Kym R Ahrens

The council discussed the leadership changes within several sub-committees, including the legislative committee and the racial and ethnic disparities committee. The primary focus of the meeting was the review and drafting of the upcoming biennial report recommendations to the governor. Discussions included progress made since the last report, specifically regarding the elimination of large institutional facilities, the expansion of sentencing alternatives, and the dismantling of the school-to-prison pipeline. The council also considered incorporating new data findings and reports from other statewide initiatives, such as the Washington Thriving strategic plan, into their recommendations.

The council discussed the revision process for a new land acknowledgement statement, including refining language to clarify terms regarding historical settlement and colonial impact. The Office of Juvenile Justice provided an update on its recent organizational restructuring within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, including the formation of a new division and the appointment of a new director. Additionally, the council reviewed an opportunity for members to attend the upcoming Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians midyear convention to further their understanding of tribal priorities and history.

The meeting commenced with a review of meeting protocols and member introductions, including an icebreaker question. Subsequent discussions covered the official purpose of the Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) as an advisory group to DCF, its membership requirements dictated by the Fair Start for Kids Act, and the introduction of new informal co-chair led sessions during ELAC off-months for relationship building and feedback collection. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to updates on the early learning legislative session. This included an overview of the 2026 supplemental budget context, highlighting proposed increases such as the establishment of the PreK Promise Account to potentially receive $170 million annually from the Balmer Group for ECAP expansion, contingent on maintaining current state funding levels. Reductions detailed in the Governor's proposed budget included administrative cuts, the removal of planned funding for enrollment based pay implementation, reductions in provider professional development funds ($2.1 million), and a substantial reduction in center subsidy rates by adjusting the target from the 85th percentile to the 75th percentile of the market rate survey. Additionally, changes to the Working Connection soft cap load were discussed, potentially limiting new entries starting July 1. Legislative bills were reviewed, specifically those concerning ECAP expansion for military families (HB 2099, SB 5907) and bills related to subsidy and rate regions (SB 2607, HB 2689), the latter of which also proposes removing enrollment-based pay and setting rates to the 75th percentile. Finally, Senate Bill 5500, proposing a shift from market rate surveys to a 'cost of quality care' model for setting base rates, was also presented.

The meeting included a welcome and introductions segment. Key business involved reviewing meeting materials such as the ELAC Webpage, previous meeting minutes from October 7, 2025, and December 16, 2025, the Feedback Loop, and State Agency/Partner Updates. Discussions focused on Early Learning Budget and Legislative Updates, specifically regarding renewal criteria for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) soft cap drop and the governor's request legislation HB 2689. The Staff Qualifications Workgroup provided an update on HB 1648, discussing the verification and recognition of domestic and international education, the role of employers versus DCYF in determining qualifications, and the timeline for notifying the field about the legislation. Recommendations were also made concerning the inability of family child care providers to use a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in place of a high school diploma or GED. Finally, feedback was gathered on defining and sharing Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce data, including the definition of an active Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) provider.

The meeting commenced with introductions and housekeeping, followed by a community relationship building exercise focusing on goals for the upcoming year. Key discussion points involved reviewing the role and purpose of the Advisory Committee and the TRIO staff's role, as well as guidelines for public participation. Administrative updates included planning for a small committee to refine recruitment strategies for State Fiscal Year 27 and efforts to clean up the membership roster. The committee also reviewed survey results and discussed initial steps for resetting the Data on Workforce PD subcommittee. The main agenda item covered performance data for the Home Visiting Services Account (HVSA), including figures on families, children, and caregivers served, and slot utilization rates, noting an overall increase in outreach despite slot reductions. Data review highlighted that nearly 60% of families served are at or below the federal poverty level, and discussions addressed barriers to filling slots, such as staff vacancies and concerns related to immigration policies impacting enrollment.