FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS NETWORK OF CALIFORNIA



FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS NETWORK OF CALIFORNIA

Steering Committee Meeting

Burbank

April 28, 2004

Present: Linda Landry, Debbie Sarmento, Laurie Jordan, Julie Kingsley, Kat Lowrance, Sherry Torok, Marcia Moore, Patty Moore, Nancy Eddy, Linda Niemeyer, Kate Warren, Reva Guimont. Teresa Cooper joined us at noon. Kathleen Colvin joined us at 1:30 p.m.

By Conference call: Juno Duenas.

Welcome/Introductions – self introductions took place.

Review & Approve agenda – no changes.

Approve minutes from March 3, 2004 – approved by consensus.

FRCN Orientation Manuals – Robin brought copies of the Orientation Manual for Steering Committee Members (copies paid for by ADD grant). They were distributed during the meeting. Sherry gave us some history on how the manual came to be. CEITAN prints the manuals each year for the FRCN conference for participations of that workshop. Additional copies have not been available because there is no funding to print them. Julie took us through the manual contents.

Patty and Kate will draft a document clarifying this issue.

FRCN = network (FRCN of CA)

FRCs = individual

Printed materials needs to be consistent.

There are 32 contracts with DDS and as many as 54 individual centers in California.

Web Site Update – Website committee has one representative from each region. The committee is identifying materials to be added to the website. Steering Committee can give input through their region’s website committee member.

Strategic Plan candidates – The ADD Task Force interviewed four strategic planners candidates. An announcement will be made when the job offer has been accepted.

Regional Representative Reports (notes added by Berman, coordinator):

Region 1 (Kat Lowrance reported) –

Region 1 is planning a face-to-face in Eureka (Humboldt County) on June 2nd. Kathleen has received one survey back, but has been in communications with her region. Region 1 is planning on communicating through a listserv.

Region 2 (Debbie Sarmento reported) –

Questions have been emailed out, received 2, spoke with one. Email seems to be the best communication mode. Linda/Debbie/Robin visited some of the FRCs in Debbie’s region. Carrie Theroux resigned.

Region 3 (Kate Warren reported for Betsy) –

Conference call was made. Two FRCs did not participate in call. Kate noted that in Region 3, three of the FRCs are strongly connected and work together on many projects. The challenge is how to get the others more involved! They are planning a face to face with some incentives to attend (lunch).

Region 4 (Nancy Eddy reported) –

Region meets routinely. Questions have not been sent out. Will follow-up

Region 5 (Laurie Jordan reported) –

Two are on the bus, one is not.

Region 6 (Reva Guimont reported) – Stacey (predecessor) did many site visits. Questions have not gone out. Annual Regional meeting is Trainers of Trainers which happens in August. They may need funding to have Inyo/Mono participate regionally, or should Inyo/Mono be invited to participate with Region 8?

Region 7 (Linda Landry)

Region meets monthly. 12 members, resource directory for 9 years. Looking at becoming a co-op 501c3. Koch-Young has an extensive collection and library coding system, which all FRCs could use. Pasadena City Library has Koch-Young’s FRCs book list available to the public. First 5 L.A. is doing an interagency piece, getting involved in that. Teresa Cooper’s FRC has lost its Early Start funding.

Region 8 (Sherry Torok reported) –

Hedy and Sherry have been emailing each other. Hedy is trying to answer the questions. Some challenges in Region 8: They serve very urban AND very Rural areas. Early Start budgets are drastically different. Both work with regional center in regards to their libraries. Looking at how to include TASK. Try to involve San Bernando/Riverside.

Region 9 (Marica Moore reported) –

(one FRC and 12 School sites) Had discussions with all 12 parent reps in their region. Parent reps meet every two months. Telephone would be the best mode of communication for this group. In the last year they have housed 2 advocates. Library is not the FRCs responsibility, but they do participate in it. Some of Region 9 challenges: email, p/t support, military bases, funding.

Brainstorming Session

Participation of FRCs

• How are regions divided?

• Regional Center catchment areas

• Add column on Membership spreadsheet for regional centers/PTI/FEC/CPRC

Should we re-design regions? Consider possible future funding streams when thinking about switching regions. Informal switches can be discussed with regional reps.

• What are the barriers to participation in the FRCN?

• What would you like from the FRCN?

• What would help you if starting from scratch?

• Punch up who we are. 5 key points of participation in the FRCN. (Robin will put the question out on the listserv and report at our next meeting).

• Kate Warren will work on a list of our accomplishments.

Special Quest

During lunch Kat Lowrance discussed Special Quest. Infants & toddlers included in the community. Mission to make system change. Opportunity for families to be nurtured and receive leadership training. This will be addressed at a future meeting.

Role of at-large members – (Toni, Teresa, Julie) round out group as a whole, represent diverse constituencies, assist with regional rep. duties. Bring unique perspective.

First 5 update – We have been invited to serve on advisory committee for First 5 Demonstration projects. Kate Warren will represent us on the conference call tomorrow. Kate Warren will be our representative. Nancy Eddy will back her up.

MOU – Several people have concerns about signing the MOU. Language regarding reimbursement would be helpful. In some cases, regional centers or other agencies will be signing the MOU. Juno will look at the Family Voices language. Juno will forward a revised MOU to be presented for signature.

Grant Guy update – David has written up an overview and ask of names of families who he could interview. The letters from the ADD grant were provided to him. His priority items are: data collection, materials dissemination and administration training.

Questions: Who would the fiscal agent be? Is he looking for foundations that are able to fund government programs? Can we use the current Fiscal sponsor “Support for families”?

Debbie Sarmento and Robin Melrose-Berman will communicate with David. There is a concern that the grant writer may need to be paid before the fiscal year ends. Kate suggested that we ask David for a boilerplate (demographics, statistics) of the FRCN. The grant committee should advise him that we want him to look for funders to fund the existing services of the FRCs. Examples are: tribal, serving the unserved, geographically challenged areas using the 6 key items in our DDS contract.

Sherry put forth an idea for David to go to First 5 California and ask for challenge funds for 0-3 to expand FRCs to 0-5 (2.5 million).

Review upcoming calendar and wrap up –

May 19 with ICC 2-6 @ Doubletree Sacramento

Dennis Self (DDS) FRC Contract/Data Collection @ 4pm

June 30 Conference Call 2-4

July 28 Face to Face/San Francsico 2-6

August 25 Conference Call 2-4 (Debbie’s birthday)

September 22 with ICC 2-6 Sacramento

October 27 conference call 2-4

November 17 with ICC 2-6 Sacramento

Minutes taken by Susan Graham

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