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HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2023-007File ID: File Created: AB2023-127 02/09/2023 Whatcom County Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2023-127 Version: Entered by: JGay@co.whatcom.wa.us COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Status: Discussed Department: Health Department File Type: Resolution Requiring a Public Hearing Assigned to: Agenda Date: Council 03/21/2023 Final Action: 03/21/2023 Enactment #: RES 2023-007 Primary Contact Email: elautenb@co.whatcom.wa.us TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: Resolution adopting the Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: As required by Proposition 5, Whatcom County Heath and Community Services, serving as Fund Administrator, has prepared a Healthy Children's Fund implementation plan consistent with the ordinance that placed the measure on the ballot. The property tax measure is estimated to raise approximately $9.98M each year for ten years, for investments in early learning and care and vulnerable families. HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Date: Acting Body: 02/21/2023 Council Action: SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Sent To: Council Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner 03/07/2023 Council Nay: 0 Absent: O 03/21/2023 Council Committee of the Whole 03/21/2023 Council PUBLIC HEARING HELD (file not final) DISCUSSED SUBSTITUTE APPROVED AS AMENDED Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 0 Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 3/22/2023 Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2023-127) Attachments: Whatcom County Absent: O Staff Memo dated 2.10.2023, Revised Resolution for 3.21.2023, Amendment Matrix for 3.21.2023, Capital Strategy for 3.21.2023.pdf, ARPA HCF Memo -Donovan, Substitute Resolution Following 3.21.2023 COTW, Health Department Transmittal Email 3.21.2023 Page2 Printed on 3/22/2023 PROPOSED BY: Health and Community Services INTRODUCED: _______ _ RESOLUTION NO. 2 o23 -oo 7 ADOPTING THE HEALTHY CHILDREN'S FUND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WHEREAS, The health and well-being of young children have been a priority in Whatcom County and central to the last two cycles of Whatcom County's Community Health Improvement Plan and community process (Healthy Whatcom, 2022); and WHEREAS, In 2016, the Whatcom County Health Board declared the health and well-being of young children a particular focus of interest and has maintained that focus in collaboration with the Public Health Advisory Board; and WHEREAS, In January 2020, the Whatcom County Council passed the Child and Family Action Plan and established the Child and Family Well-being Task Force to support the implementation of that plan; and WHEREAS, In June 2022, the Whatcom County Council passed Ordinance 2022-045, which placed Proposition 5 on the November 2022 ballot to fund early learning & care programs, and increase support for vulnerable children; and WHEREAS, In November 2022, Proposition 5, the Healthy Children's Fund, was approved by voters in Whatcom County and established a dedicated property tax for 10 years as outlined in Ordinance 2022-045; and WHEREAS, The Healthy Children's Fund Ordinance 2022-045, Section 4, requires the fund administrator (Whatcom County Health and Community Services) to develop an implementation plan for the Healthy Children's Fund that shall be approved by County Council and transmitted to the County Executive; and WHEREAS, The Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan, once effective, will govern the expenditure of the levy's proceeds and shall be submitted to the Council every 2 years as a part of the budget (Exhibit A to this resolution); and Page 1 WHEREAS, Whatcom County Health and Community Services developed the Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan in consultation with the Child and Family Well-being Task Force, an existing community board established by the Whatcom County Council; and numerous community stakeholders across the community; and WHEREAS, The Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan identifies the goals and strategies to be funded, eligible expenditures, fund allocation guidelines, fund distribution guidance and opportunities for leveraging resources with the use of the levy proceeds; and WHEREAS, The Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan also includes a framework to measure the performance of the levy strategies in achieving their outcomes, including annual reporting on levy expenditures, fund administration, services and outcomes and external program evaluation and process audits, in accordance with Section 5 of Ordinance 2022-045; and WHEREAS, Healthy Children's Fund outcomes include but are not limited to programs that increase: kindergarten readiness; affordable, high-quality, professional, and accessible early learning & care opportunities; support for our most vulnerable children; mental and behavioral health services; support for children experiencing homelessness; and support for vulnerable children's parents and caregivers; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Whatcom County Council that a Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan be accepted and approved, attached hereto as Exhibit A, and be administered by Whatcom County Health and Community Services under the authority of the County Executive. ( APPROv'E0 AS TO FORM: /s/Royce Buckingham approved via email on 3/22/23/MR Royce Buckingham, Civil Deputy Prosecutor Page 2 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Exhibit A I ntati Years 1 2 March 2023 Exhibit A Whatcom County Health & Community Services Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan Table of Contents • Page 2: • Page 6: • Page 8: • Page 9: • Page 11: • Page13: • Page15: • Page17: • Page 23: • Page 33: • Page 39: • Page 44: • Page 47: • Page 48: • Page 50: • Page 61: • Page 64: • Page 67: Executive Summary Introduction Background Yision Accountability and Guiding Principles • Transparency • Impact • Learning • Equity ~§ Implementation Planning Process _Spending_f>lan • Process to Identify Strategies for Years 1 & 2 • Fund Allocation Portfolio of Strategies for Years 1 & 2: Early Learning & Care Portfolio of Strategies for Years 1 & 2: Supporting Vulnerable Children Funding Mechanisms • Funding Eligibility • Contracting • Project Proposal Process • Technical Assistance & Coaching Qpportunities to Leverage Funding Community Partnerships & Engagement Communication Metrics & Evaluation Planning • Metrics • Evaluation Planning • Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan • Transparency in Reporting and Dissemination of Products Next Steps & Conclusion • Timeline References Appendices I. Community Plans II. Advisory Group Feedback Themes Ill. Implementation Planning and Ad Hoc Strategy Team Members by Affiliation IV Prioritized Strategy Matrix V Data Notes and Limitations: Kindergarten Readiness and Child Maltreatment VI. Headline & Secondary Indicators by Priority VII. Description of Population Health Data Sources VIII. Evaluation Types and Influencing Factors IX. Non-Discrimination Policy Executive Summary • 90% of the human brain is developed before the age of 5. \Nhatcom County has fewer early learning & care slots than we need, especially in rural areas. 5 Only of kids in Whatcom County enter kindergat·ten fully ready to learn. Staff Over85% of VVhatcon1 County businesses report staffing challenges from lack of iJCCCSS to early learning and care. 2 They are more likely to graduate high school and attend coltege, technical school, or trainin~J programs that lead to good jobs as adults. For every dollar invested in eady childhood prograrns, between $7 and $13 are saved through benefits like lower incarceration rates and lower healthcare costs. Early learning &: care workers are essential, but their salaries have not kept up with the cost of living. Most ez.irn rninimum wage; less than $30,000 a year on average. 3 Increase: • Percenta9e of children who are kinderc;prten-ready ,. The number of early learning slots in \Nhatcom County Decrease: • by race, inconlf!, and geography in access to hi£Jh-quahty early learning and support services • of children and • .AccC'ss to hi9h-quality early farnilies at risk of or l0:arnin9 & care in experiencing homelessness underserved areas, induding rural and lm,v-income • Rate of child abuse and neglect Commitment to Equity: • Se,·vices ar·e more culturally appropriate fo1· children and families. • F~ural cornmunities are better served and have access to rnore resources. • Increased tr::msparcncy. robust community engagement, and thon>UfJh external evaluatrons so citizens know the impact and outcomes of the He;:i!thy Children's Fund. 4 Total amount of fund: Nearly $100 million over 10 years Build or expand early learning & care centers across Whatcom County Recruit and retain early learning & care educators Support new providers so they can provide high-quality early learning & care and stay in business Launch or expand early parenting programs such as peer support groups and home visits by nurses Launch or expand programs that divert families from homelessness Recruit more children's mental and behavioral health care workers Identify or build regional hubs to coordinate and access services 5 Introduction Focusing on early childhood well-being forces us to look at the entire ecosystem in which a child lives-because no child exists in isolation. For children to be safe, healthy, and ready to learn, families must be strong, stable, and supported from the start, and communities must be welcoming and supportive places for children and families to live, learn, work, and play. Early childhood is an opportunity to lay the foundation for lifelong health, and is an essential strategy for achieving racial equity. We know that if children have what they need to thrive in the early years, they are likely to continue to thrive throughout their lifetimes. If we can address housing security for our families with young children, we can prevent the toxic stress that accompanies homelessness. If we ensure our families with young children have access to quality, affordable early learning & care, we can contribute to positive learning experiences and family economic health. If we support the mental health needs of caregivers and young children, we can reduce the likelihood of mental health crises for youth or adults. To achieve early childhood well-being, children and families need to have their basic needs met and beyond. They need to have support, love, and nurturing. Quality early learning & care and safe, stable housing are both essential elements for early childhood well-being. Positive mental health for children becomes positive mental health for youth and adults. Research shows that for every dollar invested in early childhood programs, between $7 and $13 are saved in benefits to the community, including higher graduation rates, lower incarceration rates, and lower healthcare costs. Whatcom County currently spends only 2% of its budget on programs related to families but spends much more responding to situations involving severe mental illness, homelessness, and incarceration. This has impacts now as well as in the future: Over 85% of Whatcom County businesses reported staffing challenges because employees lack access to early learning & care. Increased wages would help attract, train, and keep high-quality educators and providers for children in Whatcom County (Wolfes & Zilinsky, 2015). Early learning & care workers are essential, but their salaries have not kept up with the cost of living. Most earn minimum wage; less than $30,000 a year on average. Two of the data points commonly used by communities to measure children's well-being are kindergarten readiness and rates of child abuse & neglect. While data is imperfect and two data points cannot tell the full story of a child's experience, these two data points can help us understand what experiences a child may have in their earliest years. The following figures demonstrate Whatcom County's performance over the past several years. More about these data points can be found in the Metrics and Evaluation section of this document. In Figure 1, Kindergarten-readiness in Whatcom County was at 50.5% in 2021 , and has been well below the Washington State target of 90% at least since 2015. Figure 1. Kindergarten Readiness for Whatcom County, 2015-2021 *: Average across all school districts {Washington Office, 2022) 4% ll!i·· S0,6% 4ilo% *No Data 2015 )016 2017 20113 2UIY 2021 6 Disparities exist among some students. In 2021, only 33.7% of low-income students were kindergarten ready compared to 55.7% of their non-low-income peers. Figure 2. Kindergarten Readiness for Whatcom County, by income, 2015-2021 *: Average across all school districts (Washington Office, 2022) 64% 62(¾, •-------------•-··---•--- 59% 61% 62l/() ----•-----·-----•------· Non--Low ® .. ---- 30';\, ·NoD0ta Ri;p~Hted n2020 SG% l:,ccine ® Rates of child abuse and neglect continue to be higher for Whatcom County children compared to Washington State, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3. Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect in Accepted Referrals, 2010-2021: Number of victims per 1,000 children, age birth to 17 years (Facilities, 2022) In 2020, Whatcom's Child & Family Action Plan laid out a lofty goal for work addressing these issues: © .. ·--® -L' © " ... all children are safe, healthy, and ready to learn; families are strong, stable, and supported from the start; and communities are welcoming and supportive places for children and families to live, learn, work, and play." (Generations Forward et. al., 2020) The Healthy Children's Fund (HCF) is intended to help Whatcom County move closer to this vision by funding strategies that improve early learning and care and support vulnerable children and their families. These investments focus on preventing the conditions that lead to disparities and inequities for children and their support systems. They will lead to positive long-term outcomes for children, their families, and the community. This plan describes the proposed implementation of the Healthy Children's Fund, an investment estimated at nearly $100 million from 2023-2032, specifically focusing on years 1 & 2. 7 Background While the Healthy Children's Fund was approved in 2022, the work began long before, when a group of committed community members came together to envision a beloved community where every child and family thrives. The health and well- being of young children have been a priority in Whatcom County since 2012, and central in the last two cycles of Whatcom County's Community Health Improvement Process (Healthy Whatcom, 2022). A broad level of interest has been shared among community organizations, elected officials, health care, social service agencies, philanthropies, and businesses that recognize the critical importance of investing in early childhood. As part of this momentum, in 2016 the Whatcom County Health Board declared the health and well-being of young children a particular focus of interest and has maintained that focus in collaboration with the Public Health Advisory Board. In January 2020, the Whatcom County Council passed the Child & Family Action Plan and established the Child & Family Well-being Task Force to support the implementation of that plan. In 2021, responding to increased needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, community partners undertook several research and assessment processes to better understand the needs and gaps for children and families in Whatcom County. (See fjppendix I: Community Plans.) In November 2022, Proposition 5, the Healthy Children's Fund, was approved by voters in Whatcom County. Proposition 5 establishes Ordinance 2022-045, a dedicated fund to support young children and their families. The Healthy Children's Fund builds off the work of many groups and plans related to the priorities of Early Learning & Care and Supporting Vulnerable Children. Investments are targeted toward meeting documented needs and addressing disparities across race, income, and geography in access to early learning & care and social services. 8 Vision Investment in early childhood well-being can have profound effects on children, families, and communities (Heckman, 2020). The Healthy Children's Fund is an effort to transform our community by investing in children and families. After ten years and an investment of nearly $100 million, we envision a broad range of impacts, including but not limited to: • An increase in the percentage of kids entering kindergarten ready to learn. • A reduction in the number of children experiencing abuse and neglect. Early Learning & Care Support for Vulnerable Children • Reduce or eliminate waiting lists for early learning & care and support services. • Families can access services and care at the time it is needed. • Early learning & care is affordable and families have high-quality options to choose from. • An easy-to-use, comprehensive early learning & care network with regional hubs that are known for excellence and a thriving, professionalized early learning workforce. Equity • Decreased disparities by race, income, and geography in access to high-quality early learning & care and support services. • Rural communities are better served and have access to more resources. • Services are culturally appropriate for children and families. • Resources are available to support parents in pregnancy, newborns, and new parents/caregivers. • Support for children and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness and more safe housing options. Systemic • County processes are efficient and easy to navigate for staff and partners. • An organized, easy-to-use system for accessing resources where community partners work together, in tandem, for families. • The fund serves as a model for government and partner accountability and transparency. These are some, but not all, of the expected benefits of this $100 million investment. The investments in 2023-2032 are expected to lead to long-term positive outcomes for children, families, and Whatcom County communities. Investment is prescribed by the Healthy Children's Fund ordinance to fall under several priorities and focus areas (Whatcom County, 2022): Priority: Early Learning & Care Focus areas: • Accessible: Expand early learning & care services that meet the varied needs of families and children. Geographic locations, ages of children, special needs, and a broad range of early learning & care scheduling needs (including emergency opportunities) will all be considered. • Affordable: Decrease the cost of early learning & care experiences for both families and providers. • High-Quality: Increase the quality of early learning & care experiences. • Professional: Attract and retain quality early childhood educators. 9 Priority: Supporting Vulnerable Children Focus areas: • Expand Mental & Behavioral Health: Expand mental & behavioral health services for vulnerable children and their families. • Prevent & Reduce the Trauma of Homelessness: Reduce the instances of vulnerable children experiencing homelessness, through diversion and other preventative services and reduce the trauma associated with homelessness by supporting interim housing services and trauma-focused system reform directed at vulnerable children and their families. • Support Vulnerable Children's Parents: Expand support and services for families who have or are expecting children. These focus areas are the mechanism through which the Healthy Children's Fund will reach its outcomes, discussed in more detail in the Metrics and Evaluation section of this plan. Figure 4. From Child and Family Action Plan (Whatcom County, 2020) When we make investments that support young children and families early on. we can build more RESILIENT COMMUNITIES and we can create a future where EVERYONE THRIVES. COMMUNITIES FAMILIES are welcoming & supportive places for children & families to live, learn, work,& play. CHl:LDR.EN · are safe'. healthy. & t~ady tqteam i are strong, stable,& supported from the start. As in Figure 4, outcomes from these investments will affect not only children and families but the communities in which they live. Some specific anticipated outcomes include: • Improved outcomes for kids in school and adulthood. • Decreased spending on challenges those adults would have faced without intervention. • Improved experience of community with decreases in crime, homelessness, etc. • Decreased staffing challenges for businesses due to lack of access to childcare. • Increased jobs and workforce participation by making early learning and mental & behavioral health careers more viable and attractive. The long-term impact of these concerted, targeted investments will be profound and felt by the entire community. 10 Accountability and Guiding Principles As stewards of public funding, the Whatcom County Government recognizes the importance of accountability and transparency and will build this into every aspect of our processes. Whatcom County Health & Community Services (WCHCS) will apply rigor and principles to the administration, implementation, and evaluation of the Healthy Children's Fund, to be a model for other similar funds. Additionally, we are committed to providing pathways and mechanisms for innovations based on community knowledge and evidence. We are obligated to change processes that currently do not contribute to achieving desired outcomes. Whatcom County Government will provide accountability by focusing on the following guiding principles: Transparency • Communicating regularly on the Healthy Children's Fund webpage about how the funds are being used and the impact they are having. • Working within county departments to surpass the limitations of the fund and government spending, and create a realistic scope of funding for community-wide programs and expectations for short-and long-term impacts and outcomes. • Cooperating with an external independent performance auditor with oversight to identify and address recommendations for improvement. Impact • Using data-based decision-making to identify investments that will make the greatest impact on Whatcom County residents, both in the short-and long-term. • Ensuring that funds are equitably distributed throughout the county, and have an impact on those disproportionately affected by the systemic issues these investments are meant to address. • Reporting on programmatic and population-level data. Learning • Soliciting proposals for programs that employ community-based innovations. • Evaluating programs, processes, and impacts regularly, at minimum on a two-year cycle. • Taking action on the results of those evaluations promptly to ensure initiatives are producing the desired results, ending or modifying investments when needed, and adjusting fund administration accordingly. Equity Health equity is a guiding value of WCHCS, which adopted this definition in 2019 to guide its work: According to Human Impact Partners, health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. To achieve this, we must remove obstacles to health -such as poverty, discrimination, and deep power imbalances -and their consequences, including lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. In 2020, Whatcom County government passed the Racism as a Public !-lea/th Crisis resolution that outlines tangible steps to make progress toward racial equity, including becoming a member of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity and establishing the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. 11 Whatcom County Government will apply equity values, practices, and commitments to all aspects of the Healthy Children's Fund, including data collection, identification of service priorities, contracting, program and service implementation, engagement, communication, and evaluation. No individual or provider receiving or offering services shall be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to participate. Additionally, they will build on the Whatcom County Health & Community Services' new 2023-2027 Strategic Plan which requires it to formalize its practice of shared decision-making to ensure diverse community perspectives and those most impacted by decisions are partners in developing plans and practices. 12 Roles Many roles are necessary to successfully implement the Healthy Children's Fund. Below, key roles and their responsibilities are outlined. Whatcom County Council serves as the oversight body of the Healthy Children's Fund administration. The council will approve implementation plans, approve all contracts over $40,000, receive evaluations and performance audits, and work with the Executive's Office on implementing recommendations. Whatcom County Government ensures that the fund is used exclusively for legal, eligible services described in the ordinance, that anyone receiving funds complies with county purchasing procedures, and funds are administered effectively and efficiently. In particular, the Executive's Office will administer the performance audit of the Healthy Children's Fund, as it will audit all of the county processes that support fund administration. Whatcom County Health and Community Services (a department within Whatcom County Government) serves as the fund administrator of the Healthy Children's Fund. This department is responsible for developing the infrastructure and processes needed to ensure successful fund implementation. This role includes convening subject matter experts; proposing fund allocation strategies, processes, and logistical operations; ensuring community partners have the resources necessary to access and utilize funding successfully; partnering with community organizations and leaders in key areas; program and project evaluation; ensuring reliable and timely communication; and building relationships with underserved communities. The Implementation Planning Team is composed of representatives from the government and community who drafted the Implementation Plan for years 1 & 2, based on the guidelines of the ordinance. This group met monthly from September through the plan's submission to Whatcom County Council in early February. The planning team formed an Ad Hoc Strategy Group in early December 2022 to examine the potential strategies for funding and make recommendations for initial investment. This team will sunset upon approval of the implementation plan for years 1 & 2. (For more information, see the Implementation Planning Process section and 6Qpendix Ill.) The Implementation Team will form upon the approval of the implementation plan for years 1 & 2, to ensure the questions outlined in this document are answered and implementation is effective, The team will be composed of representatives from advisory bodies, such as the Child & Family Well-Being Task Force, Healthy Whatcom, the Business & Commerce Committee, and subject matter experts, including those with lived experience and who are impacted by the decisions and processes of the Healthy Children's Fund. This group will also focus on building relationships with new community partners, especially those within underserved areas and populations in Whatcom County. Independent Auditors and Evaluators will, in collaboration with the Whatcom County Executive's Office and the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, be contracted to provide an independent, third-party audit of the fund administration, and evaluation of key funded programs and the effectiveness of the fund overall. 