Please join me, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Cottie Petrie-Norris, and Dave Min for on Tues., September 29, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. for conversation on early child care the education crisis in Orange County!
What: Conversation on early child care the education crisis in Orange County. When: Tues., September 29, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where: Online. Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81915074314.
Early Childhood OC is a community collaborative that was formed to develop Orange County’s Early Childhood Policy Framework in order to ensure that young children reach their developmental potential and are ready to succeed in school and life. The Framework ensures adults are knowledgeable, nurturing, responsive and interact effectively with other adults, children and the family unit and environments that impact children are safe supportive, stable and healthy. Through implementation of the Framework, Orange County will attain economic and social benefits.
Pretend City Children’s Museum is “the world in a nut-shell”, designed for children to learn how the real world works while engaging their curiosities and imaginations. The museum is a child-size interconnected city built to balance rich educational intention with boundless fun, where children can assume various real-world roles and let their creativity rule. Through interactive exhibits and activities facilitated by our trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. They see how academic concepts have real-life application by learning in our unique, hands-on environment. Located at 29 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618. For more information, call 949-428-3900.
Child360 is a leading nonprofit working toward a future where every child has the educational opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Our name reflects our 360 degree approach to improve and expand the vital early learning opportunities our young children need, by working alongside educators, families, partner organizations, policy makers and our communities.
Unfortunately, this year, young children are stuck at home, away from their schools, teachers, and friends.
The good news is that although Irvine’s Pretend City Children’s Museum is temporarily closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it has made it easier to celebrate the Week of the Young Child from your home — and keep your young children moving, thinking, and expressing throughout this quarantine period.
The staff at Pretend City has said, “We want to share our sincere hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. As we continue to monitor COVID-19, our top priority remains the well-being of our Pretend City citizens -– all of you! While we’re adapting to new ways of serving you while the museum is temporarily closed, our team is committed to working together to support you.”
Pretend City has put together some fun at-home activities for young children for every day of the week.
Pretend City has also put together a terrific “Way to Play Guide” for Pretend City @ Home, providing age and development appropriate play activities for children from birth to 6 months old, 7 to 12 months old, 13 to 18 months old, 19 to 24 months old, 2 to 3 years old, 3 to 4 years old, 4 to 5 years old, and 5+ years old.
To view the “Way to Play Guide” for Pretend City @ Home, click HERE.
As Pretend City says, “You are your child’s best teacher. By trying these simple and fun play activities, you are helping your child reach his or her developmental milestones. This process of change involves learning skills like walking, talking and playing with others, often at predictable times during the first five years of life. You can use this sheet as a tool to help you better understand your child’s milestones, gauge each new stage of growth and encourage emerging abilities in your child’s life.”
To learn more about helping Pretend City Children’s Museum continue its great work during this difficult time, please click HERE.
Visit Pretend City Children’s Museum on Facebook HERE.
COVID-19 Notes
I’ve added a new “COVID-19 Community Resources and Information Pageto my blog, with links to up-to-date and reliable resources and information from federal, state, and county sources, as well as the cities and public schools in the 68th Assembly District.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a National Day of Service.
Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK National Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national and community problems.
There are many opportunities for service in Irvine and Orange County.
In addition, Irvine Gives is a comprehensive online resource to help locate the giving opportunities you seek.
If you want to donate time, money or materials, clicking on Irvine Gives is a great place to start.
There are also many opportunities for service in greater Orange County.
A terrific local organization for service is the Community Action Partnership of Orange County. The Community Action Partnership is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Orange County by eliminating and preventing poverty. Volunteers are a key element of the Community Action Partnership’s to bring hope and resources to those who need help the most. You can make a difference by caring and taking action. Contact them at 714-897-6670.
The OC Food Bank works with nearly 400 local charities, soup kitchens, and community organizations to end hunger and malnutrition by providing donated food, USDA commodities, and purchased food to non-profit agencies in Orange County that serve low-income families and individuals.
