Section 256I.6 - Early childhood Iowa areas1. The purpose of an early childhood Iowa area is to enable local citizens to lead collaborative efforts involving early care, education, health, and human services on behalf of the children, families, and other citizens residing in the area. Leadership functions may include but are not limited to strategic planning for and oversight and managing of such programs and the funding made available to the early childhood Iowa area for such programs from federal, state, local, and private sources. The focus of the area shall be to achieve the desired results and to improve other results for families with young children.2. An early childhood Iowa area shall be designated by using existing county boundaries to the extent possible.3. The designation of an early childhood Iowa area's boundaries and the creation of an area board are both subject to the approval of the state board. The state board shall determine if a proposed area board can efficiently and effectively administer the responsibilities and authority of the area to be served. The state board may apply additional criteria for designating areas and approving area boards, but shall apply all of the following minimum criteria: a. An area cannot encompass more than four counties.b. The counties encompassing a multicounty area must have contiguous borders.c. A single county area shall have a minimum population of children zero through age five in excess of five thousand, based on the most recent population estimates issued by the United States bureau of the census.4. If the state board determines exceptional circumstances exist, the state board may waive any of the criteria otherwise specified in subsection 3.