Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 2
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $40,000, to Unitedly, for the Visibility Initiative (improving access to Chinese-speaking service providers and increasing opportunities for Chinese-speaking child care providers) and authorizing the County Executive or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
On March 9, 2021, and March 23, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and anticipated revenue for fiscal years (FY) 2021-23. The Board-appointed Measure K sub-committee, consisting of Supervisor Pine and Supervisor Canepa, convened the study sessions to, among other things, work with staff to facilitate the Board’s development of Measure K priorities and continuing initiatives for FYs 2021-23. The Board approved $5 million in one-time loans or grants for the FY 2021-23 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-discretionary needs and projects. District 2 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 2 (Supervisor Noelia Corzo) - Unitedly: The Visibility Initiative- (1) resource development services to develop list of Chinese-speaking providers and provide Chinese-language hotline; (2) assist Chinese-speaking child care providers in navigating receiving child care referrals and applying for funding/subsidies. |
$40,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Unitedly, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $40,000, to provide for their Visibility Initiative. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
Unitedly’s mission is ensuring Asian families and communities have equitable access to resources and opportunities to thrive. Unitedly’s goal is to serve as a “one-stop” hub organization so that members of Asian communities can rely on linguistically and culturally appropriate services (keeping in mind that these communities are generally more willing to access services when speaking to someone in their native language). Unitedly also works on data collection and meaningful engagement to identify specific goals, and work with communities and organizations to advocate for community-centered solutions and policies.
The Visibility Initiative is a new project designed by Unitedly. The goal is for Unitedly and its partners to develop community center solutions and policies, bridge service gaps, increase understanding of Asian communities and ensure that Asian families are represented in San Mateo County. The Visibility Initiative has two key components.
Component 1: Consists of a macro level of partnership and resource development. This component consists of partnering with community based organizations serving Asian residents to map services that are available in Asian languages in order to assist them in finding culturally and linguistically responsive Asian-language service providers to support the community.
Specifically, Unitedly will focus on services in Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese) and gather a list of services available to Chinese-speaking residents from organizations that provide services or resources in Chinese languages without the use of a translator language line.
Unitedly has a Board and volunteers and envisions that it will work with the San Mateo County API Caucus, the AAPI Task Force, Civic Leadership USA and the Chinese Health Initiative of San Mateo County to convene quarterly meetings with other community based organizations to discuss services, gaps and trends. At the end of the project, Unitedly hopes to create a formal AAPI Advisory committee to sustain this project.
Unitedly will work with its partners to launch a survey for Chinese-speaking residents, to better understand their needs. Unitedly will also have a Chinese-languages hotline for Chinese-speaking residents to call for referral services and needs. Resources will be made available to Chinese-speaking residents electronically or in hard copy.
Component 2:
The Visibility Initiative for Family Child Care Providers will seek to bolster the number of Chinese-speaking child care providers in San Mateo County by assisting Chinese-speaking child care providers to join the County’s child care database to receive child care referrals, join applicable waiting lists to serve low income families in the County, and apply for County and state childcare subsidies or funding.
For this first year, Unitedly will conduct 2 workshops on topics related to health and safety and child care quality and 2 focus groups to learn more about Chinese-speaking child care providers’ needs and current gaps in services. Workshops and focus groups will be conducted in Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese), along with a survey in Chinese languages to further capture the data. In addition, Unitedly will provide a hotline to Chinese-speaking child care providers to provide technical assistance and resource navigation.
The ultimate goal for this initiative is to form an Asian Family Child Care Association where educators can access information, learn best practices for children, network and support each other in the same neighborhood.
Measure K will partially fund the below budget:
1- Consultants- translation, bilingual website with resources, informational fliers, facilitation, survey: $80,000
2- Help Desk phone line in Chinese languages: $1,500
3- First aid kits (for 50 family child care providers @ $300 each): $ 15,000
4- Staff Travel: $500
5- Meeting Space: $2,000
6- Office Supplies and Materials: $15,000
7- Website: $2,000
8- Staffing to manage help desk phone line, participation in meetings, outreach events, reporting and meeting with residents: $20,000
Total Budget=$ 136,000
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $40,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Alyson Suzuki, Founder and President
Cathy Ma, Board Treasurer
25 West 25th Avenue #3 San Mateo CA 94403
Email: alysons@unitedly.org <mailto:alysons@unitedly.org>
Email: cathym@unitedly.org <mailto:cathym@unitedly.org>
Phone: (650) 368-4464
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
The Visibility Initiative (1) resource development services to develop list of Chinese-speaking providers and provide Chinese-language hotline; (2) assist Chinese-speaking child care providers in navigating receiving child care referrals and applying for funding/subsidies. Conduct workshops and focus groups for Chinese-speaking child care providers. |
Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2022-23 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget.