Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 

     I trust you have found some time to bask in the recent sunshine. Like you, I’m ready for spring and for spending more time finding ways to protect your assets, so I shall get to the point.
 
     Your Pierce County Council is considering two(2) measures that will significantly expand the County’s regulatory role and financial obligations. These policies are scheduled for a final vote at the regular Council meeting on March 26 at 3:00 p.m. Please take a moment to comment on them.  Should you want further details, background and research please continue to scroll down.
 
     R2019-15:  Pierce County Council Expressing Its Intent to Prioritize Prenatal-to-Three Policies, Best Practices and Cross Coordination to Improve Child and Family Outcomes in Pierce County. Click here to comment (see upper right corner).
 
     2019-6:  Pierce County Council Adopting a New Chapter 2.43 to the Pierce County Code, “Prenatal to 25 Commission for Infant, Child, Youth, and Young Adult Development.” (Prenatal to 25 Commission for Child, Youth, and Young Adult Development). Click here to comment (see upper right corner).
 
 
DETAILS, BACKGROUND and RESEARCH
 
     The resolution (R2019-15) says the county will prioritize policies designed to promote a prenatal to three (PN3) agenda. It originated at the request of a national association, NACo, who partnered with the Pritzker’s Children’s Impact Network (PCIN). That network is financially supported by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI)($25,000), a project of a foundation formed by the new governor of Illinois. It proclaims that with proper intervention, our babies will grow up more confident, empathetic, ready for school and contributing to a more productive workforce that strengthens our economy.       
 
     The ordinance (2019-6) declares that the county hasn’t a comprehensive child and youth development strategic plan to support all healthy youth development across the county, so we need to expand our code to create a 21-member commission to propose a long-range plan with policy, system and environmental change recommendations, focused on achieving equity, to ensure successful development of babies through age 25. 
 
     The ordinance identifies compatible and culturally appropriate tax-exempt organizations for the commission to align with, and garner research from, for planning and policy recommendations.  These organizations may or may not represent your values.
 
     The state contracted ($250,000) with a non-profit (First 5 FUNdamentals) to provide expertise in Pierce County to initiate and complete a pilot project that convenes stakeholders to develop and plan an intervention using the Help Me Grow (HMG) model to prevent child abuse and neglect.
 
     We can get a glimpse of what this will look like down the road by observing Connecticut (national HMG) and California (Orange County). Data collection will be necessary on each child and family to analyze outcomes, which is a component of the HMG model.
 
     Interesting terminology is scattered throughout documents; develop a data plan; develop a marketing plan; data sharing and centralized intake; surveillance and screening; comprehensive budget for years 2-5 of the pilot; create a sustainable public-private funding model; effective and culturally-grounded strategies; health in all policies, just to name a few.
 
     These pieces of legislation received minimal information or notice.  Now, I’m asking you to share if you do or do not give your consent to support these pieces of legislation in addition to federal and state levels of programming.
           
     Click here and here to comment on these measures if you haven’t done so, yet.
 
Thank you for your time!