About Us

children with notebooksWhat we do:

Appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and the County Superintendent of Schools, the Local Planning Council’s (LPC) purpose, is to ensure that there is relevant input on federal and state resources apportioned to counties. The Santa Cruz County Childhood Advisory Council (CAC) members are comprised of parents, community members, educators and early care and education professionals. The Council convenes to assess trends in early care, education and after-school needs, set local priorities for the use of state and federal child care funds, advocate on behalf of children and the early care education profession, and influence policy decisions regarding quality early care, education and after-school programs.

Our on-going state-mandated responsibilities include:

  • Conduct a local Early Care and Education Needs Assessment
    every five years.
  • Create an annual Local Child Care Expansion Priority Report for child
    care funding, according to State and federal policy and funding
  • Facilitate the Temporary Transfer of State Child Care Funds
    (VTTF) between local agencies.
  • Submit a county-wide comprehensive for Early Care, Education
    and After-School Care Master Plan to the County Superintendent
    of Schools, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and the State
    Department of Education, every 5 years.
  • Provide a collaborative forum comprised of families, educators,
    community members and child care professionals that meets
    regularly to address the early care, education and after-school
    program needs of families and advice/inform policy makers on
    these needs.

Find out more about our bylaws here.