Annually, the OC Food Bank is able to distribute more than 20 million pounds of food. The OC Food Banks is located at 11870 Monarch Street, Garden Grove, CA 92841. You can also contact them by phone at 714-897-6670.
There is a serious child care crisis in Irvine. At present, nearly 2,500 Irvine families do not have adequate child care. Irvine will need an additional 4,551 child care spaces by 2035, due to the increase in housing development and the concomitant increase in the number of families with young children moving to Irvine.
As a member of the Irvine City Council, I have made it a priority to increase childcare and early childhood education opportunities in Irvine. By volunteering to serve on the Irvine Child Care Committee, you can serve our community and help me and others work to alleviate our childcare crisis.
The Irvine Child Care Committee is a 15-member advisory body to the Irvine Community Services Commission, and works cooperatively with the Irvine Children, Youth, and Families Advisory Committee, Child Care Coordination staff, and Community Development to enhance the quality of childcare and school readiness in the City of Irvine.
The Irvine Child Care Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the Community Services Commission, providing input on the needs of the community pertaining to child care-related issues. The full committee includes five City Council appointees; two center- or home-based child care providers; two parents/guardians; three representatives, one each from Irvine Unified School District, University of California Irvine, and Irvine Valley College; and two community representatives.
Committee meetings are held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, September, October and November, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at Heritage Park Community Center, or other designated Irvine location.
Applicants must be willing to commit to a two-year term of active service, January 2020 through December 2021. Irvine Child Care Committee meetings are held the second Tuesday of select months (at least six times a year) from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Heritage Park Community Center or other Irvine locations.
Applications are available now at the Irvine Child Resource Center and Irvine Civic Center, and online at cityofirvine.org/childcare. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, September 9. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to: Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606.
For additional information, contact Traci Stubbler at 949-724-6635 or tstubbler@cityofirvine.org. Or contact my Lead Council Executive Assistant, Allison Binder, at abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us.
These are indeed wonderful accomplishments that the Mayor, the entire City Council, and all residents of Irvine should be proud of.
But much more remains to be done and problems remain to be solved.
Here is what I would like to hear the Mayor address:
Climate and the Environment
Irvine must become ever more environmentally responsible and should be a national leader in meeting the existential ecological demands of the future.
As Chair of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, I have helped guide Irvine toward greener policies related to energy, recycling and waste management, mobility, open space and water issues.
But more must be done.
I would like to hear the Mayor commit to establishing a Climate Action Plan for Irvine, with the goal of eliminating half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the city and aiming for all electricity used in the city to be from renewable sources by 2035.
Climate Action Plans make it easy for the public to see what cities plan to do to meet state targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sprinkling such actions throughout the General Plan is not as transparent and is not in the best interest of the public.
Other cities, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle, Baltimore, Phoenix and Houston already have Climate Action Plans. As the self-proclaimed City of Innovation, Irvine should be a leader in this national effort.
An Irvine Climate Action Plan would benefit both the environment and the regional economy, creating new jobs in the renewable energy industry, improve public health and air quality, conserve water, more efficiently use existing resources, increase clean energy production, improve the quality of life, and save taxpayer money.
Most importantly, a Climate Action Plan would fulfill our obligation to ensure that Irvine remains a beautiful green city for future generations.
Traffic Congestion and Traffic Safety
We have made significant progress in alleviating Irvine’s traffic congestion. We expanded the iShuttle to provide more transportation. We’ve enabled left-hand turns in some intersections to allow traffic to move faster and more efficiently. We’ve widened roads and made other improvements.
But we need to do more.
I would like to hear the Mayor announce a plan to create a greener, smarter, and more efficient transportation future by further expanding our iShuttle. For example, a route that would take people from UCI to the Spectrum would be good for both Irvine traffic reduction, Irvine’s air quality, as well as for UCI students and Spectrum businesses.
