Santa Cruz Child Care Planning Council

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Transcript Santa Cruz Child Care Planning Council

Santa Cruz Child Care
Planning Council (CCPC)
Orientation
Welcome to the Child Care Planning Council
As a new member, you were invited to serve because:

You have knowledge and training that can improve and
add to the Council’s wisdom

You are dedicated to children and work at improving
their lives

You want to be part of a respected and needed
organization that actively works for the betterment of all
child care systems and ultimately helps build a stronger,
healthier community
Mission of Child Care Planning Councils
(a.k.a. Local Planning Councils or “LPCs”)

The primary mission of LPCs is to plan for child care and
development services based on the needs of families in the
local community

In addition to planning, collaboration, and support for the
child care systems that currently exist, the LPCs determine
local priorities for new state funds

By forming strong community partnerships, each group
involved is empowered to share their ideas and concerns as
part of the local planning process
Mission and Composition of the Santa Cruz
County Child Care Planning Council
Our mission is to provide leadership for the assessment,
development and sustainability of quality early care and
education and school age extended learning options in Santa
Cruz County.
Members are comprised of leaders and experts in early
care and education that promote and advocate for
quality accessible educational programs that will
ensure:
• children’s healthy development
• school success
• a stronger healthier community
Council Composition
Council members are appointed both by the County
Superintendent of Schools and the County Board of Supervisors
The by-laws of our council have set our size at 30 members
to allow for maximum diversity
The California Department of Education mandates that members
be appointed equally in each of 5 areas:
Consumers, Providers, Community Representatives, Public
Agency Representatives and a Discretionary Category.
What areas of expertise does
the Council seek to reflect?
Family Child Care Child Court
Advocacy
Community
Care
Licensing
Funding
Agencies
Parents
Subsidized Child
Care Programs
Family
Resource
Centers
Local
Resource &
Referral
Agency
After School
& Recreation
Programs
Special
Needs
Center-based
Child Care (both
non-profit & sole
proprietor)
Facilities
Development
Community
Colleges and
Four Year
Universities
Alternative
Payment
Programs
The Human
Resources
and Health
Services
Agencies
County Office of
Education
School
Districts
Migrant Head Head Start
Start
South &
North County
History
The Council initially functioned as a subcommittee to the
Santa Cruz County Children's Network
In 1991, the California State Legislature approved funding to
establish Local Child Care Planning Councils in each county
In Santa Cruz County, the Child Care Planning Council was
housed within the Child Development Programs Department
of the County Office of Education.
History continued
In 1998, the current By-Laws were approved by the Santa
Cruz County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz
County Superintendent of Schools
In 1999, the Legislature passed an operating budget to
support the work of the Planning Councils. Santa Cruz
County hired their first Coordinator
Rules that govern the way we do business
The Brown Act
 California Education Code
 Our By-laws

Committees

This is where the work of the Council happens

Each council member serves on at least one committee

Committees meet once a month

Council members choose to serve on the committee that
represents a facet of the Council’s work that most interests
them and which they feel they can contribute the most to.
The current committees are:




Executive/Membership
Master Plan Committee
Subsidized Programs Consortium
ECE Conference Planning
Executive/Membership Committee
Comprised of the Chair and two co-vice-chairs of the Council.
Together with program staff the Executive Committee supports the work of
the council by:

setting monthly meeting agendas and facilitating council meetings

inviting and arranging guest speakers

recruiting and mentoring new members, approving member applications,
facilitating new member orientations and working to ensure that
membership represents the diversity of the county and meets state
mandates

acting on behalf of the Council on timely issues between meetings

supporting staff in strategizing and carrying out all projects related to the
Council

Working to develop council visibility
Master Plan Committee
Committee Goals:

Strategize process of vetting Master Plan in the community, conduct
input sessions, keep track of input and incorporate suggested revisions.
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Create an addendum to include community comments and suggestions
not incorporated into plan.
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Identify and contact potential implementers of the Master Plan.

Act as a “hub” for connection with and between other groups/agencies
are already or would be interested in implementing various aspects of
the Master Plan.

Create a time line and measurable outcomes for goals in the Master
Plan.

Adopt a finalized Master Plan by June 2008.
Subsidized Programs Consortium
Committee Goals:

Maximize ability to capture, maintain and utilize federal, state, local
and private funds for infant/toddler, preschool and SAEL programs.
Coordinate and broker full use of funded slots.
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Increase family access to child care subsidies and tax credits.

Provide technical assistance and adequate funds to assist programs
to meet the particular needs of low-income children, children with
special needs, English language learners, ethnically diverse children,
homeless and migrant children and foster children, (as well as
families working with CPS to maintain the family unit.)

Act as a clearing house for information and education on the state
mandated Centralized Eligibility List. Conduct ongoing CEL
business/coordination, fighting bushfires in the subsidy world.
ECE Conference Planning
Committee Goals:
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Develop appropriate, quality training and educational opportunities
for the entire ECE and SAEL workforce.

Provide opportunities for leadership development within ECE and
SAEL.
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And various aspects of the following goals:

Provide technical assistance and adequate funds to assist
programs to meet the particular needs of low-income children,
children with special needs, English language learners,
ethnically diverse children, homeless children and foster
children.

Develop and expand linkages within ECE and SAEL programs.

Provide parenting education resources for ECE and SAEL
professionals
Projects of the Council:
Needs Assessment & Master Plan
Every Five Years…

The Council conducts a needs assessment of child
care in Santa Cruz County

The Council develops/updates a Master Plan for
Early Care and Education and School Age
Extended Learning in the county.
Major Accomplishments in FY’s 07-08

With funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation the Council is leading a
countywide effort to produce a comprehensive blueprint for offering voluntary preschool
to all children in the last two years before entering kindergarten.
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In collaboration with the League of Women Voters, the Council hosted the 27 th District
Assembly Candidates Forum to educate the public on candidates views on early care and
education and K-12 education.
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Conducted two countywide training series on the new Desired Results Developmental
Profile (assessment tool) for 119 state funded staff and directors
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Distributed over $72,000 in professional development educational awards to the ECE
workforce in Santa Cruz via the AB212 program.
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Council members spoke at the City of Capitola’s Housing Element focus group in an
effort to advocate for the inclusion of child care as an essential element in the design of
sustainable community.
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Council members met with the Santa Cruz City Council to advocate for a fair defunding
process for all community based programs that receive city jurisdictional funding.
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Planned and held the 2008 Central Coast ECE Conference on Quality Child Care.
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Completed the 2008-2013 Master Plan for Early Care and Education.
Membership Commitment
Attend monthly 2-hour Council meetings
 Attend yearly all-day retreat in June
 Join at least one committee and attend
monthly meeting.
 Attend public events sponsored by Council
 Represent Council in the community
 Respond to communications from the
Council and staff
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Why Serve on the Council?
For the Children!