13 The Child & Family Well-Being Task Force is a community advisory board established by the Whatcom County Council with responsibilities specified in the Healthy Children's Fund ordinance. These responsibilities include collaborating to the maximum extent possible with the fund administrator to draft implementation plans; providing recommendations on fund allocation throughout the life of the levy; working collaboratively with the fund administrator and other key stakeholders to design and implement reporting processes to ensure successful, high-quality, and efficient evaluations; and writing and delivering an annual report to the public and Whatcom County Council. This report shall include progress toward agreed-upon goals, outcomes, and metrics. Learn more about the Task Force on the Whatcom County website. Subject Matter Experts and Advisory Groups are organizations, coalitions, and individuals with expertise and/or lived experience. These partners will be engaged as needed in various aspects of HCF implementation and evaluation, including as members of the Implementation Team. Examples include Healthy Whatcom, Perinatal Mental Health Task Force, the Whatcom Child Care Coalition, the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, the Business & Commerce Committee, and more. 14 Implementation Planning Process Ordinance 2022-045 states that Whatcom County Health & Community Services will be the fund administrator of the Healthy Children's Fund (Whatcom County, 2022) and requires the fund administrator to develop an Implementation Plan for years 1 & 2 to be reviewed by stakeholders, approved by County Council, and submitted to the County Executive by March 31, 2023. The implementation plan should include: "a) Details of fund allocations across eligible expenditures and strategies, including as a percentage of the fund revenue; b) Working criteria for fund allocation to guide the contracting process for non- administrative expenses; c) An overview of the contracting process that includes opportunities for community members to provide input in to fund allocation decisions; and d) Opportunities for leveraging the fund and bringing in external resources to the county." (Whatcom County, 2022) Because of the short timeframe between the November 2022 election and the submission of the Implementation Plan in early February for approval by March 31, 2023, WCHCS began planning in August 2022 for its role as fund administrator. In the event Proposition 5 was approved, those additional months of planning would be necessary to successfully create an implementation plan by the deadline. In August, WCHCS formed an Implementation Planning Team. The team was comprised of representatives from Whatcom County Health & Community Services, Executive's Office, Child and Family Well-Being Task Force, Healthy Whatcom, Proposition 5 ordinance drafting team, Whatcom Child Care Coalition, and various subject matter experts. The team's work was guided by the requirements outlined in the ordinance. The Implementation Planning Team spent September, October, and November establishing a project management structure and approach, identifying components of the implementation plan, and developing a partner engagement strategy. The Implementation Planning Team met weekly to research other communities with dedicated funding for early childhood support and determine the best approach for Whatcom County. In early December, workgroups of subject matter experts were convened to delve deeply into the individual plan components, building off our understanding of the current data, the science and research base, and community input on specific bodies of work to be funded through the Healthy Children's Fund. Their work informed the decisions and content of the draft implementation plan. In January, the draft implementation plan was shared with advisory groups for input and feedback. The following groups were engaged: o Child & Family Well-being Task Force o Healthy Whatcom o Whatcom Child Care Coalition o Whatcom Public Health Advisory Board o Proposition 5 ordinance writing group 15 o Business & Commerce Committee o Whatcom Small City Mayors o Local Chambers of Commerce Their feedback was sought to ensure that the implementation plan reflects the priorities of Whatcom County residents and supports the achievement of the Healthy Children's Fund vision. (See f-ppendix II. Advisory Group Feedback Themes.) For a roster of implementation planning team members, see Appendix Ill. 16 Spending Plan Increasing early childhood well-being is a complex endeavor. To be successful, it requires multiple strategic investments to work in concert with each other while simultaneously implementing a public policy approach in line with economic market drivers. The Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan is a culmination of numerous community plan development processes. Stakeholders from across the community-including early learning & care stakeholders, housing system and mental & behavioral health providers, and other relevant advisory bodies-were engaged in the development of the Child & Family Well-being Action Plan, the Healthy Whatcom: Community Health Improvement Plan, and other community plans focused on early childhood well-being. All of these plans informed and laid the foundation for the Healthy Children's Fund Implementation Plan. (See also 612pendix I: Community Plans.) In addition, the ordinance requires the Implementation Plan to be created with the advice of the relevant advisory groups, including the Child and Family Well-Being Taskforce, an advisory body with representation from local parents, businesses, foundations, early learning & care operators, and systems developers. (See the Boles section in this document.) In implementing the Healthy Children's Fund, Whatcom County Government strives to meet the community's vision and goals, while abiding by all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Many of the regulations that most impact the Healthy Children's Fund administration were designed to provide accountability for taxpayer dollars and prevent the gifting of public funds for private gain. To effectively serve the public's interest, Whatcom County must operate within the bounds of these laws and regulations while simultaneously maximizing the impact of the Healthy Children's Fund. At times, these two goals are in tension with one another. Whatcom County will take advantage of flexibility where possible when it furthers the goals of this plan. Still, it must adhere to legal and audit requirements as an ultimate principle of fund administration. WCHCS drafted this spending plan with this awareness while striving to meet the goals of the Whatcom County Council and voters. The Healthy Children's Fund established a 10-year fund that is renewable after 10 years. The ordinance directs Whatcom County Health & Community Services to develop an implementation plan focusing on years 1 & 2 and the steps WCHCS will take to update the plan for subsequent years. Specific guidance on the Spending Plan from Ordinance 2022-045 (Whatcom County, 2022) includes: • The Healthy Children's Fund must be used to increase: kindergarten readiness; affordable, high-quality, professional, and accessible early learning & care opportunities; and support for our most vulnerable children, including expanding mental and behavioral health services, preventing and reducing the trauma of children experiencing homelessness, and supporting vulnerable children's parents/caregivers 1 . • The initial 2-year Implementation Plan shall allocate no less than 55% and no more than 68% of levy revenue and proceeds to improving early learning and care and shall allocate no less than 20% and no more than 36% of levy revenue and proceeds to supporting vulnerable children. • Money in the Healthy Children's Fund shall not be used in lieu of federal, state, county, city, or school district funding already committed for the purpose of providing outlined services (e.g. Behavioral Health Fund, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)). 1 The term parents/caregivers is meant to be inclusive of all family structures (mothers, fathers, grandparents, guardians, etc.) 17 The Process to Identify Strategies for Years 1 & 2 The Implementation Planning Team identified 55 solutions from existing community processes and plans that address the factors impacting early childhood well-being in Whatcom County. (See Appendix I: Community Plans.) The 55 solutions were then organized into 9 theme areas with 23 strategies that impact the priority areas of Early Learning & Care and Supporting Vulnerable Children. (See Appendix IV: Prioritized Strategy Matrix.) To build the most comprehensive picture of the current landscape in Whatcom County, and build on the work already done through various community planning processes, subject matter experts and representatives from the Child & Family Well-Being Task Force, Healthy Whatcom, Proposition 5 ordinance writing group, Whatcom Child Care Coalition, Whatcom County Health & Community Services, Executive's Office, and other community organizations were invited to a workgroup, the Ad Hoc Strategy Group (see 6ppendix Ill.) The Ad Hoc Strategy Group convened in early December 2022 to examine the 23 potential strategies for funding. The underlying foundation of their work were the following specifications and assumptions: Specifications • Strategies must further the goals of prevention, early intervention, and disruption of the conditions that lead to inequities and disparities for families. • All strategies should further the goals of being trauma-informed, anti-racist, and culturally responsive. • Supporting vulnerable children can be done in the context of early learning & care settings and all efforts should be made to leverage these opportunities. • Increasing access to early learning & care for all children in Whatcom County to reduce racial and economic disparities and to ensure all students receive the benefit of mixed- income classrooms. • Meeting the needs of children and families requires early learning & care programs to address their physical, mental, and behavioral health needs. Assumptions • Different strategies are at different readiness levels for implementation; some are at the early stages of planning, some have plans in place but have not been implemented, and some expand and enhance existing programs and services that meet the goals of the Healthy Children's Fund. • Strategies included in the portfolio include approximate, estimated cost ranges. These are for planning purposes only and to give a sense of scale. These may and likely will change as implementation proceeds and more information becomes available. • The "details" for each strategy reflect the best, current understanding and are not necessarily exhaustive of all items that could be funded in that strategy. As projects develop, details may evolve to best serve that strategy. • Later years' portfolios will be based on the evaluation and adaptation of strategies based on learning from years 1 & 2. / The workgroup also drafted potential criteria to use when evaluating potential strategies. Feedback on the proposed criteria was collected via survey from the Child and Family Well- Being Task Force, Healthy Whatcom, and the Healthy Children's Fund Campaign Team. From that feedback, the final criteria were determined: 18 Criteria • Values: Does this strategy address the needs of rural communities, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities, or both? • Expectations of Success: Has this strategy been effective elsewhere? Or was it elevated through a documented community assessment, process, or plan? • Readiness: Is this strategy ready to implement, for example, are cost estimates available or could they be readily developed? • Impact: Will funding this strategy quickly and/or significantly impact our goal of improved outcomes for children and families? The Ad Hoc Strategy Group developed cost estimate ranges, identified considerations for each strategy, and used the criteria above to independently evaluate strategies. Based on these analyses, the group developed the Prioritized Strategy Matrix. (See Appendix IV.) The Implementation Planning Team then mapped this prioritized matrix to the guidelines outlined by the ordinance -the percentage of funds that must be used for each priority area as well as the seven focus areas that must be addressed -to determine the recommended portfolio of strategies for funding in years 1 & 2. The strategies in the following section were identified as the highest priority to launch in years 1 & 2. The remaining strategies are available in the Prioritized Strategy Matrix so that additional projects can be launched as community readiness improves and funds become available. Fund Allocation Revenues in Year 1, 2023, for the Healthy Children's Fund are estimated in the amount of $9,976,044. While revenue may change in Year 2 due to several factors, estimates in this document are based on the same revenue in 2024 as in 2023. As indicated in the ordinance, 55-68% of revenues must be allocated to Early Learning & Care in the first two years of the fund, and 20-36% must be allocated to Supporting Vulnerable Children. This spending plan allocates 64%, $12,800,000, of the estimated revenues to Early Learning & Care, and 27% to Supporting Vulnerable Children, $5,356,400, during Years 1 & 2. 19 Table 5. Expected Revenue Allocation for Years 1-2: 2023-2024 ~-------~--------~ Administration (including up to 3% Evaluation) Priority Areas Early Learning & Care Supporting Vulnerable Children Ordinance Allocation Requirements 9% 91% 55-68% 20-36% Years 1 & 2 Estimated $ % $1,795,688 9% $18,156,400 91% $12,800,000 64% $5,356,400 27% The Healthy Children's Fund ordinance allows for unspent funds to remain in reserves throughout the entire life of the levy. Under RCW 36.29.010(8), the Treasurer has authority to invest reserve dollars. WCHCS will seek Council approval to direct HCF investment proceeds back into the HCF fund .. The ability to roll over unspent funds for the next year will be necessary, particularly during the first year, as significant time will be needed to set up processes and systems and to implement the portfolio of strategies. Additionally, some strategies may necessitate large investments that could require the pooling of multiple years of funding. "It is intended that substantially all levy proceeds will be used for the purposes outlined in the Ordinance within the ten-year levy period, and reserves maintained after the ninth year of the levy must be supported by a formal statement justifying the need for the reserve." (Whatcom County, 2022) Spending of public dollars often lags contracting. For example, Whatcom County could use the Healthy Children's Fund to contract to build a new child care center when APRA funds are no longer available. Because actual construction and reimbursement may not occur immediately upon contracting, funds would appear in reserves. For this reason, there will be times the fund maintains a significant reserve balance. WCHCS will make every effort to publish data on commitments, as well as expenditures to provide transparency into uncommitted reserve balances. Spending on Administration is necessary to administer the fund. Where possible, Whatcom County Health & Community Services will leverage funds from other related funding sources (Behavioral Health Fund, Housing funds, Developmental Disabilities millage) to support administration. The Administration allocation in years one and two supports the infrastructure to administer contracts, provide subject matter expertise and technical assistance to providers, and ensure that outreach, education, and communication are embedded through staffing and external contracts. Ordinance 2022-045 Section 5 requires an independent external evaluation of the Healthy Children's Fund every other year, while also emphasizing the necessary development and foundation building to effectively provide both internal and contracted external program evaluation. Lastly, the fund includes significant investments in system integration to connect families to services, and software implementation to create transparency on performance measures. It is anticipated that the fund will underspend in year one because of the time needed to develop and award evaluation and consultant contracts, which is anticipated to happen in mid-2023 to early 2024. Any unspent funds each year, except for planned and variable multi-year contracts, will be placed in the fund reserves to be used on programs and services, as dictated by the initial and subsequent implementation plans. During planning for years 3 & 4, fund allocation amounts will 20 be determined based on learning from years 1 & 2, feedback from advisory groups, emergent needs of the community, and changes to state and federal funding availability. In some cases, unspent funding may continue for the initially planned strategy; at other times, a subsequent allocation plan may reallocate funding for a different activity, subject to public processes. While a portfolio of strategies is included below, and estimated amounts are included in the details of each strategy in the next section, "Years 1 & 2 Portfolio: Detailed Strategies," those amounts are subject to change as more information becomes known and as the situation and environment changes before and as a strategy is implemented. No more than eight percentage points will transfer from Early Learning & Care to Supporting Vulnerable Children so that allocations still comply with the percentages required by the ordinance. Table 6a. Healthy Children's Fund Portfolio of Year 1 & 2 Strategies Years 1 & 2 Strategies $ I % Early Learning & Care $12,soo,oool 64% 1: Provide funds for small capital projects to expand, renovate, or re purpose buildings to increase early learning & care slots in a mixed-delivery system. 2: Coordinate current and develop additional pathways to ensure a stable early learning & care workforce to deliver high-quality programs for children. 3: Improve access to early learning & care through subsidies that reduce the cost of programs for children from families which are cost-burdened. 4: Ensure access to early learning and care by promoting the expansion and retention of the early learning & care workforce. 5: Create regional early learning & care hubs that include shared administrative services, colocated early learning and other services for children and families, and support for smaller providers in the County (i.e. the "hub and spoke model"). 6: Support innovative approaches to meet various Healthy Children's Fund goals related to Early Learning & Care. Supporting Vulnerable Children $5,356,4001 27% 7: Recruit Mental & Behavioral Health Workforce to Whatcom County. 8: Develop and/or expand resources and programs for families who disproportionately experience housing instability. 9: Expand and enhance early parenting supports. 10: Integrate and co-locate services via coordinated access to resource navigation. 21 Table 7, below, describes how the portfolio will address each of the focus areas. Table 7. Healthy Children's Fund Portfolio of Year 1 & 2 Strategies by Focus Area Focus Areas Prevent & Mental & Reduce Support- Access-Afford-Profess-High-Behavior-Homeless-ing Strategies: Years 1 & 2 ible able ional Quality al Health ness Parents Early Learning & Care X X X X X X 1: Provide funds for small capital projects to expand, renovate, or repurpose buildings to increase early X X learning & care slots in a mixed-delivery system. 2: Coordinate current and develop additional pathways to ensure a stable early learning & care workforce to deliver X X X X high-quality programs for children. 3: Improve access to early learning & care through subsidies that reduce the cost of programs for children X X from families which are cost-burdened. 4: Ensure access to early learning and care by promoting the expansion and retention of the early learning & care X X workforce. 5: Create regional early learning & care hubs that include shared administrative services, colocated early learning and other services for children and families, and support X X X X for smaller providers in the County (i.e. the "hub and spoke model"). 6: Support innovative approaches to meet various Healthy X X X X Children's Fund goals related to Early Learning & Care. Supporting Vulnerable Children X X X X 7: Recruit Mental & Behavioral Health Workforce to X X Whatcom County. , 8: Develop and/or expand resources and programs for families who disproportionately experience housing X X X instability. 9: Expand and enhance early parenting supports. X X 10: Integrate and co-locate services via coordinated access to resource navigation. X X X X 22 Portfolio of Strategies for Years 1 & 2: Early Learning & Care Early childhood development paves the way for success throughout a person's life, and the interactions young children have with their caregivers influence the constant brain development that takes place during children's early years. For parents, access to early learning & care can allow them to work more, attend school, and have lasting, positive effects on family economic security and opportunity. Researchers have found that access to more affordable, high-quality early learning & care produces a greater likelihood of improved health outcomes, increased future earnings, and reduced crime rates. To ensure early learning & care programs meet the diverse and unique needs across Whatcom County, the HCF needs to have a robust mixed-delivery system. This system will allow parents/caregivers options between program delivery models so that children can participate in the program that best meets their needs, learning styles, and cultures. Early learning & care classrooms also provide opportunities to connect children and their families to support and services in areas such as mental and behavioral health, housing, and more. 23 "A growing body of work suggests that racially and economically diverse preschools have significant learning benefits, which some researchers say is not surprising given how much growth in preschool happens through playing and sharing with peers. "Children of all backgrounds learn more on average in racially and socioeconomically diverse preschool classrooms, and diverse early learning settings can help reduce prejudice among young children," wrote Halley Potter, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, in a recent report that dives into that research and offers ideas for how the federal government can foster integration in universal preschool." (Hurley, 2021) HCF's Early Learning & Care priority has four focus areas: 1. Accessible: Expand early learning & care services that meet the varied needs of families and children. Geographic locations, ages of children, special needs, and a broad range of early learning & care scheduling needs (including emergency opportunities) will all be considered in the development. 2. Affordable: Decrease the cost of early learning & care experiences for both families and providers. 3. High-Quality: Increase the quality of early learning and care experiences. 4. Professional: Attract and retain quality early childhood educators. Considerations for Early Learning & Care Strategies: • The Healthy Children's Fund cannot be used in place of federal, state, county, city, or school district funding already committed for the purpose of providing outlined services (Whatcom County, 2022). To date, Whatcom County has committed $12.4 million in ARPA funding for early learning and care, approximately $1 O million of which will be devoted to capital projects to increase early learning slots. HCF spending will complement these ARPA capital investments by focusing largely on non-capital strategies in Years 1 and 2. This will expand resources to create a sustainable child care landscape and to ensure adequate staff to operate quality programs. Capital needs will be reevaluated for years 3 and beyond. • Strategies are not listed in any particular order. Implementing these strategies will require the collaboration of many community partners, and we anticipate that strategies will have multiple recipients of funding identified through a competitive process. Detailed information can be found in the funding mechanisms section. • All of the data needed to measure the effectiveness of the HCF does not yet exist. As data improves, metrics in each strategy area will be further refined. In addition to headline and secondary indicators, each strategy will also have program measures that will help evaluate the effectiveness of approaches and opportunities for growth. 24 Table 6b. Early Learning & Care Strategies, Year 1 & 2 Years 1 & 2 Strategies $ I % Early Learning & Care s12,soo,oool 64% 1: Provide funds for small capital projects to expand, renovate, or repurpose buildings to increase early learning & care slots in a mixed-delivery system. 2: Coordinate current and develop additional pathways to ensure a stable early learning & care workforce to deliver high-quality programs for children. 3: Improve access to early learning & care through subsidies that reduce the cost of programs for children from families which are cost-burdened. 