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I_I_SchoolReadiness_2021A 09/20/2021 10:07:26 AM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE  EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL READINESS
Date 09/20/2021
Attendance
Kipp X
Kirkmeyer X
Story X
Van Beber X
Sirota X
Buckner X
Time 10:07:26 AM to 03:02:45 PM
Place SCR 357
This Meeting was called to order by Buckner
This Report was prepared by Nina Forbes
Hearing Items Action Taken
Early Child Care Workforce Committee Discussion Only
Support of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care Committee Discussion Only
Return on Investment of Family Resource Centers and Community Response Committee Discussion Only
Lunch Break Committee Discussion Only
Early Child Care and School Readiness Updates from the Colorado Department of Education Committee Discussion Only
Public Testimony Committee Discussion Only
Bill Draft Requests Committee Discussion Only

10:07:37 AM
Senator Buckner called the meeting to order.



10:07:38 AM
All presentations from today's meeting are included as Attachment A.



Early Child Care Workforce - Committee Discussion Only

10:08:09 AM  
Mary Alice Cohen,
Director of the Office of Early Childhood (OEC); Angela Ben-Zekry, OEC
Early Childhood Workforce Manager; Carin Rosa, OEC Director of the Division
of Early Learning Licensing & Administration; and Lisa Castiglia, OEC
Chief Financial Officer and Director of Division Operations, presented
on early childhood workforce updates.
10:17:57 AM  
Ms. Cohen and Ms. Ben-Zekry answered questions from the committee.
10:18:32 AM  
OEC handouts are
included as Attachment B (State and Federal Stimulus Strategies: Ensure
All Families Have Equitable and Easy Access), Attachment C (State and Federal
Stimulus Strategies: Family Strengthening), Attachment D (State and Federal
Stimulus Strategies:Support the Early Care and Education Workforce), and
Attachment E (Emerging and Expanding Grant - Data Report by County).



Support of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care - Committee Discussion Only


11:13:49 AM  
Mary Alice Cohen, OEC, and Lindsey Dorneman, Director of the Preschool Development Grant B-5 OEC, presented on the OEC's support of family, friend, and neighbor care.



Return on Investment of Family Resource Centers and Community Response - Committee Discussion Only


11:26:57 AM  
Aaron Miller, OEC
Family Strengthening Unit Director, presented on the return on investment
of family resource centers and Colorado Community Response.
11:27:59 AM  
Mr. Miller answered questions from the committee.
11:32:53 AM  
Esmeralda Santillano, Family Resource Center Program Manager at OEC, presented on family resource centers.
11:33:31 AM  
Jodi Mijares, Executive
Director of the Teller County Family Resource Center, presented on the
return on investment of a family resource center to the child welfare system.
Handout is included as Attachment F.



Lunch Break - Committee Discussion Only


11:46:59 AM  
The committee broke for lunch.



Early Child Care and School Readiness Updates from the Colorado Department of Education - Committee Discussion Only


01:02:18 PM  
Jennifer O'Brien, Director of the Early Childhood Workforce Development at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) presented on the early childhood workforce and other updates from CDE.
01:04:07 PM  
Dr. Whitney LaBoeuf, Director of Data Integration and Analytics at the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, presented on the early childhood education workforce data linkage project.
01:25:40 PM  
Dr. LaBoeuf and Ms. O'Brien answered questions from the committee.
01:33:36 PM  
Dr. Melissa Colsman,
Associate Commissioner of Student Learning at CDE; Dr. Floyd Cobb, Executive
Director of the Teaching and Learning unit at CDE; and Anji Gallanos, Director
of Preschool through 3rd Grade Office at CDE, presented on the Colorado
Preschool Program and kindergartern school readiness.

01:46:51 PM  
The panel answered questions from the committee.



Public Testimony - Committee Discussion Only


02:16:53 PM  
Dawn Alexander, Executive Director of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado, testified about the credentialing process for early childhood educators.
02:21:30 PM  
Mrs. Alexander answered questions from the committee.



Bill Draft Requests - Committee Discussion Only


02:23:56 PM  
The committee took a brief recess.
02:37:59 PM  
Alana Rosen and Brita Darling, Office of Legislative Legal Services, and Aaron Carpenter, Legislative Council Staff, discussed the process for interim committee bill requests.


02:43:35 PM
Motion Draft bill on educator tax credit (technical fix to H B 19-1005)
Moved Buckner
Seconded
Kipp
Kirkmeyer
Story
Van Beber
Sirota
Buckner
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection


02:45:21 PM
Motion Draft bill on increasing diversity in the early childhood educator workforce
Moved Story
Seconded
Kipp
Kirkmeyer
Story
Van Beber
Sirota
Buckner
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
02:57:25 PM  
Committee discussion ensued.


03:02:45 PM   The committee adjourned.






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