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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-17-2014 - 7c• 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 Action Agenda Item No. 7-c SUBJECT: Proposal to Create an Orange County Child Poverty Council (OCCPC) DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1. Proposed Orange County Child Dr. Colleen Bridger, 245-2411 Poverty Council Structure 2. Orange County Child Poverty Council Draft Charter PURPOSE: To approve the structure, designate/confirm organizations to be represented (proposed list below and in Attachment 1), and appoint two Commissioners to the Orange County Child Poverty Council (OCCPC). BACKGROUND: During the joint Board of Commissioners-Board of Health meeting in May 2014, the Health Department outlined the growing issue of child poverty in Orange County. A large and multi-disciplinary body of research shows that a family's income shapes a child's educational, employment, and health outcomes throughout their life. In particular, children who have adverse childhood experiences that are more common among families experiencing poverty are at higher risk of health outcomes like obesity, depression, and substance abuse. An approach being used with success across the United States is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone. This model brings together collaborative partners to define a common agenda, common progress measures, and to carry out mutually-reinforcing activities. The model is implemented in specific geographic neighborhoods facing challenges to their community's success. The Health Department has developed a quantitative index that identifies six (6) areas of high poverty in Orange County to intervene. One of the first major steps to begin work on a cradle to career vision is to bring together a multi-sector partnership that will collaboratively address poverty and its effects. In Orange County, this partnership includes stakeholders in early childhood education, K-12, non-profit, civic/government organizations, and business sectors. Initially, this group will serve as a planning body for the project and its first activities will include: 1) collaboratively setting the mission, vision, and goals of the project; 2) identifying membership gaps and functional advisory work group structures; 3) determining a name for the project; 4) outlining the process for choosing the neighborhoods for intervention; and 5) selecting the neighborhoods to participate in the project. • 2 Orange County Child Poverty Council Planning Members Civic/Government Education & Early Childhood Non-Profit • Board of County • Orange County School • Triangle United Way Commissioners (2) Board • El Futuro • Board of Health • Chapel Hill/Carrboro City • Interfaith Council • Orange County School Board • Literacy Council Departments: • Head Start/Early Head • Compass Center o Health Start o DSS • Orange County o Housing and Partnership for Young Healthcare • Human Rights Children UNC Health Care o Sheriff's • OPC/Cardinal Department Innovations • Town Managers (3) As the collaboration progresses and specific goals are determined, the OCCPC will include engagement/formation of Advisory Work Groups to work on specific community-level outcomes identified. These Advisory Work Groups may include topical experts to provide expertise on policy or programming, as well as individuals and organizations directly working in participating neighborhoods. Throughout the process, the OCCPC will continually engage Community Partners through Advisory Work Groups and communications. BOCC approval is necessary to move forward with planning and implementation of the project proposed by the Health Department to mitigate the effects of generational poverty in specific geographic "zones" in Orange County. A full time coordinator for the project was included in the Health Department budget for FY 2014-2015. The success of this type of work relies on long-term collaborative partnerships. The Orange County Child Poverty Council (OCCPC) is one aspect of the beginning of this multi-year process. As outlined in the draft charter of the OCCPC (Attachment 2), the OCCPC will advise and make non-binding advisory recommendations on resource allocations, program planning, and policy changes to ensure a pipeline of high-quality services to reduce the detrimental effects of poverty for children and families living in the County, including: • Identify geographically defined priority areas of high-need to pilot a focused collective impact approach to provide a pipeline of success from birth to college/career for children and families in the County; • Serve as a convening body, known as a backbone organization, to catalyze and coordinate partnerships among government agencies, non-profits, and individuals around the pipeline to success in the County; • Assist in the development of a shared set of goals and standard set of quantitative and qualitative indicators to target activities and evaluate progress; • Recommend specific, evidence-based programs and policies to fill gaps in the pipeline through coordination of existing services or development of new initiatives; and • Pursue funding and development opportunities to meet identified needs that cannot be addressed by coordination of existing policies, programs, or services. • 3 FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with establishing the OCCPC as proposed. Annual operational expenses of the project, of which the OCCPC is one component, will be approximately $70,880, including the full time coordinator. Funding for these expenses was included in the Health Department budget for FY 2014-2015. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the structure, designate/confirm organizations to be represented (proposed list above and in Attachment 1), and appoint two Commissioners to the Orange County Child Poverty Council. Once approved by the Board of Commissioners, the designated organizations will select representatives to attend meetings, and whenever possible, make commitments and decisions for their respective organizations. 4 Attachment 1 Orange County Child Poverty Council One of the first major steps to begin work on a cradle to career vision is to bring together a multi;actor Co rn In u n ity Pa r ne rS partnership that will collaboratively address poverty and its effects. In Orange County,this partnership includes stakeholders in early childhood education,K-12,non-profit,civic/government organizations,and business sectors,which are indicated in the center circle of the following diagram. ,yo, Initially,this group will serve as a planning body for the project and its first activities will include 1) P�yy Gto'2 11111 -111111111 °rfC fo y collaboratively setting the mission,vision,and goals of the project;2i identifying membership gaps and Cott 'o4.4 functional advisory work group structures;3)determining a name for the project;4)outlining the process for choosing the pilot geographic zones for Intervention and S)selecting the neighborhoods to participate in the _Jl project. w f 1 rf o Planning Council Members Planning Council 3 -I _ , @ , i c Civic/Government Education&Early Childhood Non•Profit 4 / • Beard of County • Orange County School • Triangle United Way E 1111 Ccnrmissioners(2) Board • El Future ill E • Beard or health • Chapel Hill/CarrboroCity • Interfaith Council S o C �°t4 P ! z • Orange County School Board . literacy Council S(.-1 PPG, $.0, W GcoJ ,',', Departments; • Head start/Early Head • compass Center 3� Gro4A 1. '� 4C'S o Health Start z^ o DSS • Orange County a Housing and Partnership for young Healthcare Human Rights Children Community Partners o Sheriff . UNC Health Care Department • °PC/CardinalInnovations • Town Managers(3) As the collaboration progresses and specific goals are determined,the OCCPC will include engagement/formation of Advisory Work Groups to work on specific community-level outcomes identified.These Advisory Work Groups may include topical experts to provide expertise on policy or programming,as well as individuals and organizations directly working in participating neighborhood. Throughout the process,the OCCPC will continually engage Community Partners through Advisory Wort Groups and communications. 4 P • Attachment 2 5 DRAFT CHARTER Orange County Child Poverty Council (OCCPC) May 8,2014 Orange County Poverty Council The Orange County Child Poverty Council will advise and make non-binding advisory recommendations on resource allocations, program planning, and policy changes to ensure a pipeline of high-quality services to reduce the detrimental effects of poverty for children and families living in the County, including: • Identify geographically defined priority areas of high-need to pilot a focused collective impact approach to provide a pipeline of success from birth to college/career for children and families in the County; • Serve as a convening body, known as a backbone organization,to catalyze and coordinate partnerships among government agencies, non-profits, and individuals around the pipeline to success in the County; • Assist in the development of a shared set of goals and standard set of quantitative and qualitative indicators to target activities and measure progress; • Recommend specific,evidence-based programs and policies to fill gaps in the pipeline through coordination of existing services or development of new initiatives; and • Pursue funding and development opportunities to meet identified needs that cannot be addressed by coordination of existing policies, programs, or services. The Importance of Addressing Poverty Orange County is a leader in the state and nation in innovative programs and policies to address the needs of the County's residents. Recent local indicators point to increasing numbers of children living in poverty in the County. This is important because we know that the experiences of children in socio- economically disadvantaged communities have long-term negative effects. Mitigating the effects of poverty on children in Orange County will promote a thriving economy, healthy people, and a strong community for all residents. Charge of the Council The Council is not charged with creating or administering new programs or services to the Orange County community. Instead,the Council is charged with building on and leveraging the existing networks of service providers, policy makers,and community advocates to coordinate a substantial infrastructure of resources around the common goal of a high-quality pipeline of services from early childhood to college or career for children in areas of high-need in Orange County. The OCCPC is charged with sharing information, identifying gaps and need, prioritizing evidence-based and promising strategies, and making policy and program recommendations that encourage the accomplishment of shared goals identified by the Council. The OCCPC will serve to bridge sometimes disparate committees,commissions, boards, departments and communities whose work can be better coordinated to achieve a greater collective impact by identifying and acting on a set of specific,shared goals. Membership The OCCPC will include 15-20 members that represent perspectives from a cross-section of the community, local government agencies,and non-profits. Organizations on the membership list developed by the Board of County Commissioners will appoint a representative to attend meetings and whenever possible, make commitments and decisions for their organization. Members shall live and/or work in Orange County and shall serve without compensation.