(a) There is established the Early Childhood Cabinet. The cabinet shall consist of: (1) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the commissioner’s designee, (2) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner’s designee, (3) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner’s designee, (4) the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the president’s designee, (5) the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner’s designee, (6) the Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the commissioner’s designee, (7) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner’s designee, (8) the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity or the executive director’s designee, (9) the project director of the Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, (10) a parent or guardian of a child who attends or attended a school readiness program appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, (11) a representative of a local provider of early childhood education appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, (12) a representative of the Connecticut Family Resource Center Alliance appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, (13) a representative of a state-funded child care center appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, (14) two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a member of a board of education for a town designated as an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, and one of whom is a parent who has a child attending a school in an educational reform district, as defined in section 10-262u, (15) two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of an association of early education and child care providers and one of whom is a representative of a public elementary school with a prekindergarten program, (16) ten appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Head Start Association, one of whom is a representative of the business community in this state, one of whom is a representative of the philanthropic community in this state, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut State Employees Association, one of whom is an administrator of the child care development block grant pursuant to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, one of whom is responsible for administering grants received under section 1419 of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1419, as amended from time to time, one of whom is responsible for administering the provisions of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 USC 6301 et seq., one of whom is responsible for coordinating education services to children and youth who are homeless, one of whom is a licensed family child care home provider and a member of a staffed family child care network identified by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, and one of whom is a parent recommended by a parent advisory group that has been appointed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, (17) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary’s designee, (18) the Lieutenant Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor’s designee, (19) the Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner’s designee, and (20) the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or the commissioner’s designee.

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(b) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall serve as a cochairperson of the cabinet. The other cochairperson of the cabinet shall be appointed from among its members by the Governor. The cabinet shall meet at least quarterly. Members shall not be compensated for their services, except the following members, who are parents or guardians, may, within available appropriations, be compensated for any time and travel related to meetings of the cabinet: (1) The parent or guardian of a child who attends or attended a school readiness program and was appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives under subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of this section, (2) the parent who has a child attending a school in an educational reform district, as defined in section 10-262u, and was appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives under subdivision (14) of subsection (a) of this section, and (3) the parent who was recommended by a parent advisory group and appointed by the Governor under subdivision (16) of subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Within available resources, the Early Childhood Cabinet shall (1) advise the Office of Early Childhood, established pursuant to section 10-500, (2) not later than December 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, develop an annual plan of action that assigns the appropriate state agency to complete the tasks specified in the federal Head Start Act of 2007, P.L. 110-134, as amended from time to time, and (3) not later than March 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, submit an annual state-wide strategic report, pursuant to said federal Head Start Act, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, addressing the progress such agencies have made toward the completion of such tasks outlined under said federal Head Start Act and this subsection to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and human services.

(d) The Early Childhood Cabinet shall be within the Office of Early Childhood for administrative purposes only.