The California Department of Education and local educators expressed surprise at a 50-percent cut to the local child care planning council budgets, retroactive to July 1.
The Lake County Child Care Planning Council and its fiscal agent, the Lake County Office of Education, are now attempting to develop a workable budget and strategic plan for the year that will be effective, given what council staff say is a “dramatic” reduction.
“The collaboration and work that takes place through the Planning Council is critical to ongoing availability of quality, affordable child care in Lake County,” said council staffer Shelly Mascari.
The council has supported Lake County since 1991, providing a myriad of important services and supports to child care providers, families and other agencies.
Legislation provided that each county in California create a Local Planning Council to work toward availability and affordability of high quality child care.
The local council reports jointly to the Board of Supervisors and the superintendent of schools. Its work includes conducting a countywide child care needs assessment that is used by grant writers and other agencies to secure increased funding for Lake County programs, a strategic plan for child care in Lake County, data collection and tracking to determine where we have child care shortages, and how we can improve the quality and availability of child care.
Lake County Child Care Planning Council collaborators include representation from Head Start, North Coast Opportunities Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment, Lake County Child Care Planning Council, Easter Seals Northern California, First 5, Family Child Care Association, State Child Development Contractors, Mendocino Community College, Yuba Community College, Lake County Office of Education, and Department of Social Services.
Over the past decade the council has organized and collaborated to bring nearly 2,000 hours of professional growth opportunities to Lake County child care providers, which has had a significant impact on the quality of care children receive, Mascari said.
Other projects that resulted from these collaborations included the countywide Lake County Cares for Our Kids advocacy efforts, which includes participation from a large number of agencies and organizations to raise awareness on child abuse prevention and the importance of quality early care and education.
Additionally, the Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award program is in its third year, and is supported by agencies and organizations throughout our communities. It serves to recognize excellence in educators serving young children through a process of nominations, extensive selection committee work, and final countywide recognition in the media and at the highly anticipated award dinner.
Another important project of the council is the Steps to Leadership program, an intensive leadership development program for early childhood educators that serves to keep committed educators in the field, improve quality and reward ongoing commitment to education by providing a stipend at the end of the year for completion of the program.
This year, 65 applicants were accepted into the program, the council reported.
The council must now reevaluate the Steps to Leadership program and how it can continue to be effective after such significant budget cuts.
“The value of this council and the collaborations that occur cannot be overstated,” said Mascari. “Our main goal is to ensure that nearly 20 years of work are not destroyed in this drastic elimination of funding.”
For more information on the council's work, and how you can support its initiatives, please visit www.lakecountychildcareplanning.com or call 707-994-4795.
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