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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLtr - OYD Council Transition ProcessAugust 19,2013 Oregon Youth Development Council Attention: Iris Bell, Executive Director Matt Morton, Chair 775 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 Board of Cou Commissioners P.O. Box 6005 • Bend, OR 97708-6005 1300 NW Wall St, Suite 206 • Bend. OR 97701-1960 [541) 388-6570· Fax (541) 385-3202 www.co.deschutes.or.us board@co.deschutes.or.us Tammy Baney Anthony DeBone Alan Unger f Re: Oregon Youth Development Council Transition Process t Our understanding is that members of the Oregon Youth Development Council (Council) will be t seeking a meeting with us, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, to discuss the future work of the Council. One obvious concern is how the transition to the Council may adversely I impact current services to Deschutes County's children and families. With the assistance of Deevy Holcomb and Hillary Saraceno, we have prepared this memo to enable us to have a common understanding of the potential impact of the transition of funds previously administered by the Oregon Commission on Children and Families to the Oregon Youth Development Council. The Council was established to assist the Oregon Education Investment Board in overseeing a unified system that provides services to school-age children through youth 20 years of age to support academic success and reduce criminal involvement. Among other responsibilities, the YDC is to prioritize funding for prevention and intervention services to reduce gang violence and gang involvement. State and federal grant programs previously providing funds to local government now administered by the Council include: I. The Youth Investment funds which derive from the US Department of Humans Services Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The Youth Investment grants are one of several programs within the state's Social Services Block Grant plan. This is a formula grant. Annual funding is $3,200,000 1; funds to Deschutes County are $125,100. 2. The Safe and Equitable Foster Care Reduction-Casey Family Programs funding derive from the US Department of Humans Services Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Whether this is a formula or competitive grant is unknown at this time. Annual funding is $450,000. Funds to Deschutes County are approximately $5,600 annually. 3. Gang-Involved Youth grants are financed from the state's general fund. These grants are , I ~competitive and will be directed by the Council to geographic areas of the state with demonstrated need. Annual funding for Gang-Involved Youth grants GYI is $500,000; funds to Deschutes County are $0. I All amounts are rounded off to the nearest $100 and are based on current year funding. Enhancing the Lives a/Citizens by Delivering Quality Services in a Cost-Effective Manner \ I , 4. The Community Schools grants are financed from the state's general fund. This is a formula grant. Annual funding is $100,000; annual funds to Deschutes County are $8,800. 5. The Juvenile Crime Prevention grants come from two funding sources. One is the state general fund. This is a formula grant. Annual funding is $3,050,000; approximately $91,400 annually to Deschutes County. 6. The Juvenile Crime Prevention efforts consist of two funding sources. The second funding source is the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention which awards funds to states to administer formula block grants and discretionary/competitive grants. Annual funding is $1,800,000; funds to Deschutes County are $17,000. 7. In addition to the above resources, there are dedicated and discretionary "flex" funds that have traditionally come to county Children and Families Commissions' for community-prioritized services for children 0-17 years of age. Annual funds to Deschutes County are: a. Children Youth and Family $26,300 [ I through the state Early Learning Council and therefore not available to programs serving school-age f children. In Deschutes County, the specific youth service programs that will be negatively impacted by the above funding changes are the Family Action Network, Mary's Place, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl's Circle, Cascade Youth and Family Center, Resource Connection2 and Functional Family Therapy3 (more detailed information available upon request). Most of these programs are achieving outcomes that fit within the future early learning goal of kindergarten readiness but will be negatively impacted or lost if there is a disruption in funding. It is our understanding that the Council's intent is to fund current services without interruption through FY 2014. Beginning FY 2015 the Council plans to administer these grants in a manner that focuses on school success and prevention of gang violence and involvement. The number of grants and the amounts of money provided to counties through formula grants will be significantly reduced and a greater percentage of funds will be awarded directly to community based service providers through competitive grant applications. We have been advised that two­ thirds of the funds the county previously received through formula grants will be issued as competitive grants directly to individual service providers. 