EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 12, 2024 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2024 The Early Childhood Council convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at City Hall, Board & Commission Room #1101, 301 West Second Street in Austin, Texas. Chair McHorse called the Early Childhood Council Meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse and Members Hedrick, McIllwain, Navarro, and Selig. Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Vice Chair Hamilton and Members Cormie, Gordon, Green-Otero, McCollum, Schennum, and Vargas Staff in Attendance: Caitlin Oliver, Cindy Gamez, Rachel Farley, and Alejandra Mireles 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 May 8, 2024 The minutes from the meeting on 5/8/2024 were approved unanimously on Member Navarro’s motion and Member Hedrick’s second, on an 11-0 vote. Member Schennum was absent at time of the vote. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and vote to approve Quality-of-Life (QoL) Study Workgroup membership EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 12, 2024 Member Vargas moved to approve Monica Guzmán, policy director at Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA), as a community member of the ECC QoL Study Workgroup. Member Green-Otero provided a second, and the motion passed unanimously on an 11-0 vote. Member Schennum was absent at time of the vote. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 3. Updates from the ECC QoL Study Workgroup regarding the first meeting with the study vendor The QoL Study Workgroup met with the study vendor, Decision Information Resources, Inc., on June 11, 2024, to discuss the timeline for the Austin Families with Young Children Study and initial tasks. The Workgroup and vendor established meeting norms, communication expectations, and decided some first steps included connection with the Commission on Women and the City of Austin demographer. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation regarding the services Any Baby Can and the Ready Families Collaborative plan to provide with the APH Early Childhood RFP funding Presenters: • Rebecca Elizondo—Chief Program Officer • Maddie Glover—Director of Data, Reporting, and Evaluation Rebecca Elizondo and Maddie Glover presented the following information: • Any Baby Can is a nonprofit that has been partnering with …
REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL May 8, 2024, 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: Cathy McHorse, Chair Corie Cormie Choquette Hamilton Cynthia McCollum Brianna Menard Casie Schennum Leonor Vargas John Green-Otero, Vice Chair Eliza Gordon Tom Hedrick 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. 1. Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on April 16, 2024 APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Updates from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health (APH), regarding the family-based child care home tour and updates from related early childhood groups 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Updates from Cindy Gamez, APH, regarding the transition of some child care work from APH to the Economic Development Department (EDD) DISCUSSION ITEMS Presentation from Colin Swanson, Executive Director of Mainspring Schools, regarding the services Mainspring plans to provide with the APH Early Childhood RFP funding Presentation by Dr. Choquette Hamilton on the new Success By 6 Coalition (SX6) strategic plan Discuss the federal poverty limit and livability in Austin Discuss federal funding for small businesses Discuss items to take to the Joint Inclusion Committee DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Discussion and vote to approve Quality-of-Life (QoL) Study Workgroup membership Approve a recommendation that the City of Austin endorse the strategies outlined in the white paper by the Children’s Funding Project Workgroup 11. Updates from the Budget Workgroup about the budget workshop on May 7, 2024, with City departments and other boards & commissions on the Joint Inclusion Committee WORKING GROUP UPDATES FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with …
