MINUTES: April 7, 2003
6:00 pm
Ruth C. Powers Children's Center
2730 Maine Avenue
Richmond, CA

Item 1.0 – Call to Order.
The meeting was called to order at 6:22 p.m.

Item 2.0 – Roll Call.
Commissioners in attendance:
Maria Theresa Viramontes-Campbell, Dr. Michael Zwerdling, Greg Rolen for Cindy Wheeler, Violet Smith, Supervisor Mark De Saulnier, Dr. William Walker, Tony Colón, John Cullen

Alternates in attendance:
Susan Wittenberg, Ronda Garcia, Mary Foran, Pat Stroh, Danna Fabella

Item 3.0 – Consent Items.

Item 3.1 – Approve minutes for March 10, 2003 meetings.
Corrections were made to Page 4, Item 4.1-Update on county budget process. Corrected minutes will be included in the May 2003 Commission meeting.

Item 3.2 – Review, Discuss and Acknowledge Financial Reports for February 2003.
Commissioners requested staff to correct the error to the monthly expenditure for the Information and Referral/Warm Line item.

Item 3.3 – Executive Committee Report.
Vice Chairman Cullen informed the Commission that the following items were discussed:

Executive Committee Report January 24, 2003:

• Reviewed and discussed draft letter to the County Administrator regarding the budget crisis.
• Received an update on the Early Childhood Education strategy process.
• Received an update on Prop 99 backfill for this fiscal year.
• Discussed new committees chairs. The following Commission members will chair committees: Program and Evaluation-Susan Wittenberg; Community Engagement-Cindy Wheeler; Policy and Advocacy-Tony Colón; Public Affairs-Ronda Garcia. A Nomination Committee chair will be appointed at the activation of the committee.
• Discussed and developed the agenda for the April 7, 2003 meeting.
  The Executive Committee then went into closed session to discuss and develop the evaluation of the Executive Director.
  forward.

A motion was made and seconded to approve Item 3.0 - Consent Items.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

Item 4.0 - Executive Director’s Report.
Brenda Blasingame updated the Commission on the following items:

• Local updates: Site visits, Home Visiting, Family Friendly Community Grants, Board of Equalization (Prop 99 backfill)
  • Site Visits: Grantee site visits are taking place, which include staff and Commission members. Findings will be presented to the Program and Evaluation Committee.
  • Home Visiting: The strategy is moving forward, a program design is in process.
  • Family Friendly Community Grants: The Commission voted to hold one cycle of funding this year. Applicant information conferences will be held later this month. Applications are due May 2, 2003.
  • Board of Equalization: The net loss to First 5 Contra Costa will not affect the budget for this fiscal year.
    
• Update on Statewide Prop 10 activities
  • Funding for the Prop 10 TA center ended in March. First 5 California released a Request for Applications (RFA) to provide technical assistance statewide. The state considered it a failed RFA since none of the applicants were able to provide the services needed. The state has decided to establish funding for regions of the state for technical assistance. This Commission will be part of the Bay Area region. Each region will receive approximately $200,000 to $250,000 and will determine, as a region, how to implement the use of the funds. The Bay Area counties will carry out a survey and meet to discuss use of the funds.
    
• The State Prop 10 briefings document is included in the packet
  • Matching Funds for Retention Incentive program: The new application is being released in April. The focus areas have changed to target school readiness areas and certain populations. Use of the Commission’s unspent funds from the previous application process will need to be clarified.
  • Principles on Equity: The state is advocating for all county Commissions to adopt the principles, which this Commission has already done.
    
• State Conference
  Several workshops at the conference will involve Contra Costa.
  Alternate Foran will be on a panel regarding Civic Engagement and how this Commission conducts its business.
  Vice Chairman Cullen will moderate a panel discussion among Commission members regarding advocacy issues.
  Sean Casey will be on a panel that will discuss systems change.
  Lisa R. Johnson will be on a panel that will discuss programs.
  The Commission’s perinatal residential substance abuse program will also being highlighted in a workshop by Sid Garner and Kimberly Mayer.
  
• Update on state budget
  Included in the packet is a handout entitled “Bridging the Gap” which was prepared by the California Budget Project.
  
• The letter mailed to the County Administrator’s Office in response to the request for budget input and feedback will be mailed to Commission members.

Item 5.0 - Commissioner F.Y.I. Updates.
Commission members shared information, provided updates and announcements about different issues, meetings, and conferences, pending legislation, and new projects in their organizations.

It was requested that updates be moved to the end of the agenda.

Public Comment.
Naomi Zipkin commended the Commission and the writer of the Commission’s Report to the Community (annual report).

