Cowlitz Community Network Board Meeting

Cowlitz County Admin Building Annex | 207 4th Avenue N. Kelso, WA 98626 | 2nd Floor Conference Rm

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 | 11:30 – 1:00PM

MINUTES

Present: Louise Brown

Present by Phone: Michael O’Neill, Kay Gunter, Tiffany Ames

Absent: Laurie Severson

Quorum: Yes

Staff: Amber Rosewood

Additions to Agenda

There were no additions to the agenda.

Welcome and Introductions

Michael welcomed attendees and thanked everyone for their participation. A call-in option was provided, gathering guidelines were observed and seating allowed for social distancing. 

September 15, 2020 Minutes and Updates

The Sep Board meeting minutes were sent to members for their review prior to the meeting. Of the four action items, four were completed.

Motion to approve the September 15, 2020 Board meeting minutes as presented (Tiffany), second (Louise). The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried.

Monthly Financial Report

The October Itemized Voucher amounting to $3,014.09 was presented to the Board. The bills presented for payment were:

Invoice 522-2020        Cowlitz County Purchasing Svc Phone, Aug 2020                $     14.09

Invoice 2020 10T        Cowlitz County Treasurer, Nov. Payroll/Processing              $3,000.00

Motion to approve the voucher as presented (Louise); second (Tiffany). The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried.

Expenses and account balances for the period of Sep 1, 2020 through Sep 30, 2020 were:

Payroll             $ 2,491.26                               Red Canoe Savings                            $        10.16

Payroll Fees    $      57.66                               Red Canoe Checking                         $   1,994.46

                  $ 2,548.92                               Cowlitz County Treasurer                   $ 62,726.49

Youth and Family Link Stipend: The Board allocated $2,270 to Youth and Family Link in February to pay for child care during Parent Support Group meetings hosted at their facility. Due to Covid-19, the launch of the support group was delayed and will now be hosted virtually. The organization requested that the $2,270 be approved to offset the cost of supervision for the MSW (master’s degree in social work) facilitator of the support group, rather than the cost of child care.  

Motion to approve the request (Tiffany); second (Kay). The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried. 

  • ACTION: Request an invoice from Youth & Family Link and process the payment (Amber)

Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund: Sharon Weinhold previously applied for and CCN was awarded $3,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to support the expansion of Financial Literacy programs. The check has not yet arrived but will be deposited to the Treasurer account once received.

  • ACTION: Submit a press release to the media distribution list thanking the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund (Amber)

Amber applied for funding from the Junior League of Cowlitz County and will update the board with information as it is released.

Grant Status Report

Cowlitz County Health & Human Services Financial Literacy Grant                  $10,000

Financial Literacy Training | Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021      

Sep Request: $639.00 | Remaining Balance: $7,523.00

Financial Literacy funding is for training at-risk youth and financially vulnerable families. Training topics are geared to the audience and may include Bank on It, Setting Financial Goals, Borrowing Basics, Saving for Cars/College/Housing, etc. CCN sends Financial Literacy emails to community partners and families, including lessons for children, and information on budgeting and credit for adults.

Cowlitz County Health & Human Services Behavioral Health Grant Yr 3                    $10,800

Help for At-Risk Youth with Behavioral Issues in Child Care | Jul 1, 2019 – Jun 30, 2021

Aug Request: $756.00 | Remaining Balance: $ 8,186.00

Behavioral Health funding provides technical assistance and training for childcare providers who serve children with behavioral issues and offers training and resources for family members who have children with behavioral challenges. CCN sends Behavioral Health best practice emails to community partners, child care providers and families.

Community Foundation of SW WA Behavioral Health Grant:                                       $25,000

Help for At-Risk Youth with Behavioral Issues in Child Care | Awarded Dec 2019

Sep Expenditures: $976.00 | Remaining Balance: $12,462.35

The Behavioral Health funding provides technical assistance and training for childcare providers who serve children with behavioral issues and offers training and resources for family members who have children with behavioral challenges. The Network applied for Cycle 2 funding.

WA Department of Commerce Child Care Partnership Grant                      $30,000 / $30,000

Child Care Access Report | Awarded Sep 2020

Sep Commerce Expenditures: $113.50 | Remaining Balance: $29,886.50

Sep Safe Start Expenditures: $113.50 | Remaining Balance: $29,886.50

Child Care Partnership funding CCN supports local partnerships to develop action plans that stabilize and expand child care capacity for underserved areas and for historically marginalized communities. CCN’s proposal funds the supplemental work of the Cowlitz Community Charter (CCC) as outlined in the 2020 Annual Agenda and Objectives.

Community partners and grant activity participants are in the process of signing up for the following work groups:

Child Care Access Report: Help determine study guidelines, report metrics and methods, conduct research, help identify immediate needs, and compile information to create an accurate report of the local child care crisis (Michael).

Family Engagement: Engage with the families served to conduct interviews, surveys and forums, collect stories and share information, and prioritize strategies to address the specific care needs of local families (Tiffany).

Outreach and Advocacy: Help make the report available to stakeholders and the public at large, develop and implement a public relations and marketing strategy, plan and carry out public events, and prioritize strategies to improve capacity and increase access to child care (Kay and Louise).

Board Member Information

Olivia’s accepted a position as a Medical Social Worker and her last day with Youth and Family Link was 10/16. She has recommended that Corie Dow-Kramer apply to replace her on the Board.

An updated draft Board Application form was presented to the board.

  • ACTION: Update relevant Board member documents for recruitment efforts (Amber).

Upcoming Events

Flyers for the Highlands Neighborhood Association holiday/winter events were shared with the Board.

Board Action Items

Staff Action Items

  • Request an invoice from Youth & Family Link and process the payment.
  • Submit a press release to the media distribution list thanking the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund
  • Update relevant Board member documents for recruitment efforts.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 11:30am-1pm