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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04172007 - C.26 I r_ TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: JOHN CULLEN, 0. Costa County Administrator k County DATE: April 17, 2007 SUBJECT: POSITION ON SB 893 (Cox)— California Children and Families Ll� Program: funding SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: OPPOSE Senate Bill 893 (Cox), legislation which would eliminate funding for county First 5 Commissions, moving all Proposition10 funds to the State's California Families and Children's Commission for children's health services, as recommended by Sean Casey, Executive Director of First 5 Contra Costa. FISCAL IMPACT: The elimination of the County's First 5 Commission would result in a loss of Prop. 10 funds in the amount of approximately $12 million. The return of these funds to Contra Costa County children cannot be assured. The proposed legislation would also restrict the Prop. 10 funds to children's health care, eliminating funding to other support services to children and families provided by First 5 Contra Costa. BACKGROUND: The County's 2007 State Legislative Platform recognizes that increasing the County's capacity to provide children's prevention services has long been a priority of the County. This priority is being addressed, in part, by the First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission, whose mission is to make a difference in the lives of children ages 0 to 5 and their families by investing in local programs and services designed to help children reach their greatest potential in school and life. Their goal is to help children grow up healthy, ready to learn, and supported in safe, nurturing families and communities. In addition, the Platform recognizes that Health Care Reform proposals under consideration at this time could have major impacts on the County's current service delivery system and the County's cost for those services. Access to health care for children and their families is a priority issue for the Board of Supervisors. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR R OMMENDATION OF BOARD C ITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURES r ACTION OF BO /ON �� ��fjf� APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED O ER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. UNANIMOUS(ABSENT � ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: L. Delaney 5-1097 Cc: ATTESTED ©� S. Hoffman, CAO's Office JOHN cueLEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OFSUPERVISORS J.Valentine, EHSD S.Casey,First 5 Contra Costa C. Christian,via CAO's Office BY: - DEPUTY SB 893—First 5 Commissions., p.2 April 17, 2007 County First 5 commissions are unique in California because their funds are designated specifically to meet the local needs of children, ages 0 — 5. The California Children and Families Act (Proposition 10 of 1998) requires every commission to complete a comprehensive needs assessment and develop a strategic plan — in full public "sunshine" -- expressly designed to address the identified needs. Not surprisingly, county strategic plans vary significantly, reflecting demographic differences, disparities in access to local resources, variation in the strength of the local infrastructure, and differences in the priorities of local communities. SB 893 presumes the needs of all young children are the same and imposes a top-down requirement regarding how Proposition 10 funds may be used. By de-funding the county commissions, SB 893 will end First 5 investment in health insurance enrollment, Children's Health Initiatives, and support for appropriate utilization. It will also eliminate a comprehensive range of services integral to children's health and well-being —— home visiting, developmental screenings, early intervention, oral health care, family literacy programs, nutrition and anti-obesity efforts, and school readiness programs that have improved the training of early educators and the quality of child care and early education statewide. Children's needs are broad and those of our youngest children, prenatal to age 5, have historically gone largely unmet. The California Children and Families Act requires local commissions to attend to the well-being of children and families in three areas -- improved child health, improved child development, and support for families. Local commissions address all three of these areas through strategies that make sense to — and fit the needs of—their local communities. Health care reform should aim to simplify the system and provide true access for all families. SB 893 is not a building block toward such a system; rather it will destroy much that has already been built to support the children and families at greatest risk. Moreover, it undermines local decision- making and eliminates a unique source of flexible funding that is serving the needs of thousands of Contra Costa's children. The Board of Supervisors Contra Costa John Cullen County Administration Building Clerk of the Board 651 Pine Street, Room 106 and Martinez,California 94553 County County Administrator 1 (925)335-1900 John Gioia, 151 District +^s Gayle B.Uilkema,2"d District orf Mary N. Piepho, 3rd District Susan A. Bonilla,4"District :... Federal D.Glover,5t'District 1. rGiT tui•\tiV March 21, 2007 Senator Sheila Kuehl, Chair Senate Committee on Health State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0076 RE: SB 893 (Cox)— OPPOSE — Hearing Date: April 25, 2007 Dear Senator Kuehl and Committee Members: On behalf of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, I am writing in strong opposition to SB 893 (Cox), which is scheduled to be heard by your committee on April 25. While we share Senator Cox's concern for the health of California's youngest children, we believe the means of funding health services proposed in SB 893 —with the intention of eliminating the State and local First 5 Commissions -- inappropriately diverts funding from a vast array of local health, parent education, and school readiness programs that support young children and their families. In Contra Costa, First 5 funding has successfully developed new programs, enhanced existing ones, and strengthened systems that serve children at highest risk for abuse, neglect, developmental delay, and poor school performance. Last year, First 5 Contra Costa served nearly 6,000 young children and their families through a range of programs to support their development and improve their readiness for school. In Contra Costa, First 5 programs already address the children's health issues that SB 893 seeks to solve. Through home visiting, mental health, school readiness and other community programs funded last year, First 5 ensured that 97% of children served had health insurance. In addition, 98% were up-to-date on immunizations. In both areas our local rates exceed the state rate. Furthermore, First 5 brings quality to existing programs funded by larger state and federal sources. The training, best practices, evaluation and systems development provided by First 5 raises the quality of all programs that serve children. For example, First 5 provided incentives and training to 1,300 child care providers last year to encourage them to attain college degrees in child development — an important indicator of quality. Families are served best when programs addressing their needs at home, in their communities, in clinics and in child care operate at the highest possible standards. The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors is deeply concerned about access to health care for children and their families. We look forward to health care reform that simplifies the system and provides true access for all families. But SB 893 is not a step toward such a system. By de-funding the county commissions, it will destroy much that has already been built to support the children and families at greatest risk. We respectfully request your "no" vote on SB 893, which undermines this unprecedented source of flexible funding that is benefiting thousands of Contra Costa families. Cordially, Mary N. Piepho Chair, Board of Supervisors cc: Members, Senate Committee on Health Senator Tom Torlakson Members, Contra Costa Board of Supervisors FIRST 5 ASSOCIATION 14 5i OF CALIFORNIA FIRST 5 COMMISSIONS: SUCCESSFUL LOCAL PROGRAMS WITH STATEWIDE IMPACT First 5 Commissions in every California county are investing in the healthy development of their youngest children —those ages 0 — 5—through support to the children, their families, and the programs and agencies responsible for meeting their needs. Who Is Receiving Services Funded by First 5 County Commissions? About 4 million people during the last fiscal year received direct services from First 5- funded agencies. The most intensively served were children at greatest risk of not being ready for school: ■ Latino children (78% of children served) ■ Children of families who primarily speak a language other than English (71%) ■ Children living in low-income households (65%) ■ Children whose mothers do not have a high school diploma or GED (53%) ■ Children identified as having disabilities or other special needs (11%) What Kinds of Programs Is First 5 Funding? In 2005-06, First 5 County Commissions funded and partnered with a wide range of agencies on 2,038 programs designed to improve the lives and school readiness of young children. ■ The majority of the programs (69%) were focused on providing direct services to children and families. These included early education programs, parent education and support, developmental screenings and assessments, enrollment in health insurance, and preventive health care, including dental care. ■ More than a third (36%) of the local programs provided training and other activities to further the skills and resources of those who work with young children and their families — including health care providers, early educators, child care providers, and others —to improve the quality of services available to children. ■ Twelve percent of programs received funds to improve or expand their facilities or to purchase equipment and materials to enhance their programs. Services to Improve Child Development ■ Early education programs. 583 programs provided early childhood activities that foster social, emotional, and intellectual growth and prepare children for further learning. They served 647,444 children and 268,774 parents. ■ Kindergarten transition programs. 311 programs provided transition activities to 202,932 children about to enter kindergarten and 118,722 parents of children FIRST 5 Ass 0 C I A T 1 0 N OF CALIFORNIA entering kindergarten. 