Member, PACE alternative, stated that their organization received a Ready Set Read grant and informed the Commission that funding was split in two ways. The group has held one event in El Cerrito and another event will take place April 27th at the community center in Antioch. She stated that this was the first time she has been involved in planning an event and it was a great experience! She thanked the Commission for the opportunity.

Kathy Linquist, Local Planning Council, stated that this is the week of the young child celebrating young children and their families.

Item 6.0 - Committee and Program Updates.

Item 6.1 - Program and Evaluation Committee.

a. Early Childhood Education (ECE) strategy development report.

Brenda Blasingame informed the Commission that the Program and Evaluation Committee staff report is included in the packet. The process leading up to this report has included a think tank, a summit, an ad hoc work group of approximately 25 people, and a PEC study session. The ad hoc work group developed the goal areas that were then discussed and recommended by PEC. How the funds will be divided among the goal areas and then distributed is a decision made by the Commission.

Consider the following recommendations:

1. To accept the three goal areas developed by the Early Childhood Education Ad Hoc Committee and reviewed by the Program and Evaluation Committee.

Commissioner Smith requested that the goals be read into the minutes.

Vice Chairman Cullen then read the Goals aloud. Each Goal area’s target population is children in non-parental care.

GOAL A: To provide licensed early childcare settings with financial and technical assistance support to progress toward achieving and maintaining national accreditation (e.g., National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC)).

GOAL B: To provide incentives for early childhood educators to increase and apply their knowledge and learning in their early childcare setting.

GOAL C: To provide resources and technical assistance
a) to early childcare providers that increases their capacity to serve children with special needs, and
b) to parents of children with special needs to support access to community early childcare settings.

The Commission held a discussion regarding the goals.

A motion was made and seconded to accept the three goal areas developed by the Early Childhood Education Ad Hoc Committee and reviewed by the Program and Evaluation Committee.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

2. To accept that work groups for on each goal area be formed to make recommendations about implementation of the goal areas, using research to guide recommendations about activities and programs that maintain the integrity of the focus and rationale described in each.

a. Each work group will be comprised of ad hoc members interested in continuing with the process and 1-2 content experts from within and outside of the county to conceptualize the design (e.g., recommended programs and activities) of each goal.

b. Work groups will operate simultaneously.

c. Work groups will present to the Commission by end of FY 02/03 recommendations for each goal’s conceptual frame, including minimum, essential program elements and “value-added” approaches to address each goal area. The Commission will use work group conceptual frame recommendations to decide how funds should be divided across the three goal areas.

A motion was made and seconded to accept that work groups for on each goal area be formed to make recommendations about implementation of the goal areas, using research to guide recommendations about activities and programs that maintain the integrity of the focus and rationale described in each.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

3. To accept October 1, 2003 as the date by which programs in the three goal areas will be funded.

A motion was made and seconded to accept October 1, 2003 as the date by which programs in the three goal areas will be funded.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

b. Update and discussion of Family Resource and Learning Centers (FRLC) strategy development

Alternate Wittenberg updated the Commission regarding the Program and Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting, which included a discussion of the Family Resource and Learning Centers strategy. The Committee gave guidance to staff in terms of sites, capital purchases (such as property), governance, and fiscal issues. Applicants will have an opportunity to submit additional information to clarify these issues. Applications will then be reviewed and recommendations will be brought forth to the full Commission for consideration in June.

Commissioner Colón asked if PEC discussed issues around providing lease management support for proposed leases. Was the question of change use discussed? Some facilities have a specific usage and cannot be used for other purposes.

Brenda Blasingame stated that legal counsel would need to provide assistance with those questions and issues.

c. Update on Grantee activities

The Commission received no updates from grantees.

Item 6.2 - Public Affairs Committee Report.
Alternate Garcia praised Tracy Irwin for her work on the Report to the Community.

Item 6.3 - Policy Advocacy Committee.
Commissioner Colón stated that the Committee developed the enclosed Actions steps for addressing state budget issues. The Committee also presented the attached resolution regarding Head Start.

a. Discussion and review of state budget process and consider baselines for advocacy focus.

Consider the following recommendation: To adopt the process and the baselines for advocacy actions related to the state budget.

A motion was made and seconded to adopt the process and the baselines for advocacy actions related to the state budget.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

b. Review and discussion of Head Start Resolution.

Consider the following recommendation: To adopt the stated resolution opposing the move of Head Start at the federal level from Health and Human Services to Department of Education.

A motion was made and seconded to adopt the stated resolution opposing the move of Head Start at the federal level from Health and Human Services to Department of Education.

The Commission voted and approved the stated motion.

Item 7.0 – Communications.
The Commission acknowledged receipt of communications.

Item 8.0 – Adjourn.
The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.