2024-2029 Strategic Plan <<Summary>> Contents: I. II. III. Introduction Strategic Plan Format Pillars A. Healthy Beginnings B. Supported Families C. Quality Care and Education D. Safe and Stimulating Communities IV. Glossary of Terms Introduction At the onset of crafting our next Success by Six Strategic Plan, we made a deliberate choice to infuse every stage of the process with a commitment to racial equity, ensuring that the voices of families in our community were centered. This approach, termed "co-construction," involved the active participation and iterative feedback of the SX6 leadership team, workgroups, coalition members, organizations, and community members over an eighteen-month period. As we journeyed through this process, a shared aspiration emerged: to establish a universal vision for the children in our community. However, confronting the persistent racial disparities within our community, we recognized the imperative to address them directly. Thus, alongside overarching goals tailored to all families in Austin/Travis County, each pillar of our plan incorporates targeted objectives aimed at specific groups disproportionately affected by historical and current inequities. This dual approach not only fosters inclusivity but also accelerates progress towards our overarching vision by strategically targeting areas of greatest need. Strategic Plan Format Each pillar is written in the following format ● Universal Vision Statement: States the ● Community Data ● Targeted Goal Statement ● Strategies 1 Pillar Healthy Beginnings Universal Vision Statement Families feel empowered and have guidance to navigate the medical and mental health systems successfully, and have the resources they need to thrive before, during, and after birth and through the child’s first year of life. Community Data ● In 2022, about 1 in 15 infants (6.6% of live births) was born to a woman receiving late or no prenatal care in Travis County. ○ The rate of late or no prenatal care among births to Black women (8.6%) was about 2 times higher than the rate among White women (2.7%) ○ Black infants (14.2%) were about 2 times as likely as White infants (7.9%) to be born preterm during 2020-2022 (average) ○ Black infants (7.1) were about 2 times as likely as White infants (3.1) to die during the first year of life during 2019-2021 (average). Source: ● March of Dimes, 2024 Targeted Goal Statement Families, especially Black families, families impacted by poverty, and families who possess complex documentation statuses, feel empowered and have guidance to navigate a just medical and mental health system …
EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAY 8, 2024 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2024 The Early Childhood Council convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at City Hall, Board & Commission Room #1101, 301 West Second Street in Austin, Texas. Chair McHorse called the Early Childhood Council Meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse, Vice Chair Hamilton, and Members Hedrick, McIllwain, Menard, Navarro, and Vargas Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Members Green-Otero, McCollum, and Schennum Staff in Attendance: Caitlin Oliver, Donna Sundstrom, Cindy Gamez, Rachel Farley, and Alejandra Mireles 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. Yael Lawson provided Workforce Solutions (WFS) Capital Area Child Care Department updates. In order to align child care resources with current goals and meet the market and child care demands, WFS has cut three child care positions within the organization. WFS has posted for two new positions, including a senior director position related to early childhood and quality engagement that will be community-focused, as well as a contract manager position to oversee quality improvement projects. Until those positions are filled, Lawson and one other staff member are overseeing the work of the child care department. Laura Olson of Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA) provided public comment on item 10 to endorse the strategies in the white paper by the Children’s Funding Project Workgroup. Olson asked that the ECC endorse the white paper and also expressed concern that the white paper does not EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES acknowledge the groups and people that have contributed to those strategies, including family- based child care providers, parent leaders, BIPOC grassroots organizations, and others. Olson also believes that the “Building Quality & Capacity” strategies are missing Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) child care. Olson expressed a hope that when these strategies are implemented that they seek equity and that the work is informed by people with lived experience. MAY 8, 2024 Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on April 16, 2024 The minutes from the meeting on 4/16/2024 were approved on Member Hedrick’s motion and Member Menard’s second, on a 7-0 vote. There were two abstentions from Members McIllwain and Vargas. APPROVAL OF …
