Madera County Municipal Code Ch. 2.95 Children and Families Commission and Trust Fund

The board of supervisors of the county of Madera do find that:

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

The Act further recognizes that there is a compelling need in California 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 California's children to enter school in good health, ready and able to learn, and emotionally well developed.

It is the intent of this chapter 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 chapter to emphasize local decision making, to provide for greater local flexibility in designing delivery systems, to leverage financial resources with state and federal funding, and to eliminate duplicate administrative systems.

The California Children and Families Act of 1998 provides for funding through an excise tax on tobacco products in order to implement the goals and objectives which are outlined in the Act itself. It is further the intent of this chapter to create Madera County's children and families commission and Madera County's children and families trust fund in order to receive funding through the Act and to implement the goals and objectives outlined in the California Children and Families Act of 1998.

(Ord. 571A § 2(part), 2000; Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998 ; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

A. "Act" means the California Children and Families Act of 1998.

B. "California Children and Families Commission" means the state commission established in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 130110.

C. "Commission" means the Madera County children and families commission established by this chapter, and in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 130140.

D. "County strategic plan" means the plan adopted by the commission and submitted to the California Children and Families Commission pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 130140.

E. "Trust fund" means the Madera County children and families trust fund established by this chapter.

(Ord. 571A § 2(part), 2000; Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

There is established a commission to be known as to the Madera County children and families commission. The commission shall be and is a legal public entity separate from the County of Madera in accordance with the provisions of Section 130.140.1 of the Health and Safety Code of the state of California.

(Ord. 571B § 1, 2001: Ord. 571A § 2(part), 2000; Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

There is established within the county treasury a trust fund to be known as the Madera County children and families trust fund. All moneys allocated and appropriated to the commission shall be deposited in the trust fund, and shall be expended only for the purposes authorized by the Act and in accordance with the county strategic plan and to reimburse the county for any staffing or other costs incurred for or on behalf of the commission. All grants, gifts and bequests of money made to or for the benefit of the commission from public or private sources to be used for early childhood development programs shall be deposited in the trust fund and expended for the specific purposes for which the grant, gift or bequest was made.

(Ord. 571A § 2(part), 2000; Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

A. The commission shall consist of nine members, as follows:

1. One member of the board of supervisors, chosen by the board of supervisors;

2. The director of the Madera County department of public health ;

3. The director of the Madera County department of social services; and six other members to be chosen by the board of supervisors, consisting of:

a. The Madera County superintendent of schools, and

b. Five members from among 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; and representatives of local medical, pediatric, or obstetric associations, societies, or the local medical community; provided, however, at least one member shall: (i) represent the Chowchilla/Fairmead area (US Postal Zip Code 93610), (ii) represent the city of Madera, (iii) represent the unincorporated valley area, and (iv) represent unincorporated Eastern Madera County.

B. Except for the appointee from the board of supervisors, the Madera County department of public health, the Madera County department of social services, and the Madera County superintendent of schools, whose appointments shall be continuous, each member of the commission shall be appointed for a three-year term. All members of the commission shall serve at the will and pleasure of the board, and may be removed at any time, without cause, by the board of supervisors.

Only the members representing the board of supervisors, the Madera County department of public health, the Madera County department of social services and the Madera County superintendent of schools, may designate an alternate member to serve in his or her capacity, provided that such alternate represents the same agency or department as the appointed member.

(Ord. 571E § 1, 2007; Ord. 571C § 1, 2001; Ord. 571A § 3, 2000; Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

The representative from the Board of Supervisors shall serve as chairperson. If for any reason the representative from the Board of Supervisors is unwilling or unable for any reason to be chairperson, the members of the commission shall annually elect a chairperson who shall serve for a term of one year. The commission shall make such rules and regulations as are necessary to conduct its business.

(Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

The commission's meetings are subject to the open meeting laws contained in the Ralph M. Brown Act.

(Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

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

(Ord. 571 § 1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).

The children and families commission is charged with the following duties:

A. To implement the goals and objectives of the Act;

B. To administer the moneys in the Madera County children and families trust fund in a manner consistent with the Act, adopted state guidelines, and this chapter;

C. To adopt a county strategic plan for the support and improvement of early childhood development within the county, and to hold at least one public hearing on the strategic plan prior to its adoption. Upon a finding by the board of supervisors that the plan is consistent with and in furtherance of the purposes of the Act and any guidelines adopted by the California Children and Families Commission, the commission shall adopt the plan.

The strategic plan shall include all of the elements specified in Health and Safety Code Section 130140(a)(1)(c)(ii), and shall describe how programs, services, and projects relating to early childhood development within the county will be integrated into a consumer-oriented and easily accessible system.

The commission shall measure the outcomes of county 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. To conduct at least one public hearing on its periodic review of the county strategic plan before any revisions to the plan are adopted;

E. To submit its adopted county strategic plan, and any subsequent revisions thereto, to the California Children and Families Commission and the Board of Supervisors;

F. To prepare and adopt an annual audit and report pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 130150. The commission shall conduct at least one public hearing prior to adopting any annual audit and report pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 130140, subdivision (a)(1)(G);

G. To conduct at least one public hearing on each annual report by the California Children and Families Commission prepared pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 130150, subdivision (b);

H. Make copies of its annual audits and reports available to members of the general public on request and at no cost;

I. To exercise all powers, duties, and functions as are prescribed by statute, the board of supervisors, and this chapter.

(Ord. 571-D §1, 2006: Ord. 571A §4, 2000; Ord. 571 §1(part), 1998; Ord. No. 571F, Exh. A, 3-11-25).