christy Beauchemin 03/26/2026 02/28/2027 Appointed by: Council Member Krista Laine, D6 Craig McNary Appointed by: Council Member Mike Siegel, D7 Chloe Latham-Sikes 03/27/2025 02/28/2029 03/01/2025 02/28/2029 Appointed by: Council Member Paige Ellis, D8 (CM Ellis leaving office January 2027) Alice Navarro 11/02/2023 02/28/2027 Current Membership Appointed by: Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, D9 Brianna Menard Appointed by: Council Member Marc Duchen, D10 Brooke Freeland, Vice Chair Appointed by: Travis County Hilda Rivas Appointed by: Austin ISD Yvette Cárdenas Notes: First Appointed Date(s) Reappointed Term Expires Officer Position 11/30/2023 02/28/2027 Vice Chair since 05/01/2026 (1st term) 03/01/2025 02/28/2029 11/21/2024 02/28/2027 09/25/2025 02/28/2027 • Council action is required for any member to serve beyond 8 consecutive years. • If a member wishes to be reappointed for another term, they should make sure their application online is current and reach out to their appointing body to express interest. They may typically continue service uninterrupted while they complete the refresher training and sign a new Oath of Office. They have 90 days to complete this from reappointment.
Comment submitted by Laura Olson at Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA) to the Early Childhood Council in August 2026 1 Regarding Item 5 on the August 8 Early Childhood (EC) Council agenda, in consideration of ideas for making meetings more accessible and welcoming for community members, first we thank you for bringing this forward. We are in support of Item 5 and would like to offer a couple of ideas to the EC Council as they review this item: 1. Language Access: Not only offering interpretation support for public comment in meetings, but also interpretation during the meeting as well as translated agendas in at least, Spanish, but potentially in Arabic, Vietnamese, and Burmese as well. This can greatly support an environment of inclusion and participation. 2. Create quarterly brief graphics/brief communications to be shared out via City of Austin as well as SX6 and other community-based partners in inclusive language/vocabulary that describes the purpose of EC Council, how it looks to participate as a community member, and when upcoming meetings will be. 3. Consider shifting to an evening meeting cadence or rotation of morning/evening since daytime meetings more often exclude EC providers and families. 4. Consider instructional communication materials that outline how to sign up to listen in and/or to provide public comment at EC Council. A short instructional video shared out quarterly might work well for this. APH has done this in the past with some covid education and this may be a good model for how to do this in multiple languages. Each council member could be asked to push these out as well. 5. Regular posts and communications that share what is coming up on the EC Council agenda that highlights opportunities to give input and advise the EC Council or to be present to hear important updates from city partners. Each council member could be asked to push these out as well. 6. Consider who is serving on the EC Council and what it could look like when openings come up to nominate an EC provider or parent to represent on the EC Council for increased diversity and equity on the council. 2 7. Review agendas with a lens of inclusivity and accessibility to reduce jargon and provide a glossary of terms to create shared language and understanding. 8. Review of the City of Austin Equity Assessment tool by all EC Council members and reflect …
Early Childhood Council DRAFT 2027 Calendar of Regular Meetings The ECC will meet on the second Wednesday of the month. There will not be meetings in July or December. Date Time Location * January 13 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 February 10 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 March 10 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 April 14 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 May 12 June 9 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 July – No meeting August 11 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 September 8 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 October 13 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 November 10 9 a.m. City Hall, Room 1101 December – No meeting * Locations subject to change and will be listed on posted agendas and available on the Early Childhood Council page: austintexas.gov/ecc.
