Meeting
Summary
July 21, 1998
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon
The Seattle Room
WestCoast SeaTac Hotel
Seattle, Washington
Commission Attendance
Mona Lee Locke and Melinda French Gates, Co-Chairs;
Kathryn Barnard, Lisa J. Brown,
Craig Cole, Kim Cook, Alex A. Deccio, Robbin Dunn, Sheri Flies, Marty Jacobs,
Lynn Kessler, Mary Ellen OKeeffe, Scott Oki, Dee Ann Perea, Gigi Talcott, Dee West,
Lawrence White, Gayle Womack, and Kyle Yasuda.
Others in Attendance
Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI); Janet Anderson,
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC); Maxine Hayes, Department of
Health
(DOH); Kathy Kreiter, Department of Community,Trade & Economic Development (CTED);
Terry Liddell, Head Start Collaboration Project; Karen Tvedt, Department of Social &
Health
Services (DSHS); Peg Mazen, Childrens Home Society of Washington (CHSW); Carol
Steckler,
Catholic Community Services (CCS); Elizabeth Bonbright Thompson, Child Care Resource and
Referral Network (CCR&R); Tammy Flock; Erin Galeno; and Robin Zukoski, Executive
Director
for the Commission.
Meeting Summary
Mrs. Gates indicated that the Commission would
identify, very early in its meeting schedule,
the strengths and gaps in state programs directed toward children from birth to age five.
The
July 21st agenda was planned to present an overview of the early learning and
child care programs
available in the public and private sectors of Washington State. In addition, the
Commission
would hear from two parents with young children in child care and visit two child care
facilities
in the SeaTac area.
Mrs. Locke thanked the Commission members and
audience for attending the meeting and
introduced Ms. Robin Zukoski, Executive Director to the Commission. Commission members
also attending their first meeting included:
Craig W. Cole of Bellingham is president and
chief executive officer of Brown and Cole Stores,
Washingtons oldest retail grocery firm founded in 1909. His company focuses on and
supports
family-friendly practices. He has been active in legislative issues and worked in human
resources
management. Craig has served on several state and local boards and commissions, covering
topics
from health, conservation, affirmative action and transportation to social services and
education.
Scott D. Oki of Bellevue is the chief volunteer
for the Oki Foundation. Scott and his wife, Laurie,
established the Foundation in 1986 to support childrens welfare and educational
issues. He also
established Oki Developments, an investment company. He is recently retired from the
Microsoft
Company, in which he held a variety of executive positions. He is a past-president and
continues
to serve as a member of the Board of Regents for the University of Washington. Scott also
serves
on numerous advisory boards for private and not-for-profit organizations, and is the
father of three
children, including a one-year-old.
Rep. Gigi Talcott of University Place represents
the 28th District, consisting of parts of Pierce
County and the communities of Fircrest, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Tillicum and University
Place.
She is a former first-grade teacher and instructor at Clover Park Technical College. She
is active
in Habitat for Humanity, Safe Street, United Methodist Church and the Red Cross. She and
her
husband, Ron, have two sons and one grandchild.
Lawrence White of Tacoma is a sales manager at
US West Communications, working with sales
consultants in residential settings. He has worked with the Tacoma Black Collective, the
Pierce
County Boys and Girls Club, the National Urban League, and the National Association for
the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He has two children and 52 nieces and nephews.
Gayle Womack of Kennewick is the Director of the
Benton-Franklin Developmental Center,
which provides special education, therapy and family services to children between the ages
of birth and three who are developmentally delayed. Gayle also serves on the State
Interagency
Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and their Families.
The Co-Chairs introduced Terry Bergeson,
Superintendent of Public Instruction, who spoke on
the agencys interests in a comprehensive, coordinated system of early care and
education.
Her research shows that early influences of home and neighborhood, school, work, and
government have significant impact on learning and development. With four Essential
Student
Learning Goals already established for grades K-12, the Office of the Superintendent of
Public
Instruction is now looking at essential learnings for pre-kindergarten through
kindergarten which
will establish a common vision and goals for the education of younger children. This early
learning
framework, fully qualified early care and education providers, contributions from research
and
technology, integrated governance, and community partnerships are elements of a successful
early learning program.
Dr. Bergeson answered questions from the Commission
members and wished them luck in their
responsibilities. The Co-Chairs introduced representatives from state agencies, which have
programs or services for children.
Presentations began with Maxine Hayes, Department of
Health, who stated the agencys mission
for young children is to "protect and improve the health of children in Washington so
that
they are ready to learn by (1) identifying significant factors which enhance or threaten
health;
(2) developing policies and activities to address them; and (3) assuring that actions are
taken
and evaluated." The focus areas for the Departments policies, programs, and
activities include
promoting responsible parenthood with the First Step program and mobilizing the community
to support young children and families with parenting education, home visiting, and
provision
of dental sealants. Making child care safe and healthy is a DOH priority, and the agency
conducts health inspections, provides training, and distributes information to improve the
quality
of care. Three programs the WIC program, Universal Vaccine Distribution Program,
and CHILD
Profile ensure the good health and protection of children.
