ELCC: Oversight

The Early Learning Coordinating Council (ELCC) is an interagency group that participated in the National School Readiness Project and now promotes collaboration to ensure that early childhood policy decisions, funding streams, and services are coordinated. The ELCC meets regularly to oversee the development and implementation of the KECCS Plan.

MINUTES OF EARLY LEARNING COORDINATING COUNCIL
Kansas Children’s Cabinet & Trust Fund Conference Room
Landon State Office Building, Room 152
900 SW Jackson, Topeka, Kansas
Thursday, August 13, 2009
1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Present:

Mary Baskett, Kansas Head Start Association
Doug Bowman, Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Developmental Services
David Lindeman, ECHO Consortium II Project, University of Kansas, Life Span Institute, via telephone
Sherri Drake, Kansas Head Start State Based T&TA, via telephone
Jackie Counts, University of KS, Institute for Educational Research & Public Service
Rebecca Gillam, University of KS, Institute for Educational Research & Public Service
Leadell Ediger, Kansas Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (KACCRRA)
Gayle Stuber, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)
Carol Ayres, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)
Janet Newton, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)
Nancy Keel, Kansas Association of Parents as Teachers, via telephone
Tracie Lansing, Kansas Children’s Service League
Carolyn Nelson, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
Carrie Hastings, Kansas Department of Social & Rehabilitation Services (SRS)
Tiffany Fisher, Kansas Coalition for School Readiness/Kansas Action for Children
Jim Redmon, Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund (KCCTF)
Dyogga Adegbore, KCCTF
Jane Weiler, KCCTF

Welcome and Introductions
Jim Redmon welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked for introductions.

Results-Based Accountability follow up and next steps
Jackie Counts and Rebecca Gillam distributed an updated sheet on the KECCS Results-Based Accountability Indicators Data. A lot more information was obtained on Goal 1 since the last meeting. Linda Kenney was helpful with providing the additional information for Goal 1. Other information is currently being collected.

The next scheduled RBA meeting is Monday, September 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Anton Room, #202 of the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library. Lunch will be provided to participants.

Kansas Coalition for School Readiness Update
Tiffany Fisher reported members of the Coalition just returned from the Ounce of Prevention meeting held in Chicago, Illinois. They discussed the home visitation state-wide model as it relates to the Early Learning Challenge Grant. It was a productive meeting. The Coalition currently is exploring issues for the 2010 legislative session.

Policy Update
Jim reported he presented Children’s Cabinet/Early Learning updates to the 2010 Commission earlier in the month. The Commission is supportive of early childhood initiatives and would be providing a final report on the Early Childhood governance model to the Legislative Educational Planning Commission.

Jim reported that Gayle Stuber and he presented additional early childhood initiatives information to the P-20 Council last week. They talked about the various early childhood programs and sent the message that a lot of collaboration and coordination has been taking place among the early childhood stakeholders.

Cabinet Update
Jim updated the ELCC about the situation with Rainbows United, Inc., in Wichita. Rainbows has both Smart Start and Early Childhood Block grants with the Children’s Cabinet, a PreK grant with KSDE and several contracts with KDHE. The state agencies with grants through Rainbows have been meeting together during this situation and are closely monitoring the bankruptcy proceedings and working with Rainbows in the interim. The Children’s Cabinet-Board will be discussing this issue at its September 18 meeting.

KECCS Stakeholder Meeting Update
Jackie and Rebecca distributed a draft agenda for the October 16 KECCS Stakeholders meeting. Topics for the meeting may include a KECCS Plan update-Rebecca, School Readiness Update-Gayle Stuber, Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement-KAIMH representative, ECBG site visits-Jane, State update-Jim. Afternoon breakout sessions may include the Protective Factors Survey, a Kansas Parent Research Initiative- Results & Recommendations, Community Planning & Organizing: Examples from partners in Garden City, Coffeyville, and Wichita. Rae Anderson, again, has agreed to facilitate the meeting this year. She has done a great job in years past.

The KECCS meeting will be held Friday, October 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the Courtyard By Marriott hotel in Salina.

Early Childhood Advisory Council Goal and Objectives and Crosswalk with Key Elements
The ECAC grant application will be due August 1, 2010, however, plans are to submit the Kansas application this fall. Jackie and Rebecca gave a power point presentation which included proposed Kansas ECAC goals, expectations, an organizational chart and crosswalk of KECCS key elements relating to ECAC. There was a lot of discussion among ELCC with suggestions for the Kansas ECAC goals. A revised draft of the goals will be distributed in the next couple of weeks by e-mail.

Early Learning Challenge Funding
Jim briefly talked about the Early Learning Challenge Funding that will be available to states on a competitive basis. The Funding will be administered jointly by the US Department of Education and the US Department of Health and Human Services. The Funding is proposed to total $8 billion over the next 8 years.

Future Meeting Dates:

Thurs., September 10	1:00 – 3:00 p.m.	ELCC meeting at Children’s Cabinet
Mon., Sept. 14	10 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Results-Based Accountability workgroup/lunch – Anton Room, #202, Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th Avenue
Fri., October 9	1:00 – 3:00 p.m.	ELCC meeting at Children’s Cabinet
Fri., Oct. 16	9 a.m. – 3 p.m.	KECCS Stakeholders at Courtyard By Marriott, Salina
Tues., Nov 3	1:00 – 3:00 p.m.	ELCC meeting at Children’s Cabinet
Thurs., Dec. 10	1:00 – 3:00 p.m.	ELCC meeting at Children’s Cabinet

There being no further business for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.