BOCA Meeting Minutes (open to the public)
December 13, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Location of Meeting:
Virtual (GoToMeeting)
In Attendance:
Board: Rebecca Compton, Tracy Martin-Turgeon, Amy Vogel, Charlene Barbieri
Public:
Denise Greene West End Community Center
Linda M Laliberte EBCAP Head Start
Mely Taveras RIDOH
Tanya M Ouellette-Pierce Cadence Academy Preschool
Celeste F Thomason Today’s Child
Sandra M Sayles Way to Grow Learning Center
Deborah Perry ywca ri
Richard M McAuliffe Mayforth Group
Heather Grocott Cadence Academy Preschool
Marisa Gallagher Hope St Early Learning Center
ROSA RIBEIRO First Step Daycare, Inc.
The meeting of the Business Owners in Childcare Association was called to order at 3:34 PM on 12/13/21 on GoToMeeting by Rebecca Compton
Meeting Notes:
Tracy led the meeting, with PowerPoint presentation on the screen.
- Welcome – introductions & greetings
- Thank you to Nancy Beye, Jamestown Early Learning Center, for 7+ years as the BOCA President. Sent gift to Nancy as a thank you.
- Introduced board members:
President Joseph Tomchak, Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County
Vice President Tracy Martin-Turgeon, Cadence- Education Inc.
Secretary Rebecca Compton, Dr. Day Care Learning Center
Treasurer Amy Vogel, Dr. Day Care Learning Center
Legislative Liaison/Sergeant at Arms Charlene Barbieri, Little Learners Preschool
- Upcoming Meeting Dates:
board meetings: 2nd Monday of every month, 3:33 – 4:30 pm
Member Meetings: 4th Monday of every month, 3:33 – 4:30 pm (skipping June, July, & Aug.)
- January 24, 2022
- February 28, 2022
- March 28, 2022
- April 25, 2022
- May 23, 2022
- October 24, 2022
- November 28, 2022
- December 26, 2022 (TBD)
- Celebrate successes
- COVID relief efforts
- Fingerprinting
- BrightStars advocacy and changes
- Apprenticeship program (Charlene discussed)
- Creating a value statement for BOCA:
What are we doing next? What is different?
- Open Forum/Discussion:
- Heather Grocott – CPR: can we make it more accessible? Less expensive?
- Denise Greene – challenging that COVID guidelines are not the same/unified for all centers. Families don’t always understand why rules vary by center.
- Rick McAuliffe – other COVID rules/restrictions vary by workplace, no mask mandate. High rate of COVID recently. Governor has press conference soon. Now more than ever, need advocacy like BOCA to communicate with government. More $ available now to child care, teaching, and getting people back to work.
- (chat from Marissa Gallagher regarding thoughts on combining RICCDA & BOCA)
- Amy Vogel – BOCA has been in talks to see how we can collaborate
- Linda Liberte – asked for invoices to be sent for membership. Highest rate of infections during pandemic was just recently. Proven how fundamental child care is to the economy.
- Tracy wrapped up the meeting with final discussion on future meeting dates (members only) and encouraged all to join BOCA and join next member meeting.
Meeting ended at 4:15pm.
Next Meeting:
The next BOCA member only meeting will be held on GoToMeeting on January 24, 2022 at 3:33 PM
Minutes submitted by Rebecca Compton