Agenda Item # 6
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
July 26, 2011
Agenda Report # 677
TO: Mayor and City Council
SUBJECT: Early Childhood System of Care & Home Visiting Program
INITIATED BY: Joanne Cavis, Cooperative Extension
Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application, and if
approved, accept a grant for $450,000 from the Governor?s Office for Children
and Families (federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting
Program) and adjust the Multi-Governmental Fund by the grant amount.
Background: What happens in early childhood matters for a lifetime.
Neuroscience indicates that providing supportive and positive conditions for
early childhood development is more effective and less costly than addressing
consequences of adversity later. Since education begins at home and parents are
their children?s first and most influential teachers, educating and supporting
parents is a logical strategy.
*Federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program was created
in 2010 with funding available for each State for Evidence Based Home Visiting
Programs. The Governor?s Office for Children and Families was designated as
the lead agency in Georgia. Funding is expected through September 2015.
* The Zero-To-Three Task Force (SOC) in Columbus has an opportunity to
implement a third Home Visitation evidence-based model (Nurse-Family
Partnership, which has strong maternal and infant health components) and pilot
a community-based, comprehensive home visiting strategy directed toward six
outcome/benchmark areas (improved infant and maternal health; prevention of
child injuries, maltreatment and reduction in ER visits; improvement in school
readiness and achievement; reduction in crime and domestic violence;
improvement in family economic self-sufficiency; improvements in coordination
of and referrals for community resources and supports). Community indicators
place us at high-risk level.
*Key points of a System of Care: universal approach to supporting expectant
families and children 0 to 5 years; requires strong coordination and
collaboration among partners; provides something for everyone; based on idea
that all can benefit from support; all services are voluntary. The HV Models
chosen by GOCF are Parents As Teachers, Healthy Families Georgia, Nurse-Family
Partnership, and Early Head Start: Home-Based Option. State-level TA with
Continuous Quality Improvement will support model fidelity. The NFP program
will serve 100 new families, targeting low-income, first time pregnant women
(<28 weeks) for enrollment and visiting them and their child twice/month until
child is 2 years old.
Analysis: This grant will enable the expansion of home-visitation,
evidenced-based parent education programming, in order to reach more children
and parents. There is no cost to the participants. UGA Cooperative Extension
is a recognized leader in delivery of high quality trainings and, as a
collaborator with others who need training and resources.
**Collective Impact Initiatives (the strategy for EC-SOC in Columbus) are
long-term commitments by a group of important stakeholders from different
sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem. Their
actions are supported by a shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing
activities and ongoing communication, and are staffed by an independent
backbone organization.
**This grant will provide leverage dollars to secure additional grant funding.
All transactions will be conducted through Local Government Finance System.
Grant period projected to begin 04/01/2012.
Financial Considerations: The grant is for a total of $450,000 for the
Nurse-Family Partnership program component of the comprehensive home visiting
strategy. Funding requests, if deliverables are met, will be available for at
least three years. No local match required.
Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement: There will be no fiscal impact on
the general fund.
Legal Considerations: The applicant, Columbus Consolidated Government (for
Cooperative Extension?s Positive Parenting Program), is eligible to receive
these funds.
Recommendation/Action: Authorize to accept the $450,000 grant from the
Governor?s Office for Children and Families and adjust the Multi-Governmental
Fund by the grant amount.
A RESOLUTION
NO. ______
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND IF APPROVED ACCEPT GRANT
FUNDS FROM THE GOVERNOR?S OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF $450,000 TO FUND
EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM OF CARE EVIDENCE BASED, HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS TO
EDUCATE THE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND TO AMMEND THE MULTI-GOVERNMENTAL FUND
BY A LIKE AMOUNT OF $450.000.
WHEREAS, the funds have been made available from the Governor?s Office For
Children and Families for the purpose of evidence based, home visitation
programs for parenting education under an Early Childhood System Of Care that
addresses Federal home visiting benchmark areas and constructs; and, Muscogee
was selected as one of six counties eligible to apply; and,
WHEREAS, the UGA Cooperative Extension in Columbus has operated Parents As
Teachers, a home visiting parenting education program, under the umbrella of
Positive Parenting Program; and,
WHEREAS, there is a need to increase the knowledge and skills of parents with
young children so that they can provide a nurturing and safe environment while
acting as their children?s first teachers; and,
WHEREAS, parent education through evidence based, home visiting models is a
proven strategy to prevent child maltreatment, improve maternal and newborn
health, improve school readiness and achievement, and improve coordination and
referrals for other community resources and supports; and,
WHEREAS, there is limited access to pro-active parent education for families
at-risk, in transition, or parents who want to increase their parenting skills
and knowledge; and,
WHEREAS, it is important to engage in the Collective Impact philosophy and
practice in order to solve big social problems.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
That the City Manager is here by authorized to submit an application, and if
approved, accept a grant from the Governor?s Office for Children and Families
of $450,000 to fund parent education through evidence based, home visitation
model strategy (Nurse-Family Partnership) under Early Childhood System of
Care, and authorize amending the Multi-Governmental fund by the award of the
grant.
______________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held the
________ day of ________, 2011, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative
vote of _________members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting ____________.
Councilor Baker voting ____________.
Councilor Barnes voting ____________.
Councilor Davis voting ____________.
Councilor Henderson voting ____________.
Councilor Huff voting ____________.
Councilor McDaniel voting ____________.
Councilor Thomas voting ____________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting ____________.
Councilor Woodson voting ____________.
____________________________________ ______________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Mayor
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