2 Resource Connection is ajuvenile crime prevention program administered by the juvenile division of the Deschutes County Community Justice Department. 3 Functional Family Therapy is a service of the juvenile division of the Deschutes County Community Justice Department provided to at risk and delinquent youth. I,! b. Family Support Services $39,500 c. Runaway and Homeless Youth $48,100 The Runaway and Homeless Youth dedicated funds were transferred to the Department of Human Services in fiscal year 2014. It is our current understanding that after fiscal year 2014 the Children Youth and Family and the Family Support Services "flex" funds will only be available for use I IThe increased reliance on competitive grants and the focus on gang intervention could reduce funds to Deschutes County for youth services and juvenile crime prevention by 64%.There is a f statutory challenge to changing the way the state's juvenile crime prevention funds are t administered. We are unaware if there are any impediments to changing how the other funds are f administered. We believe the proposed administration of the funds described above is not in Deschutes County's best interest. The model proposed does three things: 1) It recuses aid to Deschutes County; 2) It centralizes more decision making authority at the state agency level for the delivery of services within Deschutes County; and 3) It places authority to administer juvenile crime prevention funds within a bureaucracy that has no expertise in juvenile crime prevention and I f whose mission is unrelated to juvenile crime prevention. Juvenile crime prevention will be subsumed, rather than integrated into DOE's 40/40/20 and specific gang prevention priorities. We believe/ormula grants to counties should continue without reduction, and that the target population/or juvenile crime prevention services remains the same. We also believe that local Igovernment, not a state agency, is best positioned to make grant allocation decisions for services within the counties. I ILastly, we recognize the work of the Council will develop over time and may well include new priorities and program development opportunities. We ask that processes be established that tincludes significant County involvement in the design and investment of such resources in Deschutes County. County departments, namely Community Justice and Health Services, have the staff resources, track record and expertise to manage such responsibilities and resources in the future, and we would welcome an opportunity to do that in partnership with the CounciL Sincerely, I The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners f I I ~ Alan Unger, Chair f Tammy Baney, Vice Chair Anthony DeBone, Commissioner I I I ! t i j I, ! John A Kit%lt4ber, M.D., Governor Orepn Youth Development Council Mart Morton, Chair Jay Dixon, Vice Clt4ir Janet ArenZ' Jaime Arredondo Agnes Ba/arsa Martha Brooks Martha Doyle F~Fagel Dr. William Feyerlterm David Fullerton Blanca Gutierrez Frank Hanna-Williams Alida Hays Renee Hernandez Ted Martinez Meglt4n Moyer BrianPham LolenZ'D Poe TimS/natra ChiefJohn Teague lrilllkit EKecutiw Director Somerville Building 115 Coctrt St NE Solem. OR 91301 503-373-1283 Fox 503-378-8395 July lS, 2013 Dear Board/Court of County Commissioners: With.the close oHhe 2013 Oregon Legislative Session, the State of Oregon has taken positive steps forward in better educating and preparing our children. and youth for work and career. Historic fundina levels for. K-12 education, inoreased investments in reading, math, and science CUrriculum, and a renewed focus on academic supports hasedon data and research, will help the state move toward its 40-40-20 education goals established by the Oregon Education Investment Board~ As a part of the education reinvestment efforts. the legislature has created the Youth Development Council. and established the Youth Development Division within the Oregon DepaItmentofEducation -HB3231. This Council has been tasked with the development of public policy and grant funding to provide high-needs youth with equal access to resources that better increase their odds to succeed in education, skills development, and in securing gainful employment. To make these investments, the Youth Development Council is in the process of developing a funding model that is based on various data indicators associated with youth who experience disparities in access to education supports. As the funding plan is being developed, the Youth Development Council will be traveling throughout the state to engage local government officials, service providers, community organizations, and families. The Council's goal will be to gather input on tbe funding model and better understand the circumstances faced by Oregon's unique communities. We anticipate being in your community during the months of August through October and would like the opportunity to meet with you during that visit. As exact dates and times are identified, we will be in contact with more ® information, but we look forward to talking with you about the work we are doing, and how we can work together to improve the lives ofOregon's youth and families. If you have a specific contact person you would like us to be in touch with about these visits, please let us know. We look folWard to meetinl with you in your communities very soon. Sincerely, Iris Bell, Executive Director YQuth Development Council Matt Morton, Chair Youth Development Council