Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families met February 22.
Here is the minutes provided by the Partnership:
Members Present: Jim Lighthizer, Doug Mohler, Adrienne Mickler, Sharon Hargrove, Milena Kornyl, David Rose, David Smalley, Michael Yeakey, Ryan Voegtlin
Guests: Gabby Macrae, Trudy Jones
Agenda Items:
The minutes were accepted after a motion by Doug Mohler and seconded by Jim Lighthizer
Executive Director Report:
Funding
Casey Family Programs has funded the Community of Hope for a third year with $23,000 to be used for salary and support.
United Way asked for a $50,000 donation from the O’Neal Foundation to fund a second portion of the family homelessness prevention program in Brooklyn Park. We have asked Anne Arundel Community Development to match that amount at $40,000.
GOC awarded us $55,000 to fund the administrative work of the CRICT teams (school system funded this position for five years.)
GOC awarded $20,000 for a regional training program with Baltimore County and Baltimore Cit. The training dollars will be used in part to live stream the National Collective Impact Forum in Austen, Texas where Pam Brown, Lauren Maddox and Derric Wright are presenters.)
Legislative
The expected $2 million in competitive funding from GOC was not included in the Governor’s Budget. We intended to use these funds for the Youth Center in Brooklyn Park. The only hope now is for those competitive dollars to be included in the supplemental budget.
House Bill 1577 is of huge concern to Local Management Boards. The bill attempts to force LMB’s to fund family navigation services and fences off $1.6 million of GOC funds. A version of this bill passed in 2016 causing the Governor to allow the funds to go back into the General Fund. Anne Arundel County and MACO are opposing the bill. The bill was not cross filed with the Senate. The Maryland Coalition of Families is the major advocate for the bill. They have the most to gain by its passage.
Community of Hope
We have been given space in the Chesapeake Arts Center for our Community of Hope director. We are also eying county space in Glen Burnie. We are holding a community baby shower on March 31 at Brooklyn Park Library.
A further meeting has been scheduled with the Tate family and the Cal Ripken Foundation to improve athletic facilities around Brooklyn Park Middle School.
Safe and Thriving Communities grant
Our first report is approved. As this is a collective agreement, the Federal government is our partner in the work.
Needs Assessment-
All partners have agreed (hospitals, health dept, mental health agency, community foundation and YWCA) that only one needs assessment will be done. It will be Poverty Amidst Plenty VI with pull out sections on health and domestic violence.
Presentations:
Dr. Brown made a short presentation on the Collective Impact Model.
Other issues
The Partnership has received some bad news about the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development: They are likely to go out of business. We funded the agency for The Peak Youth Services bureau and the Jifi program that helps disconnected youth.
Agency Reports
DSS reported on the Brooklyn Park parent cafés – offer training for parents. Geared to helping the parents with economic self-support. Next café is on IEP’s. Had quite a few families and it has been very successful. Additionally, every Wednesday one of the DSS social workers is at Brooklyn Park Middle School. In July there will be a multi-family group and parenting groups for parents with 6-13 year olds. It is a UMD School of Social Work model. Has been very successful at North County Rec Center.
Workforce Development - now in Linthicum heights with new career center. Other partners there include the dept of labor, community colleges and other departments. 2nd wave of initiative to attract people and to let people know we are there for both businesses and job seekers. Lots of workshops for job seekers on many topics. Summer Youth Works is gearing up. Youth teen-24 can be accepted depending on the business. They may be placed into paid internships. Some job readiness workshops as well. Trying to strengthen program with career pathways and maybe help kids stay in the job or find another job. The goal is to place 150 kids. Register online. Dual focus of in and out of school youth. Orientation at north county high school for seniors who are not planning on going to college.
Chesapeake Real Estate Group (CREG): The company is willing to help the Partnership negotiate a lease for the Youth Center. They are working with the landlord on a plan for rehabbing the building. The company is willing to donate their commission. A discussion arose related the support CREG has given to the community garden and greenhouse program at North County high school.
DJS: Juvenile crime in the county continues to go down, but since the beginning of the year 2 things jump out: domestic and school violence. Threats of violence have increased but mostly in response to what youth are seeing on the news. The mental health agency, through crisis response, is also seeing an increase in school issues, especially with the younger population. We also have a lot of children who are secondary victims of the opioid crisis. DJS is answering with trauma informed care programs; every program is going to have to be part ofthis a part of the model
Recreation and Parks: They are looking forward to the athletics project at Brooklyn Park Middle School. They are also offering summer programs and will expand the meals they’re serving through the schools program.
Chair: Working with Howard County Public Schools to create a new program for 12th graders in schools and offering a stipend. They are in the in the 3rd week of a 17 week program.
School System: Looking at juniors and seniors next year and writing a grant to do 2 programs. Working with parents is essential. The Board of Ed has approved more positions for more school counselors, psychologists and social workers.
http://www.aacounty.org/boards-and-commissions/partnership-for-children-youth-families/minutes/20180222.pdf
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