(a) In order to ensure that all children in every neighborhood, especially those neighborhoods with the greatest needs, have access to the resources to achieve, the Council will be responsible for developing a Citywide vision, Citywide shared priorities, Citywide program goals, and Citywide best practices for addressing those needs.
(b) The San Francisco Children and Families Plan. The Council shall craft a San Francisco Children and Families Plan ("the Plan") and identify relevant goals and strategies to align and coordinate the services to children and families provided by City departments, SFUSD, and community partners and to maximize support for children and families. The Plan shall consider the following elements:
(1) Ease of access for children, youth and families in receiving services;
(2) Educational milestones developed by SFUSD and youth development milestones developed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families ("DCYF") and the Council;
(3) Existing quality of service benchmarks established by City and SFUSD departments;
(4) Framework for a basic needs infrastructure, including, but not limited to, housing, transit, and job placement resources; and
(5) Fairness in prioritizing the delivery of services to the children and families with the most need.
The Plan shall also include an equity analysis of services and resources for children, youth, and families. The Council shall develop a set of equity metrics to be used to compare existing services and resources in low-income and disadvantaged communities with services and resources available in the City as a whole. The Council may draw upon metrics used by departments including DCYF and the Office of Early Care and Education (or any successor agency).
(c) No later than May 1, 2016, and every fifth year thereafter, the Council shall develop and adopt a set of proposed Citywide outcomes for services to children and families, including an outcomes framework responsive to the evolving needs of the community. No later than July 1, 2016, and every fifth year thereafter, the Council shall prepare and adopt a Children and Families Plan for the City, which shall include a comprehensive assessment of City policies and programs, both public and private, addressing the needs of children and families in San Francisco, and policy-level recommendations for making the City more supportive of children and families. The Council shall emphasize solicitation and incorporation of community input in the development of the initial Plan and subsequent Plans.
(d) No later than October 1, 2017, and each year thereafter, the Board of Supervisors shall conduct a noticed public hearing to review the Council's performance and the City's overall progress under the current Plan and to update interested parties on the status of the next Plan.
(e) All City Departments shall consider the Plan in developing their own strategic plans to make the City more supportive of children and families.
(f) Planning. Following the adoption of implementing legislation under Section 16.126-71
, the Mayor shall appoint members to the Council and the Council shall convene to make initial decisions regarding staffing, organization, and implementation. The Council shall also begin planning for the start of the five-year planning cycle in Fiscal Year 2016-2017. The Council may recommend, and the Board of Supervisors may approve by ordinance, changes to the due dates and timelines provided in this Section 16.127-5.
(g) Coordination of Stakeholders. The Council shall ensure that various community groups, agencies, and organizations responsible for providing support, including the City, SFUSD, and community partners, work together in aligned, coherent, and effective ways.
(h) Coordination of Departments. The Council shall facilitate cooperation and coordination between relevant departments of the City and SFUSD to maximize alignment and improve outcomes for children and youth. The Council shall oversee development and implementation of a data-sharing agreement between SFUSD and relevant City departments. The Council, in cooperation with the Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco Board of Education, and community groups, shall work to ensure that funds spent to benefit children and families are targeted to those most in need of specific services and that the funds are used strategically to leverage and complement existing and anticipated federal, state, and local resources.
(i) Continued Autonomy of City and SFUSD. The Council will be a policy coordinating body dedicated to improving coordination between the City and its departments, SFUSD and its departments, and community-based organizations funded by those agencies. While the Council will make recommendations to the City and SFUSD, the City and SFUSD will each retain its full independence and authority regarding programmatic and funding decisions.
(j) Evaluation. Every five years, the Controller shall review the Council's operations and the Plan. The Controller shall submit the results of the review to the Council, the Board of Supervisors, and the Board of Education. The Council shall consider the results of the Controller's review in the preparation of the next Plan. The Council shall also report to the general public on the Council's efforts and achievements through the creation of an annual San Francisco Children and Families First Progress Report. The Progress Report shall provide the results of the efforts of the City, SFUSD, and the community to serve children and families under the Plan, measured against quantifiable standards and metrics and in light of the Council's previously-adopted goals and priorities.
(Added November 2014)
CODIFICATION NOTE
1. So in Proposition C, approved November, 2014.