BYLAWS

Early Childhood Iowa State Board

Article I          Name

The name of this board shall be the Early Childhood Iowa State Board, hereafter referred to as the ECI Board.  The following bylaws are in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter 256I.

Article II        Purpose and Vision

Section I.         The ECI Board was created to promote a vision for a comprehensive early care, education, health, and human services system in this state.  The board shall oversee state and local efforts to that end.            

Section II.       Our vision is that “Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.”

Article III       Objectives

Section I.         Provide oversight of early childhood Iowa areas through strategic planning, advocacy, funding identification, guidance, and decision-making authority to assure collaboration among state and local early care, education, health and human services systems.

Section II.       Develop and implement a designation process for area boards. 

Section III.      Advance the development and implementation of integrated data systems by promoting I2D2’s usage and accountability to support better decision making at local, regional and state levels.

Section IV.      Create a strategic plan that supports a comprehensive system of early care, education, health, and human services. The plan will be updated annually with extensive community input.

Section V.       In partnership with the ECI State Office, provide oversight to

grant funding and other monies made available to early childhood Iowa areas.

Section VI       Make decisions via a technical assistance system developed using local input as well as input from state agencies represented on the ECI Board and other state agencies and individuals involved with ECI Stakeholders Alliance.

Section VII.    Provide an Annual Report to the Governor, Iowa General Assembly, and other stakeholders on the needs of communities and on progress made toward achieving results as measured through the use of indicators and performance measures.

Section VIII.   In partnership with the ECI Stakeholders Alliance, support and advance a systems approach to strengthen the work of all programs, services and activities within the early care, education, health and human services that are part of the early childhood system.

Section IX.      Carry out all other duties outlined in Iowa Code 256I.4.

Article IV       Membership

Section I.         The ECI Board shall consist of twenty-one voting members with fifteen citizen members and six state agency members.  The six state agency members shall be the directors or designee of the following departments: Education, Economic Development Authority, Human Rights, Human Services, Public Health and Workforce Development.  The fifteen citizen members shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Section II.       The Governor’s appointments of citizen members shall be in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter 256I and Iowa Code Section 69.16 and 69.16A. (These references are the political affiliation and gender balance requirements.)

Section III.      The Governor’s appointments of citizen members shall be selected from individuals nominated by ECI Area Boards.  The nominations shall reflect the range of interests represented on the community boards so that the governor is able to appoint one or more members each for education, health, human services, business, faith, and public interests.  At least one of the citizen members shall be a service consumer or the parent of a service consumer.

Section IV.      A member of the ECI Board shall not be a provider of services or other entity receiving funding through ECI or be employed by such a provider or other entity receiving funding through ECI.

Section V.        Terms of office of all citizen members are three years.  No board member shall serve more than three consecutive terms.  However, whenever a vacancy occurs, any person appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term.  After having served the unexpired term, the appointee may hold that office may begin their first three-year term.               

Section VI.      A vacancy on the ECI Board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the balance of the unexpired term.

Section VII.    In addition to the voting members, the ECI Board shall include four members of the General Assembly with not more than one member from each chamber being from the same political party.

Section VIII.   Legislative members shall serve in an ex officio, nonvoting capacity.

Article V        Nonattendance

Section I.         In accordance with Iowa Code Section 69.15, any person appointed by the governor to the ECI Board shall be deemed to have submitted a resignation if either of the following events occurs: (1) The person does not attend three or more consecutive regular meetings; (2) The person attends less than one-half of the regular meetings within any period of twelve calendar months beginning on July 1, or January 1.  The Board Chair can excuse a board member if there are extenuating circumstances.

Section II.       The non-appointed members or their designees shall adhere to the following attendance requirements: (1) the member or designee shall not miss three or more consecutive regular meetings; (2) the member or designee shall not miss more than one-half of the regular meetings within any period of twelve months beginning on July 1 or January 1.

Section III.      If a citizen member is not meeting this policy, the member will be encouraged to resign prior to the end of their term.  

Section IV.      The ECI State Office will notify the Governor’s Office when a member has not met the requirements in these policies.

Article VI       Board Officers

Section I.         The Officers of the ECI Board are Chair and Vice-Chair.  Citizen board members are elected to these positions by the voting members of the Board.

 

1. All officers shall be elected for a two-year term.
2. At the first meeting after April 1 of even numbered years, the Chair shall appoint a nomination committee consisting of three board members. 
3. The nominating committee shall report its nominees to the ECI Board ten days prior to the next board meeting, at which time the election shall take place.
4. Voting for the Chair and Vice-Chair, shall be by ballot if there is more than one candidate for either position.  If there are no additional candidates other than those presented by the nominating committee, the election may be conducted by hand voting or roll-call.
5. Nominations may be made from the floor at the time of the election provided the consent of the nominee has been obtained.
6. Officers shall assume office at the first meeting following the election.
7. Any vacancy in the office of Chair shall be filled by elevation of the Vice-Chair.  Vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair shall be filled by election at the next meeting after the vacancy occurs.
8. A vacancy in any elective office shall be filled by ECI Board action.       

