COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Department

 

DATE:

September 6, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 25, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Charlene A. Silva, Director of Health

SUBJECT:

Fatherhood Collaborative Advisory Board

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution creating the Fatherhood Collaborative Advisory Board and specifying the responsibilities, membership, and standing rules thereof.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Realize the potential of our diverse population.

Goal 2: Civic engagement–including voting, public service, charitable giving, volunteerism, and participation in public discussions of important issues–is uniformly high among the diverse population.

 

BACKGROUND:

The Fatherhood Collaborative is a policy and advocacy group whose mission is to provide a forum to address and support the importance of men and fathers taking an active role in the well-being of children and families. The Fatherhood Collaborative was initially formed in October 1998 and is presently comprised of representatives from numerous community-based organizations, county agencies, and individuals, all of whom believe in raising and promoting the interests of fathers and families in San Mateo County. The Fatherhood Collaborative’s goal is to ensure that the importance of the role of fathers in their families and in the community is recognized and nurtured.

Participants in the Collaborative have included members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, as well as representatives of the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County, the Service League of San Mateo County, the San Mateo County Health Department and other County departments, the San Mateo County Superior Court, various non-profit entities, and concerned community members.

 

DISCUSSION:

In recent years the Fatherhood Collaborative has functioned as a semi-independent entity receiving administrative and other support from the San Mateo County Health Department.

As the Fatherhood Collaborative has matured and developed as an organization, it has sponsored various events and has looked to obtain funding through grants and other sources. In connection with this growth, the collaborative has determined that its designation as a County Advisory Board would be logical and beneficial, similar to other County boards such as the Commission on the Status of Women.

As an advisory board, the Fatherhood Collaborative will continue to have the same number of board members, serving for the same terms, working under similar by-laws. Health Department staff will provide support to the Collaborative, which will be located within the Family Health Services Division of the Health Department.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The revenue and appropriations of the Fatherhood Collaborative for FY 2007-08 will be added to the budget of the Family Health Services Division of the Health Department during the final budget hearings. The total budget for the Collaborative is $132,500, and the Net County Cost remains at the previous year’s level of $25,000.