135.173 - EARLY CHILDHOOD IOWA COUNCIL. - Iowa Statutes

135.173 EARLY CHILDHOOD IOWA COUNCIL. 1. Council created. An early childhood Iowa council is created as an alliance of stakeholders in early care, health, and education systems that affect children ages zero through five in Iowa. 2. Purpose. The purpose of the early childhood Iowa council is to oversee the development of an Iowa early childhood system by integrating the early care, health, and education systems addressing the needs of children ages zero through five and their families. The council shall advise the governor, general assembly, and public and private policy bodies and service providers in coordinating activities throughout the state to fulfill its purpose. 3. Vision statement. All system development activities addressed by the early childhood Iowa council shall be aligned around the following vision statement for the children of Iowa: "Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful." 4. Membership. The early childhood Iowa council membership shall include a representative of any organization that touches the lives of young children in the state ages zero through five, has endorsed the purpose and vision statement for the council, has endorsed the guiding principles adopted by the council for the early childhood system, and has formally asked to be a member and remains actively engaged in council activities. The council shall work to ensure there is geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity among the membership. 5. Procedure. Except as otherwise provided by law, the early childhood Iowa council shall determine its own rules of procedure and operating provisions. 6. Steering committee. The early childhood Iowa council shall operate with a steering committee to organize, manage, and coordinate the activities of the council and its component groups. The steering committee may act on behalf of the council as necessary. The steering committee membership shall consist of the co-chairpersons of the council's component groups, the chairperson of the state agency liaison team, the community empowerment facilitator or the facilitator's designee, and other leaders designated by the council. 7. Component groups. The early childhood Iowa council shall maintain component groups to address the key components of the Iowa early childhood system. Each component group shall have one private and one public agency co-chairperson. The council may change the component groups as deemed necessary by the advisory council. Initially, there shall be a component group for each of the following: a. Governance planning and administration. b. Professional development. c. Public engagement. d. Quality services and programs. e. Resources and funding. f. Results accountability. 8. State agency liaison team. A state agency liaison team shall provide input into the efforts of the early childhood Iowa council. In addition to designees of the governor, the team shall consist of the directors or chief administrators, or their designees, from the following state agencies and programs: a. Child health specialty clinics. b. Office of community empowerment in the department of management. c. Department of education. d. Division of libraries and information services of the department of education. e. Office of the governor. f. Department of human rights. g. Department of human services. h. Postsecondary education institutions, including but not limited to institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents and Iowa community colleges. i. Department of public health. 9. Duties. In addition to the advisory function specified in subsection 2, the early childhood Iowa council's duties shall include but are not limited to all of the following regarding the Iowa early childhood system: a. Coordinate the development and implementation of a strategic plan. b. Assist in the development of responsibilities across agencies and other entities to achieve strategic goals. c. Work with the Iowa empowerment board in developing public-private partnerships to support the early childhood system through the first years first account in the Iowa empowerment fund and other efforts for expanding investment of private funding in the early childhood system. As this and similar efforts to expand and coordinate investments from all public and private sources evolve and mature, make recommendations for designation of or contracting with a private nonprofit organization to serve as a fiscal agent for the early childhood system or another approach for increasing public and private investment in the system. d. Report annually by December 31 to the governor and general assembly. The report content shall include but is not limited to all of the following: (1) The status and results of the council's efforts to engage the public regarding the early care, health, and education needs of children ages zero through five and the efforts to develop and promote private sector involvement with the early childhood system. (2) The status of the community empowerment initiative and the overall early childhood system in achieving the following initial set of desired results identified in section 28.2: (a) Healthy children. (b) Children ready to succeed in school. (c) Safe and supportive communities. (d) Secure and nurturing families. (e) Secure and nurturing early care and education environments.          Section History: Recent Form 2008 Acts, ch 1187, §109 Referred to in § 237A.21, 237A.22 Iowa empowerment fund, first years first account, see § 28.9(5)