1. 2. REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL APRIL 16, 2024, 6:00 P.M. PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM #1402 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE 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 Alice Navarro Corie Cormie Choquette Hamilton Cynthia McCollum Ellana Selig John Green-Otero, Vice Chair Brianna Menard Eliza Gordon Tom Hedrick Casie Schennum Leonor Vargas 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 STAFF BRIEFINGS Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on March 20, 2024 Updates from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health (APH), regarding the APH plan to resubmit a Chapter 26 application to PARD this spring for a portion of Civitan Park to 5. 6. 8. 9. continue to be used by the Mariposa Family Learning Center; updates from related early childhood groups; and the required training for boards and commissions members DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. Conduct officer elections for the positions of the 2024 Early Childhood Council chair and vice chair 4. Vote to endorse the Austin Children’s Funding Project Workgroup white paper DISCUSSION ITEMS Presentation from Dr. Choquette Hamilton, founder and CEO of RISE Center for Liberation in Early Childhood Education, regarding the services RISE plans to provide with the APH Early Childhood RFP funding they were awarded Updates from Member Eliza Gordon, liaison to the Success By 6 Coalition (SX6), regarding upcoming events and the roll-out of the new strategic plan 7. Discussion about items to take to the Joint Inclusion Committee WORKING GROUP UPDATES Updates from the Quality-of-Life Study Workgroup regarding the vendor approval timeline Update from the Budget Workgroup regarding a budget workshop on May 7, 2024, with City departments and other boards & commissions on the Joint …
The Children’s Funding Project (CFP) Work Group1 White Paper (Version 2)2: Strategies for Local Investment in Early Child Care CONTENTS Overview The Case for Investment In Child Care Goals and Guiding Principles I. II. III. IV. Work to Date V. VI. VII. VIII. Recommended Strategies Costs and Economic Benefits Administration and Governance Next Steps and Timeline I. Overview This memo summarizes the work done by the Children’s Funding Project Work Group over the last 16+ months to understand the state of child care in Austin/Travis County and identify strategies to address quality, accessibility, equity, and sustainability. Pending polling and further stakeholder input, the Work Group recommends holding a Tax Rate Election (TRE) in November of 2024, to raise approximately $50 million to fund four major strategies to increase access to affordable, high quality child care for families who live, work, and play in Austin: Strategies 1. Subsidize Birth Through Age Three Contracted Slots 2. Expand Nontraditional Hour Care 3. Build Quality and Capacity 4. Create a Business-Government Alliance Polling and ongoing discussions will determine whether it is a city or county election. We further propose that the measure require reauthorization by the voters after 12 1 Members include Austin City Council Members Alison Alter, Vanessa Fuentes, Ryan Alter, and José Velásquez and members of their staff; David Smith and Margo Kinneberg (United Way for Greater Austin); Cathy McHorse (Austin Early Childhood Council);Tom Hedrick (Early Matters Greater Austin); and representatives from the Office of Travis County Judge Brown and Travis County Health and Human Services. 2 This white paper dated 2-9-24 has been revised to include clarification regarding the inclusion of Head Start and Early Head Start in our policy proposal, based on input from Child, Inc. (Albert Black). Previous revisions include input from Workforce Solutions Capital Area (Tamara Atkinson), allocation of contingency to two strategies (NTH and Business Government Partnerships), and the recalculation of census and economic data based on those revisions. Strategies for Local Investment in Early Child Care Children’s Funding Project Work Group | 2024 1 years. The Case for Investment in Child Care II. The lack of accessible, affordable child care is a growing crisis at the national, state, and local levels. The case for investment in early child care is compelling from a variety of perspectives: ● Workforce: Studies show that seven parents enter the workforce for every 10 new children in child care. In addition, …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Early Childhood Council 20240416-04 Endorsement of the Children’s Funding Project Workgroup Recommendations WHEREAS, in the City of Austin, 36% of children under age 6 live in households with low income; and WHEREAS, 90% of the children in households with low income under age 6 are children of color; and WHEREAS, decades of research prove that disadvantages begin the moment children come into the world because children born into poverty and children of color are disproportionately born early, at low- birth weight, or with chronic illnesses, and are less likely than their peers to be ready for, or successful at school; and WHEREAS, Child Care Scholarship programs through Workforce Solutions Capital Area