1crayon.jpg (10866 bytes)  April 20, 1999 -- Meeting Summary

9:00am - 12:00 noon

Phoenix Room

The Radisson Inn

SeaTac, Washington

 

Commission Attendance
Melinda French Gates, co-Chair; Kathryn Barnard, Craig Cole, Kim Cook, Yolanda Cortinas-Trout, Robbin Dunn, Sheri Flies, Peter Jackson, Mary Ellen O’Keeffe, Scott Oki, Dee Ann Perea, Yvonne Ullas, Dee West, Gayle Womack, Diana Yu.
Meeting Summary:
Melinda Gates opened the meeting.
Robin Zukoski made the following house keeping announcements: the group from BrainNet brought in their Maximizing our Children’s Brain Power display. This display spent a week in the Capitol Rotunda. Robin encouraged Commissioners to review it during break. Robin also noted several handouts for Commissioners: 1) Child care information exchange - Using Early Childhood Brain Development Research, 2) Early Childhood Initiative - Organization information, 3) Benton Foundation - Effective language for discussing Early Childhood Education and Policy, 4) Good Samaritan Hospital - Building Possibilities.
Jennifer LeSourd gave a presentation of the Commission’s web site. Jennifer explained that site is currently on a test server and anticipates that the site will be completed and placed on the Governor’s home page by the middle of May.
Pama Joyner gave an updated report on the Parent Meetings held last fall and early this year. Pama presented the Commissioners with an updated summary including and overview of how the meetings were set up, a community demographic analysis, and an analysis of the parent responses.
Melinda Gates noted that there really was no one glaring issue raised by the parents that stood out, but rather a consistent message that parent education was a top priority. Melinda thought it was very good for parents to hear what the Commission is doing and that it is the Commission’s responsibility to really stay involved with the communities.
Melinda Gates then asked Robin Zukoski for an update on the Request for Qualifications process. Robin noted that it is still too early to tell what will happen with the state budget. We don’t want to put the RFQQ out until after the budget is finalized but will make it our top priority once we know where we stand. Since the meeting on April 20th, the legislature has approved funding for the public engagement campaign and the RFQQ will be sent out by the end of the month.
Melinda Gates then asked that subcommittees meet and then report back to the Commission.
Subcommittee Reports
Bill of Rights
Melinda Gates noted that the subcommittee has made final revisions to the Preamble and Bill of Rights. Melinda asked for any final comments on the document. There were no comments. Melinda noted that the Commission plans to finalize and vote on the document during the May 18th meeting.
Child care
Sheri Flies noted that the subcommittee has met a lot and has decided to summarize where to go from here. She noted that the subcommittee wants to develop an entity to monitor child care. One question remains: What should this entity be? Should it be an arm of the Commission’s function, add it to an existing function or create a new organization to carryout? The subcommittee suggests that this responsibility becomes an arm of the entity the Commission establishes.
The following items should be included in this function:
  • The implementation of a wage ladder
  • Make recommendations to Universities & Community Colleges to move toward the TEACH model.
  • Transform credits from the STARS program into college credits.
  • Increase training in facilities regarding the needs of infants.
  • Move credibility from STARS to a higher level of credentials.
  • In the year 2000 expand STARS to include early learning.
  • Raise funds and give scholarships.
  • Coordinate with the Childcare Resource & Referral Network (highlight care centers that complete this and help establish new centers).
  • Work with the public awareness campaign to get credibility and high awareness of these issues.
Sheri asked can this (the monitoring of child care) be one component to our ongoing entity?
Discussion
Mary Ellen O’Keeffe noted the need to have this connect with WEAYC.
Robbin Dunn commented that the State HeadStart Collaboration Project would also be good connection to explore with certification and training.
Diana Yu responded that there is no standardization across board. We’re trying to get consistency and this entity would help promote the standards. She also noted that there is no core curriculum for children ages 0 through 3.
Peter Jackson noted that he feels this should become an arm of the ongoing entity. Programs don’t need to be run by that organization, they can always be contracted out.
Diana Yu commented that we need to make sure recommendations of this Commission are carried out.
Melinda Gates responded that these projects will be on going, they won’t end by the set up of a program. We’ll need to discuss and define what the entity, what the goals are and what it should look like.
Sheri Flies commented that the subcommittee assumes that the wages and professionalization of care are the most important items for the Commission to focus on.
Robbin Dunn responded that the Commission needs to look at other strategies for solving wage issues.
Integrated Programs:
The Integrated Programs subcommittee is now finalizing their report to the Commission. This report will be mailed out to Commissioners before the May 18th meeting.
Melinda Gates thanked Commissioners for their reports and for the work they have done in the subcommittees.
Melinda then introduced Laverne Woods from Davis Wright Tremaine, who spoke on the different types of non-profit organizations, and the pros and cons of various models.
Ms. Todd spent most of her time describing the legal and tax differences between public charities and private foundations. They both can be for charitable, educational or religious purposes. However, a private foundation is limited in its sources of funding; must not lobby, must distribute at least 5% annually and there is a 2% excise tax on investment income.
A public charity can receive funds from a broad array of sources and is not subject to excise taxes. However, either one-third of donations must come from the general public or meet a fact and circumstances test.
Under facts and circumstances the organization must show that 10% of funding comes from a representative number of people, rather than a single family, that the activities will appeal to a broad public and that the governing board will represent a broad array of interests.
There was a lot of discussion about which model will best suit the Commission’s needs.
Robin Zukoski asked if an organization that would give money to local communities, work with community colleges, direct subsidy of wages, keep track of the laws effecting children in this area, and promote issues through a public awareness campaign, could be classified as a charitable organization.
Laverne Woods responded by saying that where the funding comes from usually defines what type of organization they are not what business practices they keep.
Sheri Flies commented that an initial endowment may not be enough to create an organization and that we’ll have limits on private money. An organization falling in the definition of a public charity seems to provide more flexibility. What are limitations of this?
Laverne Woods responded that one-third of the funding would need to come from public sources. If a grant from one source is greater than 2% of the total funding it only counts for one-third of your total over a 4-year period.
Laverne also noted that we could create structural relationship with a governmental or charitable organization. This would give some flexibility in terms of money, what we can have and where it comes from. This type of pairing is very common. We can receive money from government organizations and private and charitable organizations as long as it is only 2% of total.
Melinda Gates thanked Laverne Woods for her time in speaking to the Commission. She then asked for public comments.
Public comments:
Sangree Frolicker thanked and commends the Commission for seeking and elevating parent voices through the public forums. The reports and documentation from these public forums is wonderful information for organizations that serve families and children.
Ms. Froclicker expressed her support for the Children’s Bill of Rights and suggested that the Commission adopt a Parent’s Bill of Rights as well. "The G.C.E.L.’s Children’s Bill of Rights speaks to parents. A Parents Bill of Rights could speak to the whole community – the "it takes a village" concept."
Ms. Frolicker also expressed support for making career development and the profession of child care providers a priority.
She pointed out that the Child Care Coordinating Committee’s (CCCC) Annual report is also working toward credentialling in WA state.
Laurel Marshel commented that the parenting awareness campaign is now ongoing throughout local communities. We need to focus on how can we link and share resources together.
Marie Jameson noted that foster parents should be another target of the public engagement campaign
Dave Hall commented that long term public policy and for early development is crucial for ending youth violence.
Melinda Gates thanked the pubic for their comments and thanked Commissioners for their work. She reminded the Commission that the next meeting will be held on May 18 at 9:00am again at the Radisson in the Satellite Room in the main part of the hotel facility.
The meeting was closed.

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