Children, Youth & Families

2006-08 Priorities and Strategies

Goal Area #1: Strong, Nurturing Families

Priority A: Families are self-sufficient and have access to basic resources.

1.A.1 Provide employment, training, job placement services, GED and high school completion programs, English language learner services, childcare, resources and referrals for families. (ESD-Migrant Education, CCC)

1.A.2 Increase availability, awareness and access to physical and mental health, dental and vision care for families. (CCCH, Head Start, CCECC)

1.A.3 Research the issue of childhood obesity in coordination with Community Health. (CCECC)

1.A.4 Support the Housing Authority’s mission to provide affordable, safe, decent and sanitary housing options. (HACC)

1.A.5 Increase availability, awareness and access to emergency shelter, housing and services for homeless families and homeless youth. (“Ready to Rent”, “Bridges to Housing” and other initiatives of the CCHP)

1.A.6 Increase availability, awareness and access to drug-free housing in Clackamas County.

1.A.7 Increase availability, awareness and access to farm worker housing.

1.A.8 Increase availability, awareness and access to emergency food and household assistance and school-based food programs. (OFB, OHRTF, Head Start, CCECC, YAC, TRAC, Prevention Committee, ODHS, St Vincent DePaul, Gleaners)

1.A.9 Increase availability, awareness and access to State Department of Human Services Self-Sufficiency and Vocational Rehabilitation services. (ODHS)

1.A.10 Increase availability, awareness and access to urban and rural transportation options.

Priority B: Families are free from sexual, physical and emotional violence.

1.B.1 Increase availability, awareness and access to State Department of Human Services Child Welfare services. (ODHS)

1.B.2 Provide a community system that works to prevent TANF families and screened-out Child Welfare cases from entering the foster care system. (FSC)

1.B.3 Support the development of a relief nursery in the County that provides a system of comprehensive family services consolidated under one roof. (CCECC)

1.B.4 Support the Children’s Center of Clackamas County to provide medical evaluation for children suspected to be victims of abuse or neglect. (CCCC)

1.B.5 Coordinate activities and publicity for Child Abuse Prevention Month [April]. (CCECC)

1.B.6 Increase availability, awareness and access to affordable, quality, scheduled respite care services for families at risk of abuse and neglect, including families of children with special needs. (LRC, CCECC)

1.B.7 Increase the accessibility and availability of child abuse prevention and intervention services and resources to Latino families. (Oregon Pre-Kindergarten, ESD-Early Intervention, Head Start)

1.B.8 Provide administration and advocacy for children involved in juvenile court proceedings utilizing trained volunteers in the best-practice Court Appointed Special Advocates program. (CASA)

1.B.9 Increase availability, awareness and access to State Department of Human Services adoption and foster care services. (ODHS)

1.B.10 Continue to support the Kinship care program that encourages the involvement of extended families in the care and placement of children. (ODHS Kinship)

1.B.11 Provide community education and advocacy to recruit foster parents. (Love, Inc.)

1.B.12 Provide housing for women with young (0-5) children who are working with DHS due to neglect, abuse, and substance abuse. (ODHS, CCCH, Northwest Housing, Central City Concern, and Community Corrections)

1.B.13 Provide a 24-hour domestic violence crisis line, shelter, food, clothing, advocacy, case management, children’s program, parenting support, support groups, outreach support groups, and transitional services for women and their children; and reduce the incidence of domestic violence through public education. (CWS, FVCC)

1.B/14 Increase availability, awareness and access to domestic violence prevention and intervention services to target populations: special needs, ethnic minority, rural regions, low-income, single-parent, and communities with a high incidence of child abuse.

Goal Area #2: Healthy, Thriving Children and Youth

Priority C: Families provide high quality, positive parent-child relationships and interactions.

2.C.1 Increase availability, awareness and access to comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care. (CCCH-Maternity Care Access and prenatal home visits to Hispanic families through CCCH.)

2.C.2 Administer and implement Healthy Start of Clackamas County per Healthy Families of America guidelines. (HSCC)

2.C.3 Provide Welcome Baby visits and positive and persistent outreach to prospective Healthy Start parents. Conduct parent-child interactive playgroups throughout Clackamas County in support of Healthy Start and the community. (CCVC)

2.C.4 Coordinate the implementation of the Parents as Teachers parent education model in Clackamas County. (OCF)

2.C.5 Research how the County can offer home visiting and intensive services to all families that are vulnerable at the birth of a child and in need of parenting support. (CCECC)

2.C. 6 Increase availability, awareness and access to immunization services for families, including minority populations. (CCCH, Head Start, ESD, HSCC, and CCECC)

2.C.7 Research and analyze the issue of preventing unintentional injuries. (CCECC)

2.C.8 Increase availability, awareness and access to intervention services for children with delays (developmental, hearing or vision impairment, communication delay, orthopedic delay, etc.). (ESD)