4: Ensure access to early learning and care by promoting the expansion and retention of the early learning & care workforce. 5: Create regional early learning & care hubs that include shared administrative services, colocated early learning and other services for children and families, and support for smaller providers in the County (i.e. the "hub and spoke model"). 6: Support innovative approaches to meet various Healthy Children's Fund goals related to Early Learning & Care. 25 Strategy 1: Brovi'i:Jelunasfor small capital projects to expan'iJ, renovate1 or repurpose buildings to increase eailY: leanning ~ care slots in a mixed-aelivefM SY:stem. Focus Areas Early Learning & Care (ELC): Affordable & Accessible Objectives Increase early learning & care slots by improving and/or expanding facilities in a variety of program models across the county, including rural locations, to ensure slots are accessible to underserved populations. Details • Support classrooms to increase the number of early learning & care slots, paying particular attention to age groups and areas of the county most in demand, through funding for facility startup, renovation, or expansion. • This can include converting extra space into an early learning & care program, as appropriate for licensing standards. • This generally does not include the construction of new buildings but would include things such as bathroom renovations, septic systems, etc. • Investments should complement other opportunities for facility improvements. How we will Headline: measure our • Early learning & care slots per 100 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. success Secondary: • Number of parents/caregivers who have a demand for early learning & care report that they have access. • The number of early learning & care providers that report having a waitlist. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Opportunities to • Ensure providers can apply for and receive Washington State Leverage Funds Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).small-capital and licensed-family home grants. • Complement Whatcom County's ARPA allocations for capital projects to ensure the expansion of varied program models. Cost estimate for ~$500,000 years 1 & 2* *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 26 Strategy 2: €.oorilinate current a nil ilevelop aclaitional pathways to ensure a stable early learning & care worl<fpru to aeliver high-quality programs for cliilclren. Focus Areas ELC: Professional, Accessible, High-Quality Support for Vulnerable Children (SVC): Mental & Behavioral Health Objectives • Increase access by recruiting operators, educators, intervention specialists, and staff into the early learning & care field, especially those that increase diversity in the classroom. • Provide more accessible pathways to a sustainable career through training and credentialing. • Increase participation in early learning & care programs by improving the experience of children and families within such programs. • Improve access to mental and behavioral health supports for children with specialized needs within the context of early learning and care. Details Pathways will include recruitment, credentialing, and professional development. They must be accessible to a diverse workforce, identify and maximize state and local assets, include community-based options, and fill gaps in the system. Components of the early learning & care workforce development system should facilitate equitable access to the early learning & care field including scholarships, mentoring, and coaching. Planning and Infrastructure: • Identify current resources and gaps in the local professional development landscape. • Coordinate and develop the local infrastructure necessary to improve access to and quality of professional development. • The pathway should address recruitment of a diverse workforce, credentialing, training, and retention; track the efficacy of retention strategies; and work with providers to implement them effectively and make adjustments as needed. Expand access to early learning & care credentialing through higher education and community pathways through avenues such as: • Recruiting potential early learning & care workforce . • Support the development of a clear pathway for non-English speaking individuals to become early learning & care educators and providers, especially those that can communicate with children and families in their native language. • Work with K-12 school district Career and Technical Education programs to include early learning & care as a career field. Expand access to training, professional development, and integration of curriculum into programs across the county through avenues such as: • Offer financial planning and business modeling services to early learning & care centers. • Expand access to Teaching Strategies Gold and quality coaching for programs engaged in Early Achievers. • Increase the number of early learning and care programs that use the Since Time Immemorial and other BIPOC-created curricula. • Train early learning professionals to better address the needs of vulnerable populations, including children with behavioral health needs, health issues, social needs, and non-English speaking families. 27 Provide training and technical assistance to potential early learning and care operators and those interested in expanding their programs. How we will Headline: measure our • Percent of credentialed early learning & care educators in Whatcom success County. • Percent of early learning & care programs enrolled in the Early Achievers Quality Rating System that has a rating of 3 or higher. Secondary: • Number of early learning & care educators completing training or education provided by the local higher education system or community credentialing program • Number of parents/caregivers who have a demand for early learning & care report that they have access • Number of parents/caregivers who report having access to behavioral/mental health services for their children at their early learning & care program/location All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Leveraging Funds Numerous partners offer recruitment, credentialing, and training programs that can be coordinated. Cost estimate for ~$1,500,000 years 1 & 2* *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will either shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 28 Strategy 3: Improve access to early teaming & care through subsidies that reduce the cost ofi programs'for children from families which qre cost .. burllenea. Focus Areas ELC: Accessible and Affordable Objectives • Improve access to early learning & care by providing program subsidies for families with children ages 0-5 who are cost-burdened by child care. • Build a plan to incrementally increase the affordability of care for low- income or income-constrained families each year until families are paying 7-10% of their household income. Details • Standardize an income eligibility scale in a subsidy program that prioritizes families paying the highest percentage of their household income. • United Way's ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) metrics could be used to help establish the parameters of the sliding scale. • Seattle's Child Care Assistance Program can be used as a model for subsidy implementation. • It is expected that a portion of funds will be used to plan and develop an equitable, effective process for allocating subsidies. How we will Headline: measure our • Percent of median household income spent on early learning and care success for a family with two children. • Early learning & care slots per 100 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers . Secondary: • Number of parents/caregivers who have a demand for early learning & care report that they have access. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Leveraging Funds Must be implemented to complement Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), the early learning & care subsidy program that helps income-eligible families with children pay for early learning & care administered by DCYF. Cost estimate for ~$3,300,000 years 1 & 2* *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 29 Strategy 4: Ensure access to early learning & care by promoting the expansion and retention ot the early learning & care woikfprce. Focus Area ELC: Professional & Affordable Objectives Ensure programs have a stable workforce to run high-quality early learning & care programs. • Retain current early learning & care educators and staff in the field by increasing wages. • Recruit additional early learning and care educators and staff by positioning it as a field with earning potential. Details • Explore and assess the feasibility of potential strategies, including wage subsidies. • Develop a plan to implement sustainable and effective strategies to meet the objectives with the goal of implementing the plan in years 2 & 3. • Explore innovative models to address workforce shortages, such as partnerships with education, multi-age settings, and apprenticeships. • Leverage the results of state and local wage subsidy pilot projects such as the Best Start for Kids' Workforce Demonstration Project. (King County, 2021) How we will Headline: measure our • Percent of credentialed early learning & care educators in Whatcom success County. • Average annual salary for full-time early learning & care educators compared to regional school system salary scales. Secondary: • Number of early learning & care providers reporting challenges with recruiting and retaining early learning & care educators. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Leveraging Funds Leverage and align with Washington State efforts to increase wages. Cost estimate for ~$2,050,000 years 1 & 2* *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 30 Strategy 5: Create regional eatly learning & care hubs that incluae shared administrative services, co-located early learning and other serJticesytor children atJi:ttamilies, ana suppottf[or smci}ler proviiJers in the County li,e. the "hub ana spoke moael, "~ Focus Areas • ELC: High-Quality & Accessible • SVC: Mental & Behavioral Health and Supporting Parents Objectives • Increase access to early learning opportunities by increasing the number of child care slots across Whatcom County, prioritizing slots for underserved children, especially in rural communities. • Decrease early learning & care operational costs by establishing regional shared service hubs to increase the accessibility and quality of care for low-income children and their families. Details Research, planning, and implementation to establish hubs, including where capital investments are needed, the number and type of providers for each geographic area, etc. Hub and spoke planning will take place regionally and in partnership with community stakeholders within that area to ensure the expansion plan reflects the unique demands and needs of the region. Key assets of the hub may include shared services determined by the needs of the early learning & care community. Examples include: • Onsite early learning & care service delivery, including onsite mental and behavioral health providers to provide targeted interventions to children during working hours in early learning & care centers, and early parenting supports. • Shared administrative services including accounting, contract management, and accessing local and state child care resources. Help programs manage licensing needs and expectations with DCYF. • Support for business development, grant writing, contract management, etc. • Expanding the resources and coordinated system for families seeking early learning & care. For this document, regions are defined by school district boundaries, and a hub is a model for shared services and support. How we will Headline: measure our • Early learning & care slots per 100 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. success • Number of early learning & care providers participating in a regional shared service hub. Secondary: • Number of early learning & care providers reporting an increase in sustainability. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Leveraging • Apply for shared service grants through DCYF. Funds • Align with local efforts to expand family resource centers. • Utilize state-wide resources such as The Imagine lnstitute's Shared Service Center program. • Leverage state funds by increasing the number of slots paid for by state subsidies. Cost estimate for ~$4,500,000 years 1 & 2* 31 *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. . Strategy 6i SUffflOit inno1tative approaches to meet 1tarious lilealth'l Ghilclren's Eun'iJ goals related to Ear/Ye Learning &,€are. Focus Areas ELC: Affordable, Accessible, High-Quality & Professional Objectives • Increase the accessibility, affordability, quality, and professionalism of Early Learning & Care through innovative solutions for underserved populations, including but not limited to, low-income and/or rural areas with a lack of access across Whatcom County. • Fund pilot programs and approaches that increase the evidence base and demonstrate impact on outcomes for underserved populations, including but not limited to, low-income and/or rural areas with a lack of access across Whatcom County. Details Service providers and/or partners submit innovative projects that advance Healthy Children's fund goals. Examples include: • Expand access to healthy foods through early learning & care centers, especially for Latinx families. • Programs that offer support to low-income and vulnerable children in the context of early learning and care, such as in-classroom mental health or early intervention services. • Community service providers partnering with early learning and care environments, such as therapy providers or early intervention. • Expand partnerships with communities to include services (such as playgroups) in community-based settings. • Increase programs' access to culturally appropriate curriculum to reduce the cultural gap in kindergarten readiness. How we will • The number of innovative solutions that demonstrate valid results. measure our • Improvement to one or more early learning & care focus areas success (accessibility, affordability, quality, and professionalism). All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Cost estimate for ~$950,000 years 1 & 2* *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 32 Portfolio of Strategies for Years 1 & 2: Supporting Vulnerable Children Responsive, nurturing interactions and healthy environments provide a foundation for positive early childhood development, paving the way for success throughout a person's life. Strong, stable relationships with caregivers are essential to children's healthy development. Supporting children's social, emotional, and physical needs builds resiliency and prevents excessive activation of stress responses and the eventual physical and mental health problems that stem from chronic stress. For families dealing with significantadversity from poverty, unstable housing, mental illness, disability, exposure to violence, or racism, the potential benefits of high-quality accessible early learning & care and comprehensive services are magnified (Center on the Developing Child, The Impact and A Science- Based Framework, 2007). Policies, programs, and interventions focused on optimizing early childhood development, stabilizing families, and minimizing exposure of children to serious adversity can have long-lasting positive impacts on the health and well-being of the community as a whole. Providing access to these services in the context of early learning & care leverages funds and other community resources, and increases access for children of working parents. Housing is critical to overall childhood well- being. If we want children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive, we must address safe and stable housing. Even further, experiencing homelessness causes trauma in children that has lifelong effects. Preventing and ameliorating that trauma is key to this work. A goal of the Healthy Children's Fund is to prevent homelessness for children and families, specifically to divert families from homelessness before it occurs. Supporting parents/caregivers are the foundation of a healthy community. When parents/caregivers thrive, children can thrive. And when children thrive, only then can a community thrive. 33 HCF's Supporting Vulnerable Children priority has three focus areas: 1. Expand Mental & Behavioral Health Services for vulnerable children and their families. 2. Prevent & Reduce the Trauma of Homelessness through diversion and other preventative services and reduce the trauma associated with homelessness by supporting interim housing services and trauma-focused system reform for vulnerable children and their families. 3. Support Vulnerable Children's Parents/Caregivers by expanding support and services for families who have or are expecting children deemed to be vulnerable. Considerations for Supporting Vulnerable Children strategies: • The term parents/caregivers is meant to be inclusive of all family structures (mothers, fathers, grandparents, guardians, etc.) • Strategies are not listed in any particular order. Implementing these strategies will require the collaboration of many community partners, and we anticipate that strategies will have multiple recipients of funding identified through a competitive process. Detailed information can be found in the Funding Mechanisms section. • All of the data needed to measure the effectiveness of the HCF does not yet exist. As data improves, metrics in each strategy area will be further refined. In addition to headline and secondary indicators, each strategy will also have program measures that will help evaluate the effectiveness of approaches and opportunities for growth. • Vulnerable children are defined in the ordinance as "any children at greater risk of experiencing physical or emotional harm and/or experiencing poor outcomes because of one or more factors in their lives, including but not limited to homeless and foster children. Table 6c. Supporting Vulnerable Children Strategies, Year 1 & 2 Years 1 & 2 Strategies $ I % Supporting Vulnerable Children $5,356,4001 27% 7: Recruit Mental & Behavioral Health Workforce to Whatcom County. 8: Develop and/or expand resources and programs for families who disproportionately experience housing instability. 9: Expand and enhance early parenting supports. 10: Integrate and co-locate services via coordinated access to resource navigation. 34 Focus Areas Objective Details How we will measure our success Leveraging Funds Cost estimate for years 1 & 2* SVC: Mental & Behavioral Health and Supporting Parents/Caregivers • Expand behavioral and mental health services for vulnerable children, pregnant parents, and parents with young children. • Support pilots and internship models that expand access to mental & behavioral health services for underserved children and families. • Retain and/or develop mental health supports serving vulnerable populations with an emphasis on providers who represent our culturally diverse community. • Increase the number of mental health professionals who specialize in perinatal mental health. • Support providers to provide services to families who meet the criteria of or are enrolled in Apple Health (Medicaid). • Hold listening/learning sessions to better understand how the county government can support local Medicaid providers. Headline: • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve young children, per 0-5 population. • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve pregnant parents and parents with young children, per 0-5 population. • Number of families on provider wait lists for behavioral health services. Secondary: • Number of parental (prenatal to age 5) referrals conducted by the SEAS for mental health services. • Number of parents/caregivers who report having access to behavioral/mental health services for their children at their early learning & care program/location. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. Leverage Whatcom County Behavioral Health Fund, State of Washington funding, and federal Medicaid dollars to ensure complementary services are funded as the workforce expands. ~$850,000 *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 35 Focus Areas Objectives Details How we will measure our success Leveraging Funds Cost estimate for years 1 & 2* SVC: Prevent and Reduce Homelessness, Mental & Behavioral Health, and Support Parents/Caregivers Reduce the number of children experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. • Build family-centered problem-solving and advocacy to help a household identify practical solutions for stabilizing their housing quickly and safely, including assistance negotiating with property managers, navigating mainstream resources, and short-term, flexible financial assistance to avert a crisis (i.e. family "diversion"). • Fund flexible housing stability supports that prioritize families actively seeking services through coordinated entry and/or other community housing assessments. • Reform eligibility guidelines for housing services to center child well- being through racial equity and trauma-informed decisions and care. • Partner with early learning & care centers and school districts with pre-K programs to identify children and families at risk of housing instability and connect them to services. Headline: • Percent of public-school students in grades Pre-K to 3rd experiencing a housing crisis. • Number of families with children experiencing homelessness. Secondary • Number of Whatcom families with children experiencing homelessness and actively seeking services through the Coordinated Entry Program. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. • Coordinate funding from Whatcom County, the City of Bellingham, Washington State, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding to maximize the use of dollars locally. • Focus Healthy Children's Fund dollars on those populations (such as families doubled up in housing) that may not be served with other funding regulated by the State or Federal government. ~$1,875,000 *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 36 Focus Areas Objectives Details How we will measure our success Leveraging Funds Cost estimate for years 1 & 2* SVC: Mental & Behavioral Health & Supporting Parents/Caregivers Increase support and services for pregnant and parenting families, particularly those with vulnerable children. Service providers and/or partners submit innovative projects that expand and enhance early parenting support. Examples include: • • • • • • Replicate and/or expand innovative, promising practices being implemented in Whatcom and other communities. Expand the availability of birth and postpartum doulas . Increase access to culturally responsive parenting supports (e.g . supports embedded in health care settings, etc.) Increase opportunities for one-to-one and group peer support for parents, caregivers, and those expecting children (e.g. Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS) model, etc.) Support expansion of home visiting models to support a greater number of families such as the universal "Welcome Baby" model, as well as targeted models such as the "Nurse-Family Partnership." Coordinate and provide resources and community-wide training on trauma-informed care, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and equity/ anti-racist assessments and improvements. Headline: • Well-child visits in the first 30 months of life. • Rate of Low Birth Weight infants, less than 2500 grams. • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received adequate prenatal care. • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy. Secondary • Number of parents/caregivers who report that they have access to the parenting support services they need. • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who reported having a postpartum check-up. • Percentage of deliveries in which the mothers or parents carrying a child were screened for a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder during pregnancy and during the postpartum period. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. • Whatcom County assistance for Nurse-Family Partnership and other parenting support programs. • Washington State and other grant funding for perinatal health services. ~$1,875,000 *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 37 Focus Areas Objectives Details How we will measure our success Leveraging Funds Cost estimate for years 1 & 2* SVC: Mental & Behavioral Health, Prevent & Reduce Homelessness, and Support Parents/Caregivers • Increase access to wraparound services • Decrease barriers to accessing services for families and children. • Expand behavioral and mental health services and supports for vulnerable children and pregnant and parenting families with vulnerable children. • Build on promising practices and successes from the state-wide Help Me Grow network, SEAS (single entry access to services), and other Whatcom County resources. • Implement coordinated systems to access resources, and expand access to mental health services for pregnant and parenting families. • Strengthen coordination to identify families experiencing or at risk of housing instability including those who are doubled-up or otherwise under-housed. • Increase the number of family resource center locations or access points for pregnant and parenting families with a priority on providing access to those populations that currently experience the greatest barriers. • Embed community health workers and/or social workers into settings such as medical clinics that primarily serve low-income families for access to wraparound support services. Headline: • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve young children, per 0-5 population. • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve pregnant parents and parents with young children, per 0-5 population. Secondary: • Number of parents/caregivers who report having access to behavioral & mental health services for their children at their early learning & care program/location. • Number of parents/caregivers who report that they have access to the parenting support services they need. All measures are disaggregated by race, income, and geography as data is available. • Washington State and Whatcom County Behavioral Health fund. • Grant funding supporting state-wide Help me Grow Network. ~$757,000 *These estimates are based on current data and understanding and may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. 