COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

March 25, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 6, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director, Health Services

Brian Zamora, Director, Public Health

SUBJECT:

Bella Vista Foundation Grant to the Prenatal to Three Initiative

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the President of the Board to accept a grant award from the Bella Vista Foundation.

Background

Research highlighted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that parent education is an important intervention tool in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Parents often fulfill the demands of the parenting role with inadequate knowledge about their children's developmental needs and how they can best accomplish their own goals in childrearing. Parents facing substance abuse, domestic violence or other social risk factors may especially benefit from participation in a parent group or parent education class.

The Bella Vista Foundation provided $85,000 to the Prenatal to Three Initiative (Pre-3) to implement parent education activities during the year ending September 30, 2003. With this grant, Pre-3 held ten weekly Touchpoints parent support groups and four Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities classes Countywide to parents with children aged 0-5 years. The Bella Vista Foundation was very satisfied with the results of this grant and invited the County to submit a proposal for a second year of funding. The proposal was approved, and the Foundation increased its funding by 35% for the second year grant.

Discussion

Two important goals for the parent education project this year are:

·

Parents participating in the parenting groups and classes will develop stronger relationships with their children

·

Parents will learn to protect their children by making their homes and communities safe and free from violence.

Additionally, a new objective for this year is the development of two additional lessons about the issues of parenting infants and toddlers. These two lessons will be added to the class curriculum.

Vision Alignment

This grant-funded project helps the County keep the commitment of ensuring basic health and safety for all, and goal number 6: "Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods." The grant from the Bella Vista Foundation contributes to this commitment and goal by providing funding to implement parent education activities.

Fiscal Impact

The term of the grant from the Bella Vista Foundation is October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004. The total amount of the grant is $115,000; $86,250 in revenue and expenditures was included in the FY 2003-04 budget. $28,750 will be included in the recommended FY 2004-05 budget. There is no net County Cost for this grant.