337 programs provided 16,339,541 parents and community members with information about ways to help children become ready to succeed in school through community outreach activities. ■ Developmental screenings/assessments and services. 436 programs screened 283,701 children for disabilities and worked with 131,766 of their parents. 237,183 children and 92,284 parents received services to directly address their needs. Services to Improve Child Health ■ Tobacco cessation education and treatment. 134 programs provided tobacco cessation education and treatment to 87,615 parents and 7,763 other family members. ■ Prenatal care and birth education. 255 programs provided prenatal care and birth education and services to 174,857 expectant parents. ■ Breastfeeding assistance. 148 programs provided breastfeeding assistance to 159,743 new mothers. ■ Nutrition education and assessment. 351 programs provided nutrition education and assessment to 453,857 program participants, including 217,941 children, 206,200 parents, and 29,716 other family members. ■ Health insurance enrollment and assistance. 363 programs helped 475,417 program participants enroll in low-cost and public health insurance programs. ■ Health care. 543 programs (40% of programs providing direct services) provided health care services to 533,585 children. ■ Oral health preventive services, screening, and treatment. 264 programs provided oral health treatment, screenings, checkups, and education to 437,773 participants. Services to Support Families ■ Family literacy programs. 392 programs conducted activities to increase the amount parents read to their children, touching 311,522 children, 220,164 parents, and 17,126 other family members. ■ Mental health services. 317 programs provided counseling and behavioral and mental health assessments to 304,393 children and their family members. ■ Assistance with basic needs. 297 programs provided 431,130 family members with meals, groceries, or store certificates for food; clothing; access to emergency funding or household goods; and help in finding temporary or affordable housing. 2 Information excerpted from First 5 California Annual ReportFiscal Year 2005-06 SENATE BILL No. 893 Introduced by Senator Cox February 23, 2007 An act to amend Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to child development. LEGISLATIVE. COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 893, as introduced, Cox. California Children and Families Program: funding. (1) The California Children and Families Act of 1998, an initiative measure, requires that the California Children and Families Program, established by the act, be funded by certain taxes imposed on the sale and distribution of cigarettes and tobacco products and deposited into the California Children and Families Trust Fund, and that the fund be used for the implementation of comprehensive early childhood development and smoking prevention programs. Existing law specifies that specified percentages of moneys allocated and appropriated from the trust shall be deposited in various accounts for expenditures by the California Children and Families Commission; also known as First 5 California, for various subjects relating to,and furthering the goals and purposes of, the act. This bill would eliminate those percentages for allocations to various accounts and would instead provide that those funds be allocated and appropriated to the commission to provide health care services to children consistent with the purposes of the act. (2) The California Constitution provides that the Legislature may amend an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective Only when approved by the voters Unless the Initiative statute permits amendment without voter approval. The act provides that it may be amended only by a vote of % of the membership of both houses of the 99 SB 893 —2— Legislature 2—Legislature and that all amendments to the act shall be to further the act and must be consistent with its purposes. This bill, in conformance with those requirements,would declare that its provisions further the act and are consistent with its purposes. Vote: /1. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of'Calilornia do enact asJbIlows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code 2 is amended to read: 3 130105. The California Children and Families Trust Fund is 4 hereby created in the State Treasury. 5 (a) The California Children and Families Trust Fund shall 6 consist of moneys collected pursuant to the taxes imposed by 7 Section 30131.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. 8 (b) All costs to implement this act shall be paid from moneys 9 deposited in the California Children and Families Trust Fund. 10 (c) The State Board of Equalization shall determine within one 11 year of the passage of this act the effect that additional taxes 12 imposed on cigarettes and tobacco products by this act has on the 13 consumption of cigarettes and tobacco products in this state. To 14 the extent that a decrease in consumption is determined by the 15 State Board of Equalization to be the direct result of additional 16 taxes imposed by this act, the State Board of Equalization shall 17 determine the fiscal effect the decrease in consumption has on the 18 funding of any Proposition 99 (the Tobacco Tax and Health 19 Protection Act of 1988) state health-related education or research 20 programs in effect as of November 1, 1998, and the Breast Cancer 21 Fund programs that are funded by excise taxes on cigarettes and 22 tobacco products. Funds shall be transferred from the California 23 Children and Families Trust Fund to those affected programs as 24 necessary to offset the revenue decrease directly resulting from 25 the imposition of additional taxes by this act.These reimbursements 26 shall occur, and at any times, as determined necessary to further 27 the intent of this subdivision. 28 (d) Moneys shall be allocated and appropriated from the 29 California Children and Families Trust Fundaglows to the 30 California Families and Children's Commission to provide health .99 -3— SB 893 1 care services to children consistent with the requirements of this 2 division. 3 (1) Twenty pereent shall be alloeated and appropriated to 4 separate neounts of the state eommission for expenditure 5 neording to the following Formula: 6 (A) Six pereent shall be deposited in tt Mass Media 7 8 to the general publie utilizing television, radio, 9 other mass media on subjeets relating to and fttrthering Hie goals 10 and purposes of this aef, ineluding, but not limited to, methods OF 11 12 development, the informed seleetion of ehild eare, intbrfmiiiom 13 14pregnant 15 16 development,and to ensure that ehildren are i,eady to enter sehool. 17 (B) Five pereent shall be deposited in an Edueation Aeeoun 18 for expenditures to ensure that ehildren are ready to entersehoe4 19 and for programs relating to edueation, ineluding, but not limited 20 to, the development of edueational matefials, professional and 21 parental edueation and training, and teehnieal support for eounty 22 in the areas deseribed in subparagraph (A) of 23 . 24 (G) Three pereent shall be deposited in a Ghild Care Aeeotm 25 for expenditures to ensure that ehildfen are ready to enter sehoe4 26 and for programs i-elating to ehild eare, ineluding, but not limited 27 to, the edueation and training of ehild eare pfovidefs, thre 28 29 workers, and other ttfeas deseribed in subpttfagraph (B) of 30 . 31 (D) Three pet-eent shall be deposited in ti Researeh and 32 33 ready to Met-seliool and fot-the resem-eh and development ofbest 34 35 early eliildliood development established pm:suftnt to this aet, and 36 for the assessment and quality evaluation of those programs fffid 37 ser�iees 38 (F) One pet:eent shall be deposited in an Admini.stration 39 40 state eommission. Any Funds not needed Fof: the ttdtninistrative 99 SB 893 —4— I 4-1 2 Unalloeated Aeeotmt deseribed in subparagraph(F),upon approval 3 by the state eommission. 4 (F) T-wopereent shall be deposited inatt UnalloeatedAeeoutt 5 f6r expenditure by the state eottiniission for any of the putpose� 6 7 moneys shall be expeftded for the administrative ftmetions of the 8 state eomm is 9 , the expenditttre of. 10 11in stibparagraphs (A) to (F), , ia by a final 12 judgme fofaeourtofeompetent j ttrisdietion, theft those mofley's 13 shall be available for expenditure by the state eommission for mass 14 media eommunieation emphasizing the need to eliminate-mtiokM 15 and other tobaeeo use by pregnatit womeit, the need to eliminate 16smoking and other tobtteeo use by, persons ttndeF 18 -' , 17 . 18 (11) Any moneys alloeated and appfopFiated to miy-4� 19 aeeounts deseribed in subparagraphs , 20 not eneumbered or expended within any appheable period 21 preseribed by la-w shall (together with the aeerued interest on the 22 amotmt) revert to and reimain in the same tteeotint for the next 23 fisea-1 period. 24 25 eommissions in aeeordanee with Seetion 130140. 26 (A) The moneys alloeated and appropriated to eounty 27 28 29 be expended only for the purposes authorized by this aet and ift 30 31 eommission.. 32 (B) Any moneys alloeated and appropriated to any okhe-e� 33 eommissions that are not eneumbefed of expended within any 34 applieable period preseribed by,law shall(together with the tteemed 35 interest on the amount) revert to and remain in the same leea4 36 Children and Families 37 the same eonditions as set forth in subpafagmph (A). 38 (e) All grants, gifts, or bequests of money made to or for the 39 benefit of the state commission fi-om public or private sources to 40 be used for early childhood development programs shall be 99 —5— SB 893 1 deposited in the California Children and Families Trust Fund and 2 expended for the specific purpose for which the grant, gift, or 3 bequest was made. The amount of any such grant, gift, or bequest 4 shall not be considered in computing the amount allocated and 5 appropriated to the state commission pursuant to paragraph (1) of 6 subdivision (d). 7 (f) All grants, gifts, or bequests of money made to or for the 8 benefit of any county commission from public or private sources 9 to be used for early childhood development programs shall be 10 deposited in the local Children and Families Trust Fund and 11 expended for the specific purpose for which the grant, gift, or 12 bequest was made. The aniount of any stteh grant, gift, or beques 13 shall not be eotisidered in eornputing the amottnt alloeated and 14 appropriated to the eounty eommissions pursuant to paragraph(2) 15 of sttbdivision-(d} 16 SEC.2. The Legislature finds and declares that this act furthers 17 the California Children and Families Act of 1998, enacted by 18 Proposition 10 at the November 3, 1998,statewide general election, 19 and is consistent with its purposes. O 99