38 Funding Mechanisms Regarding the funding distribution process for the Healthy Children's Fund, Ordinance 2022-045 (Whatcom County, 2022) requires: • The County shall ensure that the Healthy Children's Fund is used exclusively to sustain an increase in overall public expenditures for eligible services as set forth in this ordinance. Money in the Healthy Children's Fund shall not be used in lieu of federal, state, county, city, or school district funding already committed for the purpose of providing outlined services. • All service providers, vendors, and subcontractors of the Healthy Children's Fund shall be selected by fund administrators in compliance with Whatcom County Purchasing System Code (WCC) 3.08. • Working criteria for fund allocation will guide the contracting process for non- administrative expenses. Funding opportunities for the Healthy Children's Fund will be based on the priorities and strategies outlined in the Spending Plan as well as the values and intent highlighted in the ordinance, and consistent with federal, state, and local law. Funding opportunities will establish measurable outcomes towards stated goals, as well as uphold the value of being community- centered and offer opportunities for innovative approaches by new and/or less established providers. Policies and procedures for funding mechanisms will be developed and documented over the first two years and shared with the public and prospective applicants. This funding guidebook for the Healthy Children's Fund is intended to support applicants with eligibility, guidelines, applications, contracts, and compliance, and will be similar to other Washington State municipality funding guidebooks. (City of Bellevue, 2019; Seattle Human Services, 2022) Funding Eligibility All funding opportunities must align with HCF funding criteria and goals and in all cases shall be subject to the limitations and restrictions of federal, state, and local law. Funding opportunities (described below) over $40,000 will be advertised through the county's traditional competitive, open bid process, with exceptions as may be provided for under Whatcom County purchasing policies (WCC 3.08.060). While formal bid requirements may not be required for projects or services under $40,000, all awards including those not subject to formal bid requirements will be selected based on adherence to identified criteria and the best use of available funds. Funding opportunities are intended for a wide range of operators to develop and provide eligible services throughout Whatcom County. Eligible applicants shall include those operators and service providers who support strategies in the HCF priorities of Early Learning & Care and Support for Vulnerable Children. Eligible operators and service providers may include non-profit, for-profit, private, and public entities, higher education programs, and/or early learning & care providers that can meet Whatcom County contracting requirements. Specific eligibility criteria will be based on the requirements of each funding opportunity. All contractors and subcontractors must adhere to anti-discrimination and child protection laws and policies. While some of the funds will be accessible universally, the majority of the funds will prioritize equitable access for traditionally underserved communities. This includes but is not limited to, areas located outside of the city of Bellingham, low-income children and families, and community members experiencing the greatest barriers. 39 Funding will be made available pursuant to the provisions of WCC 3.08 (Whatcom County's Purchasing Policy). Applicable Whatcom County Purchasing Thresholds are as follows: • Tier I: Funds less than $10,001 may be contracted as needed for specific services • Tier II: $10,001-$40,000, perWCC 3.08.040, whenever practically possible, price quotations from at least three vendors shall be solicited for contracted services • Tier Ill: >$40,000, per wee 3.08.060, contract awards exceeding $40,000 will be based upon bids or proposals received in response to specifications and invitations to bid In an effort to expedite fund distribution, WCHCS will utilize formal bid exceptions in the purchasing policy as needed. When WCHCS does not initiate a formal bid, we will widely advertise funding opportunities through the Child & Family Well-Being Task Force, Whatcom Childcare Coalition, and other communication channels. Contracting Contractors must adhere to a number of contracting requirements, which may include but are not limited to: • Ongoing monitoring and reporting to WCHCS and outside evaluators, and as may otherwise be required under their contract. • Reimbursement-based contract structure, except under limited circumstances. • Compliance with county insurance requirements pursuant to a contract, to include providing a certificate of required coverage and naming Whatcom County as an additional insured. • Non-discrimination and child protection laws/policies. (See 6PPendix IX.) • Maintaining books, records, documents, and other evidence directly related to the performance of the work in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Whatcom County, or any of its duly authorized representatives, shall have access to such books, records, and documents for inspection and audit for a period of three years after completion of work. • Contractors will document the use of Whatcom County funds and will complete all required reports and billing documentation in a timely manner. Additional data may be required for audit or evaluation purposes. • All contracts will state the contract's objective and purpose, and which shall be consistent with the provisions of Whatcom County Ordinance 2022-045. Recipients of Healthy Children's Fund dollars will be expected to work with WCHCS to develop goals using the Results Based Accountability (RBA) Framework as well as a progress monitoring plan appropriate to the level of funds awarded. WCHCS will use data collection and quality improvement activities to monitor the progression toward meeting community-level goals as well as monitoring expenditures. Focused efforts will be made to align monitoring with reporting already being collected by the contractor for programs such as DCYF licensing, Early Achievers, etc. (See the Metrics & Evaluation section for more details.) WCHCS will also provide technical assistance and coaching for applicants as needed (see below). Project Proposal Process Funding opportunities will be advertised using a phased approach that will consider several factors, including each strategy's readiness for implementation. The goal is to advertise initial funding opportunities beginning in Fall 2023. The award process will be structured as follows: 40 Phase 1: Develop proposal documents for specific strategies Each strategy may have multiple funding opportunities each year, and within any strategy, multiple funding mechanisms may be employed. Some awards may be for programs, some may follow individuals (such as subsidies), while others may be for infrastructure such as capital facilities. Award recipients may propose to sub-contract funds for services at the discretion of the county. All contracts will state the contract's objective and purpose, which shall be consistent with the provisions of Whatcom County Ordinance 2022-045. Collaboration with subject matter experts during the development of funding opportunity proposals will occur whenever possible. Phase 2: Advertising Funding Opportunities While funding opportunities are in development, WCHCS will communicate with stakeholders, operators, and providers to provide advance notice of potential opportunities whenever possible. Consistent with applicable Whatcom County Purchasing Policy requirements, funding opportunities will be advertised through a number of channels, including but not limited to the HCF webpage, social media, and newsletters. When required by county purchasing policies, funding opportunities will be advertised as "bid notifications" and released to the public through Whatcom County Finance. All Whatcom County bid notifications are posted at www.whatcomcounty.us/Bids.aspx. Those interested can sign up to be notified when new bids post. Most funding opportunities will have a specific closing date, though Whatcom County is exploring the possibility of rolling deadlines. Phase 3: Project Proposal Submission Funding opportunity announcements will provide detailed instructions on the contents of the proposal and proposal submission. Deadlines will vary depending on the specific program or project. In many cases, there may be multiple chances to apply. Whatcom County may review proposals for a particular service as often as quarterly, while other programs may have one-time or annual bids. Phase 4: Selecting Proposals to Fund In the majority of cases, an Application Evaluation Committee, which will include representatives from Whatcom County Government and community representatives with subject matter expertise, will review and evaluate proposals and submit recommendations for funding within 30 days of the submission deadline. The county will evaluate proposals based on the evaluation criteria: • Values: Does this proposal address documented community needs and/or disparities across race, income, and geography in access to early learning & care and social services? Is it furthering the goals of being trauma-informed and advancing equity? • Expectations of Success: Has this approach been effective elsewhere? Or was it elevated through a documented community assessment, process, or plan? • Readiness: Is this proposal ready to implement, for example, are cost estimates available or could they be readily developed? • Impact: Will funding this proposal quickly and/or significantly impact our goal of improved outcomes for children and families? Phase 5: Award Notification and Contract Development Once a proposal is selected for funding, WCHCS will draft an agreement that includes a scope of work and a budget indicating the total funds awarded and requirements for reimbursement. Once those details are negotiated, Whatcom County will conduct an internal approval process, including review and approval by WCHCS, the Prosecuting Attorney's Office, County Finance, the County Executive, and the County Council, (as applicable per WCC 3.08.100). After all the 41 approvals have been obtained, all parties will sign the agreement and execute it. No funding is guaranteed until a contract has been signed by the Whatcom County Executive and authorized by Whatcom County Council, as required. Proposals selected for funding will be identified on the HCF webpage along with brief information about their project as well as the amount to be funded. In cases where the County requires competitive bidding, unsuccessful bidders may protest or appeal the County's award pursuant to existing provisions of state and local law, and pursuant to bid protest policies adopted by Whatcom County. Upon request, a debriefing conference will be scheduled with a non-selected applicant. Discussions will be limited to a critique of the applicant's proposal. Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of other proposals will not be allowed. Technical Assistance & Coaching To support community partners in successfully accessing funds, as well as reducing the burden of Whatcom County application and contracting processes, WCHCS will explore ways to make technical assistance available throughout the application and reporting process. Additional engagement activities that may be considered include, but are not limited to: • Informational webinars • Written questions, submitted via email • Advertisements through community groups • Workshops and/or 1 :1 support, when possible • Sharing flyers at events or community locations such as schools, libraries, etc. • Geographically targeted outreach Outstanding Questions to Answer in 2023 and Beyond As Whatcom County works to develop an outcome-oriented approach to program and project funding that is consistent with the provisions of Whatcom County Ordinance 2022-045, WCHCS will collaborate with other county departments to answer several outstanding questions, including: • What is our timeline to build out all the strategies including a phased approach for releasing funding opportunities? • What barriers currently exist within County processes that make it difficult for partners to apply for and receive funding? • How can systems and criteria across County departments be evaluated and updated to increase opportunities for partners to receive funding? • What are ways to ensure smaller and in-home providers are able to access HCF resources? • How will we determine provider eligibility for contracts? • What will be the specific compliance requirements for contracted providers by service area? • How can Whatcom County offer wage & early learning subsidies effectively and legally? • How can funding opportunities be restructured to include the possibility of grants (as opposed to reimbursement-only contracts) when appropriate? 42 • Where and how will the community be involved in the funding opportunity process? How do we design and implement a funding committee to involve community partners as subject matter experts without impacting their eligibility to receive funds? • What types and methods of community outreach, coaching, and technical assistance are needed by community partners to remove barriers and ensure funds are available to a wide range of community partners (especially those who do not typically apply for and/or receive funding from Whatcom County)? 43 Opportunities to Leverage Funds The Implementation Plan must include opportunities for leveraging the fund and bringing in external resources to the county (Whatcom County, 2022). As fund administrator, WCHCS will work to maximize all funding for this purpose. For every strategy that is funded, WCHCS commits to researching and reviewing opportunities to meet some or all of these needs through federal, state, philanthropic, or public-private partnership funding. In addition, WCHCS will keep abreast of new and ongoing funding opportunities for early childhood well-being and consider these opportunities when planning for the next two-year cycle. Please refer to the Portfolio Strategies for descriptions of specific opportunities to leverage funding related to each strategy. More general, overarching opportunities are described below. Opportunities Within Whatcom County Whatcom County has existing, long-standing relationships with the City of Bellingham, the local business community, other local governments, and nonprofit organizations. The landscape of funding within Whatcom includes some funds already allocated for supporting early childhood well-being. WCHCS will maximize these potential partnerships whenever possible. Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham administer other local funding sources with complementary goals to the Healthy Children's Fund, such as the Behavioral Health Sales Tax Fund, funding from the recent National Opioid Settlement, and the City of Bellingham's Housing levy, to provide just a few examples. These funding sources can and in some cases have already supported activities and initiatives to support early childhood well-being. One example is the Nurse-Family Partnership: a free, supportive program for women having their first baby where a nurse visits during pregnancy and until the baby turns two years old. This existing program is funded by the Behavioral Health Fund and Whatcom County General Fund and has had significant positive outcomes. Expansion of the program could be funded by the Healthy Children's Fund, as well as leveraging other funding opportunities used by other local governments with similar programs. County ARPA funds Under the direction of Whatcom County Council, Whatcom County has budgeted $12.4 million of county ARPA funds for the stabilization and expansion of child care. Of this, $.4 million has been allocated for stabilization, $9.5 million for large capital projects, and $500,000 for capital projects for small providers. These programs are in various stages of implementation. Additionally, the City of Bellingham has contributed $1 million of city ARPA funds towards child care stabilization investments and is leveraging other local, state, and federal resources toward child care capital projects. ARPA funding is a one-time, short-term influx of dollars from the federal government intended to get communities through a difficult time and return them to a pre-pandemic state. In contrast, the Healthy Children's Fund is a locally-approved investment in children and families intended to mitigate challenges that existed before--but were exacerbated by--the pandemic. Although a greater investment than ever, the HCF still does not have sufficient funding to completely solve the crisis. As fund administrators, WCHSC will use new funding available under the Healthy Children's Fund to complement these resources, providing additional service levels, new programs, and more targeted support for populations historically left behind. 44 Philanthropic Sources and Public-Private Partnerships Many philanthropic funders focus on early childhood well-being and can serve as partners in these efforts. Locally, philanthropic partners including Chuckanut Health Foundation, Mt. Baker Foundation, United Way, and the Whatcom Community Foundation have demonstrated a commitment to both early learning & care and supporting vulnerable children. There is an opportunity to work with these philanthropic partners to ensure their investments continue to align with public investments to achieve the community's vision for children and families in Whatcom County. There are also state and national funds that share this focus. Outreach to these organizations should be undertaken to gauge interest in: supporting funding for certain initiatives; participating in a public-private partnership to support projects that require significant investment; and facilitating connections between other entities that may have similar interests. Access to some larger-scale state and federal funding opportunities is only possible with extensive cross-sector collaboration and partnership. An example is the Shared Service Hub Request for Proposal published by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) in 2021 (Washington State, 2021 ). Strong collaboration must be developed in advance to take advantage of these types of infrequent but impactful opportunities, and as fund administrators, WCHSC can provide leadership in preparing for these opportunities. (See also Federal and State Opportunities.) Federal Opportunities Though significant at the time of this plan, ARPA funding is a one-time investment. WCHCS will consider other federal leverage opportunities for early learning expansion and other services in Year 3 and beyond, such as the preschool development awards through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Title IX (NEA, 2020). WCHCS staff will track federal legislation impacting young children and families and consider applications for federal grants meeting the objectives of the Healthy Children's Fund. State Opportunities A variety of state funding opportunities should be considered as leverage opportunities. For instance, the Washington State Department of Commerce offers flexible funding around Community Development Block Grants, including a variety of grants that are open to Whatcom County. These grants are an opportunity to build infrastructure that meets both these goals and the goals of the Healthy Children's Fund, particularly infrastructure around early learning & care and other services. Another opportunity to maximize state funding is Washington State's WorkFirst Program. For instance, if WCHCS employs the strategy of subsidizing early learning & care, WorkFirst offers similar subsidies for low-income families (Economic Services Administration). Maximizing this program for families first will maximize the benefit of both subsidies. Another example would be blending WorkFirst and HCF funding for workforce entry pathway training for early learning & care educators. Another fundamental way to maximize the state funding reaching Whatcom is by simply increasing the number of early learning & care slots available. Increasing early learning & care slots will in turn increase the availability of subsidy funding for low-income children who use those slots. DCYF offers a variety of other funding in support of early learning & care and supporting vulnerable children. Examples include Early Learning Facilities Development grants (Washington State, "Early Learning") and other one-time DCYF grants on topics like workforce retention, early learning & care stabilization, early childhood equity, and more. WCHCS will look 45 toward these opportunities, in particular, for capital projects, and will provide outreach services to potential applicants (e.g. child care providers) of these funds. Match Funding Revenue maximization is a term used for the process of drawing down federal funding using local funds to substitute for a funder's matching requirements. These types of matching funds are typically offered by state or federal government awards or large national foundations. HCF could provide funding for providers attempting to meet another funder's matching requirements, enabling them to access significantly more funds. For example, federal child welfare funds are required to be matched by the state. If HCF funding is used to provide the match, these federal funds can be passed through WCHCS to the provider. Grants like Early Learning Facilities grants are only possible with matching funds. In addition, this type of match funding, provided by HCF, can enable beneficiary organizations to access other programs through the matching funder. Some federal funds may only be available to those organizations that have previously met match requirements. Note: A guiding principle of the Healthy Children's Fund is a belief that providers must focus on the successful implementation of strategies and programs, rather than additional requirements for fundraising. WCHCS is not advocating for any recipient of funding through the Healthy Children's Fund to be required to match funding. Supporting Providers Many of the goals of the Healthy Children's Fund cannot be achieved by the fund alone. Whatcom County providers may take action to apply for funding not only through the Healthy Children's Fund and the sources outlined above but various others not mentioned. WCHCS commits to supporting providers to take action more easily and overcome barriers identified when attempting to access these state and federal funding opportunities. WCHCS will support these efforts with coaching on complying with contracting requirements, streamlining any departmental processes that support these funding opportunities, and sharing any data collected to support proposals. In addition, WCHCS recognizes providers' concerns about regulations that have affected smaller providers, particularly in-home care providers, and plans to advocate at the state level for policies that would provide for childcare expansion and affordability while simultaneously ensuring health and safety. WCHCS will make reports created for the Healthy Children's Fund available, in hopes that these resources will help make the case for additional investment and advocacy, support the need for funding, and help providers maximize funding from other sources. The research undertaken for the Healthy Children's Fund may include needs assessments, program evaluation, and other analyses that can help providers make the case for their programs and successfully identify and attain any additional funding needed. 