Initial Funding of Children and Families Projects

THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY CHILDREN and Families Commission was established through Proposition 10 with the mission of “supporting the healthy development of children prenatal to age five, the empowerment of families and the strengthening of communities.”

In September, the Commission approved 24 Achievable Results proposals and 16 Planning proposals for a total of $26 million. The Com-mission had identified five main result areas for this first round of funding: birth outcomes and preventable disabilities; domestic violence; kindergarten readiness; quality, affordable childcare; and health positive relationships.

Following is a brief description of the funded Achievable Results proposals:

Sacramento County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) — provides home visitation by lactation specialists to support breast feeding by new mothers served by Birth and Beyond and WIC.

Communities in Schools — parent support and empowerment for families in Franklin Villa.

Sacramento Children’s Home — establishment of a second crisis nursery.

Sacramento City Unified School District — establishing school readiness neighborhood networks, pre-kindergarten summer camps, health screenings, and a mobile readiness van.

Oak Park Multiservice Center — Parent education and reading readiness for parents including Spanish-speaking, Mien, and Hmong families.

UC Davis Medical Center — developmental screening, mental health counseling and case management for high-risk infants.

EPO Development — matching funds for a Head Start facility in Nedra Court.

Child Action — promoting professional development of childcare workers.

Sacramento County Office of Education — establishing a network of Russian-speaking child care providers in North Highlands and Rancho Cordova.

Elk Grove Unified School District — expanding preschool facilities and programs for low-income families.

Sacramento County WIC — community garden and nutrition education in Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento.

Southgate Parks and Recreation District — interactive aquatic facility for families in Lemon Hill.

Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services — diagnosis and management of mental health issues for families served by Birth and Beyond.

Family Support Collaborative — establishing nine family resource centers in Birth and Beyond communities and coordination of all home visitation programs for young children in the county.

Bach Viet Association — Parenting classes, literacy promotion, child care referrals, and advocacy for monolingual families in the Vietnamese, Russian, Armenian, Bosnian, Hmong, Mien, Cambodian, Chinese, and Ukrainian communities.

Sacramento City Unified School District — parenting support for pregnant and parenting teens in the school district.

West Ed Center for Child and Family — childcare provider education in the nine Birth and Beyond communities linked to the family resource centers.

Mexican American Alcoholism Program — case management and counseling support for parents in the Mexican-American Alcoholism program in the communities of South Sacramento, North Highlands/Rio Linda, and Galt.

Grace Day Home — renovation of play yard in non-profit childcare facility.

Citizens Utility Company — fluoridation system for water supply system in the Parkway service area in South Sacramento.

The Center for Health and Well-Being/The Birthing Project — prenatal and postpartum support including education and duolas for low-income, high-risk African-American women.

Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE) — increasing recognition of domestic violence by child care professionals, counseling and criminal justice advocacy services, and expanding outreach campaign to Slavic, Latina and Southeast Asian communities.

Mercy Healthcare — providing housing, board and peer support to chemically dependent mothers.

More information can be found at www.ccfc.ca.gov/sacramento, the Commission’s web site. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

r.pan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu