CHAPTER 83
EARLY CHILDHOOD IOWA COUNCIL
641—83.1(135) Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
“Co-chairpersons” means the co-chairpersons of each of the six component groups, who have been elected by the majority of the early childhood Iowa council’s membership present at the annual meeting.
“Council” means the early childhood Iowa (ECI) council.
“Department” means the Iowa department of public health.
“Director” means the director of the Iowa department of public health.
“First years first” means the account that is created in the Iowa empowerment fund (Iowa Code section 28.9(5)) under the authority of the department of management. The account shall consist of gift or grant moneys obtained from any source, including but not limited to the federal government. Moneys credited to the account are appropriated to the department of management to be used for the community empowerment-related purposes for which the moneys were received.
“Lead agency” means the Iowa department of public health.
“Steering committee” means the coordinating body of the council’s activities.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.2(135) Purpose and vision.
	83.2(1) The council is established to oversee the development of a comprehensive, integrated early care, health and education system by encouraging collaboration around desired results.
	a. 	The council serves as an alliance of stakeholders for the early care, health, and education systems that affect children ages zero through five and their families.
	b. 	The council serves in an advisory capacity to the governor, general assembly, public and private policy bodies, early childhood boards, state departments and their pertinent early childhood projects and initiatives and may serve other identified early care, health, and education initiatives.
	c. 	The council may advise agencies in the state with respect to the integration of services and programs for children and families.
	83.2(2) Activities of the council shall be aligned around the ECI vision: Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.3(135) Membership. ECI council members shall include a representative of any organization that touches the lives of children ages zero through five in the state; has endorsed the purpose, vision, and guiding principles adopted for the early childhood system by the council; and has formally asked to be a member and remains actively engaged in council activities. Members are self-appointed to the council.
	83.3(1) The council shall include but not be limited to representatives from the following organizations:
	a. 	State agencies including the departments of public health, human rights, human services, management—office of empowerment, workforce development, economic development, and education;
	b. 	Nongovernmental organizations;
	c. 	Early care, health, and education providers;
	d. 	Professional organizations;
	e. 	Advocacy organizations;
	f. 	Parent organizations.
	83.3(2) The ECI council will serve as the required State Advisory Council initiated through the Head Start federal legislation (42 U.S.C. 9801, Section 642B) and will play a role in ensuring that the following entities are represented:
	a. 	Head Start state collaboration office;
	b. 	Iowa Head Start Association;
	c. 	State child care administrator or designee;
	d. 	Early Intervention Services, Early ACCESS (Part C, IDEA);
	e. 	Health and mental health organizations;
	f. 	Local Head Start agencies;
	g. 	Local area education agencies;
	h. 	Institutions of higher education.
	83.3(3) The council shall work to ensure geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity among membership.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.4(135) Meetings. The council shall meet no fewer than three times a year in such locations as it deems appropriate.
	83.4(1) Notice of routine meetings and agendas shall be made available to the members a minimum of five working days prior to the meeting.
	83.4(2) All meetings shall be open to the public in accordance with the open meetings law, Iowa Code chapter 21.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.5(135) Minutes. In accordance with Iowa Code chapter 21, the council shall keep minutes of all its meetings showing the date, time, place, members present, members absent, and the general topics discussed.
	83.5(1) The minutes shall reflect the actions agreed upon by the members for topics requiring the members’ input or consensus.
	83.5(2) The minutes shall be available on the early childhood Iowa Web site.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.6(135) Duties. The council’s duties shall include but are not limited to all of the following:
	83.6(1) Conduct a statewide needs assessment at least every five years; update the assessment annually concerning the quality and availability of early care, health, and education programs; and conduct an assessment of infrastructure needs (professional development system, diversity, and workforce).
	83.6(2) Coordinate the development and implementation of an ECI strategic plan.
	83.6(3) Assist in the development and implementation of responsibilities across agencies and other entities to achieve ECI strategic goals.
	83.6(4) Identify opportunities for and barriers to collaboration and coordination among federally funded and state-funded early care, health, and education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among state agencies responsible for administering such programs.
	83.6(5) 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, the council shall make recommendations to the lead agency for identifying or creating 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.
	83.6(6) Enhance collaboration and coordination of early care, health, and education services with other entities, including but not limited to the following services: early childhood education and development, health care, oral health, mental health care, welfare, child protective services, community environment, early literacy services, reading readiness programs, services relating to children with special health care needs, nutrition and physical activity, services for children with limited English proficiency and homeless children, and services provided by child welfare agencies.
	83.6(7) Develop recommendations to increase overall participation of children in early education services, including outreach to underrepresented and special populations.
	83.6(8) Develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for early childhood development programs and services throughout the state.
	83.6(9) Develop recommendations regarding statewide professional development systems for early care, health, and education providers.
	83.6(10) Assess the capacity and effectiveness of two- and four-year public and private institutions of higher education in the state for supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and practice or internships for students to spend time in high-quality early care, health, and education services.
	83.6(11) Make recommendations for the implementation and advancement of the state’s early learning standards.
	83.6(12) Provide advice and recommendations to leadership of the executive branch and general assembly on system development that affects children ages zero through five and their families.