46 Community Partnerships & Engagement Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people (CDC, 1997). Community engagement is a fundamental practice of public health and has the potential to advance health equity, promote social connections, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and build trusting relationships with the communities served. WCHCS is committed to building strong partnerships and working collaboratively across sectors. Using the HCF ordinance as a guide, the specific community engagement activities and roles are detailed within several sections of this implementation plan, including Funding Mechanisms, Implementation Planning Process, and Metrics & Evaluation Planning. Additionally, WCHCS will build on the goals outlined in the WCHCS Strategic Plan (Whatcom County Health, 2022): Partner collaboratively to find community-based solutions that advance health and health equity. Improve communications. • Provide timely and transparent information so partners can make informed decisions. • Share information about the HCF outcomes to increase knowledge and awareness. Increase collaboration. • Formalize our practice of shared decision-making to ensure diverse community perspectives are incorporated into our plans and practices. • Develop, implement, and make meaningful progress on community-led plans and planning efforts. To be successful, methods to engage individuals and organizations beyond those typically engaged will be developed. For example, intentional relationship-building within underserved communities, providing technical assistance and coaching for first-time applicants, ensuring language assistance is available and materials are translated into multiple languages, and partnering with community organizations that already have trusted relationships with community members who could receive funding, 47 Communication Effective communication will help the public understand how and why funds are allocated, inform potential awardees of funding opportunities, and let parents/caregivers know what programs are available through Healthy Children's Fund-supported organizations. No single approach can reach everyone, so multiple communication tools will be used to reach the audiences listed below. This section is meant to provide information on the initial communications and outreach for implementing the Healthy Children's Fund. Techniques will be evaluated, modified, and changed as needed to meet the needs of the audiences outlined below to the extent feasible. Some groups have traditionally faced challenges accessing funding and navigating government systems. This has included in-home care providers, people who lack internet access, rural residents, BIPOC community members, and others. WCHCS's communication and engagement activities for the Healthy Children's Fund will work to engage and get participation from people in these groups. Particular attention will be paid to providing language and translation services as well as relationship-building with potential partners. Below are the communications tools currently available, and how WCHCS will be using them to communicate with various audiences. These audiences include but are not limited to: • Community partners, • Organizations and individuals that may apply for funding, • Families that would benefit from programs and services, and • People who live in Whatcom County who are interested in the Healthy Children's Fund. Healthy Children's Fund Webpage https://www.whatcomcounty.us/4069/Healthy-Childrens-Fund A dynamic, central hub for information for all stakeholders. Content will be reviewed and updated at least quarterly, and specific information will be updated as needed on a more regular basis. The webpage will include: • Annual reports and two-year evaluations • Information on how money is allocated and how funding decisions were made • A place for community members to ask questions or provide feedback at any time • Calendar of events that would include things like educational opportunities, funding deadlines, and advisory group meetings • Signup forms for different types of information Email Newsletters Email lists will be set up for community partners and the audiences identified above. Interested individuals and organizations can opt-in to receive targeted communications. Newsletters will be sent on an as-needed basis, not less than once per quarter. Examples of topics that would be included in these newsletters: • Training opportunities and webinars • Proposal deadlines • Surveys and other feedback opportunities • Publication of annual reports and two-year evaluations Printed Materials Newsletters, flyers, and other materials will also be formatted for physical distribution, as not everyone has access to online communications. Which materials are most appropriate for print 48 and logistics still need to be determined. This includes physical transport, locations, and which organizations would benefit from physical copies. Social Media WCHCS utilizes a variety of social media channels to communicate with the public. Currently, this includes Facebook, lnstagram, and NextDoor. These channels are meant to reach a broad audience regardless of whether the viewer is a business, community member, parent/caregiver, or other interested parties. One of the benefits of using social media is that it allows partner organizations to share and amplify the message to reach the broadest possible audience. Examples of social media topics: • Surveys and other feedback opportunities • Publication of annual reports and two-year evaluations News Flashes Similar to social media, news flashes are a feature of the WCHCS website that will send an email to a general list of people interested in public health news, media outlets, and reporters who have subscribed. News flashes also appear on the WCHCS homepage for people who are not subscribed and who do not use social media. Examples of news flash topics would be the same as those referenced in Social Media. 49 Metrics and Evaluation Planning Building strong data collection and rigorous evaluation practices is essential to maintain short and long-term accountability. As the fund administrator, WCHCS will facilitate the evaluation and performance measurement plan development and implementation. WCHCS will work collaboratively with the Child & Family Well-being Task Force and other key stakeholders to design, implement, and report evaluation processes, and will leverage other external resources as needed to ensure successful high-quality and efficient evaluations. In addition, WCHCS will participate and fully support the external performance audit that will be managed by the Executive's Office. The following overview presents the overarching goals, approaches, principles, and framework that will guide the evaluation and performance measurement of the Healthy Children's Fund. As programs and services are selected in 2023 and beyond, the metrics and evaluation framework will be further refined. A more detailed and operational Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan will be completed by December 2023 and submitted to the Whatcom County Council, with updates as needed thereafter. These updates will also be provided as part of the Healthy Children's Fund Annual Report, delivered by the Child & Family Well-being Task Force. Metrics To measure how well children and families are thriving in Whatcom County, quantitative and qualitative data will be used to help identify our communities' strengths and assets to address community-identified gaps and needs. The data will guide the implementation of the Healthy Children's Fund and provide an understanding of where disparities in health and well-being exist and where additional support and resources are needed. Results-Based Accountability The Results--Based Accountability (RB62 framework and methodology were used during the implementation planning process, especially to define metrics and develop the evaluation plan. RBA is a national model and provides a disciplined, data-driven decision-making process to help communities and organizations take action to solve complex problems (Clear Impact, 2022). RBA makes a distinction between population accountability through population indicators which assess the well-being of a whole population, and performance accountability through performance measures, which assess the well-being of the clients directly served by programs. This framework will be used for all HCF metric reporting and evaluation processes. Population Accountability To measure and monitor overall progress towards the overarching goal of early childhood well- being, we will track and report estimated changes in two population-level measures: • Kindergarten Readiness, all Whatcom children, race & ethnicity, gender, & income 50 • Child Abuse and Neglect, Whatcom children ages 0-17 Kindergarten readiness data, disaggregated by subpopulations, is an important indicator of community progress toward the kind of conditions that promote child and family well-being, as well as a revealing gauge of inequities. "Kindergarten Readiness" refers to data collected by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). All public schools and some tribal nation schools use a process called the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS). WaKIDS measures developmental skills on a strengths-based continuum in six domains: Social-Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, Language, Literacy, and Math. Kindergarten readiness is the most widely used data point in Washington State to understand what experiences a child may have before they enter kindergarten. It is used to inform how best to support their transition between early learning or home into the classroom. It is recognized that children are always ready for kindergarten; this measure is about the readiness of the system and adults to serve each child where they are. "Child Abuse and Neglect" refers to children identified as victims in reports to Child Protective Services that were accepted for further action per 1,000 children (age birth-17). A 'referral' is a report of suspected child abuse that may have multiple listed victims. Mandated reporters, such as doctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, teachers, child care providers, and social service counselors, notify Child Protective Services if they suspect a child is in danger of negligent treatment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other maltreatment. In addition, other concerned individuals may report suspected child abuse cases. If the information provided meets the sufficiency screen, the referral is accepted for further action. It is important to note that the Healthy Children's Fund is just one initiative that will contribute to improving population-level change, along with other sectors, funders, and partners in the community. For example, the indicator of increasing kindergarten readiness depends on the combined work of Healthy Children's Fund programs along with many others: other local, state, and federal agencies, other local initiatives, and community-based organizations working together in alignment All data have limitations that should be considered when interpreting and using data analysis. See t"Wpendix V for data notes and limitations for the measures of kindergarten readiness and child maltreatment. Headline and secondary indicators (population-level) will be used to measure and quantify results within the HCF's two priority areas: early learning and care and supporting vulnerable children. • Headline indicators are aspirational, long-term population-level indicators that allow administrators to examine trends and patterns of change for the entire Whatcom County population as well as within population groups. Population-based indicators are about a population, for example, children ages 0-5 in Whatcom County. We will also track secondary indicators, which will further inform our understanding of population-level changes. • Secondary indicators are supporting indicators that describe the status of children and families in Whatcom County and are often used as intermediary data to understand the steps needed to achieve headline indicators. Headline and secondary population-level indicators will be used to align partners and HCF investment strategies, guide program design, and maximize the potential for achieving HCF results. 51 Through the RBA framework, the Implementation Plan team consulted with the Child and Family Well-being Task Force, the Ordinance writing group, Healthy Whatcom, and the Whatcom County Child Care Coalition to develop and select headline and secondary indicators. Headline and secondary indicators were defined for each focus area of early learning & care (affordable, accessible, high-quality, and professional) and supporting vulnerable children (mental and behavioral health, homelessness, and supporting parents). Indicators were selected based on the following criteria: • The availability of reliable data. Are high-quality data available on a timely basis? Are they reliable by geography, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status? • How easily the indicator can be understood and effectively communicated. Is this indicator easy to understand? Is it compelling? • If the indicator says something of central importance about the result? Or if it is peripheral? If the indicator moves in one direction, do others follow? • Whether or not the indicator is a population-level measure. Is it about a population (for example, children in Whatcom County) or only about individuals directly served by programs? Headline and secondary indicators will be reported annually or as data is available and are subject to change over the life of the levy. Data will be shown over time and disaggregated as appropriate (e.g., by age, race/ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, and gender, where data are available). Disaggregation is critical in assuring partners are aligned and investments are prioritized to maximize the potential for eliminating inequities. To fully understand the impact of the Healthy Children's Fund on parents and caregivers, regular assessments of the needs, barriers, and challenges to getting care and services will be conducted. Local assessments will provide the opportunity to collect quantitative and qualitative data to investigate progress toward the fund's desired results and create an avenue for parents to give feedback and input on services and programs. The methodology will ensure that the design and implementation processes will respond to culturally different values and perspectives and capture diverse voices. To understand the impact of the Healthy Children's Fund on the local workforce, businesses and organizations will be assessed to determine the stability of the workforce, as compared to previous surveys which reported 88% of Whatcom County business owners reported child care barriers affecting their employees' work performance. (Opportunity Council et al., 2018) It is important to note that useful and meaningful data at the local level is limited and that collecting and managing reliable, valid, and replicable population-level data is resource- intensive. If an identified and prioritized indicator is not currently being collected, it was placed on the data development agenda (DOA). WCHCS will determine the feasibility, timing, and resources needed to collect the necessary data and prioritize accordingly. When possible, WCHCS will leverage the methodology implemented by past relevant studies (i.e., Child Care Demand Study) and will work with state-level agencies to improve the completeness of current data sources. See 612pendix VI for the headline and secondary indicators selected for each focus area. As strategies evolve over the levy's life, some of these metrics will need to change. Appendix VII describes the population health data sources for both the headline and secondary indicators. 52 Throughout the levy, innovative strategies will be implemented that demonstrate results that further inform the field of early learning & care, increase the evidence base, and demonstrate impact on outcomes for low-income and vulnerable children. WCHCS will report headline indicators on the number of innovative solutions that demonstrate valid results which further inform either • the field of early learning and care • approaches or practices that impact the disparities experienced among low-income and vulnerable children In addition to the data development agenda indicators WCHCS will investigate ways to retrieve additional population-level indicators that can further inform the community's needs and assess the impact of the HCF. Some of the topic areas include: • Perinatal mental health • Behavioral and mental health provider service delivery constraints • Availability of mixed-delivery systems • Sustainability of child care programs • Rates of homelessness for children 0-4 Performance Accountability Performance measurement refers to the ongoing monitoring and reporting of program accomplishments, particularly progress toward pre-established goals. The impact of HCF strategies on children and families directly served by programs will be measured using performance measures. Performance measures that will be collected and reported by a funded program or agency will include the impact on the intended recipients and will include both quantitative and qualitative data. These reporting mechanisms will offer another opportunity for parents and caregivers to provide both quantitative and qualitative input and feedback on their needs being met and satisfaction with the received program or service. Performance data will be collected by the program or agency once the HCF contracts are implemented. WCHCS will collect and report performance measures on the programs or services we directly implement. To ensure that the HCF's activities contribute to population-level change, programs must align with the headline and secondary indicators, and overarching results. Requests for Proposals will require organizations to be responsive to the headline and secondary indicators. RBA also sets a framework for community involvement and partnership, identifying where we are now and determining what strategies we will use to make the changes we are seeking. HCF's framework for evaluation includes looking at population-level change as well as the impact on individuals and families directly served by our programs. · Evaluation and Audit Planning Goals and Approach The evaluation of HCF strategies and programs should demonstrate that public funds are being invested wisely and that funded strategies are making progress toward HCF results and advancing equity across Whatcom County. It is also essential that through HCF strategies, Whatcom County is nurturing innovation and contributing to an evidence base that will equip the County and its partners to do better over time in producing results for Whatcom County children and families. Using evaluation and performance measurement, WCHCS will seek to answer one overarching question: To what extent has the Healthy Children's Fund improved the health and well-being and advanced equity for young children and their families in Whatcom County? 53 The primary goals of evaluation and performance measurement will be to inform strategic learning and accountability (Global Family, 2022). • Strategic learning is the need for real-time data to inform ongoing work and to understand which strategies are effective and why. This can inform course corrections, document learning opportunities, and improve how programs are conducted. • Accountability is the need to hold entities responsible for the activities they were given funding to do and to determine if a credible case can be made that the work contributed to HCF results. This is different from evaluations designed to prove definitive causality, which may be planned for a subset of strategies. Data and evaluation processes will strive to align performance measures across related HCF strategies and to facilitate comparisons across similar types of programs and services. WCHCS will also seek to identify learning opportunities and unintended consequences of HCF activities, both positive and negative. The following outlines our overall approach to evaluation and performance measurement: • Measuring the performance of projects and evaluating the effects of the HCF is important to produce the best results, learn and innovate based on experience, and ensure the most effective use of public funds. • Encompass a range of evaluation and measurement techniques, prioritize evaluation resources to have the largest impact, and leverage other resources and evidence where possible. • Ensure evaluation and performance measurement of the HCF adhere to the highest professional standards of the evaluation and scientific fields. • Produce timely and clear communication of results -inclusive of both achievements and failures -to increase accountability and build and sustain public trust. Evaluation Principles and Advancing Equity The evaluation will use guiding principles drawn from the American Evaluation Association: • Systematic inquiry: Conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. • Integrity: Display honesty and integrity in the evaluation process. • Respect for people: Respect the security, dignity, time, capacity, and interests of participants and stakeholders. • Cultural competence: Recognize and respond to culturally-different values and perspectives to produce work that is honest, accurate, respectful, and valid. Furthermore, evaluation will be guided by the foundational principles embedded in the work of the Child & Family Well-being Task Force: advancing equity, with specific attention to racial equity; engaging families in the work; and using results-based approaches. Evaluation and performance measurement will examine to what extent and in what ways HCF is advancing equity in Whatcom County. Data gathered through evaluation and performance measurement will support our collective knowledge as we disaggregate population-level indicators and performance measures by race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, and gender, as available. The evaluation processes will support grantees' gathering of narrative reports on improvements made to better serve diverse communities, as well as gathering feedback from those served about how services incorporate equity goals. The evaluation process will: • Disaggregate population-level indicators and performance measures as available 54 • Ensure community and program narratives are collected and shared back with opportunity for context and reflection • Ensure meaningful and respectful engagement with the community • Seek to present a complete data story of both strengths as well as disparities • Ensure evaluation processes and results are accessible (i.e., translation) Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan The Healthy Children's Fund Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan that will be completed in December 2023, will specify performance measures and qualitative methods after the specific program or service investments have been defined. Using the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework, the evaluation plan will draw from both qualitative and quantitative methods. As appropriate, the evaluation may include case study, cross-sectional, pre-post, and/or quasi-experimental designs. Using a participatory approach (Krieger, 2002), the WCHCS Health Information & Assessment Team (HIA) will work closely with county leadership, staff, external evaluators, the Child and Family Well-Being Task Force, and other relevant advisory bodies and subject matter experts to optimize performance monitoring and evaluation. For example, we will: • Prioritize evaluation questions within allocated resources • Develop logic models, indicators, performance measures, and/or data collection protocols • Review findings • Develop dissemination materials and reports WCHCS will facilitate the evaluation and performance measurement plan development and implementation in collaboration with the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, external evaluators and other key community stakeholders. WCHCS will be responsible for ensuring the collection and management of quantitative and qualitative program performance metrics and the retrieval and reporting of the population outcome, headline, and secondary indicators. WCHCS will provide technical assistance and support to HCF community partners on data collection, management, reporting, evaluation, and quality improvement processes at the program level. As outlined in the Healthy Children's Fund ordinance 2022-045, reimbursements to the County for administrative costs, evaluation, and overhead shall be limited to nine percent of levy proceeds, with up to three percent used for auditing and evaluation. Evaluation processes, including investment in data collection activities, will be designed and developed based on the annual allowable and allocated funding and are prioritized expenses within the Administrative budget in years one and two. Evaluation Levels The HCF evaluation is conceptualized to answer process and impact questions at four levels. Within these four levels, different types of evaluation may be applied. Examples of questions include: • Population Level: What was the combined impact of HCF investments on population- level indicators of health and well-being? Did HCF contribute toward equity at the population level? What improvements in services, systems, and social and physical environments did HCF investments contribute to? What were the lessons learned about barriers and contributors to success? 