Legal Authority:

Established by Resolution 98-124 adopted April 21, 1998, under provisions of Assembly Bill 1542 (Chapter 270, Statutes of 1997); Board action dated January 27, 2009, name changed from Local Child Care and Development Planning Council to Early Childhood Council of Kern.

Membership Qualifications:

Fifteen (15) members appointed by the Board of Supervisors and fifteen (15) members appointed by the Superintendent of Schools. Each appointing power shall appoint three (3) members of each of the following categories: • Consumers, parents or persons who receive, or who have received, child care services within the past 36 months • Child care providers—persons who provide child care services and represent the diversity of the types of child care providers in the county • Public agency representatives—persons who represent a city, county, city and county, or local education agency • Community representatives—persons who represent an agency or business that provides private funding for child care services or who advocate for child care services through participation in civil and community-based organizations but are not child care providers and do not represent an agency that contracts with the Department of Education to provide child care and development services • Discretionary members

Term:

Three-year staggered term.

Duties:

It shall be the responsibility of the Council to • conduct a child care needs assessment to identify gaps and overlaps in services • set local funding priorities for the allocation of funds from the State Department of Education which ensures all child care needs are met to the greatest extent possible • identify and develop strategies for meeting the most critical needs • develop collaborative efforts designed to meet local child care needs • design a system to consolidate local child care waiting lists • share information about child care and development services and to recommend ways to make them more efficient and effective • educate the public about the goals and strategies of the organization

Meeting Place and Time:

Larry E. Reider Education Center 2000 K Street, Third Floor Bakersfield, CA First Wednesday of each month 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 P.M.

Compensation:

None.

Ethics Training:

Pursuant to bylaws, any person newly appointed shall successfully complete a course in ethics training approved by the Fair Political Practices Commission and Attorney General. Each member is required to complete this training every two years.

Contact:

Early Childhood Council of Kern
2000 K Street, 3rd Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 861-5281
amcruz@kern.org

Required Documents/Training:

• Loyalty Oath not required
• Form 700 (Statement of Economic Interests) not required
• Ethics training required; training provided by Agency