Nevada § 432A.076 - Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council: Establishment; membership; duties; report to Legislature and Governor; acceptance of gifts, grants and donations

§ 432A.076. Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council: Establishment; membership; duties; report to Legislature and Governor; acceptance of gifts, grants and donations

1. The Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council is hereby established as the state

advisory council on early childhood education and care required to be established

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 9837b(b)(1)(A)(i) . The membership of the Council must be appointed by the Governor and include, without

limitation: (a) One member who is a representative of the Division whose duties include responsibility

for child care; (b) One member who is a representative of the Division whose duties include implementing

regulations governing the licensure of child care facilities; (c) One member who is a representative of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health 1 of the Department of Health and Human Services whose duties include responsibility

for maternal, child and adolescent health; (d) One member who is a representative of the Program for Child Care and Development,

as defined in NRS 422A.055 ; (e) One member who is a representative of the Department of Education; (f) One member who is a representative of the Department of Education whose duties

include responsibilities for programs under section 619 or part C of the Individuals

with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq., or a representative of the Department of Health and Human Services whose duties include

responsibilities for programs under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq. ; (g) One member who is a representative of the boards of trustees of the school districts

in this State; (h) One member who is a representative of the Nevada System of Higher Education; (i) One member who is a representative of local providers of early childhood education

and developmental services; (j) One member who is a representative of a public school, as defined in NRS 385.007 , who works with pupils in kindergarten through grade 3; (k) One member who is a representative of Head Start agencies in this State, including,

without limitation, migrant and seasonal Head Start programs and Indian Head Start

programs; (l) One member who is appointed or designated pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 9837b(a)(3)(A) ; (m) One member who is a representative of the Aging and Disability Services Division

of the Department of Health and Human Services; (n) One member who is a representative of a nonprofit organization located in southern

Nevada that provides early childhood programs; (o) One member who is a representative of a nonprofit organization located in northern

Nevada that provides early childhood programs; (p) One member who is a representative of the pediatric mental, physical or behavioral

health care industry; (q) One member who is a representative of a tribal organization, with consideration

given to an enrolled member of a Nevada Indian tribe; (r) At least one member who is a parent or guardian of a child less than 8 years of

age and who has participated in one or more federal or state early childhood programs,

including, without limitation: (1) The Program for Child Care and Development administered by the Division pursuant

to chapter 422A of NRS ; (2) Head Start or Early Head Start; (3) Nevada Home Visiting Program in the Department of Health and Human Services; (4) Nevada Ready! State Pre-K program in the Department of Education; or (5) The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in

the United States Department of Agriculture; and (s) Such other members as the Governor determines are appropriate. 2. In making the appointment of any member pursuant to paragraph (r) of subsection

1, the Governor, to the extent practicable, must give preference to a parent or guardian

who represents a diverse population of this State. 3. The Council shall: (a) Work to strengthen state-level coordination and collaboration among the various

sectors and settings of early childhood programs. (b) Conduct periodic statewide assessments of needs relating to the quality and availability

of programs and services for children who are in early childhood programs. (c) Identify opportunities for and barriers to coordination and collaboration among

early childhood programs funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government, the

State or a local government. (d) Develop recommendations for: (1) Increasing the participation of children in early childhood programs funded in

whole or in part by the Federal Government, the State or a local government, including,

without limitation, providing information on such programs to underrepresented and

special populations; (2) The establishment or improvement of core elements of the early childhood system

in this State, including, without limitation, a statewide unified system for collecting

data relating to early childhood programs; (3) A statewide professional development system for teachers engaged in early childhood

education; and (4) The establishment of statewide standards for early childhood programs in this

State. (e) Assess the capacity and effectiveness of institutions of higher education in this

State in developing teachers in the field of early childhood education. (f) Establish, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, guidelines for evaluating

the school readiness of children. The guidelines must: (1) Be based on national school readiness indicators; (2) Address the following components of school readiness: (I) Physical and developmental health; (II) Social and emotional development; (III) Approaches to learning; (IV) Language and early literacy development; and (V) Cognition and general knowledge. (g) Develop recommendations for increasing parental involvement and family engagement

in early childhood programs. (h) Perform such other duties relating to early childhood programs as designated by

the Governor. 4. On or before December 1 of each year, the Council shall submit a report to the

Governor and to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to

the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Interim

Standing Committee on Education, if the report is received during an odd-numbered

year, or to the next session of the Legislature, if the report is received during

an even-numbered year. The report must include, without limitation, a summary of the activities of the

Council and any recommendations for improvements to the early childhood system in

this State. 5. The Council may accept gifts, grants and donations from any source for the support

of the Council in carrying out the provisions of this section. 6. As used in this section, “ early childhood program ” means any program for children less than 8 years of age pertaining to: (a) Nutrition; (b) Health care; (c) Mental and behavioral health; (d) Protection; and (e) Play and learning, to stimulate physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional development. 1

So in original. Should probably read “Division of Welfare and Supportive Services”.