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Rules Committee advances ordinance to formalize Office of Early Care and Education advisory committee
Summary
The Rules Committee forwarded an ordinance to define duties for the Office of Early Care and Education and establish a nine-member Citizens Advisory Committee; the CAC will be jointly appointed (Mayor 5 / Board 4) and will advise on a strategic plan the office must complete by 2016 per Prop C.
Supervisor Norman Yee opened the Rules Committee meeting by introducing an ordinance to amend the Administrative Code to define duties for San Francisco’s Office of Early Care and Education (OECE) and to create an OECE Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The ordinance, he said, implements voter-approved Proposition C and directs the office to develop a strategic plan by 2016.
Yee told the committee the CAC would be a nine-member advisory body jointly appointed by the mayor (five seats) and the Board of Supervisors (four seats). The committee’s role will include advising the OECE director on policy, planning, coordination and partnerships to expand high-quality early care and education for children ages 0–5. The ordinance text includes revised language clarifying the CAC’s duties (section 5.124) and adjusted deadlines intended to make the timeline achievable.
Deputy City Attorney John Giffner clarified the proposed appointments language and the effect of invoking Charter Section 3.1: the Board would appoint four members and the Mayor five; under Charter 3.1 the Board could reject the Mayor’s appointees by a two-thirds vote, but Supervisor Yee said his intent was for any Board hearing on appointments to be informational rather than a formal confirmation proceeding.
Public commenters representing the early childhood field voiced unanimous support. Presenters and supporters who spoke included Barbara Carlson (OECE), Laura Klumoff (First 5 San Francisco), Candace Wong (chair, Child Care Planning Advisory Council), Sandy Bleckman (Executive Director, Children’s Council of San Francisco), Monica Walters (WUE Children’s Services), Rosie Kennedy (Family Child Care Association) and others; speakers praised the ordinance’s inclusive drafting, urged provider representation on the CAC, and requested minor clarifications about seat eligibility when representatives no longer meet seat criteria.
After brief discussion among supervisors about consistency with Charter Section 3.1, Supervisor Katie Tang moved to accept the amendments. With no objection the committee adopted the amendments and voted to forward the ordinance with a positive recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors.
The ordinance now proceeds to the December 9 Board agenda. The OECE is expected to use the CAC’s advice to help develop the strategic plan required under Prop C, with the plan due by 2016.