are at capacity, enrollment is closed, no new funding is available at this time, and as of March 2024, the estimated amount of time a family applying for a scholarship at that time will likely remain on a waitlist before they could expect to be outreached for enrollment is 24 months; and WHEREAS, the Urban Institute completed an analysis and set of recommendations regarding the dire lack of supply of nontraditional hour child care; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin's recently announced Infrastructure Academy is intended to expand the region's skilled trade sector and access to child care is an obstacle for the existing workforce, including the skilled trades; and WHEREAS, the Early Childhood Council has been presented a set of recommendations of the Children’s Funding Project Workgroup to alleviate low-income quality child care waiting lists; to expand nontraditional hours quality child care supply; to enhance the quality and capacity of family- based child care providers and to provide incentives for businesses to make child care more affordable to their employees, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Early Childhood Council recommends that the City of Austin endorse the strategies outlined in the white paper by the Children’s Funding Project Workgroup and encourages the City of Austin to pursue all options for implementing the recommendations. Date of Approval: Record of the vote: Attest: ________________________________
FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT Central Procurement • 505 Barton Springs Road Ste 330 Austin, TX 78704 April 1, 2024 Subject: Recommendation for Award of RFQS 4400 SAR4006 Quality of Life Study for Austin’s Families with Young Children. The evaluation team has completed their process and has recommended award to Decision Information Resources, Inc. Susan Arbuckle Procurement Specialist IV Central Procurement, City of Austin 512-974-1773, Susan.arbuckle@austintexas.gov Page 1 of 1 Decision Information Resources, Inc Health Management Associates, Inc Sarah Mitran - Nathe Management Consulting Solicitation Number: Description: RFQS 4400 SAR4006 Quality of Life Study for Austin's Families with Young Children Evaluation Criteria Max Points Company Research, Qualifications and Experience (10.3) Community Engagement, Language Access, and Participant Compensation (10.4) Project Management and Experience (10.6) Personnel Qualifications and Experience (10.6) Sample Work Product (10.7) 40 30 10 10 10 Total 100 27 25 8 8 5 73 27 20 5 8 8 68 7 5 2 2 2 17 NOTE: As per Section 252.049 of the local government code, contents of a proposal shall remain confidential until a contract is awarded. Therefore, the matrix will include points awarded for price but exact pricing will not be disclosed.
April 16th Early Childhood Council Quality of Life Workgroup Study Update I. Update a. Recommendation for Council - Council May 30th b. No Contact Period (Email Susan Arbuckle if they contact you) II. Next Steps, after May 30th a. Check Availability of Commissioners and Vendor i. Email me your availability as soon as you can. b. Schedule Kick Off Meeting i. Virtual or in person? III. Initial Plans – Collaboration through SharePoint a. SharePoint Drive i. All three studies can cross collaborate (only open for workgroup members to ii. Maintain all documents shared, running notes (see below), contact information, avoid quorum) and anything as needed. iii. Contact Info/Workgroup members can change iv. If any difficulty with SharePoint, please let me know as soon as you can. b. Running Notes will Include i. Goal to ensure study is a tool for change ii. Expectation iii. Next Steps c. Communication Expectations will be monitored through a log IV. Questions
Mission We make it possible for all children to have access to a transformative early childhood education. A high-quality, anti-racist, early childhood education. Pre school p ractice s, p olicie s, and p e d ag og y that work tog e the r to cre ate an e nvironme nt that nurture s and culturally affirms all child re n b ut e sp e cially child re n of color. The d e sire to control Black and Brown b od ie s is re p lace d with the d e sire to allow child re n to b e fully curious. A place where administrators and teachers are d e e p ly aware of the ir imp licit b iase s and inte rnalize d anti- Blackne ss and have the skills to d isrup t the m. O UR CURREN T REALITY We partner with preschools & child care centers build anti-racist early learning environments What else is possible? DRO P - IN CARE FO R BLACK MO THERS • RISE will provide fre e o r lo w - c o s t , short- te rm, c u lt u ra lly c o n g ru e nt, high- q uality d rop - in child care , d e sig ne d for Black mothe rs and the ir child re n age s 6 we e ks through ag e 5. • Te am of care give rs, making $ 28- $ 35 p e r h o u r, will b e traine d in RISE’s • Eve ry m o m e n t m a t t e rs : this is not b ab ysitting; it is high- q uality care e ve n a n t i- ra c is t p e d a g o g y if it is short • Phase 1: Pare nts on p re mise s to e ngage in w o rk , e d u c a t io n / t ra in in g , e n jo ym e n t a c t ivit ie s o r re s t . • Sup p ort for p are nts who ne e d lo n g - t e rm c h ild c a re G O A LS …
EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 16, 2024 EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024 The Early Childhood Council convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at Permitting and Development Center, Room #1402, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, in Austin, Texas. Chair McHorse called the Early Childhood Council Meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair McHorse, Vice Chair Green-Otero, and Members Gordon, Hamilton, Hedrick, McCollum, Navarro, and Selig Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Members Menard and Schennum Staff in Attendance: Caitlin Oliver, Donna Sundstrom, and Cindy Gamez 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. Nicole Robinson provided Workforce Solutions Child Care Services updates during public comment: • The first Provide Advisory Council meeting was well attended. At the meeting, the Council identified trends and areas to focus on. • The first WFS family/parent resource fair was on April 6th. Fifteen vendors, 62 families, and 120 children attended. Thirty-one of those families were receiving Child Care Services, 23 were on the waitlist, and 8 families were not sure, but were likely on the waitlist. • WFS received 567 Jeannette Watson award applications. Likely 468 of the applicants are eligible. Award letters will be sent out to educators in early May, with first payment in June or July. EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 16, 2024 • Currently, 4,200 children are on the waitlist. It has been a little over a year since WFS last did outreach to families on the waitlist. There is currently a 24-month waitlist estimate. WFS has adopted new waitlist procedures which includes reaching out to families every 3 months to assess whether they want to remain on the list. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. 2. STAFF BRIEFINGS Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on March 20, 2024 The minutes from the meeting on 3/20/2024 were approved on Vice Chair Green-Otero’s motion and Member Hedrick’s second, on a unanimous 10-0 vote. Updates from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health (APH), regarding the APH plan to resubmit a Chapter 26 application to PARD this spring for a portion of Civitan Park to continue to be used by the Mariposa Family Learning Center; updates from related early childhood groups; and …
The Children’s Funding Project (CFP) Work Group1 White Paper (Version 2)2: Strategies for Local Investment in Early Child Care CONTENTS Overview The Case for Investment In Child Care Goals and Guiding Principles I. II. III. IV. Work to Date V. VI. VII. VIII. Recommended Strategies Costs and Economic Benefits Administration and Governance Next Steps and Timeline I. Overview This memo summarizes the work done by the Children’s Funding Project Work Group over the last 16+ months to understand the state of child care in Austin/Travis County and identify strategies to address quality, accessibility, equity, and sustainability. Pending polling and further stakeholder input, the Work Group recommends holding a Tax Rate Election (TRE) in November of 2024, to raise approximately $50 million to fund four major strategies to increase access to affordable, high quality child care for families who live, work, and play in Austin: Strategies 1. Subsidize Birth Through Age Three Contracted Slots 2. Expand Nontraditional Hour Care 3. Build Quality and Capacity 4. Create a Business-Government Alliance Polling and ongoing discussions will determine whether it is a city or county election. We further propose that the measure require reauthorization by the voters after 12 1 Members include Austin City Council Members Alison Alter, Vanessa Fuentes, Ryan Alter, and José Velásquez and members of their staff; David Smith and Margo Kinneberg (United Way for Greater Austin); Cathy McHorse (Austin Early Childhood Council);Tom Hedrick (Early Matters Greater Austin); and representatives from the Office of Travis County Judge Brown and Travis County Health and Human Services. 2 This white paper dated 2-9-24 has been revised to include clarification regarding the inclusion of Head Start and Early Head Start in our policy proposal, based on input from Child, Inc. (Albert Black). Previous revisions include input from Workforce Solutions Capital Area (Tamara Atkinson), allocation of contingency to two strategies (NTH and Business Government Partnerships), and the recalculation of census and economic data based on those revisions. Strategies for Local Investment in Early Child Care Children’s Funding Project Work Group | 2024 1 years. The Case for Investment in Child Care II. The lack of accessible, affordable child care is a growing crisis at the national, state, and local levels. The case for investment in early child care is compelling from a variety of perspectives: ● Workforce: Studies show that seven parents enter the workforce for every 10 new children in child care. In addition, …
