Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's First Consolidated Government

Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016

Council Members

Agenda Item # 3



Columbus Consolidated Government



Council Meeting



January 22, 2013



Agenda Report # 010





TO: Mayor and Council



SUBJECT: Nurse-Family Partnership Home Visiting Program



INITIATED BY: Jennifer Davidson, Cooperative Extension Service





Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application and if approved

accept $497,560 from the Georgia Office of Children/Families Program and

execute a Nurse-Family Partnership Contract and Implementation Agreement for

the period of January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013, between the Columbus

Consolidated Government and Nurse-Family Partnership, a Colorado nonprofit

corporation, which is automatically renewable annually if funding through the

Governor?s Office for Children and Families (federal MIECHV/Health and Human

Services/HRSA) is available to conduct the Nurse-Family Partnership program in

Columbus, GA.



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 Early Childhood System Of Care (ECSOC) 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).



* Council approved application for funding in July 2011. Contract (#HV12-009)

was issued by GOCF in December, 2011, to take effect for period January 1,

through December 31, 2012, was signed by CCG officials. Funding is requested

from GOCF in the amount of $497,560, for CY2013. NFP, Inc, desires to have a

formal Implementation Agreement with the Columbus Consolidated Government, to

ensure model fidelity and payment of associated fees ($37,370) for NFP

services. The program implementing department is Cooperative Extension.



Analysis: This grant will enable the expansion of home-visitation,

evidenced-based parent education programming, in order to reach 100 more

children and parents. UGA Cooperative Extension is a recognized leader in

delivery of high quality training and, as a collaborator with others.

**NFP desires to ensure that model fidelity and financial considerations are

clear to both parties through this formal Implementation Agreement (covering

definitions, NFP obligations, CCG obligations, $37,370 in fees and payments

associated with NFP services in support of the implementing agency, terms and

defaults, dispute resolution, liability, assignment/subcontracting, and

miscellaneous provisions).

**This Implementation Agreement took effect April 1, 2012.



Financial Considerations: The NFP program in Columbus is funded by Contract

#HV12-009 as part of the comprehensive home visiting strategy. Funding

requests, if deliverables are met, will be available for at least three years.

No local match required. See Exhibit C for the detailed schedule of Fees for

Services ($37,370).



Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement: A local match is not required for

this grant.



Legal Considerations: The applicant, Columbus Consolidated Government (for

Cooperative Extension?s Positive Parenting Program), has signed a contract

(#HV12-009) with and received funds from GOCF for the NFP program in Columbus.

The NFP, Inc. of Denver, Colorado, wants a renewed Implementation Agreement

with the CCG.



Recommendation/Action: Authorize the City Manager to sign a contract with the

Governor?s Office for Children and Families for 2013 and renew the

Implementation Agreement with NFP, Inc., based on the grant award received from

the Governor?s Office for Children and Families.





A RESOLUTION



No. ______





A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND

IF APPROVED ACCEPT A GRANT FOR $497,560 AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE

GOVERNOR?S OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND ANY RENEWAL OF IMPLEMENTATION

AGREEMENT BETWEEN COLUMBUS CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT AND NURSE-FAMILY

PARTNERSHIP, WHICH ENUMERATES THE FEES FOR SERVICES REQUIRED BY NFP (EXHIBIT

C) AND BASED ON THE FUNDING AVAILABLE (IN THE 2013 CONTRACT AND 2012 CONTRACT

#HV12-009) FROM THE GOVERNOR?S OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOR HOME

VISITATION PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE THE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN.



WHEREAS, 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,



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 $497,560 and execute a 2013 Contract with the Governor?s

Office for Children and Families and renew an Implementation Agreement with

Nurse Family Partnership for $37,370, a Colorado nonprofit corporation, to

continue the evidence-based, NFP, home visiting program, that has been funded

with a grant (Contract #HV12-009) from the Governor?s Office for Children and

Families under the Early Childhood System of Care.



______________________



Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia,

held the 22nd day of January, 2013, 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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