Okay, I'm calling to order this meeting of first five Sacramento Commission for June 1st, 2026.

Madam Clerk, we will please call the rule and establish a quorum.

Yes, sir.

Chair Cerna.

Here.

Commissioner Wesley.

Not yet.

Commissioner Fernandez I Garcia?

Here.

Commissioner Gordon.

Here.

Commissioner Casir.

Here.

Commissioner Katari.

Here.

Commissioner Moak.

Here.

Commissioner Kennedy.

Not here.

Commissioner Hassett is not here today.

Commissioner Williams.

Here.

Commissioner Evans?

Here.

Thank you.

Commissioner Guerra.

Here.

Thank you.

Commissioner Boston.

Not yet.

And Commissioner Kravitz Works.

Here.

Thank you.

We have quorum.

Very good.

If you could please read our statement.

This meeting of the first five Sacramento Commission is live and recorded with gloss captioning.

It is cable cast and Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems.

It is also live stream at Metro 14 Live that SAC County.gov.

Today's meeting will play Friday, June 5th at 2 p.m.

on Metro Cable Channel 14.

Once posted, the recording of this meeting can be viewed on demand at YouTube.com slash Metro Cable 14.

All right, very good.

If you'd please all rise and join me in the pledge.

Okay, I'd like to welcome everyone to uh this month's first five commission meeting.

We have a very full agenda this afternoon.

So I think uh I'll dispense with any other greetings.

Uh except for a friendly reminder that if uh you do want to address the commission, you're certainly welcome to do that.

We ask that you please complete a speaker slip and make sure that our clerk or her staff uh receives it.

Uh I will call you in the order that I receive those slips, and you will have two minutes to make your remarks at the podium.

We ask that you keep your mark your remarks to two minutes so that everyone who wishes to address the commission has that opportunity.

So with that our first agenda item, please.

Item number one, approval of April 6, 2026, draft action summary.

Okay, does any member of the commission wish to um comment or have any substitutions or amendments seeing none?

Uh do we have anyone signed to speak on this matter, madam clerk?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, then I'd entertain a motion.

Move to approve.

Okay, it's been moved.

Is there a second?

Okay, okay, it's been moved and seconded.

Are we using electronic voting?

I'm sorry.

Are we using electronic voting or voice vote?

Uh no electronic voting.

Voice vote then, okay.

Roll call.

Thank you.

Uh Chair Cerna.

Aye.

Commissioner Wesley.

Aye.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

Aye.

Commissioner Gordon.

Aye.

Commissioner Cassier.

Aye.

Sorry, aye.

Commissioner Katari.

Aye.

And Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

All right, very good.

Thank you.

Did you call my name on that vote?

Yes.

Okay, all right.

All right.

Next item, please.

Item number two, public comments and off agenda items.

Okay, this is the public's opportunity to address the commission on any item that's not on our posted agenda.

Madam Clerk, do we have anyone sign to speak off on off-agenda items?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, very good.

Next item, please.

Item number three, recognition of Commissioner Cassier.

All right, a continuation of Dr.

K month.

All right.

Great.

So um we were going to have uh Chair Cerna meet Dr.

Kay down at the podium to give her a proclamation on her retirement.

Please join me again.

Okay.

Chair Cerna.

All right.

Members of the Commission and the public.

My distinct honor to present this proclamation to Dr.

Olivia Kasiri for her dedicated service to the first five commission over a number of years.

I have was of course joking relative to uh my initial comments.

We uh obviously did something similar recently at the Board of Supervisors for her uh service to this county uh in her principal role, which is as our uh public health officer, and of course, with the historic pandemic that we have all realized and uh gotten through together, it was with her uh tremendous leadership and her uh compassion and her foresight and um her ability that uh really brought this county through a very, very difficult time uh in its history uh relative to public health.

We are certainly grateful for her leadership then and now as our public health officer, but we also are well aware that she has committed herself very much in the same spirit here to the first five commission and uh fulfillment of our mission to uh the youngest of our constituents, and uh that has uh uh not gone uh unnoticed.

And so the proclamation uh sits here before me, and I'm gonna go ahead and read from it so that we understand uh again uh the thoughtfulness that uh went into this rightfully so uh to acknowledge the fact that uh we are going to be um losing her, but uh she will not soon be forgotten.

Her legacy will certainly continue on here as it has uh and will continue to uh for the county of Sacramento.

So again, this is a proclamation, the first five Sacramento proclamation honoring Commissioner Dr.

Olivia Kassiri for her dedicated service on the first five Sacramento Children and Families Commission.

Whereas on this day, June 1st, 2026, Dr.

Olivia Kassiri is being recognized for serving as a first five Sacramento Commissioners since 2012, and whereas Dr.

Olivia Kassiri served 14 years as a commissioner and seven years on the evaluation committee, assisting in the development of several uh strategic implement implementation and evaluation plans, ensuring the commission's continued success and fulfilling its its vision.

And whereas Dr.

Olivia Kassiri was integral in the development of the commission's racial equity and social justice resolution, thus reinforcing First Five's commitment to racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness.

And whereas Dr.

Olivia Kassiri served on the Medical Dental Advisory Committee, working to improve the oral health system by expanding service capacity, strengthening integration between dental and primary care, and improving the utilization of Medicaid dental benefits among low income children, and whereas through Dr.

Olivia Kassiri's leadership at Sacramento County Public Health, First Five was able to leverage funding to expand the Parent Leadership Training Institute program for English and Spanish cohorts, and whereas Dr.

Olivia Kassiri demonstrated exceptional guidance, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to protecting the health and well-being of the community, including its youngest and most vulnerable, while improving access to crucial family services, including COVID supplies to children to child care centers.

And whereas through her calm, thoughtful leadership, Dr.

Olivia Kassiri guided Sacramento County families through some of the most challenging public health moments of the modern era while building a stronger and more resilient public health system.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that First Five Sacramento hereby extends its sincere appreciation to Dr.

Olivia Kassiri for her efforts and commitment to serving vulnerable and underserved populations and offers our heartfelt thanks for improving the overall quality of life for young children and families.

Presented this day, June 1st, 2026.

Please put your hands together for Dr.

Olivia Cassidy.

Thank you, Chair Cerner and members of the board of uh First Five Commission.

Um Child Health is very near and dear to my heart.

From the time that I started my public health journey, I always felt that this was the most important because if we cannot take care of our children, then we're failing our community.

And as you all know, infant uh death rate is considered a bellwether uh indicator for the health of a community.

And a lot of the work that we have done here is so near and dear to my heart.

I just want to thank you, Julie, um, for being so open to a lot of projects.

I want to thank you also, uh Supervisor Chair Center for the work that uh you started with um looking at the disparities in deaths for African-American children.

And what a joy to see our numbers improve.

What a joy to hear so many testimonies of lives that have been changed, lives that have been saved, and it's hard to walk away from such work when you're enjoying it so much, but I also know that there is a time to uh say goodbye, and I know that this is the right time for me.

I really appreciate all of you, appreciate the collaboration that we've had.

I appreciate the community.

Some of them are here today, and I'm looking forward to hearing their stories.

Because together we are able to do a lot.

Together, we are able to save children.

Together, we are able to have a more healthy community.

So I just want to thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Dr.

Cassir and Chair Cerna.

Yeah, I was gonna invite the members of the commission if they wanted to offer comments.

After which we're gonna have uh commissioners join us in the pit here, and we're gonna take a group photo.

Vice Chair?

Commissioner Smoke Commissioner Moak.

Yeah.

Um, don't use smoke in front of the doctor.

Good lord.

Um, look, uh, and you know, I've said a lot some of these things privately to you, and will continue to for years to come.

Um, you you a couple of you are in extraordinarily tough positions in in your career.

You've taken on this role of putting yourself in the middle of a target in many cases in one of the toughest roles, toughest counties, and some of the toughest issues, and then you throw in a pandemic in the middle of your of your career.

It is just wild to see how you have done this job with such grace for so long.

Um, you know, we had a great with Dr.

Trochet.

I think everybody would would admit that, and I know there was concern if I remember, take back the clock.

There was concern that we were not gonna find someone that could aptly replace how good Glenna was, and my goodness.

I mean, you have been such a gift to this community and all the kids and families that have benefited from not just your strategic vision and things that you were willing to put into action, take chances on programs and projects, always for the betterment of kids and families, especially the ones that are at the most vulnerable.