Section II.       The Chair shall chair all meetings unless unable to attend.  In the event that the Chair is unable to attend a meeting, the Vice-Chair will preside.

Section III.      The Vice-Chair shall have the full authority and capacity of the Chair in the event of the Chair’s absence.

Section IV.      The members of the ECI Board shall elect other officers as the ECI Board deems necessary.

Article VII.    Meetings

Section I.         Regular meetings of the ECI Board shall be held as determined by the ECI Board, upon the call of the Chair, or upon the call of a majority of voting members. Annual meeting schedules and agendas are available at https://earlychildhood.iowa.gov/events

https://earlychildhood.iowa.gov/meeting-agendas-and-minutes

The ECI Board meets a minimum of four times per year. 

Section II.       ECI Board members will receive an agenda at least five calendar days prior to any regular or special meeting of the ECI Board, unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical.

Section III.      The agenda will be prepared by the administrator of the ECI State Office and approved by the Chair.  Any ECI Board member may request an item be placed on the agenda by notifying the Chair or administrator of the ECI State office at least 10 days before the meeting.

Section IV.      All regular and special meetings of the ECI Board shall be open to the public in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter 21 (Open Meetings).

Section V.       Board meeting materials are available by contacting the ECI State Office. 

Section VI.      A quorum of ECI Board members is required to conduct business.  That number is equal to a majority of the voting members.  No business can be transacted without a quorum, except to adjourn the meeting.

Section VI.      Meetings may be conducted by electronic means in compliance with Iowa Code Section 21.8.

Article VIII    Advisory Council

Section I.         The ECI Board shall utilize the Early Childhood Stakeholders Alliance to provide input and support in addressing the early care, health, and education systems that affect children ages zero through five and their families.

Article IX       Committees

Section I.         The ECI Board shall appoint such standing and ad hoc committees and task forces as shall be deemed appropriate and necessary in carrying out its mandate.  The committees may include ECI Board members, area directors, area board members, agency staff and other citizens.

Section II.       Committees cannot make decisions on behalf of the ECI Board; however, they can provide recommendations. 

Article X        Early Childhood Iowa State Office

Section I.         An Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) State Office is established within the Department of Management to provide leadership for facilitation, communication, and coordination of board actions. 

Section II.       Staffing for the ECI State Office shall be provided by an administrator appointed by the Director, Department of Management.  Other staff may also be designated, subject to appropriation made for this purpose.  The administrator shall provide primary staffing to the ECI board, coordinate state technical assistance activities and implementation of the technical assistance system, and other communication and coordination functions to move authority and decision-making responsibility from the state to communities and individuals.

The ECI State Office coordinates work of the board and other early childhood partners to strengthen the early childhood network of systems supporting children zero through age five. These efforts are identified via the statewide strategic plan. The strategic plan guides state and local early childhood system efforts. The ECI component groups provide public and private partnership efforts to work through the strategic plan activities, collaborate component group efforts at the Steering Committee level, present recommendations to the Alliance, which then informs all early childhood stakeholders systemwide.

Section III.      The state agencies represented on the ECI Board may designate staff to work as a technical assistance team in providing coordination and support.

Section IV.      Work with private businesses, foundations, and non-profit organizations to develop sustained funding.          

Section V.       Provide staffing coordination for the ECI Stakeholder’s Alliance to carry out all duties as outlined in 256I.12.

Article XI       Conflicts of Interest

Section I.         Members of the ECI Board are public officials and must comply with the Iowa Public Officials Act, Iowa Code Chapter 68B – Conflicts of Interest of Public Officers and Employees, of the Code of Iowa.

Section II.       The “Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest” policy will be reviewed by members at the first board meeting each calendar year.  The board member will agree each year as evidenced by signature on the “Conflict of Interest Statement.”

Section III.      Any member of the ECI Board with a conflict of interest shall abstain from voting.

Article XII     Bylaws

Section I.         These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all voting members, provided at least 6 calendar days written notice has been given of the intention to alter, amend, repeal, or to adopt new bylaws at such meeting.

Section II.       Proposed bylaws changes and/or amendments will be presented at one meeting and voted on at the next meeting.

Section III.      Bylaws shall be reviewed bi-annually by a designated committee, which shall provide input to the ECI Board as appropriate.    

Article IV.       Parliamentary Authority

                        In all instances when they are applicable and not inconsistent with these bylaws and any other special rules the ECI Board shall adopt, the rules contained in the current edition of New Robert's Rules of Order shall govern this board.

Bylaws    4/32020

Reviewed 9-10-202; Approved on 11-5-21