	83.6(13) Report annually by December 31 to the governor and general assembly. The report shall include but is not limited to all of the following:
	a. 	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.
	b. 	The status of the community empowerment initiative and the overall early childhood system in achieving the following initial set of desired results identified in Iowa Code section 28.2:
	(1)	Healthy children.
	(2)	Children ready to succeed in school.
	(3)	Safe and supportive communities.
	(4)	Secure and nurturing families.
	(5)	Secure and nurturing early care and education environments.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.7(135) Steering committee. The council shall operate with a steering committee to organize, manage, and coordinate the activities of the council and the component groups. The steering committee may choose to appoint a chairperson.
	83.7(1) Membership of steering committee. The membership of the steering committee shall consist of the following:
	a. 	The co-chairpersons of the council's six component groups;
	b. 	The chairperson of the state agency liaison team or designee;
	c. 	The community empowerment facilitator or designee;
	d. 	The staff person for the early childhood Iowa council; and
	e. 	Others as designated by the council.
	83.7(2) Duties of steering committee. The steering committee’s duties shall include the following:
	a. 	Identify and discuss information and issues to be addressed by the full council;
	b. 	Establish the framework for overall council business, including the calendar of meetings and the agenda for council meetings;
	c. 	Facilitate the implementation of the memoranda of agreement among the state agencies described in rule 641—83.10(135);
	d. 	Provide organizational, management and coordination support as needed for the activities of the council and the component groups; and
	e. 	Ensure that the council addresses its duties and responsibilities as described in this chapter.
	83.7(3) Steering committee actions. The steering committee may act on behalf of the council as necessary. All decisions the steering committee makes shall be reported back to the ECI council.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.8(135) Component groups. The council shall maintain component groups that address key components of the early childhood system in the state. The component groups shall ensure that each component of the system is present and functioning as well as possible and shall work, as appropriate, on the implementation of specific strategies within the ECI strategic plan.
	83.8(1) The council may change component groups as deemed necessary by the council. Initially, there shall be six component groups:
	a. 	Governance, planning and administration.
	b. 	Professional development.
	c. 	Public engagement.
	d. 	Quality services and programs.
	e. 	Resources and funding.
	f. 	Results accountability.
	83.8(2) Two co-chairpersons of each component group shall provide leadership for the six component groups and serve on the steering committee.
	a. 	One co-chairperson from each component group shall represent government and one co-chairperson shall represent nongovernment organizations.
	b. 	The term of office for all component group co-chairpersons shall be three years. If a co-chairperson is unable to complete the person's term, an interim co-chairperson will be appointed. No co-chairperson shall serve more than two consecutive terms. However, whenever a vacancy occurs, any person appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term. After having served the unexpired term, the appointee may hold that office for two three-year terms. The terms of the co-chairpersons shall be staggered.
	c. 	The process to apply for a position as a co-chairperson of a component group shall be developed by the governance, planning and administration component group and approved by the ECI council. The governance, planning and administration component group shall oversee the application and selection process.
	d. 	Co-chairpersons shall be selected by each component group by the start of the state fiscal year and then reviewed by the steering committee to ensure broad representation. The ECI council shall vote on component group co-chairpersons at the first council meeting of the state fiscal year. The vote shall be determined by the majority of members present at the meeting.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.9(135) State agency liaison team.
	83.9(1) Purpose. The ECI state agency liaison team shall provide input into the efforts of the ECI council. The state agency liaison team also functions as a catalyst within individual agencies, promoting change and alignment with the early care, health, and education system.
	83.9(2) Membership. The state agency liaison team shall consist of the directors or chief administrators, or their designees that have sufficient authority to commit resources and act on behalf of their agencies, 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.
	j. 	Department of public health, dental director.
	k. 	Department of workforce development.
	l. 	Department of economic development.
	m. 	Additional members to the team not already identified herein, as designated by the governor.
	83.9(3) Chairperson. The state agency liaison team shall select a chairperson.
	83.9(4) Duties. The duties of the state agency liaison team shall include the following:
	a. 	Align all state departments’ activities with the ECI strategic plan.
	b. 	Integrate program development and state agency coordination.
	c. 	Develop memoranda of agreement to promote system development and integration and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies.
	d. 	Work with the lead agency in building public/private partnerships.
	e. 	Collaborate with other departments and with private-sector service providers as necessary to ensure seamless and comprehensive services.
	f. 	Support and align the ECI Web site with other agencies and improve Web communication.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
641—83.10(135) Lead agency and other state agencies.
	83.10(1) Lead agency. The lead agency for support of the council shall be the department of public health.
	83.10(2) Duties. The department shall work with the council, steering committee and state agency liaison team to provide leadership for system development. The department shall also conduct the following activities:
	a. 	Enter into memoranda of agreement with the departments of education, human services, human rights, management—office of empowerment, economic development, and workforce development to formalize the state agencies’ commitments to collaborating with and integrating an early care, health, and education system;
	b. 	Work with private businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations to develop sustained funding;
	c. 	Maintain a Web site for the council and component groups;
	d. 	Promulgate any needed revisions to administrative rules based on stakeholder input, including but not limited to input from the council.
	83.10(3) Staff. Staff for the ECI council shall be provided by the lead agency as funding is available.
[ARC 7985B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 135.173 and 135.174.
[Filed ARC 7985B (Notice ARC 7794B, IAB 5/20/09), IAB 7/29/09, effective 9/2/09]