REGULAR MEETING of the EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MARCH 20, 2024, 9:00 A.M. PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM #1406 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 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 Alice Navarro Corie Cormie Choquette Hamilton Maggie Jaime Casie Schennum Leonor Vargas John Green-Otero, Vice Chair Brianna Menard Eliza Gordon Tom Hedrick Cynthia McCollum 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. 1. Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on February 14, 2024 APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Updates from Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health, regarding a planning grant from Home Grown to build a comprehensive network for local child care home providers and SX6 FBCC Workgroup Tour of Family Based Homes on April 20 DISCUSSION ITEMS Updates from the Quality-of-Life Study Workgroup regarding the vendor approval timeline Discussion about ECC officer nominations process Presentation from Margo Kinneberg, Senior Projects Manager at United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX), regarding the Austin Children’s Funding Project Workgroup DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Discussion to approve a recommendation regarding early childhood investments for the FY 2024-25 City budget Discussion to appoint an ECC member to serve as liaison to the Success By 6 (SX6) Coalition Leadership Team 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. For more information on …
Building Comprehensive Networks Initiative Home Grown will be accepting applications for the third cohort of our Building Comprehensive Networks Initiative. The Building Comprehensive Networks initiative seeks to support state and local governments and their partners as they build or expand upon publicly-financed comprehensive networks to support home-based child care (HBCC) providers. Comprehensive networks are the connective tissue that joins individual HBCC providers to each other and to system infrastructure, including funding and policy. Regardless of the entity type, comprehensive networks are durable infrastructure that are positioned to tackle the big issues facing our home- based child care sector: quality; sustainability; provider well-being; and connecting providers and families to additional services. Overview of the Building Comprehensive Networks Initiative Benefits: government partners participating in the Home Grown initiative are eligible for: ● Flexible planning grants of $20,000 to support implementation planning ● Support of an expert Planning Navigator from Home Grown ● Monthly Learning Community with fellow states and local government agencies on topics including: the Network Benchmarks and Indicators, provider leadership & leadership team; theory of change; comprehensive network hub structure/model; programs & tools; evaluation. ● Access to guidance documents and resources, including implementation plans, compendium of programs and tools, evaluation toolkit, and more. ● Upon successful completion of the planning period, opportunity to apply for additional implementation funds. Timeline ● November- December, 2023: information sessions to help government agencies and partners assess whether this initiative is a fit for them and determine if they wish to apply and participate. ○ Please register for and attend one of the following: ■ Wednesday, November 15th, 11:00am-12:00 pm Eastern ■ Friday, December 1st, 12:00-1:00pm Eastern ○ Participants will receive an application after attending an information session ● January 15, 2024: applications due to Home Grown ● February 5, 2024: partner selection announced ● March 1, 2024: signed MOUs due; receipt of $20,000 planning grant upon signature ● March-October 2024: implementation planning; support from Planning Navigators; ● November 2024: submit application to Home Grown for implementation funds (up to Learning Community meetings $75,000 per year for two years) ● January 2025- December 2026: implementation period (contingent on approval) Interested to learn more? Register for one of the information sessions: November 15th or December 1st. Or email karen@homegrownchildcare.org with any questions.
