(1)To the extent
practicable, each council must be representative of the various public and private
stakeholders in the local community who are committed to supporting the well-being of children five years of age or younger.
(2)For the purposes of this part 2, each council, whether newly established
in a community or newly identified to serve as a council, shall work toward
consolidating and coordinating funding, including the school-readiness quality
improvement funding described in section 26.5-5-102. Together, the councils
throughout the state shall serve to create a seamless system of early childhood
services representing collaboration among the various public and private
stakeholders for the effective delivery of early childhood services to children five
years of age or yo
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(1) To the extent
practicable, each council must be representative of the various public and private
stakeholders in the local community who are committed to supporting the well-being of children five years of age or younger.
(2) For the purposes of this part 2, each council, whether newly established
in a community or newly identified to serve as a council, shall work toward
consolidating and coordinating funding, including the school-readiness quality
improvement funding described in section 26.5-5-102. Together, the councils
throughout the state shall serve to create a seamless system of early childhood
services representing collaboration among the various public and private
stakeholders for the effective delivery of early childhood services to children five
years of age or younger in a manner that is responsive to local needs and
conditions.
(3) (a) Each new council consists of members to be approved initially by the
convening entity as designated pursuant to section 26.5-2-203. Each individual
council shall determine subsequent appointments and rules for rotation of terms.
(b) Early childhood council membership must include representatives from
the public and private stakeholders from early care and education, family support,
health, and mental health programs who reflect local needs and cultural diversity.
The membership of each early childhood council must also represent the
geographic diversity within the county or counties involved in the council. Each
council must include a minimum of ten members with representation from each of
the following stakeholder groups within the council's service area:
(I) Local government, including but not limited to county commissioners, city
council members, local school district board members, and local county
departments of human or social services;
(II) Early care and education, including but not limited to licensed and legally
exempt child care providers, head start grantees, and district preschool programs
operating pursuant to article 28 of title 22, as it existed prior to July 1, 2023;
(III) Health care, including but not limited to local public health agencies;
health-care providers; supplemental food programs for women, infants, and
children as provided for in 42 U.S.C. sec. 1786; early periodic screening and
diagnosis and treatment programs as required by federal law; and part B and part C
of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, 20
U.S.C. sec. 1400 et seq., as amended;
(IV) Parents of children five years of age or younger;
(V) Mental health care, including but not limited to community mental health
centers and local mental health-care providers;
(VI) Resource and referral agencies, including but not limited to child care
resource and referral agencies; and
(VII) Family support and parent education, including but not limited to home
visitation programs, family resource centers, and income assistance programs.
(c) In addition, each council may include, but is not limited to, representation
from any combination of the following stakeholder groups within the council's
service area:
(I) Child care associations;
(II) Medical and dental professionals;
(III) School district parent organizations;
(IV) Head start policy councils;
(V) A chamber or chambers of commerce;
(VI) Local businesses;
(VII) Faith-based and nonprofit organizations;
(VIII) Higher education institutions; and
(IX) Libraries.
(4) Each member of a council shall sign a memorandum of understanding on
behalf of the organization the member represents to participate in and collaborate
on the work of the council.