“Making Early Care and Education Everybody’s Business”

The Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Development (MACECD) was established in 1979, and re-established through Mayor’s Order 88-96 in 1988. The purpose of the Committee, as stated in the Order is to “advise the Mayor on early childhood development programs in the District of Columbia and…serve as an ‘advisory council’ in the implementation of the early childhood development requirements of the Federal Government.” The full Advisory Committee has at least 31 members, and it meets five times each year on the third Wednesday in January, March, May, September, and November.  The Steering Committee, comprised of the Chairs and Co-Chairs of the standing committees and task forces, meets five each year on the third Wednesday in February, April, June, October, and December.  The Committee also serves as the advisory body for the Child Care and Development Block Grant Fund Plan, the Head Start State Collaboration, and the Health and Child Care Systems Grant. The MACECD is organized around the requirements established by the Mayor’s Office of Boards and Commissions.  The Advisory Committee is recruiting additional members.

Advisory Committee Functions

The functions of the Advisory Committee are to:

1. Serve as an advocate for…the quality of early childhood development programs and recommend methods of upgrading services;
   
2. Develop an annual report including an analysis of needs and resources, and an assessment of the impact of early childhood development programs in the District of Columbia;Review state plans that relate to child development services and submit comments to the Mayor;

3. Review and comment…on legislation, regulations, policies and programs that significantly affect the area of early childhood development; and

4. Assist in increasing public awareness of programs and improve communications between providers, the public, and government.

Mission and Vision Statements
A. Vision – The District of Columbia is a national leader in creating and sustaining an exemplary system of early care and education, which recognizes and responds to the cultural, ethnic and developmental diversity of children–birth through school age–and their families. Supports a well-trained and well-compensated professional child care workforce and is guided by the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Development.

B. Mission – MACECD is an advisory committee composed of individuals from a broad spectrum of the community concerned with child care and professional development. The Committee’s purpose is to promote, support, and report to the Mayor on the status of early care and education for children and families in the District of Columbia. MACECD works to achieve its mission by envisioning, informing, advising, advocating, supporting, empowering, and shaping public opinion and policy with regard to the status and direction of early care and education and professional development.

MACECD Standing Committees

The Advisory Committee has ten standing committees and five task forces. The Standing Committees are: Accreditation; Data and Needs Assessment; Early Childhood Comprehensive Services; Governmental Affairs; Head Start State Collaboration; Health Promotion in Early Care and Education; Professional Development; Public Relations and Community Outreach; Recognition, Children’s Champions, and Conferences; and Washington Parent Education Collaborative. 

The five task forces are: Capacity Building for Inclusive Child Care; Family Child Care Home Professionals; Infant and Toddler; Rates for Children with Disabilities and/or Special Health Care Needs; and Universal School Readiness and Childhood Development. The Early Care and Education Administration (ECEA) within the DC Department of Human Services, provides staff support for the Advisory Committee.