Meeting Summary
December 15, 1998
9:00am - 12:00pm
The Snoqualmie Room
Hilton Hotel
Bellevue, Washington
Commission Attendance
Mona Lee Locke and Melinda French Gates, Co-Chairs;
Kathryn Barnard, Lisa Brown,
Craig Cole, Kim Cook, Yolanda Cortinas-Trout, Alex Deccio, Robbin Dunn, Sheri Flies,
Peter Jackson, Marty Jacobs, Lynn Kessler, Mary Ellen OKeeffe, Scott Oki, Dee Ann
Perea,
Gigi Talcott, Yvonne Ullas, Dee West, Lawrence White, Gayle Womack, Kyle Yasuda and
Diana Yu.
Meeting Summary:
Melinda Gates welcomed the Commission and made a few
announcements. First Melinda
announced that the Governor had originally placed one million dollars into his budget to
support the Commissions efforts. Since then, the Governor has been able to identify
another
$500,000 raising the original amount to 1.5 million. The $500,000 must be matched with
private
funds. Next, Robin Zukoski made some brief housekeeping remarks. Robin gave an update on
the
Commissions Parent to be held on January 14 in Bellingham and on January 28 in
Vancouver.
Robin explained that there would be time for comments from the public at the end of
todays
meeting.
Melinda Gates then asked if there were any comments
or questions. Mary Ellen Okeeffe noted
that the Commission should also look for federal dollars through the infant/toddler care
program.
Melinda suggested that the Commissions February or March meetings should focus on
the public
engagement campaign and that resource people could come speak to the Commission at that
time.
Several agreed.
Mary Ellen then shared with the Commission some
pictures that were taken during the Yakima Parent
meeting and brief discussion took place about the events during that meeting.
The Commission then moved to subcommittee meetings
to further discuss their action steps on goal
1: Blueprint for Integrated Approach to Early Care Education and Parent Support that is
family focused.
Varying slightly from the agenda, the Commission
agreed to have longer subcommittee discussion
with a report back to the full Commission toward the end of the meeting. The following
outlines the
reports from each subcommittee.
Integrated Approach Subcommittee
Action Step 1: Identify good, comprehensive
programs/models and promote across
the state. Integrating programs (not duplicating efforts, working better together,
finding out what works).
Report:
The model of this subcommittee envisions a
state-initiated system of incentives and
strategic principles, with local management, coordination and evaluation.
New state funding is needed to fund initiatives,
fill gaps and attract service providers
into a coordinated network of services.
Local childrens commissions should be created
or built upon by a lead agency to foster
planning, assessment, coordination, and to distribute funds.
The lead administrative agency should be locally
determined and might vary from
community to community.
Local resources should be generated (public or private) to qualify for new state resources.
Administrative overhead costs need to be limited at a small, fixed percentage.
Some models to explore:
- California (as childrens initiative is implemented)
- Kentucky (school-based family support)
- Colorado (many initiatives spurred by state leadership)
- Minnesota (Dept. of Families, Education & Learning)
- New York (family development credentials, universal preschool)
- N. Carolina (Smart Start)
- Success by Six coordination initiative at local level (first in Minnesota)
Discussion:
Commissioners noted that limiting administrative
costs is really important. Also mentioned
is that the focus should be on statewide funding with local control. Some people felt
that the community network processes must be evaluated before the Commission adopts
that model. The legislature needs levels of accountability. If the lead agency was
predetermined it might help ward off any administrative accountability problems and that
it
should be the states job to provide resources and assessment criteria to plan and
coordinate
with what is happening at the local level.
Bill of Rights Subcommittee
Action Step 2: Create a "Bill of Rights for
Children (with a kids "passport" for medical history)
on back of birth certificate. Include unmet needs for children birth to age 3.
Report:
This subcommittee presented the following draft Bill of Rights to the full Commission:
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all
children are born with certain inalienable
rights, among these are a safe home, caring parents, a healthy body, an educated mind, and
an
optimistic outlook on life.
As the most helpless beings of all humanity and the
most under-represented citizens we have,
it is a fundamental obligation that all children be raised in a safe, warm, nurturing home
and
community. Children have a right to live in a safe haven, free from physical and
psychological
mistreatment. Children must be protected from violence and abuse, be provided proper
nutrition,
given unlimited love, and be encouraged to pursue life in as ambitious a way as possible.
Children deserve to have the constant and loving
attention of their parents. Parents give birth
to children and must accept all the responsibility this act carries. Parents must be
actively
engaged in parenting during a part of each and every day, providing encouragement,
support,
discipline and love.
Quality care must be available when the parents are
unable to provide personal care. Parents must
fashion a quality environment by relying on an appropriate mix of personal, family,
community
and government agency support.
A healthy mind depends on a healthy body. Our
children have a right to comprehensive health care
that includes prevention, early detection and intervention, and treatment when ill. No
child shall
be denied access to physical and mental health services for any reason.
Every child has a right to learn a socially
acceptable value system and obtain an age appropriate,
quality education. As our childrens first teachers, parents need to become educated
on how to
parent and how to teach the basic rudiments for life-long learning.
To safeguard these Rights, We, the members of the
Governors Commission On Early Learning,
solemnly publish and pledge to support this Bill Of Rights For Children, so that all
children can
experience joy, happiness and hope and become responsible citizens and parents in their
own right.
Discussion:
Much of the discussion of this draft Bill of Rights
For Children centered around the purpose
of the Bill of Rights. The Commission was generally in agreement that this represents an
ideological and inspirational statement of the Commission. Comments included: change the
name to "Vision For Children" or something other than "Bill of Rights;
change the musts to
shoulds; how does this relate to early learning? To the Commission purpose statement?
Commission
goals?; This could be used during a public engagement campaign. There was concern about
specific language used in the Bill of Rights and that the subcommittee needs to address
these
concerns when writing the second draft. The group decided not to pursue the medical
passport
concept. The Commissioners agreed that they would revisit this issue at the January
meeting.
Childcare Subcommittee
Action Step 3: Child care issues: licensing,
quality, education requirements, pre-school,
turnover, B&O tax credit, etc.
Report:
This subcommittee is looking at three major gaps:
Access Gaps
Quality Gaps
Affordability Gaps
Discussion:
Commissioners noted that this is large and daunting
list of gaps and that we should really
focus on a few items at a time. It was also noted that the subcommittee should look at the
child care system as whole and how it fits into and connects with other systems.
Commissioners agreed that they would e-mail
suggested amendments to the "Bill of Rights"
to Scott Oki at: [email protected] before the January meeting.
Public Comments:
Billie Young urged the integrated programs
subcommittee not to allow different
government structures in different communities but rather mandate participation of
local government, school districts and united ways. She also urged the Commission to
read the Child Care Financing Report published by the Finance Commission. Finally, Billie
offered best practices information to anyone interested.
Jim Nibblett reminded the Commission that motion and
exercise is also critical to child
development.
Another person reminded the Commission that consistency of provider is important.
The meeting was adjourned.