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Kristen McDonald-Stone, Task
Force Co-chair, called the meeting to order shortly after
9:30 a.m. Each person gave a self-introduction; the agenda
was reviewed and approved.
UPDATES ON
THE BUSINESS OF THE TASK FORCE
- Michigan Department of
Education (MDE) - Barbara Roth-Grondin reported that
MDE's Early Childhood and Parenting Programs office will
handle numerous grants pertaining to early education and
care. Detailed information about these grants was
available at
http://www.state.mi.us/mde/off/staa/earlychild/index.htm.
- Monitoring
Implementation of Child Care Center Rules - Twenty-five
center directors have agreed to respond to a survey that
looks at how the new center rules that took effect on
July 1, 2000, have affected the operation of their
center. Steve will send these people the survey
questionnaire later this month and expect responses to be
returned early in February. A report will be available a
few weeks after that.
- Child Care Center Rules,
Playground Equipment - DCIS has changed its position on
playground equipment with respect to existing equipment.
The statute referenced in Rule 117(5), Public Act 16 of
1997, does not require a center to replace existing
equipment; the rule will be enforced consistent with this
part of the law.
- UAW/Ford Family Learning
and Service Centers (FLSCs) - Bright Horizons, the
consulting firm administering the FSLC program has a few
job openings, including openings for people experienced
in running child care centers. For information, contact
Patricia O'Connor at: poconnor@brignthorizons.com or
313-441-2846.
- Action Alert Network
&endash; It has 591 members hooked up by email and 112
who receive information by regular mail &endash; a total
of 703 members. The CCTForce hopes to increase the
network to 1000 people by this summer. "Thank you" to
those who have recruited people to the network.
- CCTForce Legislative
Agenda-Mark Sullivan reported that we hope to have this
agenda back from the printer in the next few weeks.
- Important Days of
Special Celebration -
PRESENTATION
BY SHARON PARKS
Senior Research
Associate Michigan League for Human Services
Sharon discussed the use of
federal funds to support Michigan's child care system. By
the end of 2001 Congress will begin the reauthorization of
the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Both of
these reauthorizations will open up issues of great
importance for child care in Michigan: Who receives child
care support and how much? What do states and families have
to do to qualify for funds and financial support? What will
be permitted with respect to improving child care quality?
Note: A web site that will
monitor the TANF reauthor-izations and supply lots of
information is: www.welfareinfo.org/tanf_reauthorization.
Welfareinfo.org gives lots of other information for those
interested generally in welfare issues.
With the new President
taking office, we might see changes in how child care issues
are debated over the next four years compared to over the
last eight.
Michigan has done
interesting things in meeting its "maintenance of effort"
obligations under CCDBG. Maintenance of effort requirements
prohibit a state from using federal dollars to pay for
things the state normally funds from other sources. Michigan
(and other states) have found clever ways to pay for
previously existing state programs using TANF money. Some
people fear this will cause the feds to cut back on TANF
funding.
Michigan has failed to draw
down all child care federal funds it could because the
federal money requires a state match. In fiscal year
1999-2000, Michigan failed to apply for $41 million in child
care funds because it would not spend $33 million in state
funds, causing a loss of $74 million for child care
programs. Only one other state did this. Michigan has until
September 30, 2001 to come up with the state match to
qualify for these federal dollars. Most people believe the
state will not do this. Generally, the state prefers using
state funds for the Department of Corrections (especially
prisons) and for tax cuts. Ms. Parks suggested that the
Child Care Task Force might want to lobby for Michigan to
draw down these federal/state matching funds.
Note: In fiscal year
1998-99, Michigan was the only state not to draw down these
matching funds. The loss to child care was $33 million
federal dollars and $30 million state dollars, a total of
$63 million. It's too late to try to draw down those
funds.
The meeting
adjourned at approximately 12:00 noon.
NEXT
MEETING
The next meeting of the task
force: Wednesday February 7, 2001; State Library, Lake
Ontario Room (third floor); 9:30 a.m. - noon. The guest
speaker will be RENEÉ DE MARS-JOHNSON, Coordinator,
Early Childhood and Parenting Programs, Michigan Department
of Education. Reneé will discuss ASAP-PIE
applications and grants: what was learned in reading the
grant applications; general observations on why some
applications were funded and others not funded; ideas for
building on the community collaboration process begun under
ASAP-PIE; next steps in carrying out the ASAP-PIE
process.
The Task Force is currently
scheduled through June, 2001, on the first Wednesday of each
month, 9:30 a.m. to noon, State Library of Michigan, Lake
Ontario Room (third floor).
If feel you have been added
to this list in error or wish to be removed from the list at
anytime, please reply to: smanchester@miaeyc.org Changes of
email addresses, comments, or suggestions should also be
sent to: smanchester@miaeyc.org. Please feel free to pass
the information in the action alerts and meeting notes along
to others. Thank you, and we hope you find this resource
useful.
The Michigan Child Care Task
Force email network is supported, in part, by a generous
grant from the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
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