On May 9, 2017, as part of the action to adopt the FY 2017/18 Recommended Budget, the Board of Supervisor referred to the Finance Committee for review and consideration a proposal for funding an immigrants rights program in Contra Costa County. The item was heard for the first time by the Finance Committee on June 26, 2017. On August 16, 2017, the Finance Committee received and reviewed a formal proposal for the project and voted to recommend the project for funding and implementation. On September 19, 2017, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to establish the project, Stand Together CoCo, and to approve $500,000 in County funds to underwrite the project from January 1-June 30, 2018, with options to provide $500,000 in County funds annually for two additional one-year terms (FY 18/19 and FY 19/20), subject to both renewed private funding and satisfactory program performance. On December 19, 2017 the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to accept the recommendations of the review panel and authorized the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender to enter into a contract with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Oakland DBA Catholic Charities of the East Bay for the period from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020. The contract was executed on January 31, 2018. The program successfully launched on March 1, 2018.