PRESS RELEASE:

Commission on Children and Families’ (CCF)

2007 Annual Report Released to the Public

The following letter from the Director of CCF summarizes the achievements made in all seven areas identified by Charlottesville and Albemarle as the main charges of the Commission.

Dear Colleagues:

Ten years ago, in 1997, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Commission on Children and Families (CCF) was established by a joint agreement between the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle “to plan, coordinate, monitor and evaluate a community wide system of children and family agencies.” CCF was further charged to “improve services to children, youth and families, to be accountable for the efficient use of public/private resources and to be responsive to the changing needs of the community,” in addition to carrying out the mandated responsibilities for managing a range of human service funding for the localities. The localities presented seven charges to CCF, which will be discussed in this report.

The following is a brief summary of our 2007 accomplishments and plans for 2008:

(A) Adhere to the responsibilities of the Community Policy and Management Team set forth in Virginia Code Chapter 880, Section 2.1-745 et seq.;

CCF is responsible for management of the Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) for the localities. In 2007, the CSA Committee focused on continued implementation of strategies developed in the 2004 Cost Containment Report including expanded Utilization Management, and working to initiate new and innovative local crisis stabilization and assessment capacity. In 2008, CCF anticipates further advances in cost containment strategies.

(B) Provide comprehensive short and long range planning for children and family services within the Charlottesville/Albemarle community;

In addition to issuing the annual Stepping Stones report on child and family wellbeing, CCF also released the first ever Human Services Priority Report. The report identified expanding programming and access to affordable, early care and education for children from birth through age 5, and expanding programming and access to affordable youth development services during out of school hours, as key priorities. CCF and the Provost’s office at the University of Virginia convened the Community University Research and Service Partnership in January 2007. The Work Group completed an interim report outlining a University infrastructure needed to support Community-University Partnerships for Research and Learning.

(C) Make program and funding recommendations to the City and County governing bodies within the budgetary procedures and guidelines set by each jurisdiction;

CCF provided technical assistance to 14 of the 25 agencies (encompassing 54 programs) requesting funding from the localities and managed the FY09 outcome-based Agency Budget Review Process. The application process will be changed in 2008 to streamline and tighten the process in response to agency and team member suggestions.

(D) Review and evaluate current service delivery systems to ensure that the needs of children and families are being met effectively and efficiently;

The CSA Committee conducted a study of the local system of care to identify gaps and assets in our service provision to children with serious mental health problems, as well as for children in foster care or at risk of foster care. Specifically, the study recommended expanding local capacity to address limitations and gaps in the current system of care, increasing family participation in the local system of care at all levels  and training and technical assistance for local partners promoting system of care principles and cultural proficiency. The CSA Committee has also initiated an assessment of local policies and practices to assure maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

(E) Identify and encourage new and innovative approaches to program development for children and families;

CCF launched several new initiatives to better meet the needs of local children and families. The Youth Development Network was created to promote a collaborative youth development strategy that increases the capacity of community agencies and organizations to provide prevention and intervention services and activities to all youth, focusing on youth engagement, resource development, and community education. The Partnership for Children was awarded a Smart Beginnings grant to expand early childhood services. CCF’s truancy prevention strategies were expanded with a pilot program to identify and intervene with truant elementary school students.

(F) Identify additional public and private funding sources for children and youth programs;

Grants submitted by CCF generated over $1,225,000 in additional resources for local children and youth. Additionally, CCF provided technical assistance to community partners, who generated over $1,000,000 in additional funds for children and family services.

(G) Provide structured opportunities for community input and participation on the needs of families;

In 2007, CCF hosted 15 forums and presentations with over 800 participants. These events covered topics including the Human Services Priorities, the Youth Development Network, and child protection. CCF’s website, listserv and on-line Guide to Youth Services continue to receive heavy use.

The Commission’s work is carried out by 28 board members, nine staff, 47 UVa student and faculty partner consultants/researchers, and over 225 work group members composed of citizens, human service and educational agency representatives, and government leaders. These individuals are critical to the achievements of the Commission. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of our stakeholders and volunteers for their engagement and leadership in improving conditions for children and families.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Ellis

Director, Charlottesville/Albemarle Commission on Children and Families

CCF is a 28-member planning board that advises the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on improving outcomes for children and their families.  To view the full report, please visit our website, www.ccfinfo.org, and click “2007 Annual Report”.

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