To: First Steps Community Member
From: Dawn Downer, Director, Bureau of Child Development Services
Re: Volunteer opportunities to participate on First Steps’ sub-committees
Date: May 31, 2016
The Bureau of Child Development Services (BCDS), First Steps is pleased to announce that the Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) has graciously agreed to create and spearhead a variety of sub-committees aimed at gathering stakeholder input in order to make recommendations that will assist with improving Indiana’s early intervention system. As the ICC seeks to advise and assist the BCDS with its mission of delivering high quality services and supports to Indiana’s children and families, it is imperative that a variety of voices and stakeholders from across the state – engaged with the system in various roles – contribute to the discussion and creation of recommendations.
As you are an invested member of the First Steps system, we would like to extend an invitation to you to consider volunteering to participate and lend your voice, expertise and insights to the upcoming work of these groups. Below this message you will find information regarding the four sub-committees that will begin meeting shortly, the topics they will address, their goals and the sub-committee charter. As you review these groups and reflect on your role within the system, if you should find that there is a sub-committee that will be addressing topics about which you have a keen interest in sharing your perspective, we would ask that you complete the following steps in order to volunteer to participate.
Please email firststepsweb@fssa.in.gov by no later than Friday, June 17, 2016, if you wish to volunteer to serve on a sub-committee. Please put the sub-committee topic in the subject line of your email to identify which subcommittee you would like to serve on, and include the following information in the body of the message:
- Your name
- Your role in First Steps
- Your location
- A brief description of why you would like to join the sub-committee
- A general statement regarding availability to participate in sub-committee work
The goal in determining the membership of the sub-committees will be to gain perspectives from a cross section of individuals that will provide balanced representation of stakeholders. All submissions will be forwarded to the sub-committee chairs that will then select the
membership of the committees and will notify those who have been selected. If you are not selected to participate as a member of the sub-committee, please note that these are open door sub-committees and you will have the opportunity to participate and contribute your thoughts through attendance at meetings and through other avenues such as written communication, surveys, etc.
In closing, we would like to thank you for the investment of time and talent that you contribute to the First Steps system already, and sincerely hope that, if able, you will consider furthering that commitment through participation in the work of the sub-committees. The unique perspectives that each stakeholder can bring to the conversation will be of tremendous benefit to the BCDS in setting priorities and the direction of continuous improvement efforts of the Indiana First Steps early intervention system.
If you have questions regarding this process, please feel free to reach out to state staff via the First Steps Web at firststepsweb@fssa.in.gov