Our roads are not only too often congested, they are also becoming too dangerous, as people fail to obey stop signs and follow the rules of the road.
I would like to hear the Mayor propose a major comprehensive traffic safety project, focusing on ensuring motorists come to a full stop at stop signs. This project would involve education, increased enforcement and deploying more advanced stop sign technology.
Many cities have lighted stop signs. Irvine should have them as well. Our Irvine Police should also receive a clear mandate from the Mayor and the City Council to take whatever enforcement actions are necessary to make our streets safer for our residents.
The Great Park
Irvine has made tremendous progress on fulfilling the promise of the Great Park and all of us should be proud of what we’ve accomplished.
I am also looking forward to the announcement of further progress on the return of Wild Rivers Water Park.
I also continue to support a veterans cemetery within the hallowed grounds of the former Marine Air Station El Toro, where so many brave men and women flew to Vietnam and other war zones, some never to come back. My proposal (along with Christina Shea) to locate the veterans cemetery on land that had been intended as a golf course has been through the Commission process and will soon come before the City Council.
What I would like to hear the Mayor speak about tonight is a vision and a plan for completing the next crucial phase of the park – the Cultural Terrace.
The City Council entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement to bring Pretend City Children’s Museum to the Cultural Terrace. When the relocation of Pretend City to the Great Park Cultural Terrace initially came before the City Council in 2017, I strongly supported it and was disappointed when we did not have the votes to act at that time. I am extremely pleased that we have moved forward this year.
But much more needs to be done to truly create the Cultural Terrace as the jewel of the Great Park.
Importantly, the history of the Juaneno/Acjachemen and Gabrielino/Tongva — our County’s indigenous people — needs to be told!
In fact, while Orange County is the only county in Southern California that does not have a natural history museum, Orange County is already home to a fabulous collection of fossils and artifacts in the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, now located in several warehouses in Santa Ana. This rich history of fossils and artifacts, perhaps one of the most important fossil-bearing areas in North America, if not the world, needs to be curated and displayed.
Our county’s rich store of fossils and artifacts ought to be open to all in a magnificent museum – a new Orange County Natural History Museum in the Great Park!
I have also made clear my support for the California Fire Museum and Safety Learning Center, and for preserving the heritage of our California firefighters in a permanent facility in the Great Park.
I have also long been a strong advocate for botanical gardens in the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace. In fact, every survey we’ve done has shown that gardens are among amenities that people most want in the Great Park.
I agree with the Great Park Garden Coalition that “We need places where children can experience nature and explore, where all can find refuge from the ever-increasing urban density and traffic, where people of all ages and abilities can experience beautiful outdoor spaces. All great urban parks have great garden spaces: Golden Gate Park, Central Park, Balboa Park.”
The Great Park in Irvine should, too.
Homelessness and Attainable Housing
As we all know, Irvine is among the most expensive real estate markets in the nation; for this reason, there is a tremendous need for, and tremendous obstacles to, affordable housing.
Finding solutions to the housing crisis and alleviating homelessness has been a priority for me, both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust.
Irvine has been a model in this area and the Land Trust concept, now being adopted by Orange County and many other cities, is something that Irvine has pioneered. No other city has a Land Trust like we have, and other cities are working to copy ours.
I’m proud of what the Irvine Land Trust has accomplished in the past year.
In 2018, we opened Parc Derian, which brings 80 new units of housing for working families, veterans, and special-needs residents of Irvine. We also began work on Salerno, a new 80-unit rental community. Like Parc Derian, Salerno will provide permanent affordable housing for working families, veterans, and special-needs residents of Irvine.
Significantly, we have begun to develop our first homes for ownership with help from a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. This new Irvine community, called Chelsea on Native Spring, located north of Irvine Boulevard, will include 68 affordable home for sale to income-eligible veterans, working families, and young professionals.