55 • Strategy Level: What improvements in health and well-being were experienced by relevant populations or individuals served within a strategy area? What improvements were made in relevant services, systems, and environments? • Program Level: What improvements in health and well-being did individuals experience? What improvements were made in how well and how many clients were served? • Performance Audit and Process Level: How effectively is the Whatcom County government administering the Healthy Children's Fund? What internal processes did the County implement to ensure transparency and accountability of itself and fund partners? To what extent are the county contracting processes clear, standardized, and timely? For more information, see Appendix VIII. Evaluation Types and Influencing Factors. Population-Level Evaluation. Population-level analyses will use quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of the fund as a unified whole and allow all HCF stakeholders to understand how/if levy investments are positively impacting HCF results: • Increase in kindergarten readiness for all children • Reduction in the disparities experienced between sub-populations in kindergarten readiness • Decrease in child maltreatment WCHCS will contract with an external evaluator every two years who will consult with the CFWBTF on the development and publication of the evaluation. The evaluation will include feedback from stakeholders, HCF recipients, and providers and include recommendations for improvements. Strategy-Level Evaluation. Following the population-level approach, each strategy area will have established headline and secondary population-level indicators to monitor and assess the impact of funded strategies. Headline indicators are aspirational, long-term indicators that quantify HCF's overarching results. Through the RSA framework, we will define how HCF will contribute to improving headline indicators. Tracking headline and secondary population-level indicators at regular intervals will allow the HCF administrators to examine trends and patterns of change for the entire Whatcom County population as well as population groups. This population-level data gathering will help to guide and inform HCF investments and program design. Qualitative evaluation methods will be used to provide complementary information to help gain an in-depth understanding of the impacts on and results in specific communities. Local data collection and assessments will provide an opportunity for families, caregivers, and service providers to give input, feedback, and information regarding ongoing challenges and barriers to receiving and providing care. Within the strategy areas, WCHCS will leverage external evaluators to assess the overall impact within focus areas (i.e. early learning & care affordability, accessibility, child homelessness, etc.). Program-Level Evaluation. Program-level evaluation will be conducted by tracking performance measures that are specific to HCF-funded programs and activities. Performance measurement refers to the ongoing monitoring and reporting of program accomplishments, particularly progress toward pre-established goals. Performance measures are collected routinely, are used to summarize how a program is being implemented, and are responsive and adaptive as the program evolves (Tatian, 2016). Tracking performance measures allows the County to measure what the HCF programs accomplish and how the programs impact the children, families, and communities who are directly served. For example, performance measures will allow for tracking and reporting of how many early learning and care slots were 56 created, and the cost of each slot by fund allocation. At a minimum, each program will have a performance measure in each of the following three domains: • How much was done? Tracks numbers such as people served, or staff trained. • How well was it done? Tracks the rate of how well a service was provided, such as improved access, timeliness, or appropriateness of service. • Is anyone better off? Tracks how much change was produced and the quality of change, such as improved health and well-being. Performance measures will inform continuous quality improvement efforts throughout the life of the HCF levy and will be: • Determined in the development of requests for proposals (RFPs), or specific project- level funding approaches • Identified and developed for each program • Incorporated within contracts • Reviewed on a pre-determined and regular basis over the life of the levy. Performance measures will vary across programs, duration of services, type of activity, and duration of funding and likely be a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, including participant satisfaction and feedback. Contractors will regularly report performance measures as appropriate to the program or service. WCHCS recognizes the complexity and potential challenges with new data collection and reporting processes. While drafted performance measures will be identified in RFPs, program performance measures will be finalized in partnership with the funded organizations. When possible, performance data will be reported through existing data collection systems to avoid duplication in efforts. WCHCS will aim to not add undue burden to grantees who may be reporting similar performance metrics to other funders, and we will ensure performance measures are meaningful to grantees. Where feasible, WCHCS will align reported performance measures across HCF activities and other community programs, initiatives, and funders. Performance measures will also be established for programmatic activities directly conducted by the WCHCS. Performance Audit and Process Evaluation. The Healthy Children's Fund is designed to improve early childhood learning and vulnerable family outcomes by being innovative and making investments in strategies focused on child and family-centered prevention efforts. To meet the demand for the services outlined in the implementation plan, the Whatcom County government will need to work with a variety of licensed operators, including early learning centers of all sizes, preschools, licensed-family homes, nature-based programs, and many others. Some of these programs will have little or no experience contracting with the government, and it will be important to reduce barriers and administrative burdens related to contract management and compliance so that resources are spent providing quality programming for children and families. To ensure the Whatcom County Government identifies and removes barriers by improving internal systems, HCF will be assessed both via performance audit and by process evaluation. "Performance audits provide objective analysis, findings, and conclusions to assist management and those charged with governance and oversight with, among other things, improving program performance and operations, reducing costs, facilitating decision making by parties responsible for overseeing or initiating corrective action, and contributing to public accountability." (Government Accountability Office, 2013) 57 A performance audit of the HCF's internal administration, performed by an independent, external auditor, is mandated by ordinance. WCHCS will also use process evaluation to assess fund recipients' and applicants' experience, barriers, and possible improvements. To perform the performance audit, the Whatcom County Executive's Office, with consultation from the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, will retain an external government audit organization for a multi-year contract to perform performance audits. A key component of the external audit will be to analyze the effectiveness of fund administration on the success of the Healthy Children's Fund and identify areas for improvement and development, especially in the early years of implementation. The audit will include, but not be limited to: • The funding opportunity development process, including stakeholder and internal review • Execution of fund priorities, including average time from the finalization of funding opportunities to the advertisement, review, selection, and finalization of contracts • Extent to which the application and contracting processes are clearly articulated and accessible for a diverse applicant pool • Contractor experience with county processes and timelines, based on contractor feedback • Extent to which the process identifies and reduces barriers to entry for a diverse applicant pool, including small entities, and non-native speakers • Provision of technical support for submitting funding proposals, contracting, financial, and reporting support available for providers and individuals new to government process to successfully navigate these processes • Contracting follows innovative methods within the parameters of the County's legal and financial codes and policies to support individuals and organizations • Ease for contractor in initial new contractor reimbursement set-up process • Invoicing process, including standardization and streamlining for contractors • County payment timeliness to contractors upon receipt of correct and complete invoices • Recommendations for improvement and a review of progress on previous recommendations Evaluation Timelines HCF strategies and programs will begin at different times and reach their respective conclusions on different schedules. Strategy and program-level evaluations will occur after two years of implementation have been completed. WCHCS recognizes the complexity of incorporating new data reporting and evaluation processes and will work with each funded organization on reporting timelines. Some data may be readily available, and system upgrades or changes will sometimes be needed before access and reporting. When possible, data already being collected through existing data collection systems will be used. Evaluation timelines will accommodate these factors: • When the program started, or when funds became effective • Time needed until each indicator can be measured • Point at which a sufficient number of individuals have reached the outcome to generate a statistically reliable result • When indicator data will be available • When baseline data will be available if needed • Time and budget needed for data collection, analyses, and interpretation of qualitative data • Contractual requirements for reporting process and results from data 58 Engagement with Key Stakeholders WCHCS has developed this plan by working closely with other stakeholders to support the HCF implementation through the best available science and data, establishing baseline data, and coordinating with other initiatives in Whatcom County. The following stakeholder perspectives have been and will continue to be essential to evaluation and performance measurement development and implementation: • Whatcom County Council • Public Health Advisory Board • Child and Family Well-being Task Force • Healthy Whatcom • Generations Forward • Perinatal Mental Health Task Force • Child Care Coalition • Whatcom Early Learning Alliance • Whatcom Taking Action • Local Prevention Coalitions Throughout the levy, additional stakeholders will be engaged, as needed and appropriate. Transparency in Reporting and Dissemination of Products WCHCS is committed to ensuring accessibility, understanding, and engagement in the HCF's evaluation and performance measurement activities. Data and reports on population-level indicators, performance measures, and evaluation findings will be timely and readily accessible. Publication of these products will be based on data collection processes, availability, and systems development and will, at minimum, be on the HCF website. Below are examples of the data products and reports WCHCS will generate. Annual Healthy Children's Fund Report. HCF Annual Reports will provide data on the performance of levy-funded activities, including progress toward meeting overall levy goals and strategies, headline indicator measurements, performance measures, lessons learned, and strategies for continuous improvement. The Task Force, with the support of the WCHCS, will write and deliver the annual report to the public and the County Council. HCF Annual Reports will also include: • Any updated performance measure targets for the following year of HCF programs with information on the reason for any substantive changes • Recommendations on program and/or process changes to funded programs or strategies based on the measurement and evaluation data or any other eventuality resulting in the need for substantive changes • Any recommended revisions to the HCF Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan • Recommended performance measures and performance measurement targets for each HCF strategy, as well as any new strategies that are established Dashboards. WCHCS HIA Team will develop dashboards that reflect key indicators of population results that communicate results quickly and visually. These dashboards will be web- based and accessible to stakeholders, the community, and the public. Indicators will be 59 disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, gender, and other key demographic characteristics, where data are available. The data will be made available based on the data source and collection methods; therefore, reporting will vary in frequency (i.e., quarterly, annually, etc.) Other Products. WCHCS staff will work with community partners to identify meaningful products for stakeholders, such as success stories and program reports. These may describe the strategy, stakeholders' roles, reach, impact, critical incidents, key decision points, and lessons learned. These types of products will allow for the reporting of more short-term or immediate impacts or successes. Ad hoc products such as infographics and technical assistance related to data or evaluation findings for stakeholder presentations will also be considered. Examples of the items that will be included in the full evaluation plan: • The processes for collaboration on evaluation between the CFWBTF, external evaluators, and the WCHCS • The specific data systems and process for collecting, analyzing, and reporting performance and population-level data • A data development agenda prioritization plan • Frequency in reporting population-level indicators and performance measures • Types of technical assistance WCHCS will provide to HCF partners on data collection, analysis, and evaluation and quality improvement 60 Next Steps and Conclusion The Healthy Children's Fund offers a rare opportunity to make targeted, science-based investments that support our youngest residents, which will ultimately benefit our workforce and economy, our social service and criminal justice systems, and the very fabric of our community. As the Fund Administrator, WCHCS recognizes both the generosity of voters to support children and families, and their explicit expectation that the programs and services supported by the fund be effective. Our sincere goal is that children and families will greatly benefit from the impactful and sustained investments proposed in this plan, and that our community will be changed for the better because of the foresight and commitment by voters to improve every child's first years. Strategies for funding in both Early Learning & Care and Supporting Vulnerable Children are at different readiness levels for implementation; some are at the early stages of planning, some have plans in place but have not been implemented, and some expand and enhance existing programs and services that meet the goals of the Healthy Children's Fund. Some strategies, such as housing support for vulnerable children, will be relatively easy to implement using existing County staff and processes; others, such as childcare subsidies, will require the design of completely new programs and the development of entirely new processes for the County. In recognition of this, implementation will be phased, focusing the first funding opportunities on those strategies most ready to implement, in alignment with the spending plan. To effectively administer the fund and achieve the priorities under this plan, Whatcom County will need to hire new staff, work with the community to develop provider capacity, and commit considerable effort to designing programs that meet the goals of this plan while complying with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. We anticipate that a significant amount of time and energy in years 1 & 2 will be spent evaluating current processes for effectiveness while building the infrastructure and systems necessary to effectively deliver on the promises of the Healthy Children's Fund in subsequent years. Upon the approval of this implementation plan for years 1 & 2, an Implementation Team will form to ensure the questions outlined in this document are answered and implementation is effective. The team will be composed of staff from county government working alongside representatives from advisory bodies such as the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, Healthy Whatcom, and subject matter experts, including those with lived experience and those impacted by the decisions and processes of the. Healthy Children's Fund. The Implementation Team will be responsible for: • Developing a phased funding approach including: o assessing readiness and prioritizing amongst the approved strategies which funding opportunities to launch first, o conducting research on program design, and o drafting funding opportunities as strategies are ready to move forward with the expectation they will be released throughout 2024. • Building strong relationships with new and current community partners, especially those within underserved areas and populations in Whatcom County. • Finalizing and implementing the process and performance evaluation plan for the Healthy Children's Fund. Since funding opportunities will begin being advertised in Fall 2023, we anticipate the first round of contracts to be executed in 2024. Given this timeline, the initial two-year evaluation will primarily review the startup period and will 61 focus primarily on administrative processes and initially-funded programs. Subsequent evaluations will encompass a broader array of HCF programming. Beginning in March 2024, the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, with support from WCHCS as fund administrator, will submit an Annual Report to the public and Whatcom County Council on progress made toward the Healthy Children's Fund goals, outcomes, and metrics. At that time, the Implementation Team will also provide updates on the evaluation, communication, and community engagement plans. Updates will be made to the Implementation Plan every two years and will reflect allocation adjustments based on information provided in the biennial evaluations, recommendations from the Child & Family Well-being Task Force, emergent community needs, and changes in state and federal funding availability. Evaluation will be ongoing but will be published every two years, informing planning for the following two years. In recognition of this phased approach, WCHCS has developed a draft project timeline for 2023- 2024, available on the next page. As this is a completely new initiative, dates are subject to change based on several factors, including the ability to hire staff to complete Healthy Children's Fund objectives. 62 Healthy Children's Fund: Expected Timeline* 2023 • • • • Infrastructure Built April-December 2023 Implementation Team formed Staff hired Processes/ policie~ developed 2024 • • • • Initial Projects Selected February-March 2024 Development of Initial Strategies Initial Contracts Executed July-October 2023 Funding mechanisms and logistics designed Strategy prioritization timeline published Apl"il-June 2024 Initial Funding Advertised October 2023-January 2024 Technical assistance available Outreach and communication to providers 2025 G 0 Bi-annual Evaluation Late 2025 • --Implementation Annual Report and Implementation Update Process Evaluation Report Annual Report and Plan Approved March 2023 March 2024 Evaluation 1 Communications, and Community Engagement Plans published December 2024 Implementation Plan for Years 3&4 March 2025 * This timeline offers a sequence and expected dates for initial strategies: those that are most ready to implement. 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Accessed March 2023, from https://www. whatcomcou nty. us/Docu mentCenterNiew/72639/Chamber-of-Commerce-child- care-survey-updated Rey, Oskar. "A Refresher on the Gift of Public Funds." Municipal Research and Services Center, 15 Oct. 2020, mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/october-2020/a-refresher--on-the- gift-of-public-funds. Accessed Dec. 2022. Seattle Human Services. "Funding Process Manual: A Guide to the Human Services Department's Funding Policies and Procedures." Seattle.gov, Version 3.2, 2022, www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/HumanServices/Funding/HSD-Funding-Process- Manual.pdf. Accessed Feb. 2023. Tatian, Peter A. "Performance Measurement to Evaluation." Urban Institute Brief, Mar. 2016. University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. "Preschool Education Programs." County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 18 May 2022, www.countyhealthrankings.org/take-action-to- improve-health/what-works-for-health/strategies/preschool-education-programs. Accessed Nov. 2022. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. "Early Learning Facility Development." Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, omwbe. wa. gov/bid-opportunities/shared-service-h u b-rfp. Accessed Dec. 2022. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. "Shared Service HUB RFP." Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises, 13 May 2021, www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/early-learninq-providers/facility-development. Accessed Dec. 2022. 65 Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington State Report Card, washingtonstatereportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us. Accessed Nov. 2022. Whatcom County. "Ordinance Providing for the Submission of a Proposition to the Qualified Electors of Whatcom County Authorizing the County to Lift the Limit on Regular Property Taxes Under Chapter 84.55 RCW for the Purpose of Funding for Childcare, Early Learning Programs, and Increased Support for Vulnerable Children." Whatcom County, WA, ORD 2022-045, 7 June 2022, whatcom.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5655779&GUID=988B1 B98-48A6-4730- A847-3C5FCB4EA8F2. Accessed Dec. 2022. Whatcom County Auditor. "Whatcom County November 8, 2022: General Election." Washington Secretary of State, 2022. results. vote.wa.gov/results/20221108/whatcom/precincts-35582.html. Accessed Dec. 2022. Whatcom County Health & Community Services. "Child and Family Well-Being Task Force." Whatcom County, WA, 2022, www.whatcomcounty.us/3537/Child-and-Family-Well-Being-- Task-Force. Accessed Dec. 2022. Whatcom County Health & Community Services. "2023-2027 Strategic Plan." Whatcom County, WA, 2022, Unpublished internal document. Generations Forward, Healthy Whatcom, Whatcom County Health & Community Services, & Whatcom County Public Health Advisory Board. Whatcom Working Toward Well-being: An Action Plan for County Government, p6, Jan. 2020, www.whatcomcounty.us/Docu mentCenter/View/49297 /Child--and-F amily-Action-Plan---- January-2020. Whatcom Perinatal Mental Health Task Force. "Pregnancy and Postpartum Resources for Parents and Providers." Whatcom Perinatal Mental Health Task Force, 22 Dec. 2022, https://whatcomperinatal.org/our-work/. Accessed Dec. 2022. Wolfers, Justin, and Jan Zilinsky. "Higher Wages for Low-Income Workers Lead to Higher Productivity." Rea/time Economics, The Peterson Institute for International Economics, 13 Jan. 2015, www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economic-issues-watch/h ig her-wages-low-income-- workers-lead-hig her--productivity. Accessed Dec. 2022. 66 Appendices Appendix I. Community Plans Community Research & Assessments • Bringing the 'Help Me Grow' Framework to Whatcom County (2022) • Whatcom County Child Care Assessment: EcoNorthwest (2022) • Permanent Solutions to Child Care Affordability in Whatcom ( 2021) • Child Care Demand Study (2021) • Whatcom Early Learning Alliance's: Family Needs Survey (2021) • Fiscal Map for Licensed Child Care in Whatcom County (fQ211 • COVI D-19 Community Health Impact Assessment (2021) • Newborn Home Visiting Pilot Program (2019) • Community Health Assessment (2018 ) Community Plans & Reports • Whatcom County's Community Health Improvement Plan (2022) • Child and Family Well-being Task Force Phase II Report (2022) • Child and Family Action Plan (2020) • Whatcom County's Strategic Plan to End Homelessness (2019) 67 Appendix II. Advisory Group Feedback Themes 43 Evaluation of Fund Administration Themes Without external evaluation of fund administration A section was added to the Implementation and finances, county is not being held accountable Plan (IP) describing the performance audit of for its role/actions. fund administration, conducted by an external, t------+--------+-0-rd_i_n_a_n-ce-cl_e_a-rl_y_c_al-ls_f_o_r_a_n_e_x_te_r_n_a_l -ev_a_l-ua_t_o_r_. ---, independent auditor• Expanded the population- How will that be addressed in this plan? level evaluation section to explain the use of 1-------+--------+---------------------1the external evaluator every 2 years to measure Citizens' distrust of government was intended to be the overall performance of the Healthy 1-------+--------1-o_ff_s_et_b_y_a_n _e_xt_e_r_n_a l_e_v_a_l u_a_t_o_r·---------1 Children's Fund. Also stated in the program Need to evaluate the length of time from evaluation section that performance measures application to fund distribution. will also be established for programmatic t------+--------+--------------------1 Fully fund external evaluator, up to $300k. activities funded by the Healthy Children's Fund 23 Requested Solutions Commit to at least a 2-4 year contract with external evaluator. Make sure RFP for external evaluator is competitive. Repeated request for specific measures: to measure progress toward outcomes. Early learning slots and cost per slot will be t------+--------+--------------------ttracked. IP updated to make that more clear cost per child care slot created that it will be captured overall and by # of child care slots created K-readiness by race 9 parent/family satisfaction/feedback 15 * K-Readiness geography and focus area. More information about the availability of local data was added to the IP, and the prioritization of data that WCHCS will collect themselves. Whenever possible, data by race, income, and geography will be shared. Parent satisfaction will be collected as a part of several secondary indicators; IP edited to make this more clear. Updated the Implementation Plan (IP) to 1------+--------+--------------------tinclude details on K-readiness: what it is, what it Concern about using "kindergarten readiness" as a •s not and wh •t • be'ng sed Al O added an I , y I IS I U . S Themes: What is the definition of Kindergarten readiness? 1------+-------1-m_e_a_s_u_re_. _______________ ---;appendix about the limitations of the available Solutions: Disaggregated by race data. At the very least, a recommendation is to change language. Rather than referring to kindergarten readiness which is ambiguous and for which there is no universally accepted measure, let's talk about helping children meet widely held developmental expectations that will help to ensure a successful kindergarten experience. 68 update language re: k-readiness to show challenges within that data point. Suggestion to change terminology from "all children ready for kindergarten" to something like "all children performing at a level appropriate to their development" Other Evaluation 9 Request for clarity around community involvement (majority re: Child A section on community engagement was and Family Well-Being Task Force) in evaluation plan added to the Evaluation section to clarify how advisory groups and other community entities would be engaged. 5 Request to compile/share stories/qualitative data about impact Under "Advancing Equity", included that the evaluation process will: Ensure community and program narratives are collected and shared back with opportunity for context and reflection. 5 Requests around communication of evaluation (website, reporting, Added: The data will be made available based etc.) on the data source and collection methods, therefore reporting will vary in frequency (i.e., quarterly, annually, etc.) to both transparency in findings and reporting and dissemination products. Also added a Communications section to the IP to describe the different methods we will use to share progress. 4 Request to rewrite evaluation (sometimes the entire plan) to manage Language was added under external factors expectations better: not much change can be expected on these impacting evaluation, recognizing that it will types of systemic issues in two years. likely take several years to demonstrate an impact on the HCF overarching population-level results. 4 Request to increase evaluation budget. Evaluation budget was increased to support bi- annual contracting with an external auditor of the fund administration and the HCF overall. 