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Early Childhood Council 20240320-06: Budget Recommendation Regarding Current Early Childhood Investments WHEREAS, in the City of Austin, 31% of children under age 6 live in households with low income; and WHEREAS, 90% of the children in households with low income under age 6 are children of color; and WHEREAS, decades of research prove that disadvantages begin the moment children come into the world because children born into poverty and children of color are disproportionately born early, at low- birth-weight, or with chronic illnesses, and are less likely than their peers to be ready for, or successful at school; and WHEREAS, current City investments in early childhood programs align with the goals and strategies of the Austin/Travis County Success By 6 Strategic Plan – a robust, data-driven community strategic plan designed to coordinate efforts, improve child and family outcomes as well as build more efficient and coordinated systems for equitable access; and WHEREAS, the federal, state, and local economic recovery funds invested in early childhood systems and programs are expiring in 2024, including essential worker wage stipends for the early childhood workforce; and WHEREAS, Child Care Scholarship programs through Workforce Solutions Capital Area are at capacity, enrollment is closed, no new funding is available at this time, and as of March 2024, the estimated amount of time a family applying for a scholarship at that time will likely remain on a waitlist before they could expect to be outreached for enrollment is 24 months; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s recently announced Infrastructure Academy is intended to expand the region’s skilled trade sector and access to child care is an obstacle for the existing workforce, including the skilled trades; and WHEREAS, the Early Childhood Council has had input from Success By 6, The Children’s Funding Project Workgroup, and GAVA, all calling for significantly increased local government investment in the Childcare sector, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Early Childhood Council recommends that the City of Austin maintain all current investments in early childhood programs and infrastructure, including but not limited to: ● APH Staff: $171,000 for 2 FTE staff focused on early childhood programs and services ● Social Service Contracts: $13,352,165 to six agencies to provide early childhood services, including early childhood education, infant and early childhood services, and early childhood education quality improvement, for a 12-month term through March 30, 2025, and four 12-month extension options ● …
To: From: Memo: Date: City of Austin Early Childhood Council Austin/Travis County Success by Six Coalition (SX6) SX6 City of Austin FY 2025 Budget Recommendations March 13, 2024 SX6 Goal: All children enter kindergarten happy, healthy, and ready to succeed in school and in life. SX6 is grateful to the City of Austin for prioritizing early childhood through COVID Relief Funds and policy implementation. In the last year, this included: implementing property tax abatement for eligible child care providers through Proposition 2; easing parking restrictions and zoning bylaws to relieve barriers for child care expansion; creating a grant program to help cover the cost of City permitting fees; and including child care as a central component of the Infrastructure Academy. These policies will play a critical role in supporting working parents, providing stability for our youngest, most vulnerable children, and enhancing the early childhood education sector. Austin/Travis County SX6 Coalition’s City of Austin budget recommendations are rooted in equity, data-driven, and aligned with City of Austin priorities. We recognize Austin may experience a budget deficit in FY25 so our recommendations do not ask for increased funding and we encourage maintaining funding levels for existing initiatives. Maintain funding levels for: ● APH Staff: $171,000 for 2 FTE staff focused on early childhood programs and services ● Social Service Contracts: $13,352,165 to six agencies to provide early childhood services, including early childhood education, infant and early childhood services, and early childhood education quality improvement, for a 12-month term through March 30, 2025, and four 12-month extension options. ● Start-up costs for PreK classrooms: $128,000 for six classrooms; one-time cost per ● KinderCare at Bergstrom Tech’s Lease: Annual funding for operating expenses for city classroom funded early childhood facilities ● Maternal and Infant Outreach Program Consider new investments On the horizon Incorporating an annual cost of living adjustment for all social service contracts ● ● Family Connects: Continue in-kind support and look for opportunities to extend the $2 Million in ARPA funding once that investment ends on Dec. 31, 2024. ● Matching funds of $75,000 per year in 2025 and 2026 per the required match to philanthropic funds for the implementation phase of the Home Grown Initiative grant with the City of Austin. ● Support for a dedicated revenue stream to fund the strategies outlined by the Children’s Funding Project Taskforce, which included subsidizing birth-age-three contract slots, expanding the supply of non-traditional hour …