In all, that’s 466 households, and more than a thousand people, who can comfortably live, work and raise families in Irvine directly because of the work of the Irvine Community Land Trust.
In addition to my work on the Irvine Land Trust, I have traveled to Pittsburgh and San Antonio to see what other cities have done to successfully combat homelessness, and I have traveled to Sacramento to encourage the legislature to revise regulations and the tax code to make it easier to build affordable housing.
I would like to hear the Mayor reaffirm Irvine’s commitment to support the Irvine Community Land Trust as successful model for other cities to emulate in providing housing for diverse income levels.
I would also like to hear the Mayor present his vision for alleviating the homelessness crisis, and especially what role he envisions Irvine should play in providing shelter and services, especially in light of the case in federal court.
How will he work with the federal court and Board of Supervisors to tackle this crisis on a truly regional basis, and how will he get the Board of Supervisors to spend the money and resources that they have been given specifically to deal with homelessness on an actual solution?
Working Together in an Inclusive Democracy
Our City Council is no longer gridlocked in the partisan bickering that prevented progress for so many years; we have seen that we need to work together to improve the lives of all of Irvine’s residents.
I would like to see our city leaders display the truly democratic spirit that united all decent people in our community in condemning religious and racial bigotry, and not the divisiveness that is created when wedge issues, outside our jurisdiction and purview, are brought before the City Council. Focusing on these wedge issues does not produce positive policies that bring our city together, but instead a theatrical politics of division that can only drive us apart.
I would like to hear the Mayor reach out to those of us on the other side of the aisle, as he has often done, recognizing that it is best for our city and our residents when we work for the common good by looking for common ground.
A Vision for our Great City of Irvine
Our great City of Irvine is truly blessed with wonderful people, a beautiful natural environment, thriving businesses, and remarkable schools.
What Irvine needs is a vision for the future that focuses and energizes our continued quest for being the very best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.
The event begins with a reception at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Mayor’s address at 6:00 p.m.
Both the “State of the City” address and the reception are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary to attend.
The Civic Center is located at 1 Civic Center Drive, Irvine CA 92606-5207. Call 949-724-6077 for more information.
Comprised of 15 members, the ICYFAC is an advisory body to the Community Services Commission.
The Committee provides ongoing review and evaluation of programs and services that support the development of Irvine children and youth.
Goals included in the ICYFAC work plan for 2018–19 include:
Minimizing stress, anxiety, and depression by strengthening resiliency of young people
Connecting children and youth to their schools and community
Valuing youth as a vibrant section of the Irvine community
Collaborating with youth and community serving agencies
Applicants must live or work in Irvine and be willing to commit to a voluntary two-year term of active participation.
Committee meetings are held quarterly on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Irvine Civic Center.
The application period begins Monday, February 4, 2019. Applications are available at Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor, Community Services Department, or online here.
Completed applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019, to: City Clerk, City of Irvine, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA, 92623
At tonight’s Irvine City Council meeting on Tues., January 22, 2019, the Council will discuss entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with Pretend City Children’s Museum regarding the relocation of the museum to the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.
Pretend City Children’s Museum, which opened in Irvine in 2009, is an interactive children’s museum that builds better brains through whole body learning experiences, educational programs, and creative exhibits. It is is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children.
Designed as a small city, with a grocery store, construction site, art studio, house, café, bank, emergency services, health center and farm, Pretend City is a familiar environment in which children infant through eight-years-old will have joyful opportunities to build problem solving and critical thinking skills, develop creativity and begin a life-long love of learning.
Pretend City is dedicated to ensuring that each child is ready for school success by providing the ideal real-world learning experiences needed by children to develop their essential foundational learning skills.
Our friends at Pretend City Children’s Museum have put together a wonderful program for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Irvine on Monday, January 21, 2019, from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Here is what they have to say:
“Every child is unique, and they should know that no matter how different their friend may look from them, everyone should be treated fairly. On this special day at Pretend City, we want to have an open discussion with your child about equality. Don’t miss out on this important life lesson for your child!”