So I've absolutely adored having the chance to work with you on several projects over the years.

Um, and I'm just so thankful that I had the chance to watch you work, and I'm sure there's what, hundreds of thousands.

I wonder how many how many kids is your like birth certificate.

Your name is on birth certificates.

Like that is, is there a cooler thing to like be able to to say?

Um I'm gonna make sure that I find out the number before I leave.

Yes, I mean you gotta know that.

Um but again, on you know, kind of on behalf of all of us and just on behalf of you know, this entire region.

Thank you for not just doing the work you did, but the way that you did it was just so inspiring.

So yeah.

Thank you, Commissioner Mocha.

Uh Commissioner Gordon.

Yes, Dr.

Casserie, uh, on behalf of our county office of education and our 13 school districts in our county.

I want to thank you for your uh amazing guidance and kind and careful help with all of the things that all of the never-ending list of things that came up uh over the years, particularly the uh the pandemic.

Uh, you were always available.

I I once thought you never slept.

But you were always you were always available with uh a calm, dignified set of advice that was always right on target and and if you needed to go somewhere and help someone within our county, you were always available.

And it's it's been a great honor and a pleasure to uh work with you.

You you have served this community extraordinarily well, and you should be you should be very proud of that.

But uh we will we will miss you a lot.

We will miss uh Dr.

Cassirie the person and Dr.

Casserie, the leader.

So thank you for everything.

Thank you, Commissioner Gordon.

Commissioner Katari.

I just um I know there's been a lot said.

I just want to add that it's been such a privilege and an honor to work with you, Dr.

K.

And your team is going to absolutely miss you.

You approach leadership with such love and compassion for everyone around you.

So, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of people that you serve in the community, you also have served your team really well, and your leadership team is gonna miss you as well.

And I just want to say, you know, beyond everything that's been said about you today, your your thoughtfulness, your advocacy, your fierce advocacy for all of the things that you believe in and for all of the things that make our community better.

Those social determinants of health have been just incredible.

And uh Dr.

Fong Lu, who will be your replacement, is gonna have really uh you have big shoes to fill, but um we're looking forward to uh working with her as well.

So thank you for taking this opportunity to onboard her uh as we transition, and we will miss you.

Thank you, Dr.

Commissioner Katari.

Uh Commissioner Wesley.

Hi, Dr.

Kay.

Uh, I got to serve with you very for a very short term of your 14 years.

But what I want to say when I first came on was your fierce advocacy for our African American community through maternal health, and I just want to be very explicit about that, and that you set a role model for the rest of us.

We are not doctors, I'm a doctor, but not of education, but not of medicine.

So we have a lot to learn of what was already shared, but we can advocate in our own unique way, and you set the model.

You were tempered, you were decisive, and you were always calm.

So I just want to say thank you for that and role modeling for our community, what advocacy looks like um in action.

Thank you very much, Commissioner Wesley.

And and likewise, I want to thank you for your commitment and your advocacy.

As you said, you know, if our if our young kids or if our young ones aren't doing well, no one is doing well.

And thank you, Chair, uh, for this uh this uh recognition of one of county, one of our county's greatest employees here as well.

Um with that, Chair, did you want uh the commissioners down here or how how do you want to proceed?

I asked Julie to sit down so she can speak in the microphone.

She's probably gonna want to say a few words before she gives the gift to Dr.

K.

Yes.

Not that I'm overly obvious about that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, well, I just wanted to say I've known Dr.

K for about 11 years now, which is it precedes my time working at the county, and I met her at a retirement party for a first five uh retiree, first five Sacramento.

And I didn't know who she was, so I sat down at her table uh because I like to meet new people, and then I felt like oh my god, I just crashed the health officer's table without even knowing it.

And but we struck up this conversation, and we I think shared a glass of wine and had some laughs and talked and um it was just so fortuitous because about a month later uh Tony Moore announced that this she was retiring and this position was open, and I was like, oh my gosh, I hope I made a good impression on her, because I could have just really messed it up right there.

But Dr.

K and I have gone on to have a lot of a lot of conversations and laughs and some diet cokes, if not actual wine, but you know, that's in retirement.

Um but what I want to say is uh Dr.