2.C.9 Stabilize childcare availability and improve the quality of childcare by focusing specifically on improving the business practices of providers, program administration and management enhancement by developing a collaboratively based network that will recruit child care providers, coordinate and manage training and technical assistance, and provide mentoring services for child care providers, community partners, and parents. (CCR&R)

2.C.10 Ensure an adequate supply of accessible, affordable, quality childcare through staffing, training, mentoring, recruitment and technical assistance, materials and supplies, on-site consultation, back-up/substitute care, equipment, and insurance. (CCR&R)

2.C.11 Support the development of accessible, affordable, quality school-based child care. (CCR&R, CCECC, CCF)

2.C.12 Increase availability, awareness and access to quality child care by increasing the skill level of child care providers and enhancing the physical environment of child care facilities. (ESD)

2.C.13 Provide printed information and a resource directory to increase the skill level of childcare providers in the area of readiness to learn utilizing brain development and developmentally appropriate practices. (CCF, CCR&R)

2.C.14 Provide mentoring to childcare providers that enhances the physical environment of childcare facilities. (CCF, CCR&R)

2.C.15 Provide Health Consultant services to Clackamas County child care providers in coordination with Clackamas County CCR&R and OCF. (CCCH)

2.C.16 Coordinate annual Clackamas County Child Care Appreciation Day. (CCECC, OCF)

2.C.17 Increase availability, awareness and access to youth and family mediation using trained youth mediators. (FCS)

2.C.18 Increase availability, awareness and access to parent education addressing 0-12 and adolescent issues.

Priority D: Families are free from the negative effects of alcohol, drug abuse, and emotional disorders.

2.D.1 Provide gender-specific, culturally competent comprehensive mental health services for mental or emotional disturbances, alcohol or drug abuse problems, developmental disabilities and dual diagnosis services. (CCCH)

2.D.2 Ensure access to mental health services to children with severe emotional and behavioral challenges. These services will be child-centered, family driven, community based, culturally competent, well coordinated and provided in the least restrictive setting possible (CCCH)

2.D.3 Promote a system that encourages family to family networks for families of children who have serious emotional and behavioral challenges. (CCCH, Clackamas Partnership)

2.D.4 Provide voluntary, court supervised, comprehensive addiction treatment programs that included therapeutic day care and parent/child interaction therapy for non-violent offenders.

2.D.5 Provide mental health services to high-risk youth by providing mental health assessments and intensive wraparound services to high-risk youth. (CCJD)

2.D.6 Increase awareness of issues such as methamphetamines and fetal alcohol and develop a response. (OCF)

2.D.7 Promote early childhood mental health support services in early childhood care and education setting by expanding mental health consulting services to childcare centers and family childcare providers. (CCECC)

2.D.8 Maintain strong collaboration between county agencies and community 12-Step groups.

Goal Area #3 Positive Youth Development

Priority E: Youth have access to resources that encourage positive development.

3.E.1 Increase availability, awareness and access to Teen Screen in middle and high schools. (CCCH)

3.E.2 Increase availability, awareness and access to school-based peer mediation training services. (FCS)

3.E.3 Increase availability, awareness and access to evidence-based curriculum and prevention services to educate children and youth in healthy and drug-free choices. (CCCH)

3.E.4 Increase availability, awareness and access to treatment programs, especially residential treatment for youth in Clackamas County. (CCCH)

3.E.5 Increase availability, awareness and access to drug court services as an alternative for non-violent offenders. (CCJD)

3.E.6 Increase availability, awareness and access to teen pregnancy prevention supports.

3.E.7 Provide immediate intervention for delinquent behavior through local diversion panels. (CCF)

3.E.8 Provide assessment services and establish prevention and intervention protocols for juvenile firesetters by utilizing a juvenile firesetter intervention network. (JFIN)

3.E.9 Provide transitional substance abuse counseling and other referral services for high-risk youth as they return from residential treatment. (CCF)

3.E.10 Provide therapeutic day treatment for adolescents. (Heron Creek Academy, ESD, Christie Schools, some local school districts.)

3.E.11 Provide offense-specific services to juvenile sex offenders by providing assessment and referral to community-based treatment groups and related services for high-risk youth. (CCJD)

3.E.12 Provide gender specific violence intervention services to medium/high-risk female youth. (CCJD)

3.E.13 Provide expanded emergency crisis and shelter care, conflict resolution, and family services to adjudicated youth for 1-7 days to stabilize family conflict. (BGAS)

3.E.14 Increase availability, awareness and access to community coalitions focusing on the needs of youth and encouraging a positive environment.

