3. PARENT AND FAMILY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)

1. Purpose

The CDL Parent and Family Advisory Board Committee (PAC) is a requirement in meeting City of Madison Accreditation standards and National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) standards. These two accrediting bodies are markers of high quality and enable the CDL to serve families utilizing childcare tuition assistance through state and federal funding programs.

Background and purpose of the committee:

• PAC provides input to the Dean of the SoHE
• PAC provides support and advocacy on behalf of the CDL. Support of the CDL involves reviewing all aspects of the program each year, including curriculum, and recommending changes as a group.³
• The external role of the PAC is to provide support and advocacy on behalf of the CDL. The internal role of the committee is to provide advice to the Dean of SoHE about long- range strategic planning, program policies, budget, and/or human resources, as requested. The members are expected to liaise and communicate between the PAC and PTO toward CDL’s strategic goals.

2. Leadership

The Dean of SoHE chairs the committee and sets the meeting agenda but may delegate these responsibilities to the CDL Assistant Dean. The CDL Executive Director will coordinate with the Dean in taking a leadership role in appointing/orienting new members, setting meeting dates and agendas, and other related tasks. Anyone can add an item to the meeting agenda by contacting their respective committee member representative

Composition

1. Dean of SoHE or Dean’s designee
2. Executive Director of the CDL
3. Director of the CDL
4. CDL Faculty Director
5. SoHE Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Faculty member with an early childhood development background, as appointed by the Dean.
6. CDL teachers (2), one from Infant/Toddler and one from Preschool
7. CDL parents/guardians, one from each age group
8. Director of the Office of Campus Child Care and Family Resources (OCCFR)
9. HDFS student intern/assistant teacher (as appointed by Associate Director)
10. Other members as appointed by the Dean of SoHE

3. Participation of Members

1. Information about the purpose of the PAC and the role of parents on this committee will be posted on the website and in the Parent Handbook
2. The CDL Executive Director orients new committee members and reviews their role and purpose prior to their first meeting.
3. PAC meets a minimum of two times per year, once at the start of the academic year, and once in January before the re- enrollment contract period to present the budget.
4. Staff and parents serve a two- year term on the committee
5. Parent representatives of the PAC are also required to be active participants of the PTO to ensure bi-directional communication
6. Notes will be taken during the meeting and sent to all PAC members, parents, and staff

4. Logistics

1. Agenda is to be sent out and posted prior to the meeting.
2. Summary notes taken at the meeting and distributed to families, staff, faculty and committee members.
3. The committee is not a governing board and will not normally go into closed session; however, if the Dean wishes to seek advice on a sensitive or personnel issue, then the meeting can be closed
4. Committee members have an obligation to maintain confidentiality of information pertaining to center staff, students, children, and families