Agenda Report
February 28, 2022
TO: City Council
FROM: Victor M. Gordo, Mayor
SUBJECT: FORMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S TASK FORCE ON EARLY
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the City Council approve the formation of a Task Force on Early Childhood Development and Early Learning as detailed in the agenda report.
BACKGROUND:
In June of 2014, the City Council requested that an update of the 1994 Child Care Policy be brought forward along with funding options to reinstate the Child Care Coordinator Position. The Human Services Commission was designated as responsible for revising the Policy. An Ad Hoc Committee of the Human Services Commission, the Early Child Development Ad Hoc Committee, was established and met for over 6 months to revise the 1994 Policy.
The updated policy was renamed the Early Child Development Policy. The committee continued its work implementing the new policy and developed the Master Plan for the Young Child, to bring together a range of services and programs with measurable population outcomes. The City established the Office of the Young Child in 2016 to carry out the implementation of the policy's important work.
Pursuant to the Council's approval of the Policy on March 23, 2015, a Coordinator was hired. The position was renamed the Early Child Development Coordinator. The Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing the action steps of the Policy and the five-year Master Plan and also serving as staff liaison to the early childhood leaders and organizations within our city and community.
It is my recommendation that the City Council appoint a new Task Force for the purpose of working with staff to review the status of the implementation of the Early Child Development Policy adopted by the City Council on March 23, 2015 , and report back to the Council on:
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Task Force on Early Childhood Development and Early Learning February 28, 2022
1. The Current status of implementation of the Policy,
2. The Policy's Alignment with the most recent science regarding best practices on implementing early childhood programs, and
3. Any Policy changes needed to support the City's youngest children and families because of immediate issues including:
• COVID
• Racial injustice
• Cycles of violence
• Economic instability
The Task Force composition:
The Task Force will be made of 14 members representing a broad community cross section of early childhood and early learning experts, practitioners and advocates; leadership and early childhood staff of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD); parents of young children from PUSD; child-care professionals: brain science experts:
and workforce, public health and maternal care leaders (Attachment A).
Timeline and schedule:
The Task Force would begin its work no later than March 15, 2022. It would meet twice a month on a day and time agreed to by the Task Force members. All Task Force meetings will be noticed to the public in accordance with the Brown Act.
No later than June 11, 2022, the Task Force will provide an update to the City Council on their work. The Task Force will forward a final report to the City Council on or before September 12, 2022 and sunset at that time.
Work Plan:
1. Review the status of implementing the Plan.
2. Develop 5-year goals and benchmarks for each of the Eight Building Blocks in the adopted Plan.
3. Consider reinstatement of the Early Child Development Standing Committee of the Human Services Commission .
4. Recommend strategies for the integration of the Early Childhood Development Policy into city departments and services.
5. Assess local, county and state funding policies and early childhood priorities and strategies.
6. Review opportunities for Pasadena to receive funding from the American Rescue Plan Act 2021 and the upcoming infrastructure bill for early childhood development.
Task Force on Early Childhood Development and Early Learning February 28, 2022
7. Recommend opportunities to align the work of a broad coalition of partners who are engaged in ensuring the success of the City's youngest children and their families.
8. Recommend next steps and the path forward for Pasadena becoming an Early Learning City by 2025 and assuring the continuation of community involvement in the early learning initiative.
9. Review the effectiveness of the Office of the Young Child and its systematic integration across the community.
The Process:
To accomplish its work, the Task Force may call on the professional expertise within the City, County and State, State leadership, national experts in the field of early childhood development and representative from foundations whose focus is on supporting families and children. The Task Force may also draw upon partners who work on issues affecting children including safety and security, housing, economic instability, food insecurity and education.
The Task Force will solicit comments on the recommendations that emerge from its work through a series of community meetings either in person or virtually.
City Resources:
The Director of the Libraries and Information Services Department or his/her designee will be the primary liaison with the Task Force and provide staffing for meeting agendas, meeting notices, and minutes.
The Director or his/her designee will also provide the coordination with other city departments for any data, presentations, reviews or other information needed by the Task Force.
Respectfully submitted,
Attachment A - Task Force