256A.3 - DUTIES OF COUNCIL.
256A.3 DUTIES OF COUNCIL.
The child development coordinating council shall:
1. Develop a definition of at-risk children for the purposes of
this chapter. The definition shall include income, family structure,
the child's level of development, and availability or accessibility
for the child of a head start or other child care program as
criteria.
2. Establish minimum guidelines for comprehensive early child
development services for at-risk three-year- and four-year-old
children. The guidelines shall reflect current research findings on
the necessary components for cost-effective child development
services.
3. At least biennially, develop an inventory of child development
services provided to at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children
in this state and identify the number of children receiving and not
receiving these services, the types of programs under which the
services are received, the degree to which each program meets the
council's minimum guidelines for a comprehensive program, and the
reasons children not receiving the services are not being served.
The council is not required to conduct independent research in
developing the inventory, but shall determine information needs
necessary to provide a more complete inventory.
4. Make recommendations to the department of education and the
general assembly regarding appropriate curricula and staff
qualifications and training for early elementary education,
coordination of the curricula with child development programs, and
the development of an at-risk children definition for use in
school-district-sponsored early elementary and before and after
school child care programs.
5. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated or otherwise
available for the purpose of providing child development services,
award grants for programs that provide new or additional child
development services to at-risk children.
In awarding program grants to an agency or individual, the council
shall consider the following:
a. The quality of the staff and staff background in child
development services.
b. The degree to which the program is or will be integrated
with existing community resources and has the support of the local
community.
c. The ability of the program to provide for child care in
addition to child development services for families needing full-day
child care.
d. A staff-to-children ratio within the guidelines
established under subsection 2, but not less than one staff member
per eight children.
e. The degree to which the program involves and works with
the parents, and includes home visits, instruction for parents on
parenting skills, on enhancement of skills in providing for their
children's learning and development, and the physical, mental, and
emotional development of children, and experiential education.
f. The manner in which health, medical, dental, and nutrition
services are incorporated into the program.
g. The degree to which the program complements existing
programs and services for at-risk three-year- and four-year-old
children available in the area, including other child care services,
services provided through the school district, and services available
through area education agencies.
h. The degree to which the program can be monitored and
evaluated to determine its ability to meet its goals.
i. The provision of transportation or other auxiliary
services that may be necessary for families to participate in the
program.
j. The provision of staff training and development, and staff
compensation sufficient to assure continuity.
Program grants funded under this subsection may integrate children
not meeting at-risk criteria into the program and shall establish a
fee for participation in the program in the manner provided in
section 279.49, but grant funds shall not be used to pay the costs
for those children.
6. Encourage the submission of grant requests from all potential
providers of child development services and shall be flexible in
evaluating grants, recognizing that different types of programs may
be suitable for different locations in the state. However, requests
for grants must contain a procedure for evaluating the effectiveness
of the program and accounting procedures for monitoring the
expenditure of grant moneys.
The council shall seek to use performance-based measures to
evaluate programs. Not more than five percent of any state funds
appropriated for child development purposes may be used for
administration and evaluation.
7. Encourage the establishment of regional councils designed to
facilitate the development on a regional basis of programs for
at-risk three-year-old and at-risk four-year-old children.
8. Annually, submit recommendations to the governor and the
general assembly on the need for investment in child development
services in the state.
9. Subject to a decision by the council to initiate the programs,
develop criteria for and award grants under section 279.51,
subsection 2.
10. Encourage the establishment of programs that will enhance the
skills of parents in parenting and in providing for the learning and
development of their children. Section History: Recent Form
88 Acts, ch 1130, § 4; 89 Acts, ch 135, § 54, 55; 89 Acts, ch 206,
§ 8, 9; 92 Acts, ch 1221, §3; 99 Acts, ch 192, §33; 2003 Acts, ch
108, §45; 2004 Acts, ch 1086, §53
Referred to in § 279.51