Early Childhood Utah
Advisory Council
Purpose of the council:
The purpose of the Council is to promote broad statewide coordination and collaboration among a wide range of early childhood programs and services in the state to ensure that Utah children enter school healthy and ready to learn. The council informs and advises leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Workforce Services, and the Utah State Board and Education through its annual report and regular meetings.
Leaders from the fields of children's health and mental health, early care and education, and parent resource programs as well as parent leaders collaborate on the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council. The Council currently has 28 voting members and meets four times annually. It is staffed by the Early Childhood Utah program within the Office of Early Childhood.
In a recent survey, members of the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council were asked how important parent feedback is to the work of the council. 100% of members agreed or strongly agreed that parent feedback is as vital as other forms of data for Council decision-making. In addition, 80% of members had used feedback from the council's Parent Engagement subcommittee to make changes in the work of their organization.
Through the parent group, families were able to come together, elevate shared experiences, and ensure that parent voices were included in decisions that directly affect them."