MLK Day Activities include:
Smart Art (in the Art Studio): Today in our Art Studio we will learn all about the word Peace and create a Dove of Peace handprint to encourage peaceful play at Pretend City and at home.
Cultural Connection (11:30 am): As children create their very own self-portrait, they will engage in discussions that show them that even though we are different in many ways (skin color, hair color, eye color, age, etc.) – everyone is special, and we have many of the same hopes, dreams and feelings on the inside.
Loud & Proud (3:00 pm): Dr. King had a dream of peace! What is your child’s dream? After we sing-along to the Martin Luther King Song children will be given the opportunity to share their dream with others.
The cost of the program is included in museum admission. You can purchase your ticket here.
Pretend City Children’s Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children. The museum is a child-size interconnected city built with rich educational intention, where children can assume various real-world roles. It is designed for children to learn how the real-world works.
Through interactive exhibits and activities facilitated by highly trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Pretend City Children’s Museum is located at 29 Hubble, Irvine CA 92618
Call 949-428-3900 for more information.
Note: At the Irvine City Council meeting on Tues., January 22, 2019, the Council will discuss entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with Pretend City Children’s Museum regarding the relocation of the museum to the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.
If you’re a fan of Pretend City, be sure to attend!
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service.
Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national and community problems.
There are many opportunities for service in Irvine.
Among the many Irvine organizations that need volunteer service are: the Irvine Animal Care Center, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Farm + Food Lab at the Great Park, Irvine Fine Arts Center, the Irvine Global Village Festival, Heritage and Aviation Exhibition-Orange County Great Park, High School Youth Action Team, Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, Irvine Disaster Emergency Communications (IDEC), Meals on Wheels, Senior Center, and the Turtle Rock Nature Center and Irvine Open Space Preserve.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to our community and directly help those in need.
In addition, Irvine Gives is a comprehensive online resource to help locate the giving opportunities you seek.
If you want to donate time, money or materials, clicking on Irvine Gives is a great place to start.
Early Childhood OC is a community collaborative that was formed to develop Orange County’s Early Childhood Policy Framework in order to ensure that young children reach their developmental potential and are ready to succeed in school and life. The Framework ensures adults are knowledgeable, nurturing, responsive and interact effectively with other adults, children and the family unit and environments that impact children are safe supportive, stable and healthy. Through implementation of the Framework, Orange County will attain economic and social benefits.
The Week of the Young Child (April 11-17) is an annual celebration hosted by the 
The good news is that although 
Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK National Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national and community problems.
A terrific local organization for service is the 
The 
Here is what I would like to hear the Mayor address:
But we need to do more.
What I would like to hear the Mayor speak about tonight is a vision and a plan for completing the next crucial phase of the park – the Cultural Terrace.
Finding solutions to the housing crisis and alleviating homelessness has been a priority for me, both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the 
I would like to see our city leaders display the truly democratic spirit that united all decent people in our community in condemning religious and racial bigotry, and not the divisiveness that is created when wedge issues, outside our jurisdiction and purview, are brought before the City Council. Focusing on these wedge issues does not produce positive policies that bring our city together, but instead a theatrical politics of division that can only drive us apart.
What Irvine needs is a vision for the future that focuses and energizes our continued quest for being the very best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.
Comprised of 15 members, the ICYFAC is an advisory body to the Community Services Commission.
Designed as a small city, with a grocery store, construction site, art studio, house, café, bank, emergency services, health center and farm, Pretend City is a familiar environment in which children infant through eight-years-old will have joyful opportunities to build problem solving and critical thinking skills, develop creativity and begin a life-long love of learning.
“Every child is unique, and they should know that no matter how different their friend may look from them, everyone should be treated fairly. On this special day at Pretend City, we want to have an open discussion with your child about equality. Don’t miss out on this important life lesson for your child!”
Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national and community problems.
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