To Triad Consolidated Child Care Stakeholders:
Triad Early Childhood Resource Council
The three county directors of Human Services discussed the progress in moving forward the concept of formalizing the Triad Consolidated Child Care planning group into an Early Childhood Advisory Council under the auspices of the three county Directors. The Council would have reporting responsibilities to the three boards of County Commissioners. The Directors have met with the three boards of Commissioners. The Commissioners, due to other issues, tabled the decision, however the directors indicated their approval of our continued efforts and agreed to bring the issue back to the attention of their respective County Commissioner Boards.
A draft letter to the Board of Commissioners is attached to these minutes. Joan Smith has prepared this letter of introduction of the Triad Early Childhood Advisory Council concept based on the documents that were distributed at the Triad Stakeholder Meeting of May 4, 1999. The purpose of the letter is to assist the County Directors in their presentations to their Commissioner Boards. A list of the current stakeholders is attached to the letter. Please contact Joan to give input into the letter’s contents.
The three county directors of Human Services discussed the progress in moving forward the concept of formalizing the Triad Consolidated Child Care planning group into an Early Childhood Advisory Council under the auspices of the three county Directors. The Council would have reporting responsibilities to the three boards of County Commissioners. The Directors have met with the three boards of Commissioners. The Commissioners, due to other issues, tabled the decision, however the directors indicated their approval of our continued efforts and agreed to bring the issue back to the attention of their respective County Commissioner Boards. A draft letter to the Board of Commissioners is attached to these minutes. Joan Smith has prepared this letter of introduction of the Triad Early Childhood Advisory Council concept based on the documents that were distributed at the Triad Stakeholder Meeting of May 4, 1999. The purpose of the letter is to assist the County Directors in their presentations to their Commissioner Boards. A list of the current stakeholders is attached to the letter. Please contact Joan to give input into the letter’s contents.
Toni LaTronica from Educare Colorado informed the group that six child care facilities are currently participating in the Wave I Quality Improvement and Technical Assistance with Educare Colorado.
These sites are:
Copies of the evaluation prepared by the Center for Human Investment Policy at the University of Colorado at Denver were distributed to all present at the meeting. An update on Triad’s progress in achieving the goals set for the first year was included with this report. Please contact Joan Smith for additional copies.
Group Consensus was reached that the waiver requesting to combine infants and toddlers in the early morning and late afternoon based on enrollment should be forwarded to the state for approval with the conditions that no more than five children total are combined. The waiver if approved will be limited to implementation by the Lakewood Center. The Lakewood Center will report back concerning the impact of the waiver on the concerns for children’s safety.
CDE has received approval by the JBC to spend the YCPI dollars awarded to the 12 pilots. Dollars will be available July 1, 1999. These funds include pilot site mini grants and scholarship dollars for college level training for staff in the pilot sites.
Preliminary discussion concerning focus areas for the next year centered around the need for expanded capacity for the care of infants and toddlers. Concerns were raised about the proposed increase in the family home capacity for infant care at the expense of the quality of care. The group was in general consensus that the care of Infants and toddlers needs to be carefully considered particularly in light of the critical development occurring in these very young children during the first three years of life.
Consensus was reached to expand to include up to five new child care facilities in the next year to the Triad Pilot. Possible sites to be added include the center operating in the Jefferson County Human Service building, the Red Rocks Children’s Center. Jefferson County Schools will be approached about the possibility of a full day program being included. Child care programs must be serving children from the Child Care Assistance Program to be considered for participation.
Educare has indicated a willingness as resources become available to continue to expand their participation into the Triad Pilot Child Care Programs.