Agenda

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D. 1

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Dorothy Sansoe, County Administrator
Date:	December 8, 2009

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

First Five Contra Costa Strategic Plan

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/08/2009

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Sean Cassidy, 925-771-7300

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 8, 2009
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT report from First 5 Contra Costa on their five year strategic plan to invest more than $70 million in programs that service children ages 0-5 and their families.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No impact

BACKGROUND:

The First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission has adopted a new five-year strategic plan to invest more than $70 million in programs that serve children ages 0 to 5 and their families. This investment commitment guarantees consistent, stable funding for local children’s programs at a time when county and state budget cuts have greatly reduced services for children. The Commission's approval of the plan titled, "Investing in Early Childhood," marked the culmination of an 18-month, public planning process that engaged community stakeholders, grantees, commissioners, and staff.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

First 5 Contra Costa’s strategic plan will fund initiatives focused in the following core areas:

1. Early Childhood Education: Provide children with high-quality child care and preschool
2. Family Support: Help at-risk children birth to age three form healthy attachments with parents, which research shows is critical to healthy brain development
3. Early Intervention Services: Support children affected by abuse, neglect, trauma, development delays, special needs, social/emotional, or health problems
4. Community Information and Engagement: Ensure parents, providers, policymakers and the public understand the importance of the first five years and how they can best support children

Some of the programs funded under these initiatives will include improved treatment for children who have suffered child abuse, neglect or ongoing trauma; preschool scholarships for low-income children; support for children with serious disabilities or other special needs, including improved screening to identify delays in children earlier in their life; advanced training for child care teachers; nurse visits for new parents; and free parent education programs at family resource centers.

Prudent fiscal planning has made it possible for First 5 to make its $70 million five-year funding commitment despite the fact that Proposition 10 revenues are declining. To avoid program funding reductions, First 5 will use the majority of its reserve funds account, which was established eight years ago to ensure stability in funding as Proposition 10 revenues decreased.

The Strategic Plan can be obtained online at www.firstfivecc.org.