3.E.15 Expand the emphasis on school-wide Positive Behavioral Supports systems that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. (ESD)

3.E.16 Provide adjudicated youth with opportunities to increase personal responsibly, develop social skills, and make positive choices to prevent further penetration into the juvenile justice system by maintaining the Oregon youth Authority discretionary bed allocation. (OYA)

3.E.17 Expand Driving Under the Influence of Intoxication (DUII) diversion programs and mandatory treatment services to rural areas. (CCJD)

3.E.18 Increase availability, awareness and access to Police Activity League activities in the county. (PAL)

3.E.19 Provide case management to monitor and support youth to successfully maintain apartments by accessing rental assistance, referral services, provide a stable housing transition period, facilitate family conferences, and referring to FCS for mediation to avert youth leaving home. (The Inn)

3.E.20 Increase availability, awareness and access to resources for teens transitioning out of foster care. (TSH meeting, ILP, The Inn)

3.E.21 Support youth gang information, intervention and suppression activities though Youth Gang Task Force Advisory Committee. (CCJD)

Priority F: Children and youth succeed in school

3.F.1 Increase availability, awareness and access to programs for children with early indicators of problem behaviors by providing a collaborative school and home intervention program intended to address the issue of emerging antisocial behavior patterns among at-risk kindergartners. (ESD-First Step)

3.F.2 Increase availability, awareness and access to kindergarten transition activities. (ESD, Head Start, Todos Juntos)

3.F.3 Increase availability, awareness and access to English Language Learner and Family Literacy programs. (Literacy Coalition, CCECC)

3.F.4 Enhance Readiness To Learn by providing programs aimed at serving low-income and migrant families of young children that offers community preschool programs; help in receiving health and dental services for young children, family consultants who work with families to prepare young children for kindergarten, home visits to offer support parenting skills, chances for parents to be involved and help others in the community, and support in enrolling adults in education programs. (ESD)

3.F.5 Encourage parents to read to their children at least three times per week by providing books. (CCF, CCR&R)

3.F.6 Provide a program for migrant workers to expose preschoolers to a variety of concepts and settings they need to succeed in kindergarten and grade school. (CCF, CCR&R)

3.F.7 Provide workforce investment programs that provide self-paced and competency-based instruction in basic academic skills, occupational skills, and training for specific jobs, training related support services. (C-TEC)

3.F.8 Increase availability, awareness and access to structured, school-based, gender-specific and non gender-specific programs that connect youth with a caring adult who is a positive role model. (CCF)

3.F.9 Increase availability, awareness and access to school-based teen mediator training and coordination. (CCF)

3.F.10 Increase availability, awareness and access to school-based conflict resolution skills training for middle and high school youth. (CCF)

3.F.11 Increase availability, awareness and access to structured, school-based, gender-specific and non gender-specific programs that provide positive peer to peer role models. (CCF)

3.F.12 Research and analyze best practice approaches for a young children’s mentoring program. (CCECC)

3.F.13 Supervise high-risk youth to keep them involved with their intervention activities by providing staff for “tracker” services; offer cognitive restructuring, safety and anger management classes. (CCJD)

3.F.14 Increase availability, awareness and access to Community School services that establish formal linkages between schools, social service providers, and multidisciplinary teams to provide integrated, wraparound, family-centered services for the purpose of improving academic achievement and reducing delinquency. (CCF)

3.F.15 Increase availability, awareness and access to alternative schools and programs and their work to provide prevention services for at-risk youth. (CCF)

Goal Area #4: Caring Communities and Systems

Priority G: Communities and systems work together (CCF and partners)

4.G.1 Develop and implement policies that build on family and community strengths and that promote a balanced continuum of supports and services for families and children of all ages.

4.G.2 Design a comprehensive system that incorporates community supports, prevention, intervention and treatment, and links current systems together; including community mapping.

4.G.3 Promote awareness and understanding of our diverse populations.

4.G.5 Integrate services and support so that the wellness system is accessible to all children and families, including the development of Family Resource Centers.

4.G.6 Provide funding and leverage for initiatives that build on family and community strengths.

4.G.7 Build and support collaborative relationships among all stakeholders at the community, county, state, and federal levels.

4.G.8 Coordinate support systems and services for children and families to avoid unnecessary duplication and improve system capacity.

4.G.9 Develop and leverage financial and other resources.

4.G.10 Increase the diversity and number of individuals, children, youth, and their families participating in community planning and decision making, through community forums, cultural competency, and other mechanisms.

4.G.11 Increase the number of community organizations and local government entities involved and in support of community planning and decision making.

4.G.12 Increase awareness, understanding, and advocacy for children and family issues among the general population and community partners/stakeholders.

4.G.13 Develop reliable local data and information collection resources to support informed community decision making, including community mapping and community indicators of wellness.

4.G.14 Establish a system of accountability that links objectives and system goals to research-based performance indicators, including interim outcomes and benchmarks.

4.G.15 Maintain internal controls (accounting and administrative) to manage funding streams, contracts, programs and services, and initiatives.

4.G.16 Develop and utilize criteria and procedures to evaluate community-based planning and implementation; link goals and objectives to performance measures (benchmarks, interim indicators and outcomes) at the local level.

4.G.17 Report progress and performance to the local and state commissions, Governor, Legislature, communities, and other stakeholders.