EEC to Launch Family Advisory Council to Bring Parents Into Policy Decisions

The Department of Early Education and Care said it will soon launch an official Family Advisory Council to give families a formal seat in the agency’s decision-making and outreach work.

EEC’s family engagement manager, Ayesha Rodriguez, told advisory members the council will "support the elevation of family voices" and act as a forum where parents can give input on policies, programs and resource allocations. Rodriguez said the design team that informed the council included 30 stakeholders — including six parents and seven EEC staff — and that design-team family representatives will serve on the selection committee and mentor council members.

Why it matters: EEC framed the council as a vehicle to improve access and responsiveness across regions, languages and systems. Commissioners and advisory members said a standing council should make it easier to solicit family perspectives on policy, reduce last-minute outreach needs and help the agency build stronger consumer-facing materials.

Details and structure: EEC said it hopes to appoint up to 20 members representing geographic regions, income levels, languages and caregiving situations including residential programs, early education, and out-of-school-time providers. The agency plans three informational sessions and will publish the application in five languages on the EEC family advisory webpage. Terms are expected to be staggered — roughly two to three years — to preserve institutional knowledge.

Members raised access and representation concerns. Beth Ann (advisory member) urged defined geographic representation and inclusion of families eligible for services. Pat Cameron, from the Federation for Children with Special Needs, emphasized including caregivers of children with disabilities because those families often face unique barriers to child care and may be excluded from program participation.

On language access, EEC said meetings for the first term will be in English to support a cohort-based professional-development model; the council itself will revisit language accommodations in subsequent terms. EEC staff described training and professional-development opportunities for members and emphasized that families would participate in building the council’s structure.

What’s next: EEC will launch the application period and conduct outreach statewide. Advisory members volunteered to assist with distribution and local outreach through CFCE grantees and other community partners. The agency expects to reconvene the advisory group in March to report progress.