Title
Receive a presentation on Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative activities.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive a presentation on Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative activities.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative is guided by the collaborative, countywide early childhood development strategic framework, “Together, Preparing Every Child for Life and School.” The overarching goal of the framework is to transform systems to better support every child and family in Monterey County, with the objective of increasing kindergarten readiness. It is an initiative of the Monterey County Children’s Council.
Systems change includes changes in: policies; practices; resource flows; relationships and connections; power dynamics; and mental models. In the first year of the strategy’s implementation, the greatest momentum in strategy-aligned action has been around shifting mental models, power dynamics, relationships and connections, and resource flows.
In this first year after launching the strategic framework, Bright Beginnings focused on establishing strategy-aligned projects in each of the strategic key drivers, fostering the diverse partnerships and taking the time to identified desired outcomes. Project highlights include:
• Monterey County Maternal Mental Health Task Force: built its network, strategic planning, rolled out awareness campaign.
• Transitional Kindergarten Network (renamed Early Learning Network in Fall 2019): held quarterly meetings in south county and Salinas, re-designed meeting format to include hands on learning.
• Las Mamas: raising awareness in their communities on the value of full day, quality preschool, and raising their voices in public decision-making spheres to support increased funding for holistic early childhood development.
• Family Friendly Business Certification: providing simple certification process for businesses that meet or exceed mandated family leave and other policies, and for businesses that create a child-welcoming place of business.
• Informal Care Giver Capacity Building: Pilot Family, Friend and Neighbor playgroup curriculum in Greenfield.
• www.montreycountychildcare.org <http://www.montreycountychildcare.org>: Launched a web portal for parents to find child care and other early childhood development resources, and providers to find workforce development resources.
The Initiative’s backbone upgraded internal processes and furthered its shared measurement system; prepared for a growing team; and deepened its strategy-aligned activity. In July 2018, the Initiative began to roll out the newly launched Countywide Strategic Framework. In late September 2018, Sonja Koehler began as interim lead of the Initiative, supporting ongoing projects and organizational development. At the recommendation of the Early Childhood Development Advisory Group, three (3) new positions were created - Early Learning Systems Program Officer, Home Visiting Program Officer, and a Communication and Community Engagement Program Coordinator, and funded through the Monterey County Health Department and Cannabis Tax funds for the Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
At Bright Beginnings, we are working together to ensure that every single child has what they need, from the prenatal stage through the age of eight (8) to succeed.
This work supports the Monterey County Health Department 2018-2022 strategic plan initiatives: 1. Empower the community to improve health through programs, policies, and activities; and 2. Enhance community health and safety by emphasizing prevention; 3. Ensure access to culturally and linguistically appropriate, customer-friendly, quality health services. It also supports two of the ten essential public health services, specifically: 3. Inform, educate and empower people about health issues; and 9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development is an initiative of the Monterey County Children’s Council comprised of a variety of local public, private, and community-based organizations working to maximize community efforts to improve early childhood development outcomes through effective coordination, capacity building, empowerment, and strategic action for children and their families. First 5 Monterey County serves as the initiatives fiscal agent.
FINANCING:
There is no impact to the County General Fund from receipt of this presentation. The Bright Beginnings Childhood Development Initiative is funded by the County utilizing Realignment revenue and Cannabis tax funds through its Health Department.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives
☐ Economic Development:
• Through collaboration, strengthen economic development to ensure a diversified and healthy economy.
☐ Administration:
• Promote an organization that practices efficient and effective resource management and is recognized for responsiveness, strong customer orientation, accountability and transparency.
☒ Health & Human Services:
• Improve health and quality of life through County supported policies, programs, and services; promoting access to equitable opportunities for healthy choices and healthy environments in collaboration with communities.
☐ Infrastructure:
• Plan and develop a sustainable, physical infrastructure that improves the quality of life for County residents and supports economic development results.
☐ Public Safety:
• Create a safe environment for people to achieve their potential, leading businesses and communities to thrive and grow by reducing violent crimes as well as crimes in general.
Prepared by: Elsa Jimenez, Director of Health, 755-4526
Approved by:
______________________Date:_________
Elsa Jimenez, Director of Health, 755-4526
Attachment:
PowerPoint Presentation on file with the Clerk of the Board.