MINUTES

Mansfield Advocates for Children

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

6:30PM-8:00 PM

Library – Buchanan Center

PRESENT: J. Goldman, M.J. Newman, J. Buck, K. Grunwald (staff), S. Baxter (staff), N. Hovorka, A. Bladen (Chair), A. Bloom, B. Lehmann, D. McLaughlin, C. Guerreri (Graustein),

 

Time                                       Item                            Discussion                           Outcome

6:30 PM-

6:35 PM

Introduction: Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM.

 Announce

- Transition Schedule     

- PEP Workshops

       -Discovery Stone Soup

PEP will be starting; currently have 4-5 enrollees.  This is supported by our incentive grant.

 

 

 

Stone Soup Conference 10/24.

All members are asked to recruit participants for PEP.  We will need someone to assist with logistics for this program. 

 

Contact Sandy if you are interested in attending.

6:35 PM-

6:40 PM

Approve minutes of 6/6/07 and 8/01/07

K. Paulhus indicated that she had sent regrets for the 8/1 meeting.  June meeting: J. Goldman wanted the MAC Mission Statement to be part of the By-Laws; the sentence about this was incomplete in the 6/6/07 Minutes

Minutes adopted with corrections noted.

6:40 PM-

7:30 PM

1.Graustein Visit 9/05/07 Report on visit earlier today

 

2.Acceptance and approval of bylaw

 

3. Begin Action Plan work for Sept. 28th 2008-09 Discovery Competitive Application

1. The overall feeling that the meeting went well, and indications were that we are heading in the right direction.  There was good representation by our local leadership; good acknowledgement of our successes.  There was also a positive impression of collaboration with the school system, and support for the Coordinator’s position.  There was some discussion about the role of the Collaborative Agent.

Also, some discussion about potential for Strategic Planning funding and funding for parent leadership through the Parent Trust Fund.

 

2. Bylaws: a sub-committee has been working on this over the summer; agreed that these can be modified if necessary once we need to start to work under them before making any changes.  J. Buck suggested that we clarify that under Section 3, Voting, that 7 members shall constitute a quorum.  It was agreed that terms will consist of 2 years.

 

3. 08/09 Action Plan: Sandy will add a “color code” for work that was completed this year but will be an ongoing activity.

1. Explore options for a new collaborative agent.  K. Grunwald will invite a representative from the United Way to our Nov. meeting.  Consider the Cooperative Extension Center as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Bylaws (Draft 4) were adopted as amended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. See “Discovery ad hoc Work Group.”

7:30 PM-7:55 PM

3 Small groups: Assess where group is and next steps and any future meeting necessary

 

1.      Infant/Toddler- Data collecting

2. Parents-

    -Consider packet for

      new parent members

     -parent recruitment,     

           -Help with planning

           PEP 

3.      Discovery Ad Hoc Work Group for 08-09 Application

 

C. Guerreri pointed out that the bylaws specify the committees that exist.  There was some discussion that other ad hoc committees can be formed as necessary.  These are the working “other committees as needed.”  Cindy felt that a committee for parent engagement needs to be differentiated from the membership committee.  Members felt that there needs to be clarification of the role of the committee on parent engagement.  It was decided that we would use the time tonight to focus on the charge of these committees; differentiate between standing committees (Executive, School Readiness, and Membership) and work groups.  Work groups will be considered ad hoc committees, which fulfill the requirement for every member to belong to the committee.  Current ad hoc committees are infant/toddler, parent engagement and the Discovery Application. 

3. Discovery Application: Joan, Kevin, Sandy, Cindy: need to reaffirm our Community Goals, create new objectives, and then use the indicators of success to identify strategies, objectives and action steps.  This is a 2-year process, and would be more manageable if we narrow the work focus by selecting a single Community Goal: suggestion is building strong connections… which encompasses all of what we’ve been working on: parent engagement, etc.  The assumption is that these goals are mutually supportive of each other.  We need to review objectives for 2007 and determine how many of these we will continue.  The application will need to be reviewed by members of MAC prior to the application being submitted.  Meeting dates set for Oct. 1 submission.

 

1. Infant/Toddler: Mary Jane, Becky, Anne: developed some preliminary survey questions for licensed homecare providers, will focus on towns that abut Mansfield as well.  They will pilot the survey and determine the actual number of providers to be surveyed. 

 

2. Parent Engagement:

Ande, Lisa, Nancy: they want to learn more about some of the “non-institutional” networks of parents; will contact parents of young children at home to identify these informal networks to both notify and develop more resources. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                     

           

 

Next Meeting: Wed. Oct. 3; 6:30-8:00;

meeting to review the Discovery application on Sept. 26 from 6:30-7:30.

 

Meeting Adjourned at 8:10 PM

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Kevin Grunwald