|
The purposes of
this conference were identifies as:
1. developing an organizational infrastructure for MHSDA,
MCCDA, and MACCRRA;
2. cultivating collaborative spirit and skills;
3. identifying issues of mutual concern for future collaborative
work.
The conference was successful on all counts. It established
a structure for the organization and a committee to coordinate
activities and plan quarterly meetings, produced a statement
of principles and ground rules for collaborative partnerships
at the community and statewide levels; and identified issues
of mutual concern and ways to build partnerships to address
them.
A Steering Committee
with representatives from each of the Associations was established.
A name for the organization was proposed-Alliance for Children's
Care, Education, and Supporting Services (ACCESS).
During the second
convention of stakeholders, June 1997, a greater understanding
between the three Associations was developed by reviewing
the history and service areas of each. A vision and mission
were developed.
In July 1997, the
name ACCESS was approved by the Steering Committee. At the
same time, the Office of Child Care and Head Start received
funds through a Head Start Collaboration Grant to support
the creation and function of ACCESS.
Between quarterly
meetings, an infrastructure committee met to design and plan
quarterly meetings and to continue to develop the infrastructure
to support collaboration. The Steering Committee was established
to represent the three M's-organizations with statewide perspective,
experience with collaboration, and professional understanding
of need. To incorporate additional viewpoints, a structure
for 11 regional collaboratives was designed. The regional
collaboratives provided broader representation in order to
develop a statewide system that is reflective of the unique
needs of the child, family, and community. The purpose of
the regional collaboratives is to develop and implement a
collaborative and strategic plan that results in non-duplicative,
comprehensive early care and education services for children
and families.
The Head Start
Collaboration Grant funded mini-grants to regional collaboratives
to support community needs assessments.
By 1998, the infrastructure
of ACCESS had grown to include the Steering Committee, eleven
regional collaboratives, and four standing committees. The
structure is complex. It includes statewide and regional perspective.
It is professionally and geographically diverse.
In March 1998 a
committee structure for standing committees and task groups
was established. The committees were identified as: Assessment,
Professional Development, Public Policy, and Resource Development.
A standing committee member is an individual who: is a member
of a Regional Collaborative, has an interest in the work of
the standing committee, can commit the time necessary to do
the work, and supports the Vision and Mission of ACCESS. In
addition, each committee will have a member from the Steering
Committee as liaison, but not chair. The liaison job was amended
later in the year as partners learned that there at times
was a need for a spokesperson and fast action person. The
liaison's responsibility grew to take on those roles.
By-laws were drafted
by the Steering Committee during a two-day retreat. The draft
was sent to each of the Associations that compose the Steering
Committee. The Steering Committee responded to critique, revised
the by-laws, and presented them in draft form to a quarterly
membership meeting.
During the second
year of ACCESS, two more Associations joined the Steering
Committee: Maine School Age Care
Alliance and Maine Family Child
Care Association.
A brochure was
printed with the Vision and Mission Statements, listing of
the partners, a description of the Assessment, Professional
Development, and Public Policy Committees, a definition of
regional collaboratives, and telephone numbers for each regional
collaborative.
The local collaboratives
continue to meet-each different from the other and a reflection
of their community. The members of the regional collaboratives,
standing committees, and Steering Committees meet on a quarterly
basis to receive training and develop the organization.
In March 1999 the
two-day statewide ACCESS conference was titled, "Best
Practices, Baselines, and Bench Marks". During the conference
it was agreed that benchmarks would be developed for the following
categories: Accreditation, Salaries, Education & Training,
Business Participation, and Parent Involvement.
The work of developing
the Benchmark areas continued into the next quarterly meeting.
Each Benchmark area was incorporated into a standing committee
grid with responsibilities designated to committees for each
benchmark. For explanations and measures on each Benchmark,
click here. (link to Benchmark page)
In early June 2000,
the ACCESS Steering Committee, representatives from the Administration
for Children and Families, the State of Maine (Division of
Contracted Community Services, TANF, and DMHMRAS), the chair
of the Child Care Advisory Council, and the Director of Maine
Roads to Quality gathered with the assistance of Jacqui Clark
and a representative from the National Child Care Institute.
Other invited partners included the Department of Education
and Child Development Services. This was done at a lovely
retreat setting called "Rockcraft", which is a lodge
on Sebago Lake.
The Steering Committee
felt it was time to gather a cross section of the field to
look at the big picture. ACCESS had come a long way in 3 years,
with new money coming, it was important for us to look at
the larger system both within Maine and nationally. It was
important to identify the landscape and suggest next steps
for moving forward and improving the system.
For two days this
group brainstormed and worked to identify the overarching
issues and components within the early care and education
system. Missing links and gaps were identified, strengths
were listed, and then dreams for the future. The result of
that work was 11 domains that address the interwoven aspects
of the early care and education system. A blueprint, if you
will, for next steps. The group who gathered at Rockcraft
viewed this work as very much a starting point for the full
early care and education community to develop more extensive
and detailed next steps in relationship to the benchmarks
currently established by ACCESS.
Categories for
Planning - Rockcraft Blueprint
1. To develop capacity
and ability to manage/re-engineer effective resources at Federal,
State, and Local level.
2. To re-engineer RDC system to be most effective
3. To ensure a systematic inclusion and empowerment of parents
at all levels of the system.
4. To support and advocate for the integration of governmental
systems/services for children, youth, and families.
5. To build a system of supports for individualized formats
of quality child care, informal to formal arrangements.
6. To identify, access and/or develop resources to ensure
adequate wages, benefits, and working conditions that create
a climate that ensures that Early Care and Education becomes
a desirable occupation.
7. To build the most effective financial system to pay for
quality childcare (parental choice, regardless of income).
8. To market the concept of quality child care as "merit
good" at local, state, and Federal levels to consumers
and community.
9. To develop a system at the local level responsive to the
individual needs of growing children and their families.
10. To build/integrate the unique needs of school age children
systematically.
11. To require a review of the definitions of common standards
and best practices and guarantee sufficient resources to provide
enforcement of minimum standards and rewards for best practices.
In August 2000,
the Business Committee was formed to develop a planning process
to identify and include a wide range of public/private contributors
who have a strong mutual interest to jointly promote and expand
initiatives that support the Early Care and Education system
in Maine communities.
During a retreat
in July 2001 the Committee
structure was changed to reflect the growth of ACCESS
and the work that is currently being done. Many Allies are
working effectively on the Benchmarks,
removing the need for certain committees. The Resource Development
Committee and the Business Involvement Committee remain as
standing committees. New committees were formed for Public
Awareness/Marketing and for Systems Analysis/Advocacy. A worker
bee concept was also proposed. Instead of committing to the
full workings of a committee, "worker bees" can
offer their services, expertise, and/or time to a certain
project or need of a committee. A "Queen Bee" was
designated to create a working database of ACCESS members
that would be available "on call" for committees.
|
