(1) A newly established or newly identified council shall submit to the state department an application to become part of the statewide system of early childhood councils. The state department shall develop and distribute the application form and criteria and an explanation of the process for joining the statewide system of early childhood councils. The state department shall provide support for the preparation of applications.
(2) A new council shall designate on its application the following information:
The intended service area;
The counties to be involved in the council;
Participating mandatory stakeholders;
The entity that shall serve as the original fiscal agent for the council; and
The signatures of the chair or chairs of the board or boards of county commissionersfor the counties involved in the council, the legal signatory for the counties, and the president of a school district board of education involved in the council.
(3) An existing early childhood council seeking to be newly identified as a council shall designate on its application a restatement of the following information:
The designated service area;
Current members;
Any additional stakeholders required to meet the membership requirements of section 26-6.5-103.5;
The designated fiscal agent; and
Signatures of the current organization leadership, the fiscal agent, the chair or chairsof the board or boards of county commissioners of the counties involved in the council, and the president of a school district board of education involved in the council.
(4) Each council shall develop a strategic plan based upon an assessment of the early childhood needs in the designated service area that includes:
A council infrastructure, including a plan for hiring a council director;
A technical assistance plan and an annual budget for developing a local early childhood system and infrastructure to improve and coordinate early childhood services; and
A plan for evaluating program performance and council process and effectiveness asit relates to the council's strategic plan.
(5) The state department shall promulgate rules to define the standards for acceptance of applications made pursuant to this section. Acceptance of an application shall be automatic if the application is complete, the signatures are in order, and it meets the standards set forth by the state department pursuant to this subsection (5).
Source: L. 2007: Entire section added, p. 1636, § 5, effective May 31. L. 2011: (1) and (5) amended, (SB 11-247), ch. 239, p. 1039, § 6, effective May 27. L. 2018: IP(3) amended, (SB 18-099), ch. 90, p. 718, § 3, effective August 8.