LAKEPORT — Child care advocates hope a new countywide development plan will increase service availability, enhance community support and promote the industry throughout Lake County over the next five years.
The plan, developed by the Lake County Child Care Planning Council, was presented publicly during the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting that was dominated by the contentious debate about Sheriff Frank Rivero Tuesday.
The council contends there is a direct link between the quality of child care programs and the lasting impact they have on the cognitive and social development of children, making a strategy focused on the industry”s future that much more important.
The five-year plan was created in order to increase awareness about the importance of high-quality child care, recommend priority areas for programs and funding, expand partnerships, mobilize resources and provide a framework for action.
Hallmarks of a high-quality program include small class sizes, an emphasis on parent involvement, a safe environment, specialized providers, low staff turnover and teaching materials geared toward a child”s age, developmental level and cultural background, the council argues.
The most significant obstacles between children and quality child care are higher costs and the ability of providers to retain qualified teachers, according to the council.
Council members hope the development plan and actions outlined therein will achieve four desired results in Lake County.
The goals include ensuring that a range of quality child care, early education and support services are accessible, making sure improvement resources are offered, promoting the industry around the county and convincing the community to support affordable services being available to all families.
The county supervisors took no action on the plan when it was presented Tuesday.
In other business, the BOS approved an agreement with Forensic Medical Group Inc. for forensic pathology services in homicides or other suspicious deaths.
The contract is in addition to the one the Lake County Sheriff”s Office currently holds with the oft-backlogged Sacramento County Coroner”s Office, Capt. Chris Macedo said.
Earlier, the supervisors supported closing the Middletown Library from next Tuesday until April 1 for the move into the new facility on Washington Street.
The BOS asked county staff to examine options for providing over-the-air public television to residents.
Three Lake County Medical Reserve Corps, Public Health volunteers will head to Southern California in May after the supervisors approved of the trio attending training in Ojai.
The BOS appointed Jaclyn Ley, of Lakeport, to the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board and Hidden Valley Lake resident Judy Kauffman to the Middletown Cemetery District.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown presented a proclamation designating Tuesday as National Agriculture Day.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow coverage on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #LakeBOS.
