HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2020-079Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
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Agenda Bill Master Report
File Number: AB2020-524
File ID: AB2020-524 Version: 1 Status: Adopted as Amended
File Created: 11/03/2020 Entered by: DBrown@co.whatcom.wa.us
Department: Council Office File Type: Ordinance
Assigned to: Council
Agenda Date: 12/08/2020
Primary Contact Email: CFrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
Ordinance creating a Child and Family Well -Being Task Force
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
Final Action: 12/08/2020
Enactment #: ORD 2020-079
The Whatcom Working Towards Well-being Action Plan calls for the creation of a county task force,
or other official county committee, to ensure that diverse community partners are informed, coordinated
and included in the implementation of the action plan, make additional recommendations, and regularly
report progress to County Council and County Executive,
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body:
Action:
Sent To:
11/24/2020 Council INTRODUCED Council
Aye: 7 Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Elenbaas, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
12/08/2020 Council ADOPTED AS AMENDED
Aye: 6 Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 1 Elenbaas
Absent: 0
Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 121912020
Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2020-524)
Attachments: Original Proposed Ordinance, Ordinance as Amended 12.8.2020
Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 121912020
I PROPOSED BY:
2 INTRODUCTION DATE: NOVEMBER 24, 2020
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5 ORDINANCE NO. 2020-079
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7 ESTABLISHING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 2.106
8 AND CREATING A WHATCOM COUNTY
9 CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING TASK FORCE
10
11 WHEREAS, in April 2019, the County Health Board adopted Resolution 2019-020
12 affirming commitment to Whatcom County's Young Children and Families; and
13
14 WHEREAS, in February 2020, the County Health Board officially adopted a child and
15 family action plan entitled: "Whatcom Working Towards Well-being: An Action Plan for
16 County Government" (Action Plan); and
17
18 WHEREAS, the Action Plan calls for the development of an ordinance to create a
19 county task force, or other official county committee, with high level staffing and resources
20 to ensure that diverse community partners are informed, coordinated and included in the
21 implementation of the action plan, make additional recommendations, and regularly report
22 progress to County Council and County Executive; and
23
24 WHEREAS, the Action Plan recommends using the County Incarceration Prevention
25 and Reduction Task Force as a model, including representatives from government,
26 community organizations, and families; and
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28 WHEREAS, the Action Plan also specifies that the task force will focus on tracking
29 and furthering progress of community efforts to achieve the desired results for children and
30 families.
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32 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that
33 Whatcom County Code Chapter 2.106 is hereby established, creating a Whatcom County
34 Child and Family Well-being Task Force as outlined in Exhibit A to this ordinance.
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36 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the initial tasks to be accomplished by the Task
37 Force are as follows:
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39 A. Develop processes and procedures to ensure that all work of the Task Force
40 is embedded in principles of:
41 a. Equity, with specific attention to racial equity
42 b. Family engagement
43 c. Results -based approaches
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45 B. Develop recommendations for County infrastructure to promote child and
46 family wellbeing
47 a. Clarify scope and purpose of infrastructure
48 b. Identify and evaluate infrastructure models such as a County Office of Child and
49 Family Well-being
50 c. Recommend funding approaches to build and sustain infrastructure
51 d. Recommend policies and practices that increase accountability to parents,
52 caregivers, and stakeholders from under -represented communities in county
53 committees and workgroups.
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e. Propose strategies to adopt trauma -informed practices across County
government, including staff training and development
C. Develop recommendations for adoption of a "children and families first"
approach for County policy and funding decisions across all departments
a. Recommend policy and program review process
b. Recommend ways to fully integrate parents, caregivers, and stakeholders from
underrepresented communities in county committees and workgroups, including
compensation for time and childcare
c. Recommend processes to ensure consideration and prioritization of child and
family needs in county funding decisions
D. Develop recommendations to promote shared governmental and
community accountability for child and family results
a. Review results approaches in other communities and recommend strategies for
County adoption
b. Identify mechanisms for government and community stakeholders to agree on
and work together toward desired results, including identification of key strategies
and actions
c. Identify mechanisms to track and share progress on key indicators aligned with
desired results
E. Develop recommendations for coordination and enhancement of existing
county initiatives focused on issues impacting young children and their
families
a. Review existing County initiatives and groups focused on issues such as racial
equity, housing, behavioral health, economic development, and incarceration
prevention, and recommend ways to incorporate focus on young children and
their families into these initiatives and groups.
b. Review existing community initiatives addressing high priority concerns such as
child/family homelessness, lack of access to affordable child care and early
learning opportunities, and need for child/family behavioral health supports and
identify opportunities for additional County support and coordination.
F. Develop recommendations for new, or enhancement of existing, funding
streams to support child and family programs and services that are aligned
with desired results
a. Recommend scope and process of fiscal analysis
b. Review and recommend options for new or enhanced funding streams
BE IT FINALLY ORDAINED that the initial work of the Task Force for the above
tasks shall be accomplished and reported to the County Council and County Executive in the
following phases:
PHASE I - Establish Task Force processes and procedures. Clarify goals and metrics.
