Agenda Item # 2
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
May 10, 2011
Agenda Report # 635
TO: Mayor and Council
SUBJECT: Early Childhood System of Care & Home Visiting Partners
INITIATED BY: Cooperative Extension
Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application, and if
approved, accept a grant for $300,000 from the Governor?s Office for Children
and Families (Early Childhood System of Care and Home Visitation Partnership)
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 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.
*Six Georgia counties were selected, based on a state-wide needs assessment by
Division of Public Health, to participate in the first funding cycle. They
have the capacity to implement home visitation as a service strategy in a
comprehensive Early Childhood System of Care. The Zero-To-Three Task Force
(SOC) in Columbus accepted the opportunity to implement at least two Home
Visitation evidence-based models and work together on 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).
*Key points of Early Childhood 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
and Early Head Start ?Home-Based Option. State-level Training/TA with
Continuous Quality Improvement will support model fidelity.
*The community EC-SOC will select the appropriate HV models, agree to follow
the Federal guidelines and work with the State EC-SOC Management and TA Teams.
Local proposal and budget developed during May and June, reviewed in July with
final proposal due August 1, 2011; contract in place by 10-01-11; and serving
new families through home-visitation by 01-01-2012.
*The mission of the Governor?s Office on Children and Families is to build
capacity in communities using the System Of Care approach. Zero-To-Three Task
Force, composed of community partners who have interest in and/or services for
very young children and their parents, is facilitating development of Early
Childhood SOC that addresses the target audience so children are ready to
succeed when they enter school.
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 training 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 is 10/01/2011 to 09/30/2012.
Financial Considerations: The grant is for a total of $300,000 for the EC-SOC
and HVP 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 the Mayor to submit an application, and if
approved, accept a $300,000 grant from the Governor?s Office for Children and
Families and adjust the Multi-Governmental Fund by the grant amount.
RESOLUTION
No. _____
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, AND IF
AWARDED, ACCEPT A GRANT FROM THE GOVERNOR?S OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO
FUND EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM OF CARE EVIDENCE BASED, HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS TO
EDUCATE THE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND TO AMEND THE MULTI-GOVERNMENTAL FUND
BY THE AMOUNT AWARDED.
WHEREAS, funds have been made available from the Governor?s Office For
Children and Families for 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 hereby authorized to submit an application and
if approved accept a grant from the Governor?s Office for Children and Families
of $300,000 to fund parent education through evidence based, home visitation
model strategy 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 10th day of May, 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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