Family Services Committee

Family Services Committee
Minutes
Monday, November 3, 2008

Members Present: Regina Duffey-Moravek, Beth McKinney, Myra Sabir, Lynette Chappell-Williams, Bill Liddick, Linda Starr, Helen Steh, Tine Reimers, Lauren Jacoby (by phone), Rose Braman (scribe)

I. Announcements — Helen S. - Van Pool has been started. Groups have met to discuss the logistics, their options, and cost savings. Transportation is partnering with VPSI. Cost depends on size of van, # of people, miles driven, and cost of gas. Helen will send flyers to group.

II. Overview of work/life related awards received — Working Mothers award Cornell has moved up to the 2nd quintile from the 4th quintile. Next years’ application may be a challenge with the economic downside. AARP #1 employer this year, moved up from 32nd position. NAFE — just submitted. Chronicle of HE — working on this year’s application.

III. Update on child care center- ribbon cutting, dedication ceremony was held on October 15th. The center is full and there is a significant waiting list. It was brought up that the child care center is being used as a recruitment tool for faculty. Question: Is this something we need to work on or send to childcare committee to look at as an option for finding a solution for using the 4C as a recruitment tool? It was suggested we invite the chair from the Child Care Subcommittee to come to our meeting and provide us with options/solutions. Suggestion to hold spots at the 4C — department pays to hold spot and use spot as back-up care.

Child Care grants - Budget allocated for the CCG is $1.4 M. We have 880 applicants up from last years 700. We currently are $394,00 over budget. Lynette has asked the committee to help come up with some ways we can trim the expenditure. Letters need to go out before open enrollment. Rose will set up an emergency meeting to look at the spreadsheet. Also, a link will be provided to members that give the criteria and guidelines for edibility. It was stressed that this meeting and information shared had to be confidential. Part II of this idea is that the Child Care Grant program needs to be redesigned. Adoption assistance — We have increased the amount of support for special needs adoption by $1,000.00

IV.. Outcome of life quality annual meeting — Meeting went well. Speakers provided a lot of information. Copies of the PowerPoint’s will be sent to the FSC members.

V. Strategic planning effort — memo has been sent to Mary with the recommendations from FSC and faculty.

a. FSA priority recommendations —

• expanding the university’s commitment to addressing work/life/family;
• increasing the utilization of flexible work arrangements throughout the university; and
• implementing elder care/kinship care/child care programs to better meet the needs of faculty, staff and students

b. feedback from ADVANCE -

• Elder care/child care
• Coordination of calendars
• Communication of programs offered

c. information collected from student perspective — Lynette meets with a representative this week

d. discussion of next steps — Do we want to incorporate faculty needs as part of our priority? It was suggested we work on one item at a time. Rose will send the gird on school. Bill explained the steps to get started with changing of university academic calendar — Resolutions has to be drafted — send to University Assembly — forward to President Skorton for further consideration.

VI. Overview of June 2009 work/life conference — tabled until next meeting

Agenda Items for December 1, 2008 (not necessarily in this order)

1. Announcements
2. Strategic planning effort —(FSA & Faculty discussed on Nov. 2nd meeting)
** information collected from student perspective
3. Overview of June 2009 Work/Life conference
4. Committee to agree on 3 items — final decision on priority as a commitment to work on
5. Discussion of 4C as a recruitment tool (Lynette to invite chair from Child Care Services Sub committee)