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Early Childhood Policy Council

General Information

The Early Childhood Policy Council will elevate the needs of young children and their families as well as advise the Governor, Legislature and the Superintendent of Public Instruction on statewide early learning, care and child development. It will provide recommendations on all aspects of the state’s early childhood system, including support for the demographic, geographic and economic diversity of the state’s children and families and ways the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education’s final report can be updated and improved. It will hold at least four public meetings per year and prepare a formal annual report.

For more information, read the Early Childhood Policy Council press release.

Learn more about the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care.

For information regarding the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth Through Five, visit the PDG Website

For questions and inquiries, contact ECPC@dss.ca.gov.

2024 Meeting Dates

Early Childhood Policy Council

  • February 28
  • May 20
  • August 13
  • November 19

Joint Meetings of the Parent and Workforce Advisory Committees

  • 2024 dates to be determined

Meeting Materials

 

December 21, 2023

November 16, 2023

September 19, 2023

August 29, 2023

June 20, 2023

March 30, 2023

December 14, 2022

December 6, 2022

September 14, 2022

August 31, 2022

July 19, 2022

June 21, 2022

January 25, 2022

January 19, 2022

November 16, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – November 9, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – November 3, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – August 25, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – August 17, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – June 9, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – April 26, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – March 23, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – March 17, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – February 10, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – February 3, 2021

Early Childhood Policy Council – December 10, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council (Special Session) – November 20, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – November 16, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #2  – September 10, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – Workforce Advisory Committee Meeting #2 – September 9, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – August 24, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – Workforce Advisory Committee Meeting #1  – August 6, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council – Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #1 – July 22, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council Meeting #3 – June 8, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council Meeting #2 (Special Session) – May 27, 2020

Early Childhood Policy Council Meeting #1 – April 2, 2020

Communications

Members

Early Childhood Policy Council

The Governor’s appointees are:

  • Kimberley Johnson, Chair, California Department of Social Services;
  • Mayra E. Alvarez, The Children’s Partnership;
  • Kim Pattillo Brownson, The Ballmer Group;
  • Lupe Jaime-Mileham, California Department of Social Services;
  • Paula Merrigan, Castro Valley Unified School District;
  • Scott Moore, Kidango;
  • Sarah Neville-Morgan, California Department of Education;
  • Carola Oliva-Olson, EDvance College;
  • Cheryl Polk, Safe and Sound;
  • Dean Tagawa, Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Senate’s appointees are:

  • Robin Layton, Educational Enrichment Systems;
  • Laura (Kay) Ruhstaller, Family Resource and Referral Center;
  • Sonia P. Jaramillo, Gonzales Unified School District.

The Assembly’s appointees are:

  • Donna Sneeringer, Child Care Resource Center;
  • Natali Gaxiola, Lennox School District.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction appointee is:

  • Janet Zamudio, Director of Child Care.

The Workforce Committee’s appointees are:

  • Tonia McMillian, Kiddie Depot Family Childcare;
  • Miren Algorri, Algorri Family Childcare.

The Parent Committee’s appointees are:

  • Lissete Frausto;
  • Mary Ignatius.

Parent Advisory Committee

The Governor’s appointees are:

  • Mary Ignatius, Chair;
  • Lissete Frausto;
  • Yenni Rivera.

The Legislature’s appointee is:

  • Naima Facih;
  • Patricia Lozano, Early Edge California;
  • Patrick D. MacFarlane;
  • Deborah Corley-Marzett, family daycare provider;
  • Cheryl (Cherie) Schroeder, resource parent, foster care educator and advocate.

Workforce Advisory Committee

The Governor’s appointees are:

  • Tonia McMillian, Chair, Kiddie Depot Family Child Care;
  • Miren Algorri, Algorri Family Childcare;
  • Virginia Eigen, Campbell Union School District.

The Legislature’s appointees are:

  • Patricia Alexander, licensed in-home family childcare provider;
  • AnnLouise Bonnitto, California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc.;
  • Amelia Soto, Mexican American Opportunity Foundation;
  • Zoila Carolina Toma, Fun Minds Inc.;
  • Debra Ward, Cerritos College Child Development Center;
  • Latonda Williams, Plaza del Raza Child Development Services Inc.

To learn more about the members, read their biographies.

Councilmember Resources

To the extent funding is available, members of the council or its committees who are provider participants or parent representatives may be reimbursed as necessary for their reasonable expenses, including travel, a stipend to cover childcare costs, lost wages, and expenses for substitutes for attending council meetings.