K to me, you are always um the calm in the middle of a storm, and you are uh that soft spoken voice when everyone is shouting, and you're like always the smartest person in the room.

And it's just been such an honor to work with you.

Been such a mentor to me on all of the um our racial equity work, and you you have made a lasting impact at the commission that will be here in decades after you're gone.

I just so appreciate you and all the support that you've given me and the whole team.

Um, and we're very grateful and this small thing that you can give them here.

Do we have members of the public that wanna speak to this item?

Okay, so knowing that, let's uh let's have commissioners come down here, and while you're doing that, commissioners, that's your cue to get up out of your chairs at one down.

I just want to uh say uh just add on to one thing that that Julie mentioned uh about um uh one particular character trait that Dr.

Kirsi has really um set as an example for many of us, most of us in elective office, certainly, and that's humility.

And you know, as Teddy Roosevelt, I believe, who said speak softly, carry a big stick.

Well, speaking softly is her big stick.

And so um we could all uh stand to take um from our experiences or collective experience working with Dr.

Kay, whether it was in the pandemic or Black Child Legacy campaign or as a fellow commissioner, and understand that uh humility has a place front and center in public service, and it doesn't mean you have to meet be timid.

It means that you can reason well.

You don't have to yell like some of us, myself included, uh, at times.

Um, and uh I know that um that part of my uh this part of my life experience working alongside Dr.

K is I think forever affected in a good way, and she's taught me a great deal.

So I'll just add those comments to the others that have been mentioned thus far.

And with that, let's have all our commissioners come down.

Oh, are you here?

All right.

I guess we're gonna have that in a background.

Okay, now we're gonna have a little first five hands.

Thank you guys.

So that's what this thing is on the so before I sit down.

It's a great honor and privilege, I think, to be able to know who you're handing the baton on to, and to know that you have great confidence in that person.

And Dr.

Feng Lu, I've known her through COVID, and we've become really close, and we've shared many hours of discussions, tears, and happiness as well.

And I'm really, really, really grateful that she is the one who is stepping into this position because I know that she is going to take the county to the next level.

She was going to take this position to the next level.

And I'm really glad, thank you to the Board of Supervisors that we're able to have a month of overlap so that I'm not just leaving things to her in an email and running off, but we actually have time to do the warm handoff.

And so with that, I want to do a warm handoff and give her an opportunity to say a few words about herself and her excitement to be here.

Um so she just sprung this on me like a minute ago.

First of all, thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to introduce myself to you all.

It is an honor to follow Dr.

Cassier.

I have such big shoes to fill.

Like I just can't even fathom.

Um I am going to attempt as best as I can to continue the great legacy that Dr.

Kaye has set forth.

I look forward to working closely with all of you.

The reason why she Riley suggested the excitement is that I am known for my energizer bunny level energy.

But I also look forward to working closely with Julie, who already checked with her colleagues in Uba County and Sutter County who were able to vouch for me.

So thank you so much.

We have one member of the public public signed up to speak on this matter.

Peace and love everyone.

And I interned with Black Infant Health.

And for the first time ever, I was didn't know much as a social worker.

I was like, I don't even know what the heck.

But seeing Dr.

Kassirier, Sharon Saffold, uh Joyce, uh Miss Joyce in this role in this position, advocating for our babies, our children.

It was crazy that you advocate for the least of these or those that are doing not so well.

Everyone seems to benefit.

So I love the approach.

And then now in my role with public health advocates, we are leading the Sacramento County Community Health Improvement Plan.

And that innovative investment in community to do things differently, that's definitely uh a legacy that definitely will live on.

I hope I know that we will continue to level up because we can't go back.

We've gone so far.

So thank you, Dr.

Cassier, for all that you've done.

And actually, when I came to BA Black Infant Health, I heard her accent.

I was like, as a Liberian immigrant, I was like, I could do anything.

Oh my gosh.

So I want to tell you that you being in positions in the spaces, your calm and how you show up for and with community is just resounding, and I appreciate the impact you've had on me to continue to do what I can.

And yeah, thank you so much.

I wish you best in retirement.

I'm sure we'll see more and more still.

So peace.

Alright, thank you, Crystal.

Uh anyone else want to speak to this item?

Even if you didn't sign up, we can get your paperwork in later.

