EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE IN PEEL COUNCIL TASK FORCE
M I N U T E S ELCCTF-2014-1
The Early Learning and Child Care Task Force met on Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 1:11 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Regional Administrative Headquarters, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A, Brampton.
C. Fonseca*, alternate for B. Crombie; G. Miles; P. Palleschi; R. Paterak; J. Sanderson
B. Crombie, due to personal reasons; S. Hames, due to vacation; E. Kolb, due to other municipal business; E. Moore, due to vacation; J. Sprovieri, due to vacation J. Menard, Commissioner of Human Services; N. Trim, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Corporate Services; S. Pace, Director, Children’s Services Operations; J. Kaczmarski, Director, Service System Management; K. Lockyer, Regional Clerk and Director of Clerk's; F. Cartin-Arteaga, Supervisor, Strategic Planning; P. Lewkowicz, Specialist, Strategic Planning, Policy and Partnerships; C. Law, Committee Clerk; J. Schwartz, Legislative Assistant
_______________________________
* See text for arrivals
¨See text for departures
Chaired by Councillor G. Miles.
A quorum of voting members was not present, and in accordance with Section III-5(g) of the Region of Peel Procedure By-law 100-2012, the Early Learning and Child Care Task Force received information.
1. DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST - Nil
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
This item was dealt with later in the meeting
3. PRESENTATIONS/DELEGATIONS
| a) | Early Learning and Child Care System Update (Oral) | ||
| Presentation by Joan Kaczmarski, Director, Service System Management | |||
Received
A copy of the presentation is available from the Office of the Regional Clerk.
Joan Kaczmarski, Director Service System Management, and Frederico Cartin-Artega, Supervisor, Strategic Planning, provided information regarding the early learning and child care environment in the Region of Peel and how it has evolved since the Early Learning and Child Care Task Force (ELCCTF) made its recommendations to Regional Council on system transformation. Joan Kaczmarski reported a strengthened system is in place, noting successes such as an eliminated waitlist for fee subsidy, increased special needs supports, and stronger quality support and program funding for the Region’s licensed child care providers.
Frederico Cartin-Artega, Supervisor, Strategic Planning provided information on the Region’s new space planning forecasting model developed by staff. This dynamic model is a database system of information that is tested using time series and regression methods. He noted that the model predicts child care space requirements to a 90 percent accuracy rate, and is helping staff forecast which age groups will be most in need of child care spaces going forward.
In response to questions from Councillor Palleschi, Joan Kaczmarski advised that while staff is still monitoring the system, currently the waitlist for fee subsidy child care spaces has been eliminated while increased provincial funding coming in 2014 will be applied to ELCCTF priorities such as increased special needs support.
Councillor Fonseca arrived at 1:20 p.m.
A quorum of voting members was achieved.
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
RECOMMENDATION ELCCTF-1-2014
That the agenda for the January 30, 2014, Early Learning and Child Care Task Force meeting be approved.
3. PRESENTATIONS/DELEGATIONS
| b) | Update on Withdrawal from Direct Delivery of Child Care Services (Oral) | ||
| Presentation by Sonia Pace, Director, Children’s Services Operations | |||
Received
A copy of the presentation is available from the Office of the Regional Clerk.
Sonia Pace, Director, Children’s Services Operations, provided an update on the continued withdrawal of the Region’s direct delivery of child care services as former locations and operations are fully transferred to community child care providers. She noted that since her last update, the Lancaster site transfer has been completed, with all others to be completed between February and June, 2014. Furthermore, she advised that throughout the process there have been minimal actual closures of centres but in all cases affected families have been accommodated with alternative arrangements; and that 93 percent of staff that previously resigned have all found work with various school boards.
Several members of the Committee thanked staff for their hard work during a difficult process and applauded them for improving the system.
4. REPORTS
a) Update and Dissolution of the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Task Force
RECOMMENDATION ELCCTF-2-2014:
That the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Task Force be dissolved effective February 14, 2014.
Janet Menard, Commissioner of Human Services, thanked Sonia Pace for her hard work in completing the difficult task of the transfer of operations for child care services, and the members of the ELCCTF for their leadership and support of staff during the process.
5. COMMUNICATIONS - Nil
6. IN CAMERA MATTERS - Nil
7. OTHER BUSINESS - Nil
8. NEXT MEETING - Nil
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 1:52 p.m.