How does one become a member of the Early Childhood Iowa Board?
Nominations for membership on the Early Childhood Iowa Board are accepted from the community. An application is completed and then reviewed by the Nomination Committee. Application are considered based on demographic data as it related to the demographics of the county and talents and experiences that can be brought to the Board. A slate of candidates is presented and voted on at the annual meeting in January.
How often does the Board meet?
How is the Board constructed?
We have a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and a Secretary. The Chairperson must be a citizen. The persons holding these positions were nominated and voted on by the Board. There are several committees that carry out specific functions for the Board. All Board members actively participate on at least one committee. Community members are encouraged to also participate in the Committees. The Board structure and the committees are spelled out in the by-laws.
How was this structure established?
A volunteer community group came together to form the infrastructure committee at the same time that the Early Childhood Iowa Plan was under development. This group worked for almost a year to determine the best infrastructure for our Early Childhood Iowa area. They made comparisons with other communities who have implemented community boards to develop our current structure. The infrastructure committee placed the framework for the structure in the form of by-laws. The by-laws were presented to the community at the first annual meeting. The community voted to endorse the by-laws and thus the structure for the Early Childhood Iowa Area.
What function does the Board serve in relation to the Early Childhood Iowa Plan?
The Board is responsible for the updating, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Early Childhood Iowa Plan. The community is invited to review the Early Childhood Iowa Plan and make recommendations for changes and suggest the addition of services.
The Board disburses funds through an RFP process. A group made up of community members who are not on the Board reviews the RFPs. The review committee makes recommendations for funding to the Board and the Board votes on those recommendations.
The monitoring function is assigned to the Grants Management Committee of the Board. This committee monitors quarterly and annual reports to ensure that services are being carried out according to the plan and that outcomes are being achieved. The committee also determines levels for continuation funding based on past performance and desired outcomes. Technical assistance to agencies is a crucial function that the Board has deemed a high priority. This is part of a larger plan for capacity building in the community.
A separate committee made up of 50% community members and 50% Board members carries out evaluation of the overall outcomes for the community.
How do the Decategorization Program and the Early Childhood Iowa Area interface?
The Early Childhood Iowa Board has a contract with the Decat Board for the purchase of administrative services. These administrative services include support to the Early Childhood Iowa Board, grant administration, and integration of Early Childhood Iowa activities with other community activities for which they are responsible. There is integration of the two boards through shared membership by the standing members. The outcomes designated in the plan have also been integrated into other community plans developed after the Early Childhood Iowa Plan.
