El Dorado County Municipal Code Art. XIII Children and Families First Commission

Footnotes:

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State Law reference— Children and Families First Act of 1998, Health and Safety Code § 130100 et seq.

This article shall be known as the First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission Ordinance.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.010; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Board of Supervisors hereby finds as follows:

A. The voters of the State of California passed the California Children and Families First Act of 1998. The act recognizes that there is a compelling need in California to create and implement comprehensive, collaborative, and integrated system of information and services to promote, support and optimize early childhood development from the prenatal stage through five years of age.

B. The act further recognizes that there is a compelling need in the State to ensure that early childhood development programs and services are universally and continuously available for children until the beginning of kindergarten. Proper parenting, nurturing, and health care during these early years will provide the means for the State's children to enter school in good health, ready and able to learn, and emotionally well developed.

C. It is the intent of this article to facilitate the creation and implementation of an integrated, comprehensive, and collaborative system of information and services to enhance optimal early childhood development. This system should function as a network that promotes accessibility to all information and services from any entry point into the system. It is further the intent of this article to emphasize local decision making, to provide for greater local flexibility in designing delivery systems, and to eliminate duplicate administrative systems.

D. The California Children and Families First Act of 1998 provides for funding through an excise tax on tobacco products in order to implement the goals and objectives, which are outlines in the Act itself. It is the further intent of this article to create the County's Children and Families First Commission and funding through the act and to implement the goals and objectives outlined in the California Children and Families First Act of 1998.

E. In addition this article implements the requirements of Assembly Bill 109 (Chapter 284 of Statutes of 2005).

(Code 1997, § 8.65.020; Ord. No. 4723, 5-15-2007)

For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases are definitions as follows, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Act means the California Children and Families First Act of 1998.

Commission means the First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission.

Fund means the County's First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission Trust Fund pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 130105.

Plan means a strategic plan adopted by the First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission and submitted to the First 5 California Children and Families Commission pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 130140.

State Commission means First 5 California Children and Families Commission.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.030; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

There is hereby created the First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission. This Commission is established as a legal public entity separate from the County pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 130140.1(a)(1)).

(Code 1997, § 8.65.040; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Board of Supervisors hereby authorizes the creation of a local First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission Trust Fund pursuant to Subparagraph (A) of Paragraph (2) of Subdivision (d) of Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.050; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors and shall consist of at least five but not more than nine members.

A. Two members of the Commission shall be from among the County Health Officer and persons responsible for management of the following County functions: children's services, public health services, behavioral health services, social services, and tobacco and other substance abuse prevention and treatment services.

B. One member of the Commission shall be a member of the Board of Supervisors.

C. The remaining members of the Commission shall be from among the persons described in Subsection A of this section and persons from the following categories: recipients of project services included in the County strategic plan; educators specializing in early childhood development; representatives of a local child care resource or referral agency, or a local child care coordinating group; representatives of a local organization for prevention or early intervention for families at risk; representatives of community-based organizations that have the goal of promoting nurturing and early childhood-development; representatives of local school districts; and representatives of local medical, pediatric, or obstetric associations or societies.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.060; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

A. The Commission shall adopt and amend bylaws subject to the prior approval of the Board of Supervisors.

B. The bylaws shall set forth the manner of appointment, selection, or removal of members of the Commission, the duration and number of terms Commission members shall serve, and any other matters that the Board of Supervisors deems necessary or convenient for the conduct of the Commission's activities. The bylaws shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

C. Procedures for the conduct of business by the Commission not specified in this article shall be contained in bylaws adopted by the Commission, and the Board of Supervisors.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.070; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall adopt an adequate and complete strategic plan for the support and improvement of early childhood development within the County.

A. The plan shall be consistent with, and in furtherance of the purposes of, the Act and any guidelines adopted by the State Commission pursuant to Subdivision (b) of Section 130125 that are in effect at the time the plan is adopted.

B. The plan shall, at a minimum, include the following: a description of the goals and objectives proposed to be attained; a description of the programs, services and projects proposed to be provided, sponsored, or facilitated; and a description of how measurable outcomes of such programs, services and projects relating to early childhood development within the County will be integrated into a consumer-oriented and easily accessible system.

C. The Commission shall measure the outcomes of its funded programs through the use of applicable, reliable indicators and review that information on a periodic basis as part of the public review of its County strategic plan.

D. The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed County strategic plan prior to the adoption of the plan and any subsequent revisions to the plan.

E. The Commission shall, on at least an annual basis, review the plan and revise the plan as may be necessary and appropriate.

F. The proposed plan, and any subsequent revisions to the plan, shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval, prior to submission to the State Commission.

G. The Commission shall submit its adopted strategic plan and any subsequent revision thereto, to the State Commission.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.080; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall prepare and adopt an annual audit and report pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 130150. The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing prior to adopting any annual audit and report.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.100; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall adopt in a public hearing policies, consistent with State law, regarding conflict of interest of Commission members and Commission contracting and procurement policies.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.110; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on the annual report prepared by the State Commission pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 13050(b).

(Code 1997, § 8.65.120; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall adopt in a public hearing, a limit on the percentage of the Commission's operating budget that may be spent on administrative functions, pursuant to guidelines issued by the State Commission.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.130; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall perform such other functions as required by applicable State law or regulation, and shall carry out all of its functions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including the Ralph M. Brown Act.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.140; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but may receive actual and necessary expenses as are incurred in carrying out their duties.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.150; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

The Commission shall adopt in a public hearing, policies and processes establishing the salaries and benefits of employees of the Commission. Salaries and benefits shall conform to established County Commission or County government policies.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.160; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)

This article may be amended from time to time as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Board in accordance with the Act.

(Code 1997, § 8.65.170; Ord. No. 4693, 6-20-2006)