November 10, 1998MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ZEV YAROSLAVSKY
Proposition 10, the California Children and Families First Initiative, appears to have been approved by the voters of California. This initiative creates the California Children and Families First Program "for the purposes of promoting, supporting and improving the early development of children from the prenatal stage to five years of age." The program will raise an estimated $400 million statewide starting January 1, 1999, with an increase of up to $750 million by 2000. For Los Angeles County, the projections are $100 million in year one, with $200 million expected in FY 2000-01.
Under Proposition 10, 80 percent of the statewide funds are allocated directly to Counties via newly created County Children and Families First Commissions, for distribution to programs that will promote, support and improve the early development of children. These vital funds must be used to either create new early development programs, or to supplement effective existing programs and activities. Given the outstanding need among numerous Los Angeles County children for such services, the Board of Supervisors should waste no time in initiating the process necessary to access these voter-approved resources.
I THEREFORE MOVE THAT:
The Chief Administrative Officer, in collaboration with all relevant County departments and agencies, report back to the Board by December 1 with the following:
1. A thorough analysis of Proposition 10, including preliminary projections of the resources that will be allocated to Los Angeles County, steps that need to be taken by the County in order to implement Proposition 10, and a timeline for implementation.
2. A summary of existing County, City, School District, State and Federal programs that provide or fund the promotion, support and improvement of the early development of children up to age five. This summary should include any existing evaluations of the success of these programs in improving child development.
3. An analysis of options under which California Children and Families First Program resources could be maximized by drawing down State or Federal match funding through such programs as Medi-Cal, the Medi-Cal 1115 Waiver, Healthy Families, and Title IV-B and IV-E Child Welfare and Foster Care programs.
This information shall be presented in order to assist the Board in developing an ordinance to establish the Los Angeles County Children and Families First Commission, so as to access as soon as possible, Proposition 10 resources for the improvement of children’s lives.
