|
Back to Calendar
Return
|
| |
4.
|
| FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE |
|
|
|
| Information |
| Referral History: |
On January 7, 2020 the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2020/1 adopting policy governing appointments to boards, committees, and commissions that are advisory to the Board of Supervisors. Included in this resolution was the requirement that applications for at large/countywide seats be reviewed by a Board of Supervisors committee.
The Family and Children’s Trust Committee (FACT), was established in 1982 by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to make funding recommendations on the allocation of a variety of funds for prevention and intervention services to reduce child abuse and neglect, provide supportive services to families and children, and promote a more coordinated, seamless system of services for families. Funding for FACT supported projects derived from federal and state program legislation, and donations to the County’s Family and Children’s Trust Fund.
Every two years, the members of the FACT establish a series of County priorities for the use of these funds through review of existing data and reports and by holding Public Hearings in various areas of the county. The Committee then develops a competitive bidding process to select non-profit, community-based agencies that can best provide the services determined to be most important. Program recommendations are made to the Board of Supervisors which makes the final funding decisions. The Committee continues to evaluate these funded programs to ensure continued provision of quality service and achievement of stated goals. Programs currently being supported include countywide parenting classes, therapeutic day care for emotionally disturbed children, treatment for families, young children and teens with both substance abuse and child abuse issues, services for homeless families, and projects to support children whose mothers have been victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The FACT has up to fifteen members who are appointed by the Board and include citizens with expertise in children’s issues, education, law, non-profit agency management, public health, and program research/evaluation. In addition, the Director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council sits as ex-officio member of the Committee and participates in all matters except actually voting on funding recommendations. Terms for all Commission seats are two years.
At Large and non-District appointed seat vacancies on the FACT have been assigned for Family and Human Services Committee review since 2003. |
| Referral Update: |
1. The purpose of this committee is to establish priorities and make funding recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the allocation of specific funds for the prevention/amelioration of child abuse and neglect, and the promotion of positive family functioning. These funds include: Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment funds (CAPIT) funds, (AB 1733), Birth Certificate revenue to the County Children’s Trust (AB2994), the Ann Adler Children’s Trust funds, Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention funds (CBCAP) and other funds as may be subsequently directed by the Board of Supervisors.
2. The FACT Committee, in conjunction with the County Administrator’s Office, performs extensive efforts to fill its vacant seats. The recent recruitment efforts resulted in the receipt of six (6) applications, of which five (5) were received in the last 90 days. The recruitment efforts include releasing public notices on the Employment and Human Services (EHSD) social media sites, outreach to educational partners, outreach to CFS Community Partnership distribution, outreach to each district Supervisor’s office and releasing public notice, inviting interested parties to consider membership and soliciting the support of current members to outreach to potential candidates for consideration for membership.
3. Since April 2022, the FACT Committee has been unable to meet due to lack of quorum, membership and vacancies. As of current there are nine (9) of fifteen (15) seats vacant. Given the severity of the situation and resulting impact to critical child abuse prevention funding and services, EHSD sought guidance from the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) to pursue alternate committee recruitment and appointment options. CAO provided direction to have the EHSD Director request recommendation of FACT Committee appointments/reappointments based on review and recommendation by FACT Chair and FACT Co-Chair.
4. To ensure involvement from a voice in the community with the Committee appointments, each new applicant was reviewed and vetted by the FACT Chair and FACT Co-Chair via an interview and evaluation process. The FACT Chair and FACT Co-Chair provided interview and evaluation results with recommendation for applicant appointments.
The FACT Committee met on February 6, 2023 and vetted the applicants. Each candidate has the background and experience to support the discipline specific seat designation. After a thorough review, the Committee voted to appoint Liliana Gonzalez to the First 5 seat and Erin Cabezas to the Mental Health seat. |
| Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s): |
| RECOMMEND to the Board of Supervisors the appointment of Liliana Gonzalez to the First 5 seat on the Family & Children’s Trust Committee (FACT) with a term expiring September 30, 2024 and the appointment of Erin Cabezas to the Mental Health seat on the FACT with a term expiring September 30, 2023, as recommended by the Employment and Human Services Department. |
| Fiscal Impact (if any): |
| There is no fiscal impact. |
|
|
|