Short Summary

The group refined and approved funding strategies for early childhood and community health initiatives.  It finalized early childhood support strategies, focusing on community-based care and inclusive language, ending with personal reflections.

Long Summary

The advisory council made final adjustments to strategic language for early childhood funding.  The group meticulously refined the language for early childhood funding strategies, deciding to prioritize local ‘place-based’ organizations and add ‘play-based’ approaches to mental health. It also discussed including license-exempt centers in future compensation models and creating a flexible scholarship model. The discussion emphasized supporting local providers and ensuring service availability before expanding screening.The session concluded with a successful vote to approve the amended strategies and 

reflections on the work’s impact and importance for the community.  The group expressed heartfelt reflections from members on the collaborative process, the importance of the work, and a shared 

sense of accomplishment and gratitude.

Members expressed humility, gratitude, and respect for the collaborative process and the work of early childhood educators.  The group acknowledged the significance of having funding and a community-driven process to support families, which is not a given everywhere.  Appreciation was extended to the staff for preparing materials that enabled detailed and productive conversations.

Review of Progress

The team met to finalize the language and allocations for several key strategies before a formal vote. The team reviewed and finalized funding strategies for a five-year plan, marking a significant milestone from the initial idea phase to an approved plan.  The discussion’s goal was to ensure the intent of the strategies was clearly captured, particularly for the development of future Requests for Proposals (RFPs).  Participants reflected on the progress made, from initial concepts to a voted-upon five-year plan, acknowledging it as a significant accomplishment for the county’s early childhood and health initiatives. Discussion centered on refining the language of the strategies to ensure the intent is clear for the Request for Proposals (RFP) process.  The overall progress was framed as a major accomplishment in supporting the county’s children and families, even while acknowledging that the funding is a “drop in the bucket” compared to the total need.

Key Achievements

The group successfully reached a consensus on several complex language changes after detailed discussion. The council successfully voted on and approved the proposed strategies and allocations with a series of amendments. A motion was passed to approve the strategic plan with all discussed amendments, marking a major milestone, to implement specific language changes across several strategies, finalizing the framework for future funding.

Challenges and Adjustments Needed

Provider Eligibility and Prioritization

A concern was raised about large, external organizations applying for funds instead of local providers who know the community.

It was suggested to explicitly call out both “new and existing service providers” to expand the field while prioritizing local expertise.

Broadening Strategy Language

The term “Family Resource Center” was deemed too restrictive. Several strategic adjustments were made to proposal language to ensure clarity and inclusivity:   Also included was the broader “place-based locations in neighborhoods” to include a wider range of trusted community organizations. The “sliding scale” language for family scholarships was questioned for not accounting for family expenses beyond income. The group moved toward the idea of “developing a model” to allow for more flexibility.

Clarifying Service Types

To ensure mental health services are not purely clinical, language was added to strategy 1A. The phrase “which could include play-based” was inserted after “mental health services” to emphasize the importance of play without being overly prescriptive.The group discussed the need to expand service capacity in tandem with developmental screenings to avoid causing anxiety for families whose children are identified as needing support.There was concern that increasing developmental screenings could cause family anxiety if corresponding intervention services are not available.

Compensation Model for ECE Providers

It was discussed whether legally license-exempt centers “will be considered” when the compensation model is determined, acknowledging the complexity of their full inclusion. The group debated whether legally licensed exempt centers should be “included” or “considered” for the new compensation model. The final decision was to use the language “will be considered when the compensation model is determined” to ensure they are part of the conversation without making a premature commitment.  A future process will be initiated to design the ECE compensation system, which will consider legally licensed exempt centers.

Several strategic adjustments were made to proposal language to ensure clarity and inclusivity: Added the phrase “which could include play-based” to the mental health services strategy to emphasize the importance of play without being overly prescriptive. Removed specific examples like “family literacy programs” to make the strategy for non-traditional early learning programs more general. 

Action Items and Accountability for the Week Ahead

Finalize Strategy 1A Language

Add “which could include play-based” after “mental health services” and before “and nutritional supports.”

Correct Strategy 2A Language

Add the word “and” to correct a grammatical error in the phrase “mobile and pop up clinical.”

Update ECE Strategy 1B

Remove specific program names to broaden the scope, changing the wording to “Invest in and elevate non-traditional early learning programs.”

Implement Approved Changes

Staff is accountable for incorporating all approved amendments into the official strategy documents that will guide the development of RFPs.