FAQ

Who do the members of this council represent?

• The Director of the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
• Representative from the Office of the Governor
• Representatives of the Department of Family and Protective Services
• Representatives of the Texas Education Agency
• Representatives of state school districts
• Representatives of state higher education institutions
• Representatives of Head Start agencies
• Representatives of Early Childhood Intervention
• Representative of the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services

To view a complete list of members, go to the Council Members section.

What activities are required of the State Advisory Council?

As described in section 642B of the Act, the State Advisory Council shall:

• Conduct periodic statewide needs assessments on the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services from birth to school entry
• Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination
• Develop recommendations on increasing participation in child care and early education programs, including outreach to underrepresented and special populations
• Develop recommendations on the development of a unified data collection systems for public early childhood and development programs and services
• Develop recommendations on statewide professional development and career advancement plans for early childhood education
• Access the capacity and effectiveness of institutes of higher education supporting the development of early childhood educators
• Make recommendations for improvements in State early learning standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate
• Facilitate the development or enhancement of high-quality systems of early childhood education and care designed to improve school readiness through one or more of the following activities:
  1. Promoting school preparedness of children from birth through school entry
  2. Supporting professional development, recruitment, and retention initiatives for early childhood educators
  3. Enhancing existing early childhood education and development programs and services
  4. Carrying out other activities consistent with the State's plan and application

What does the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act mean for the State Advisory Council?

The increase in funding for Head Start in the 2009 ARRA means funds are now available for the one-time startup grants to establish councils. In order to be eligible for funding, governors will have to establish a council in order to comply with the requirements outlines in the Head Start Act.

In addition to providing funding for the councils, ARRA provides new opportunities for councils to better coordinate services so that young children have the supports in place that they need. For example, governors can use the councils to:

• Invest stimulus funding strategically
• Reinforce the importance of collaboration
• Identify sustainable investment strategies

How much funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is available to Texas?

The state allocation was based on the State's relative number of children under the age of 5 from families whose income is below the poverty line. The amount of funding allocated to Texas that can be applied for by the State Advisory Council to be coordinated for use among the wide array of early childhood programs and services in Texas, is $11,274,474.