3 Request to clarify evaluation timeline. Added that the effectiveness of the fund as a whole will be evaluated every two years. The evaluation timeline section includes what factors will impact the timeline of any evaluation process. Added a draft timeline to the IP. 3 Concern and request for clarity on the burden of data collection on Added: Performance measures will be reported recipient organizations. by grantees regularly as appropriate to the program or service. WCHCS recognizes the complexity and potential challenges with new data collection and reporting processes. While drafted performance measures may be identified in funding opportunities, program performance measures will be finalized in partnership with funding organizations. When possible performance data will be reported through existing data collection systems to avoid duplication in efforts. 2 Request for info on how evaluation elevates equity/includes all voices Added: To fully understand the impact of the Healthy Children's Fund on parents and caregivers, regular assessments of the needs, 69 22 barriers, and challenges to getting care and services will be conducted. Local assessments will provide the opportunity to collect quantitative and qualitative data to investigate progress toward the fund's desired results and create an avenue for parents to give feedback and input on services and programs. The methodology used will ensure the design and implementation processes will respond to culturally-different values and perspectives and be able to capture diverse voices. Focus on low-income Themes: Problematic language needs to be addressed, WCHCS has worked closely with Whatcom particularly as relates to BIPOC County Finance and Legal Departments to 1------+---------1-F-o-cu_s_i n_g_o_n_t-ar_g_e_t _p_o_p_u-la-ti_o_n_s_d_e_cr_e_a-se_s_t_h_e----1 identify how to distribute funds effectively and impact HCF can have on systems as a whole and all legally and significant updates happened children 0-5. Preference for targeted universalism. between the draft shared with community 1------+---------1---------------------1 advisory groups in January and the draft Why can other jurisdictions do this? KC/BSK, submitted to Whatcom County Council in 1------+---------1-W_A_/_F_S_F_K _______________ ---1 February. An equity statement was added, the Solutions the WCHCS equity statement should be governmental roles section revised and now incorporated into the Governmental role section includes several other entities, and the 1------+---------1---------------------1 P? -Accepting the limitations of the government; explanations for each strategy have become 18 Equity would like to hear" working with legal, finance, more specific and in many cases more detailed community to overcome these limitations" and the focus on low income only remains where it is a key element, such as subsidies for governmental role section feels like it may be low-income families. Where questions remain missing a lens of how case law/ practice of the about funding mechanisms, those questions interpretation of the Gift of Public Funds may differ have been elevated as being researched over than the current thinking here Concerns about equitable access to funds; creating barriers instead of alleviating them Specific and more general language concerns and requests to make language more respectful and anti-racist the next year with more specifics to be shared with the next steps for each strategy (for instance if a funding opportunity is released.) Models from other WA entities are being investigated for use as models for Whatcom County. Changes were made to make the steps WCHCS are taking more clear, and this was added to Outstanding Questions so that it is researched thoroughly. A process evaluation should support this as well. A member of WREC reviewed the draft and helped update language. Request to more explicitly fund/prioritize BIPOC and Criteria to identify strategies explicitly rural communities. referenced these underserved groups. How will assessment be done to make sure the most vulnerable populations are actually being served and supported and in the ways their communities want and need? Added: To fully understand the impact of the Healthy Children's Fund on parents and caregivers, regular assessments of the needs, barriers, and challenges to getting care and services will be conducted. Local assessments will provide the opportunity to collect 70 quantitative and qualitative data to investigate progress toward the fund's desired results and create an avenue for parents to give feedback and input on services and programs. The methodology will ensure that the design and implementation processes will respond to culturally different values and perspectives and capture diverse voices. 11 More detail/too vague Concerns that strategies/contracting are too vague More detail has been added to each Strategy and don't give enough specifics; request for clear description to make mechanisms more clear mechanisms when they are known. More specifics have also been added to the Funding Mechanisms section (formerly Contracting) to be as specific and clear as possible. That said, not all details have been determined. Outstanding questions on funding mechanisms have been added where they are known. As the plan is implemented, and effective and legal mechanisms are researched and adopted, more details will be made available and outreach will be done to encourage applying for funds. Concerns that too much detail will decrease Flexibility has been top of mind, and wherever flexibility and keep providers from participating possible, the IP team has tried to provide details while also making it possible for different choices to be made if circumstances or understanding of an issue changes. Request to reference in-home care providers, Smaller providers are referenced several times, and/or to have "a more grassroots look at providers and WCHCS is researching effective and legal and more systems level approach to behavioral ways to ensure as many providers as possible health programs for children" are able to access funding. Some of this research is still underway, but open questions have been added to each section to attempt to capture this. 9 County Concern/request for county commitment to See Evaluation of Fund Administration under improving internal processes Evaluation/Metrics, above. 9 Credentials Credentialing requirements don't seem well Details on ECERs and other credentialing were understood/included in the plan clarified in the Strategy sections. Concerns about using ECERS as a measure of care Concerns about a focus/bias for licensed and WCHCS is researching effective and legal ways against legal but unlicensed providers to ensure as many providers as possible are able to access funding. Some of this research is still underway, but open questions have been added to each section to attempt to capture this. 6 Admin Concerns/request for advisory groups to review the All supplementary budget requests will be administrative budget available for public review and comment. The request specifically related to the IP will be 71 6 5 3 17 Definitions Other Long- term/Questions Reserves Word choice: drop mental health counselor "Vulnerable children" meant different things to different people" What does "mental health" mean here? can we name the challenges and the unanswered questions somewhere with an asterisk in the implementation plan. people just want us to name it. Concerns about using 25% reserves: council could decrease amount; Concerns that reserves won't be transparent and explained fully each year Child and Family Well-Being Task Force Role available during public comment periods for the County Council meetings on Feb 21, Mar 7 and Mar 21, 2023. This term has been removed from the IP. Because there can be different definitions, the definition of "Vulnerable children" used in the plan is the same definition used in the Ordinance to establish the Healthy Children's Fund. Mental health and its importance is discussed within the Support for Vulnerable Children sections. Where applicable, outstanding questions have been added to the IP to more clearly state the work needing to be done as the fund is implemented. A description of a new entity, the Implementation Team was also added to better clarify the work ahead. Reserves have been clarified so it's clear that carryover is allowed from year-to-year; also an explanation of 2023 as a start-up year that will use only a portion of the funds and hold the remainder in reserve for projects in later years. Reserves and expenditures will be shared openly every year. A Roles section was added to the IP that t------+--------t--------------------iincludes the Child and Family Well-Being Task Request to involve TF in evaluation planning in an Force. The Role section was collaboratively What is the TF Role in evaluation planning? 1------+--------t-o_p_e_ra_t_io_n_a_l/_v_is_io_n_i_ng_w_a_y_. ----------1developed with the chairs of the TF and the IP Request to have TF participate in the development team. 11 Oversight of funding opportunities Use TF as a proxy for parents [Disagreement on this --see Evaluation] Add Whatcom Racial Equity Commission (WREC) as The WREC was added as an Advisory Group or an Advisory Group subject matter experts for Implementation. Add a section that outlines citizen oversight Include not just Advisory Groups; invite in entire community However, the WREC will be determining their own work prioritization and may choose not to participate. A Roles section was added. While County Council holds oversight authority of the HCF Administration, the public is invited to engage 72 how are you making sure to hear from our most with the HCF in a variety of ways, including margi nalized/disenfra nch ised populations? opportunities for public comment at Council meetings and the Whatcom County HCF webpage. Members of the Implementation Team will be intentionally recruited who have lived experience. During the bi-annual evaluation, qualitative data will be gathered from our most marginalized and disenfranchised communities. The Implementation Team will continue to refine community engagement over time. 17 Outreach/Systemic/Community Engagement & Accountability Requests for outreach to smaller providers to Details on the plan for technical assistance and increase participation/identify barriers coaching were added to the Funding Requests for technical and other support for Mechanisms section, and Community applicants Engagement and Communications sections were added to the IP. Request for outreach to communicate and engage potential fundees and partners Concerns there isn't capacity in community to implement, even with funding. WCHCS agrees that community outreach, Who will get the system/network/field engaged and capacity-building and organizing will be needed. aware of these strategies? This need was addressed in several sections, Policy work that needs to be done to make including Funding Mechanisms, Community structural and systemic changes to make systems Engagement, and Communications sections. transformation a reality Concern that there aren't providers/organizations ready to engage/apply Request for a communications plan for A communications section was added. transparency 3 Community accountability Consider how to clearly state the accountability and A Roles section was added to the IP. role of community organizations and others outside ofWCHCS 3 Equity how are we intentionally avoiding "rubber Members of the Implementation Team and the stamping" by a few individuals? CFWBTF will have lived experience, and during Clarify accountability to community with lived the bi-annual evaluation qualitative data will be experience and most in need ... governance gathered from our most marginalized and structures disenfranchised communities. The Implementation Team will continue to refine community engagement over time. how community and programs narratives are Under "Advancing Equity", included that the shared back to community (p.47) evaluation process will: Ensure community and program narratives are collected and shared back with opportunity for context and reflection. 3 Transparency Request to share decisions/steps ongoing, as they A Communications section was added, to clearly happen, step-by-step. share plans for sharing info and progress. 73 12 Timeline/Responsible Who will be the group/people who will be More details were shared on the implementing this/making decisions? Implementation Team, the group that will ,__ ___ _,_ _____ ---1_W_h_a_t_w-il l_t_h_e-ir_q_u_a_l i-fi-ca-t-io_n_s_b_e_(_t-ec-h-ex_p_e_r-ti-se-,--develop the processes associated with the HCF. SME)? The team will include representatives from 1-------1---------1--------------------i Whatcom County government and community Will community members play a role in decisions? representatives with subject matter expertise. 8 Eligibility Timeline: RFPs open, applications due, decisions, notification, receipts due, reimbursement received? In addition to other tasks, they will develop the process to review and evaluate proposals and submit recommendations for funding. An outstanding question was also added on how best to engage subject matter experts in decision-making without making them ineligible for funding applications. During 2023-2024, we expect timelines to be longer as staff are hired and processes are built. Timelines will also vary considerably depending on the strategy being addressed and the funding mechanism chosen. Following approval of the Implementation Plan, each strategy will have a more specific project plan built out and launched; at that time, more information will be available on the timeline for each specific strategy. As much detail as possible is included, with open questions added to the Outstanding Questions section within Funding Mechanisms when not known. Who will be eligible? WCHCS is researching effective and legal ways 1------+--------1f---------------------1 to ensure as many different types of providers Will providers have to be licensed? Will family CCs as possible are able to access funding, while 1------+--------11-b_e_e_l_ig_ib_l_e 7 _· -----------------, also ensuring quality and safety. Some of th is What are the requirements for refunding? OK to say research is still underway, but as many details 8 Competitive this will need to be answered later as possible have been added to the Funding Mechanisms section about eligibility, as well as Outstanding Questions. to answer in 2023 and beyond. Details were added to the Funding Mechanisms section to clarify that proposals at all tiers 1------+--------1--------------------twould need to meet purchasing policies and Concerns there are already identified entities that Clarify that RFPs at all tiers will be competitive 7 Barriers/Support contracting requirements and would be will be awarded mo st of th e fu nd s. selected based on adherence to criteria and the Needs to be assessment of whether processes create barriers best use of available funds. Expanded the Technical Assistance and Coaching subsection within the Funding How can support those facing the most challenges? Mechanisms section. The process evaluation will also assess these needs and provide suggested improvements. 74 4 Process 3 Criteria Contracts should have data sharing agreements Request for performance-based contracting Is there an appeals process? Clarify that all contracts, grants will be reimbursements Any recipient of Healthy Children's Fund dollars will be expected to work with WCHCS to develop goals using the Results Based Accountability (RBA) Framework as well as a progress monitoring plan appropriate to the level of funds awarded. WCHCS will use data collection and quality improvement activities to monitor the progression toward meeting community-level goals as well as monitoring expenditures. Focused efforts will be made to align monitoring with reporting already being collected by the contractor for programs such as DCYF licensing, Early Achievers, etc. More details can be found in the Metrics & Evaluation section. WCHCS will also provide coaching for applicants as needed. Contractors must comply with contracting requirements, and report back on outcomes and progress toward objectives. The county's appeals process was added to the Funding Mechanisms section, which is limited to procedural or legal errors in the selection process. WCHCS is exploring options for grants, vs. reimbursement-only contracts. This question was added to the Outstanding Questions in Funding Mechanisms for future clarification. Request for more specific criteria for awarding The high-level criteria that will be used was applications added to the Funding Mechanisms section. 1------+--------1-s-ug_g_e_s_t-ra_n_k_i-ng_b_y_#_o_f_s-lo_t_s ________ ---t More specific criteria wi 11 depend on the strategy being implemented, the funding mechanism, and other factors. 6 Compliance 3 Compliance To ensure equity/compliance with equity statement, applicant lists should be reviewed by TF and council Applicants will be reviewed through county processes, which require adherence to anti- discrimination and child protection laws and policies. This is a priority for the County in general, not just for the HCF. The process evaluation will identify if there are possible improvements. How will WCHCS ensure those receiving funding are Compliance requirements were updated to be in compliance with requirements? more clear. Specific requirements for each RFP or other funding mechanisms will depend on the strategy being addressed, as well as other factors. 75 Disparate requests to fund specific issues Thank you to everyone who is passionate about these issues! The HCF has limited funding, which unfortunately means that not all specific issues can be addressed. The feedback did not raise specific themes on funding a different portfolio --meaning there were not consistent themes on what else should be included or excluded. WCHCS recommends writing a letter and/or providing public comment during the period when the Whatcom County Council introduces, discusses, and votes on the HCF IP during February and March 2023. 2 requests to fund/prioritize peer support for Peer support for parents is prioritized in parents Strategy 9. 9 Hub and spoke Need to add the words "Hub and spoke" to the The words "i.e. the 'hub and spoke model"' appropriate strategy, as reviewers had trouble were added to Strategy 5. identifying it Request to have a number/geographical spread for Following approval of Implementation Plan, these hubs each strategy will have a project plan created and implementation launched. This will be one of the first questions addressed for this strategy. 8 MH/specific request Lots of support and concern with addressing mental WCHCS shares this concern and has prioritized health funding mental health initiatives within the HCF. Requests to fund MH more or differently Strategies 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 all have facets that address mental health needs. The HCF has limited funding, which unfortunately means that not all specific issues can be addressed. The feedback did not raise specific themes on funding a different portfolio --meaning there were not consistent themes on what else should be included or excluded. WCHCS recommends writing a letter and/or providing public comment during the period when the Whatcom County Council introduces, discusses and votes on the HCF IP during February and March 2023. 6 ARPA Support for using ARPA, for large capital grants More information and clearer language about Potential need to make sure ARPA integration is the ARPA funding for large capital grants has been added. very clear 6 Method Request to add a box/section for each strategy that Research is still being conducted on which identifies how the funds will be distributed funding mechanisms will be used for some strategies. The Funding Mechanisms section was expanded to address this generally, knowing that each strategy will have its own process. 6 Rural focus 76 Support for existing county-wide approach Equitable distribution of funds is a high priority Request for more detail to ensure county-wide for WCHCS as a fund administrator, and ensuring fund access for rural and otherwise investment underserved communities was called out in the criteria used to identify strategies. s Pro-ALICE Support for using this United Way measure to While it isn't possible to only use the ALICE allocate subsidies definition, Strategy 3 will be designed to address and support the needs of a similar population. 3 Workforce/specific request Concern that the workforce development piece isn't Details was added to this Strategy and following more detailed approval of the Implementation Plan, each Elevating this as a needed focus strategy will have a project plan created and implementation launched. More specific details will be one of the first priorities for this strategy. 2 Barriers/support Request for support for new programs Expanded the Technical Assistance and Request to share "equitable administration" box for Coaching subsection within the Funding Mechanisms section. The process evaluation each section that is identifying current known will also assess these needs and provide barriers suggested improvements. 2 Taking on too much Concern the portfolio has too many strategies and To ensure maximum flexibility for getting funds should be more focused. into the community during years 1 & 2, the Implementation Planning Team included a variety of strategies, following the guidance in the ordinance. As there were few comments requesting fewer strategies, WCHCS recommends writing a letter or speaking during public comment period when the Whatcom County Council introduces, discusses and votes on the HCF IP during February and March 2023. 77 Appendix Ill. Implementation Planning and Ad Hoc Strategy Team Members by Affiliation CFWBTF=Child & Family Well-bein_g Ta~~_Force I SME=Subject Ma_tt~_r-_ Expert, specifically in Eguity, Early Learning & Care, and Supporting Vulnerable Children. Implementation Ad Hoc Healthy Ordinance Child Care Whatcom Name Organization Planning Team Strategy Team CFWBTF Whatcom Team Coalition County SME Allison Williams Health Department X X X X X X Amy Hockenberry Health Department X X Amy Rydel Health Department X X X X X Ann Beck Health Department X X X X X Anne Granberg YMCA X X X X X X Chelsea Johnson Health Department X X X X X X X Christine Espina Western Washington X X X University Danielle Humphreys Bellingham Technical College X X X David Webster Opportunity Council X X X X Heather Flaherty Chuckanut Health Foundation X X X X Heather Powell Boys & Girls Club X X X Jed Holmes Executive's Office X X X Jennifer Wright CFWBTF X X Jessie Thomson Health Department X X Judy Ziels Health Department X X X X X X X Kate Dabe Health Department X X Kathleen Roy Health Department X X Kayla Schott-Bresler Executive's Office X X X Keith Montoya CFWBTF/Generations Forward X X X X Meredith Hayes Child Care Coalition X X X X X X Ray Deck Skookum Kids X X X X X Shu-Ling Zhao Chuckanut Health Foundation X X X X Sterling Chick Catholic Community Services X X X X Vesla Tonnessen Whatcom Early Learning X X X X X X Alliance 78 Appendix IV. Prioritized Strategy Matrix Cost Mental & Prevent estimate Access-Afford-Profess-High-Behavioral Reduce Supporting Criteria range (Year ible able ional Quality Health Homelessness Parents Ranking 1) Portfolio Strategies Original Strategies 1: Provide funds for small capital projects to expand, renovate, or repurpose X X 1.3 $40,000- buildings to increase early learning & care slots in a mixed-delivery system. $500,000 Create, Implement and Coordinate a Workforce X X X 3.6 2: Coordinate current and Recruitment and Professional Development Pathway develop additional pathways to ensure a Expand access to early learning & care credentialing X X 6.3 $40,000-stable early learning & through Higher Ed and Community Pathways $1.5 million care workforce to deliver high-quality programs for Expand access to training & professional development children. and integration of curriculum into programs across the X X 7.6 county 3: Improve access to early learning & care through subsidies that reduce the cost X X 6.0 >$1.5 million of programs for children from families which are cost-burdened. 4: Ensure access to early learning and care by promoting the expansion and X X 5.6 >$1.5 million retention of the early learning & care workforce. 5: Create regional early learning & care hubs that include shared administrative services, co-located early learning and other services for children and families, and X X X X 4.8 >$1.5 million support for smaller providers in the County (i.e. the "hub and spoke model.") 6: Support innovative approaches to meet various Healthy Children's Fund goals X X X X 7.7 $0-$500,000 related to Early Learning & Care. 7: Recruit Mental & Behavioral Health Workforce to Whatcom County. X X 3.3 $40,000 to >$1.5 million 8: Develop and/or expand resources and programs for families who X X X 4.4 $40,000 to disproportionately experience housing instability. >$1.5 million 9: Expand and enhance early parenting supports. X X 3.2 $40,000 to >$1.5 million Integrate and co-locate services via integrating community health workers into environments where X X 5.0 10: Integrate and co-children and families are locate services via Coordinate, integrate, and co-locate services via $40,000- coordinated access to coordinated access to resource navigation X X X 5.9 $1.5 million resource navigation. Coordinate, integrate and co-locate services via Family X X 6.9 Resource Centers 79 * Ad Hoc Strategy Group members individually reverse scored each strategy based on criteria. The ranking is an average. Cost Mental & Prevent & estimate Access-I Afford-\ Profess-I High-I Behavioral Reduce Supporting Criteria range (Year ible able ional Quality Health Homelessness Parents Ranking 1) Othe~Str~i" -"•· y •··•· .. ·., .. / .