Jenna Paul

The meeting agenda includes the introduction of a new parent member. Discussion topics involve debriefing on site visits to early childhood programs, including YMCA Best in Class, Peace Academy, and the Mayville State University Child Development Program. Additionally, the committee will review site visits concerning youth with complex and unmet needs at the Explorer Academy and the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. The agenda also covers a debrief on a recent retreat and planning for a summer in-person retreat.

The cabinet reviewed its values, mission, and vision, discussed its inclusion in the NGA Data Dashboard cohort to define and measure child well-being, and planned for future strategic implementation. Key subcommittee activities included policy recommendations for early childhood school readiness, mixed delivery systems, data integration, and collaboration. The Youth with Complex, Unmet Needs subcommittee reported on regional meetings and the development of a state-supported, locally driven framework for identifying needs and policy solutions.

The meeting featured share outs from several subcommittees. The Early Childhood Subcommittee is expanding its focus to include childcare and Early/Head Start programs, with plans for stakeholder interviews and site visits to evaluate school readiness frameworks. The HB1556 Subcommittee is renaming itself to Youth With Complex Unmet Needs and reported on findings from regional meetings, emphasizing local strengths and service gaps. The Strategic Planning Subcommittee is coordinating stakeholder interviews to establish child wellbeing indicators and has joined the NGA Data Dashboard cohort. Additionally, the Rural Health Transformation Program discussed its objectives to improve health outcomes, strengthen the rural health workforce, and enhance data and technology connectivity, with upcoming funding opportunities noted.

The board received updates from several subcommittees. The Early Childhood Subcommittee discussed an external partnership with The Hunt Institute for technical support and strategic goal alignment. The HB1556 Subcommittee reported on plans for regional meetings regarding behavioral health needs for children and adolescents, as well as ongoing research into Children Services Coordinating Committees. The Strategic Planning Subcommittee presented updates on the operational manual and detailed the development of child well-being indicators across five specific domains: economic stability, family and community, education, health and safety, and early childhood, with a focus on designing an effective scorecard for tracking outcomes.