Minutes 01-28-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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of providers. All of the money goes to non-profit or other private providers in the community. There is a dual system in Orange County. The Smart Start funds are more constant, but the County has not been able to keep pace. She said that Orange County has a good system and has the highest quality of child care providers. Commissioner Nelson said that, with the duality issue, it is more complex than is indicated in this report. He said that it would be a shame to pursue this without knowing all of the parameters, and unless they truly understand the nuances of how child care is delivered in Orange County. Commissioner Pelissier said that she sits as the County Commissioner representative to the Orange County Partnership for Young Children, which does the More at Four program. She said that she receives phone calls about the duplication and this group is looking at how this can be addressed. She said that there should not be a task force right now, but she does not think that this means that the conversation is stopped. She said that this proposal does not answer her questions. She asked if the goal was to expand More at Four to at-risk children or if it was something for everyone. Commissioner Gordon said that she is very supportive of the Pre-K concept and she understands the benefits of this type of program. She would like the conversation to continue. She said that, since the County is evaluating its boards and commissions, then this may be why there should not be a task force until that issue is resolved. She supports the general concept of a Pre-K program. Commissioner Yuhasz said that everybody is generally supportive and wants the conversation to continue, but if there is a County-sponsored conversation, then there will be an expectation that it will be followed by County action. He encouraged the people who have been talking about this to continue talking about it and to bring it back for additional review when it is appropriate. Commissioner Jacobs asked about the waiting list and Nancy Coston said that there are about 250 children, and to clear the list, it would take about $6,000 a year per child. Commissioner Jacobs said that it is important to make clear that these meetings should continue to talk about this issue. He wants to make it clear that the County is not singling out this area to save money since they are looking at all areas to save money throughout the County. He said that he would not be uncomfortable for this item to come back next fall. He shares the concern about setting expectations. Commissioner Pelissier said that it would be good for the Child Care Coalition to work more closely with the school systems and with the More at Four Committee of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children because there is talk of expanding More at Four. Commissioner Foushee said that if this were to occur, the Board would be open to hear a status report in a year or so, since they all support early childhood education. Commissioner Nelson asked about the key issues with the dual system. Nancy Coston said that when you have dual systems, you have to work hard to make sure everyone is treated fairly (DSS and Smart Start). Their two programs may have different priorities depending on where their funds come from, such as federal, state, and/or county. She said that the income eligibility for Smart Start and DSS is another area of concern. They want to be more transparent about this process. The fee structure is different for both departments as well. She said that they have been trying to educate parents on the duality issue. Commissioner Nelson said that he is now interested in spinning off some services that he may not have been interested in before and this may be a good opportunity to look at this for this system. He does not care who delivers the service as long as the County gets quality services. He said that he has some concern about tossing this to the school systems but he