Kathy Kreiter from the Department of Community,
Trade and Economic Development explained
that her agency includes in its mission statement providing "leadership and support
to Washington
and its diverse communities to excel as places to live, work, play and do business."
She described
several CTED programs that affect the development of children in Washington State. The
Early
Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) was designed to help low-income
four-year-old
children and their families prepare for, and succeed in, the common school system. The
agency
also administers emergency shelter programs for homelesss children, families, individuals,
and
victims of domestic violence. Other programs, designed to ensure that low-income
pre-school
children are ready to learn in Kindergarten, are administered by CTED.
Terry Liddell, Headstart Collaboration Project, gave
a brief history of Head Start which is
administered directly from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service to local
communities
through the Region X Head Start Office in Seattle and the Migrant Branch or the American
Indian
Program Branch in Washington, D.C. Services to over 13,000 income eligible children and
families
throughout the state include (1) enhanced educational experiences, health services, and
access/referral
to special programs; (2) family support and family services; and (3) community
partnerships.
Janet Anderson represented the Washington State
Community and Technical Colleges. SBCTC has
developed several parent and early childhood education programs. These include the parent
education programs, designed to strengthen parenting skills, and family literacy programs
to
enhance the educational level of parents. SBCTC offers early childhood education degrees,
certificates, endorsements through the states community and technical college system
and,
at 29 Washington State college campuses, provides child care programs to students with
young children.
Karen Tvedt, discussed three responsibilities which
the Department of Social and Health Services
has in the area of child day care. To enforce minimum standards for the health, safety and
well-being of children in family child care homes and centers in Washington State, a DSHS
licensing division provides orientation, applications, inspections and monitoring of child
care
settings. Child care subsidies are available through several DSHS programs to support
access
to child care for low-income and at-risk families and their children. The department also
coordinates and funds activities to improve the quality of child care services and systems
Following questions from Commission members to the
panel of state agency representatives,
a panel of community child care providers was introduced.
Peg Mazen from the Childrens Home Society of
Washington explained that it is a statewide,
private, not-for-profit organization serving children and families in 38 service sites
across the
state and in schools, workplaces and homes. The Society offers assistance in many ways,
including parent education and counseling, home visitor and volunteer mentorship programs,
foster-adoption programs, adoption support services, and special community-based family
centers. CHSW has a diverse funding base which includes individual contributions,
corporate
and foundation grants, United Way donations, service fees, product sales, and government
contracts.
Carol Steckler outlined a network of services
provided by Catholic Community Services which
includes child care, out-of home care, mental health counseling, emergency services,
family
preservation services, home care services and housing. Planning for service delivery
occurs at
the local level, based on historic patterns, current needs, and available revenue. Revenue
sources
from government contracts and grants, private pay and investments, and public support
donations
support the services. Ms. Steckler explained how the states economic climate, public
policies,
and budget decisions affect services provided by CCS.
Elizabeth Bonbright Thompson described the Child
Care Resource and Referral Network which
is a statewide, private, nonprofit association of all community-based child care resource
and
referral agencies in Washington State. It serves four fundamental roles in Washington
State:
(1) parent education on and referrals to licensed child care providers; (2) training and
technical
assistance to child care providers; (3) consultation with businesses on developing
family-friendly
benefits for their employees; and (4) integration of early childhood/youth care and
education
system for families. She also gave an overview of the Child Care 2000 Campaign and its
goals.
The last panel of the day included Tammy Flock and
Erin Galeno, who spoke about personal
experiences in locating quality child care providers for their young children.
Following this presentation, Commission members and
panelists had an open discussion with
questions and comments on the following topics:
- The success of TANF recipients training to become child care workers.
- The possibility of a First Steps program to cover children ages 0-3.
- Coordination and communication between the various state programs.
- Conflicting rules and values in state and federal approach to child care.
- Efforts to decrease the need for child care.
- How to improve quality of child care.
- Education of caregivers in programs to improve child care.
- Need for stable care givers.
- Family Policy Council proposals to fund a system of child care.
- Child care for physically and behaviorally challenged children.
- Easier ways to provide services.
- Access to an updated data base of child care givers in public libraries.
- Parents lack of information.
- Childrens access to health care as part of early learning.
- Education for employers.
- Parent education for different styles of adult learners.
- Inspection of facilities (licensed vs. unlicensed).
- Incentive to providers to upgrade services.
- Quality family time and personal time for single parents.
The Governors Commission on Early Learning
will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon on
the third Tuesday of each month. The meeting scheduled for August 18th,
however, will
be from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Co-Chairs reminded the Commission members of the
optional site visits to St. Columbias
Childrens Center and Smart Start Day Care after the lunch break. Mrs. Locke and Mrs.
Gates
again thanked the Commission members and guests for their participation. The meeting was
adjourned.