Item:
Title
Introduction of Durham County’s Early Childhood Coordinator, Cate Elander (10min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: March 26, 2020
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to welcome Cate Elander, the County’s new Early Childhood Coordinator.
Durham County has always been an important community partner and investor in early childhood. Our Department of Social Services delivers over $20 million in childcare subsidy annually in Durham and serves and protects young children in many other ways as well. Our Cooperative Extension Department assists parents of young children in a variety of ways, including through the Welcome Baby program. Our library system offers enrichment to children (and adults) of all ages. Our Public Health Department helps ensure the health of our children. In 2011, Commissioners proposed and residents approved a ¼ cent sales tax to support education, including funds for pre-K. In the fall of 2017, Durham’s County began its substantially increased investments in universal pre-K, called Durham Pre-K. For 2018 and beyond, the County contracted with Child Care Services Association to manager further expansion of Durham Pre-K, and in the current fiscal year, aggregate annual investments in this program exceed $5 million.
For a number of years, interest has grown in having a County employee whose job it would be to help further coordinate and strengthen these County programs and align them more effectively with other early childhood programs and efforts and institutions throughout the community. Funding for this countywide position was approved in the FY19-20 budget and the person hired began work in April based at Cooperative Extension. Cate brings 13 years of community development experience with child and family-serving nonprofits the position. For the past 8 years, Cate Elander has worked first at EDCI and then, more recently, for MDC. While based in Durham, Cate’s work with MDC concluded with her work as the Director of Great Expectations in Forsyth County, where she served as a key adviser to the Kate B. Reynold’s Charitable Trust’s early childhood initiative and to other early childhood systems building efforts in the county.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: A robust and well-coordinated early education system may be most strongly associated with Goal 1 of the Durham County Strategic Plan, but ultimately contributes to all the goals.
Resource Persons: Donna Rewalt, Director, Durham County Cooperative Extension; Drew Cummings, Chief of Staff
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board welcome Cate Elander, the County’s new Early Childhood Coordinator.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________