Establish processes for shared accountability for results. Evaluate and recommend
infrastructure model for County adoption. Propose scope and approach for County
fiscal analysis to identify existing and potential funding streams for child and family
programs. Review and identify existing child and family serving collaborative
resources and initiatives, and infrastructure. Recommend strategies to fill the gaps
identified. Deliver the initial Phase I report by June 1, 2021.
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PHASE II -- Develop and establish methods to increase and stabilize funding streams
for child and family programs, services, and infrastructure. Deliver the initial Phase II
report as completed no later than March 2022.
PHASE III - Develop specific operational plans and budgets leading to
implementation of appropriate programs, services and infrastructure. Include details
on assignment of responsibilities, and projected outcomes anticipated. Deliver the
initial_ Phase_ III report with sufficient_ details to proceed with programs and
infrastructure no later than October 1, 2022.
PTEDt AQOA �'s
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DAna B`i�o�rirn-,�ays" Clerk of the Council
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Approved by Karen Frakes via email / LB
Civil Deputy Prosecutor
ber , 2020.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
HATC OU TY, WASHINGTON
ar Buchanan, Council Chair
WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE
WHATCOM COUNTY, HINGTON
sax+lwt a
Satpal Sidhil, County Executive
Approved ( ) Denied
Date Signed:
EXHIBIT A
Chapter 2.106
CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING TASK FORCE
Sections:
2.106.010 Established
2.106.020 Purpose
2.106.030 Function
2.106.040 Permanent Members
2.106.050 Additional Appointed Members
2.106.060 Term of Office
2.106.070 Organization — Meetings
2.106.080 Staff and Funding Support
2.106.090 Reporting
2.106.010 Established
There is hereby established a Whatcom County Child and Family Well-being Task Force.
2.106.020 Purpose
The purpose of the Whatcom County Child and Family Well-being Task Force is to
continually review Whatcom governmental impact on children and families and make
specific recommendations for improvements for all departments
2.106.030 Function
The Task Force will consider input from diverse families throughout Whatcom County and
evidence -based and promising practices and report on and make recommendations to
County Council, Executive, and other appropriate officials regarding implementation of
recommendations in the Whatcom Working Toward Well-being: An Action Plan for County
Government (Action Plan) as adopted on February 4, 2020.
2.106.040 Permanent Members
Members of the Child and Family Well-being Task Force shall include the following 15
representatives, appointed by their designated agency:
A. Three representatives from families selected by Generations Forward Family Council
B. One representative from Whatcom Early Learning Alliance
C. One representative from Whatcom Taking Action for Children/Youth with Special
Health Needs
D. One representative from School Superintendents (selected by Superintendents)
E. One representative from Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)
F. One representative from the Whatcom County Health Department (selected by
Health Director)
G. One representative from Public Health Advisory Board (selected by PHAB)
H. One member of the Whatcom County Council/Health Board
I. Whatcom County Executive or alternate
). One representative from City of Bellingham
K. One representative from small cities (selected by the Small Cities Partnership)
L. One representative from Lummi Nation (selected by Lummi Nation)
M. One representative from Nooksack Tribe (selected by Nooksack Tribe)
These representatives are not subject to term limits. The individual agencies will determine
who will represent them on the Task Force.
2.106.050 Additional Appointed Members
In addition to officials designated above, the Child and Family Well-being Task Force shall
include the following 15 members who represent at least one of the following experiences,
appointed by the Whatcom County Council:
1. Community Members from Under -Represented Communities: Hispanic/Latino,
American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Immigrant, Rural (up to 5
members)
2. Representative from a Community Action Agency, Non -Profit Housing Organization or
Social Service Agency (up to 2 members)
3. Representative from the Faith Community
4. Representative from Private School, Home School, Higher Education or Child Care
Provider (up to 2 members)
5. Medical and Behavioral Health Care Provider serving young children and families
6. Community Members with experience caring for children such as Parent, Foster
Parent, Grandparent, or Guardian. (up to 3 members)
7. Representative from Private Business, Corporation, or Philanthropic Organization
2.106.060 Term of Office
The term of office for appointed members shall be four years; members may apply for and
be appointed to an additional consecutive four-year term. Appointment of members shall
comply with Chapter 2.03 WCC.
2.106.070 Organization — Meetings.
A. Meetings of the task force shall be open and accessible to the public and shall be
subject to the Open Public Meetings Act.
B. At every meeting, the task force will schedule an open session to take public
comment.
C. Written records of meetings, resolutions, research, findings and recommendations
shall be kept and such records shall be submitted to county staff and shall be made
public, including posting on the county website.
D. The task force shall adopt its own rules and procedures for the conduct of business.
E. The task force shall elect co-chairs (including at least one representing family
perspective) from among its members who shall preside at its meetings.
F. The task force shall determine its meeting schedule and agenda, but shall meet at
least quarterly.
G. The task force may form and appoint ad hoc committees to work on specific issues,
so long as at least two committee members are also members of each ad hoc
committee.
2.106.080 Staff and Funding Support
The Task Force will have full support from the Council, the County Executive's Office, Health
Department staff, and locally delivered paid consultant assistance to conduct and complete
its tasks in an efficient and effective manner.
2.106.090 Reporting
As outlined in the Phases of the Ordinance and at least biannually thereafter, no later than
March 30 and September 30 of each year, the Task Force will provide a report and
recommendations to the County Council and County Executive on progress.