•·· .. •, .. ; .. . .... ... ;• . . . ·· .. Provide mental health support and other wraparound services to children and/or X X X 3.9 $500,000- families when homelessness occurs $1.5 million Create early learning & care slots in new ways such as subsidizing lending or X offering property tax credits for family-based providers. X 6.0 Coordinate and provide resources and community-wide trainings on trauma-$40,000-informed care, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and equity/ anti-racist assessments and X X X 6.8 $500,000 improvements. Policy advancement in early learning & care and support for vulnerable children in areas such as early learning and K-12 alignment; roll out of transitional X X X X 7.9 Kindergarten; Kindergarten assessments; CTE courses for early learning & care credentialing; zoning and local policy barriers; task forces at the state level; etc. Fund solutions to persistent community early learning & care needs X 8.6 Large-scale capital investments to build new, expand existing, or re-purpose $9.5 million X X 8.6 in ARPA buildings for early learning & care. funding Fund emergency early learning & care vouchers in a way that complements X X 9.0 current program Fund a feasibility study for solutions to persistent community early learning & care needs X 11.1 Offer paid family leave for parents of infants X X 12.7 * Ad Hoc Strategy group members individually reverse scored each strategy based on criteria. The ranking is an average. The first page of the Prioritized Strategy Matrix, above, shows how the Year 1 & 2 Portfolio includes the 14 highest prioritized strategies, grouped into the ten final strategies. Several factors were used to prioritize strategies, including cost estimate range, criteria ranking, and ensuring all seven focus areas were addressed. The second table of the Prioritized Strategy Matrix, titled "Other Strategies," shares the nine strategies that were not prioritized for inclusion in the first two years. Results from the biennial independent evaluation, progress towards contract metrics monitored by the Whatcom County Health & Community Services, requirements outlined in the ordinance related to priority areas, and new community processes and plans that align with the goals of the Healthy Children's Fund will all be used to determine which of these strategies to implement in year 3 and beyond. 80 Appendix V. Data Notes and Limitations: Kindergarten Readiness and Child Maltreatment Kindergarten Readiness Overview Kindergarten Readiness data is generated by The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). OSPI uses an observational assessment tool called the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) to collect data on the developmental status of preschool-age students transitioning into Kindergarten. WaKIDS measures development in six domains: Social-Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, Language, Literacy, and Math. Kindergarten Readiness is defined as readiness in all six domains. All public schools and some tribal nation schools collect data on the developmental status of children entering kindergarten. Teachers collect data over the first two months of school in three ways: • through family connections (1: 1 conference) • through connection to early learning providers • using Teaching Strategies Gold Data notes and limitations • • • Data reconfiguration: OSPI reconfigured the data files used to report Kindergarten Readiness in 2022. The new files include updates to the completeness of previous years' data, notably for student groups (i.e. low-income or racial groups) at the district level. This impacts the results for aggregating percentages across districts and for previous years. Kindergarten Readiness by Race and Ethnicity: As a result of the suppression rules applied by OSPI, several cells are suppressed for racial group/ethnicity at the district level due to small numbers. This leads to an issue of very small and unrepresentative samples of some racial groups at the county level when district numbers are aggregated. While there are some districts without certain racial groups/ethnicities in the population, other districts have racial group data suppressed. Enrollment Data: Using enrollment data to calculate a denominator for sub-groups in a district (i.e., racial groups) offers a close estimate of the number of kindergartners that were assessed in a district. Report Card data (estimates of kindergarten readiness) does not reconcile perfectly with the enrollment data due to several factors (students moving in/out of the district, absences during assessments, or parents opting students out of assessments). Reporting Results • Due to the fact that school districts are state-based and not county-based, we could not pull data at the county level. Whatcom County Kindergarten readiness data was calculated by summing students from each Whatcom County school district and using student population denominators, by subgroup as appropriate. Some student subgroups, such as race and ethnicity, are omitted due to low number suppression at the district level. • While we can provide an overall rate of Kindergarten Readiness for the county, this is calculated by aggregating data from each district. If we want to know where and among which students a disparity exists, it is advised to use the data available at the school district level. Even then, a review of data completeness and representativeness is warranted. Child Maltreatment Overview Child maltreatment refers to children (age birth-17) who are identified as victims in reports to Child Protective Services that were accepted for further action, per 1,000 children (age birth-17). A 'referral' is a report of suspected child abuse that may have multiple listed victims. Mandated reporters, such as doctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, teachers, child care providers, and social service counselors, notify Child Protective Services if they suspect a child is in danger of negligent treatment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other maltreatment. In addition, 81 other concerned individuals may report suspected child abuse cases. If the information provided meets the sufficiency screen, the referral is accepted for further action. Data limitations A referral may have one or more children identified as victims. Children are counted more than once if they are reported as a victim more than once during the year. The data in this report are based on the total number of victims reported in Child Protective Services referrals. A child's location is derived from the residence at the time of referral. Population numbers for 2020 and 2021 are preliminary and subject to change. Numerator Data Source: Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, Famlink Data Warehouse. http://clientdata.rda.dshs.wa.gov/Home/ShowReport?reportMode=O Denominator Data Source: Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division. https://www.ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/population-demographics National Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, Voluntary Cooperative Information System (VCIS), and estimates from Adoption, Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS) 82 Appendix VI. Headline & Secondary Indicators by Priority Early Learning & Care: Headline & Secondary Indicators (DDA=data development agenda} Accessible: Expand early learning and care services that meet the varied needs of families and children. Geographic locations, ages of children, special needs, and a broad range of early learning & care scheduling needs (including emergency opportunities) will all be considered in the development. Headline: • Early learning & care slots per 100 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers Secondary: • Number of parents/caregivers who have a demand for early learning & care report that they have access (DDA) • The number of early learning and care providers that report having a waitlist (DDA) Affordable: Decrease the cost of early learning and care experiences for both families and providers. Headline: • Early learning & care costs for a household with two children as a percent of median household income • Percent of families earning 200%+ below the FPL that have their early learning & care needs met • Number of early learning & care providers participating in a regional shared service hub (DDA) High-Quality: Increase the quality of early learning and care experiences. Headline: • Percent of early learning & care programs enrolled in the Early Achievers Quality Rating System that has a rating of 3 or higher • Percent of early learning & care programs that score a 3 or higher in the Early Achievers Quality Rating System that provide subsidies to low-income families Secondary: • Percent of early learning & care programs that report promoting acceptance of diversity by demonstrating their ability to provide diverse learning opportunities as outlined in WAC 110- 300-160 (DDA) • Number of early learning & care providers reporting an increase in sustainability (DDA) Professional: Attract and retain quality early childhood educators. Headline: • Percent of credentialed early learning & care educators in Whatcom County (DDA) • Average annual salary for full-time early learning & care educators compared to regional school system salary scales (DDA) Secondary: • Number of early learning & care educators completing training or education provided by the local higher education system and community credentialing program (DDA) • Number of early learning & care providers reporting challenges with recruiting and retaining early learning & care educators (DDA) 83 Supporting Vulnerable Children: Headline & Secondary Indicators Mental and Behavioral Health: Expand mental health services for vulnerable children and their families. Headline: • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve young children, per 0-5 population (DDA) • Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers in Whatcom County that serve pregnant parents and parents with young children, per 0-5 population (DDA) • Number of families on provider wait lists for behavioral health services (DDA) Secondary: • Number of parental (prenatal to age 5) referrals conducted by the SEAS for mental health services • Parents/caregivers report having access to behavioral/mental health services for their children at their early learning & care program/location (DDA) Homelessness: Reduce the instances of vulnerable children experiencing homelessness, through diversion and other preventative services and reduce the trauma associated with homelessness by supporting interim housing services and trauma-focused system reform directed at vulnerable children and their families. Headline: • Percent of public-school students in grades Pre-K to 3rd experiencing a housing crisis • Number of families with children experiencing homelessness Secondary: • Number of Whatcom families with children experiencing homelessness and actively seeking services through the Coordinated Entry Program Support Vulnerable Children's Parents: Expand supports and services for families who have or are expecting children Headline: • Well-child visits in the first 30 months of life • Rate of Low Birth Weight infants, less than 2500 grams • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received adequate prenatal care • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy Secondary: • Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who reported having a postpartum check-up {DDA) • Number of parents or caregivers who report that they have access to the parenting support services they need (DDA) • Percentage of deliveries in which the mothers or parents carrying a child were screened for a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder during pregnancy and during the postpartum period (DDA) 84 Appendix VII: Description of Population Health Data Sources Population Outcome Measures: To measure and monitor overall progress towards the HCF's overarching goal of early childhood well-being, we will track and report estimated changes in two population-level measures: • Kindergarten readiness, all Whatcom children, race & ethnicity, gender, & income • Child Abuse and Neglect, Whatcom children ages 0-17 Population-level Headline Indicators: Population-based indicators are a proxy to help quantify the results. HCF will contribute to turning the curves of population-level indicators, as defined through Results--Based Accountability. Population-based indicators area about a population, for example, children 0-5 in Whatcom County. Headline indicators are aspirational, long-term indicators that quantify HCF's overarching results. Secondary Indicators: Secondary indicators are supporting indicators that describe the status of children and families in Whatcom County, and for which we have data but do not rise to the top when selecting headline indicators. Below are some examples of secondary indicators that will be measured and presented. As time goes on and data availability changes, this list of indicators may change. All indicators will be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, and gender, as available. Population Outcome Indicators Indicator Data Sources Children who are kindergarten ready across the domains of Office of the social/emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and Superintendent of Public mathematics Instruction (OSPI), WaKIDS • Percentage of entering kindergartners that meet expectations at the start of kindergarten in all six domains of social/emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy and mathematics Rate of child abuse or neglect Washington State • Rate per 1,000 households with children aged 0-17 with child Department of Social and abuse or neglect reports that are investigated and assessed Health Services, Children's Administration Early Learning & Care: Headline & Secondary Indicators Accessible: Expand early learning and care services that meet the varied needs of families and children. Geographic locations, ages of children, special needs, and a broad range of early learning & care scheduling needs (including emergency opportunities) will all be considered in the development. 85 Headline Early learning & care slots per 100 infants, toddlers, and Childcare Aware Data preschoolers Center Secondary Number of parents/caregivers who have a demand for early To be determined learning & care report that they have access Included on the data development agenda The number of early learning and care providers that report To be determined having a waitlist Included on the data development agenda Affordable: Decrease the cost of early learning and care experiences for both families and providers. Headline Early learning & care costs for a household with two children The Living Wage Calculator, as a percent of median household income Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates & County Health Rankings Percent of families earning 200%+ below the FPL that have WA State Department of their early learning & care needs met Children, Youth and Families: Child Care Need and Supply Data Number of early learning & care providers participating in a To be determined regional shared service hub Included on the data development agenda High-Quality: Increase the quality of early learning and care experiences. Headline Percent of early learning & care programs enrolled in the Childcare Aware Data Early Achievers Quality Rating System that has a rating of 3 Center or higher Percent of early learning & care programs that score a 3 or Childcare Aware Data higher in the Early Achievers Quality Rating System that Center provide subsidies to low-income families Secondary Percent of early learning & care programs that report To be determined promoting acceptance of diversity by demonstrating their Included on the data ability to provide diverse learning opportunities as outlined development agenda in WAC 110-300-160 Number of early learning & care providers reporting an To be determined increase in sustainability Included on the data development agenda Professional: Attract and retain quality early childhood educators. 86 Headline Percent of credentialed early learning & care educators in To be determined Whatcom County Included on the data development agenda Average annual salary for full-time early learning & care To be determined educators compared to regional school system salary scales Included on the data development agenda Secondary Number of early learning & care educators completing To be determined training or education provided by the local higher education Included on the data system and community credentialing program development agenda Number of early learning & care providers reporting To be determined challenges with recruiting and retaining early learning & care Included on the data educators development agenda Supporting Vulnerable Children: Headline & Secondary Indicators Mental and Behavioral Health: Expand mental health services for vulnerable children and their families. Headline Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers To be determined in Whatcom County that serve young children, per 0-5 Included on the data population development agenda Number and type of behavioral and mental health providers To be determined in Whatcom County that serve pregnant parents and parents Included on the data with young children, per 0-5 population development agenda Number of families on provider wait lists for behavioral To be determined health services Included on the data development agenda Secondary Number of parental (prenatal to age 5) referrals conducted SEAS Database, WCHCS by the SEAS for mental health services Parents/caregivers report having access to To be determined behavioral/mental health services for their children at their Included on the data early learning & care program/location development agenda 87 Homelessness: Reduce the instances of vulnerable children experiencing homelessness, through diversion and other preventative services and reduce the trauma associated with homelessness by supporting interim housing services and trauma-focused system reform directed at vulnerable children and their families. Headline Percent of public-school students in grades Pre-K to 3rd Office of the experiencing a housing crisis Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Number of families with children experiencing homelessness Annual Point-in-Time Count, Opportunity Council Secondary Number of Whatcom families with children experiencing Whatcom County homelessness and actively seeking services through the Homeless Service Center, Coordinated Entry Program Opportunity Council Support Vulnerable Children's Parents: Expand supports and services for families who have or are expecting children Headline Well-child visits in the first 30 months of life WA State Health Care Authority Rate of Low Birth Weight infants, less than 2500 grams Community Health Assessment Tool, Washington State Department of Health Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received Community Health adequate prenatal care Assessment Tool, Washington State Department of Health Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who received Community Health prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy Assessment Tool, Washington State Department of Health Secondary Percent of mothers or parents carrying a child who reported Tol be determined having a postpartum check-up Included on the data development agenda Number of parents or caregivers who report that they have To be determined access to the parenting support services they need Included on the data development agenda Percentage of deliveries in which the mothers or parents To be determined carrying a child were screened for a perinatal mood and Included on the data anxiety disorder during pregnancy and during the development agenda postpartum period 88 Appendix VIII. Evaluation Types and Influencing Factors Evaluation activities complement performance measurement and are designed to answer broader kinds of questions. In-depth evaluations will be conducted using the scientific methods most appropriate for a program and its implementation stage. For new programs just beginning implementation, evaluation questions will support program design, planning, and initial insights. For programs that are underway but still undergoing modifications, the evaluation will support program refinement and improvements in quality or efficiency. Once programs have established fidelity and scale and have been in place for sufficient time, evaluation can be used to measure impact and outcomes. Evaluation Types and Purposes Formative Evaluation: To support program development and design Process Evaluation: To support program improvements and the County's role in HCF success and ability to meet goals. Outcome or Impact Evaluations: To prove the program led to desired result Types of Questions & Methods Used Types of Questions • What are the most crucial questions and data that could help us develop our program or strategy? • What concerns or opportunities do we need to respond to or use to adapt the program for success? Primary Method Qualitative data collection and analysis Types of Questions • Why did/didn't we see a change? • Was the program/processes implemented as intended? • How well was the program/processes implemented? Why or why not? Primary Method Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods are used to collect and analyze data. Types of Questions • Did the expected change take place? For whom? Primary Method Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods are used to collect and analyze data. Studies using experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational designs. Informed by process evaluation results. Performance Measurement from all HCF-funded programs will track how much, how well, and is anyone better off after contractor activities. This is foundational to the HCF evaluation and will inform and guide additional evaluation activities. Candidates for More Extensive Evaluation 89 HCF will implement strategies based on emerging best practices. These may include situations where a proven program or best practice must be substantially modified to be tailored to specific populations the HCF serves. Evaluation of these programs will emphasize ongoing monitoring and early feedback so that necessary changes can occur promptly. Short-term results will be identified so that the longer-term desired outcomes are likely to be reached. This supplemental, formative evaluation will help ensure that the program is functioning as intended. Investing in innovative strategies will be a key component of the HCF, which may call for a more rigorous evaluation to show the causal effects and lessons learned and require intensive data collection. WCHCS Health Information & Assessment (HIA) Team will work with external evaluators to develop and apply a set of criteria for identifying projects that are a high priority for rigorous evaluation. Considerations may include: • Potential for having a large impact related to health equity • Implementation in new settings or with new populations • Likelihood of seeing an immediate change in indicators of well-being or healthy environments • Filling a gap in the evidence base • Having sustainable sources of data to be able to track change over time External Factors Impacting Evaluation The HCF is one of the many strategies that will change the conditions of children and families in Whatcom County. HCF programs and services will contribute to improving the health and well- being of the population along with other initiatives and efforts. As a whole, these efforts will work collectively to impact conditions for children and families in Whatcom County. Furthermore, there will be a multitude of factors that influence the extent to which HCF programs and services will make an impact. For example, federal or state changes in funding or policies can greatly impact the availability of services and the number and demographics of people accessing services. The HIA team will make efforts to identify external factors beyond the control of HCF to understand how they may have affected findings. It is also important to note that evaluation approaches will need to be tailored depending on the type of funded activity, funding amount and duration, and stage of program implementation. For example, we might focus on performance measurement for a well-established program with a strong evidence base but use an outcome evaluation to attempt to establish an evidence base for a pilot project. New and innovative programs will also require time to reach full implementation stages before they are good candidates for outcome evaluation. In evaluating the combined efforts of HCF, evaluators continue to be mindful of this wide variation in programs and strategies. It is also recognized that it will likely take several years to demonstrate an impact or progress toward the HCF overarching population-level results. 90 Appendix IX. Whatcom County's Non-Discrimination Policy Non-Discrimination in Employment: The County's policy is to provide equal opportunity in all terms, conditions and privileges of employment for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation (including gender identity), age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. The Contractor shall comply with all laws prohibiting discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation (including gender identity), age, marital status, disability, political affiliation, or veteran status, except where such constitutes a bona fide occupational qualification. Furthermore, in those cases in which the Contractor is governed by such laws, the Contractor shall take affirmative action to insure that applicants are employed, and treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation (including gender identity), disability, or veteran status, except where such constitutes a bona fide occupational qualification. Such action shall include, but not be limited to: advertising, hiring, promotions, layoffs or terminations, rate of pay or other forms of compensation benefits, selection for training including apprenticeship, and participation in recreational and educational activities. In all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by them or on their behalf, the Contractor shall state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The foregoing provisions shall also be binding upon any subcontractor, provided that the foregoing provision shall not apply to contracts or subcontractors for standard commercial supplies or raw materials, or to sole proprietorships with no employees. Non-Discrimination in Client Services: The Contractor shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation (including gender identity), disability, or veteran status; or deny an individual or business any service or benefits under this Agreement unless otherwise allowed by applicable law; or subject an individual or business to segregation or separate treatment in any manner related to his/her/its receipt any service or services or other benefits provided under this Agreement unless otherwise allowed by applicable law; or deny an individual or business an opportunity to participate in any program provided by this Agreement unless otherwise allowed by applicable law. 91