THIRTY-FIRST MEETING

STATE OF MINNESOTA THIRTY-FIRST MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION

EARLY CHILDHOOD FINANCE & POLICY DIVISION

MINUTES

Representative Nora Slawik, Chair of the Early Childhood Finance & Policy Division, called the meeting to order at 4:32 pm on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in Room 200 of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

House Members Present:

Slawik (Chair)
Rosenthal (Vice-Chair)
Bly
Downey
Greiling
Hamilton
Jackson
Laine
Mack
Nornes
Peterson
Ward

House Members Excused:

Buesgens
Mariani

A quorum was not present.

A quorum was present at 4:34 pm.

Representative Jackson moved that the minutes from Thursday, February 18, 2010 be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

The committee watched the video Change the First 5 Years and You Change Everything by the Ounce of Prevention Fund

Briefing on the Federal Early Learning Challenge Fund:

Danielle Ewen, Director of Child Care and Early Education, Center for Law and Social Policy

Ms. Ewen was asked a series of questions: How much would the federal grants be? How many federal grants will there be? Are the grants annual or multiyear? Would cutting funding to early childhood programs in this budget cycle hinder the state grant application? How much money could the state get from a federal grant? Does the proposed federal legislation push building a big bureaucratic system of focus on providing money to individuals and providers? Does the proposed federal legislation provide any funding to allow parents to stay at home or provide funding to scholarships or credits? What is in the legislation to ensure money gets to kids? Will difficulties with distance and geography in providing access be part of the federal bill? Where is the federal government getting the money to pay for the proposed grants? Is there an example of a state with a pathway grant? How will the grant committee be structured?

Emily Adriaens, House Fiscal Analyst, answered a question on how much money the Governor’s proposed five percent cut to BSF equates.

Briefing continued:

Karen Carlson, Early Learning Services Director, Department of Education

Briefing on the Head Start Impact Study Report:

Gayle Kelly, Executive Director, MN Head Start Association

Ms. Kelly was asked a couple of questions: Are there any studies that show that Minnesota’s additional head start funding equates to addition benefits to children? Did the head start impact study find that head start children regressed by first grade or that non-head start children caught up?

The meeting was adjourned at 6:03 pm.





Representative Nora Slawik, CHAIR




Matthew M. Collie
Committee Legislative Assistant