Agenda Item # 2
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
January 22, 2013
Agenda Report # 009
TO: Mayor and Council
SUBJECT: Early Childhood System of Care/Home Visiting Partnership MEEPE
Program
INITIATED BY: Jennifer Davidson, Cooperative Extension Service
Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application, and if
approved accept $75,000 from the Governor?s Office for Children and Families
(Early Childhood System of Care and Home Visitation Partnership MEEPE 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 attempting
to address the 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.
*The Early Childhood System of Care in Columbus (now known as Great Start) has
an opportunity to continue a community outreach and community awareness
campaign and central intake for the implementation of evidence-based home
visiting programs in accordance with the proposal and community plan as
approved by the GOCF, and as amended with an additional contract. These
additional funds enabled the hiring of an ECSOC Specialist and a Community Peer
Liaison to assist in fulfilling the goals of the MIECHV Program at the local
level and ensure that the goals as integrated with the larger vision of the
ECSOC/Great Start.
*The community-based, comprehensive home visiting strategy is 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 up at high-risk level.
*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,
so families are not given labels; based on idea that everyone can benefit from
support; all services are voluntary. Target audience is expectant families and
their children age birth to five years. The HV Models chosen are Parents As
Teachers, Healthy Families Georgia and Nurse-Family Partnership. State-level
training, technical assistance with Continuous Quality Improvement will support
model fidelity.
Analysis: This grant will provide additional dollars to enable the expansion
of community outreach and facilitate the role of home visiting in linking
families to other community resources and services in a coordinated way by
hiring as ECSOC Specialist and Community Peer Liaison. UGA Cooperative
Extension is a recognized leader in delivery of high quality training and a
community collaborator.
**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.
**Funds provided by this contract are U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Affordable Care Act,
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, and may only used
by the Program. All transactions will be conducted through Local Government
Finance System. Grant period is began 01/01/2012 and will continue through
09/30/13.
Financial Considerations: The grant is for a total of $75,000 for the EC-SOC
comprehensive home-visiting strategy. This is a fixed cost for
performance-based agreement.
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), is eligible to receive
these funds.
Recommendation/Action: Authorize the City Manager to accept the $75,000 grant
from and sign a contract with the Governor?s Office for Children and Families
and adjust the Multi-Governmental Fund by the grant amount.
A RESOLUTION
No. _____
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND
IF APPROVED ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS AND EXECUTE CONTRACTS WITH THE GOVERNOR?S
OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOR $75,000 TO FUND EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM OF
CARE EVIDENCE BASED, HOME VISITATION MEEPE PROGRAM TO EDUCATE THE PARENTS OF
YOUNG CHILDREN AND TO AMEND THE MULTI-GOVERNMENTAL FUND BY A LIKE AMOUNT OF
$75.000.
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 seven 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 a need to conduct a community outreach and awareness
campaign, to enhance the central intake function for Program implementation;
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
for $75,000 to fund parent education through evidence based home visitation
model strategy under Early Childhood System of Care and to hire an ECSOC
Specialist and Community Peer Liaison with these funds (no benefits) to carry
out the MEEPE component and authorize amending the Multi-Governmental fund by
the award of the grant. No local match is required.
____________________
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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