All right, seeing none.

All right.

Well, again, uh we wish you well.

You still have this commission meeting to get through, so uh we'll uh we'll keep keep you for as long as we can.

I got multiple people pointing directly what the okay come on up to the podium.

Hi, Robin Blink's Guster, and I just wanted to say I love Dr.

Cassier.

She has been so great.

I've been on so many different committees with her, and she just points me in the right direction.

She helps me out wherever I need it, and she's also funny.

So I just love everything about her, and I'm just glad that she's gonna still stick around every now and then.

I know we'll see her.

So thank you.

Thank you for everything you've done and everything you do, and all the great things that you've inspired all of us to do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, thank you all.

Uh Madam Clerk next time.

Item number four, executive director's report.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

Uh a couple things.

We wrapped up our Potter the Otter uh exhibit at uh and partnership with with Sacramento Children's Museum.

We had over 42,000 kids and parents walked through that in the five months uh that it was that's a lot of hand sanitizer, man.

That isn't um the free days.

We had several free days.

Um those free days were very, very popular.

We're gonna continue to look for days for ways in which we can partner with the SAC Children's Museum.

Um, we're just delighted with the turnout and um that partnership.

Wanted to give a shout out to Commissioner Wesley for attending our first five advocacy day at the Capitol last month.

Um we had over 90 first five uh representatives visiting with all of the legislative delegates.

Uh we hit assembly uh member Krell, Wynne, and Hoover, as well as uh Senator Ashby's office, um really hitting heavy on some of the bills that were very important to us, not all of which actually made it into the governor's revised budget, um, but was maybe still hopeful a little bit for some of them.

Um it was a great day though uh at the Capitol.

And then um thank you all for who showed up uh and came to visit one or more of our family resource centers.

We did the tours over the last couple of months, and um just so appreciative to Chris Clinton for doing some scheduling magic to make all of those happen and uh coordinating with our FRC partners.

They did a fantastic job in bringing out parents um and staff and being able to tour the centers and see it in action.

It's just so different than reading about those outcomes um on paper.

So we will do that every couple of years.

We schedule these, so we'll we'll keep them coming.

Um we I wanted to share that we have a parent partnership focus on dads happening.

This is one of the first forays into uh really focusing on fatherhood.

So through one of our family resource centers, we have uh the group is called F2 Fatherhood Project, and it's a full curriculum on dads becoming heroes.

Um so they already started they had 23 dads at the first session, and it's a series of six weeks, and they are uh about halfway through that right now.

It's going really well.

So we're excited and we'll share a little bit more about that at the end.

Um we had first five California stronger starts statewide day of action.

So uh thank you to um Commissioners Gera and Moak for going out and speaking, um uh representing first five, talking about the importance of uh fathers again in mitigating that toxic stress that's that young children uh can have.

I mentioned the mayor revised budget.

I won't go too much into that.

There's a handout in your packet.

Um, we got some things we didn't get a whole lot, fairly disappointed around um that HR1 ask uh to mitigate extra costs coming to the county, uh to offset some of those.

Um our breastfeeding support bill did not go far.

Um, so I still feel like there's a lot of work to be done on that budget, and we'll we'll know for sure in about two weeks how how it shakes out.

But I'm happy to answer any questions on anything else in the executive director's report.

Great.

Thank you, Julie.

Any questions for our executive director?

Seeing none.

Madam Clerk, do we have anyone's time to speak on this matter?

No, sir.

All right, very good.

Thank you again, Julie.

Next item.

Item number five, advisory committee update, April 10th, 2026.

Appoint Junior Gores to the Children's Coalition seat.

Appoint Cassidy Page to the behavioral health commission seat.

I can take this one.

Um well Robin is here, but I didn't know she was going to be here, so I didn't prep her.

So, Robin, do you want to take it or do you want me to do it?

Oh, and she's gone.

I guess that's just me.

Sorry.

I need eyes in the back of my head when you say here.

Um, one of those reflector mirrors.

Um, so we did meet on April 10th, and we had a presentation from um Crystal uh Harding on our PLTI alumni program and the activities and what they've been engaged in in the last year and what they plan uh in the future.

They have been everywhere, in case you're wondering.

Um, and you'll hear a little bit more about their activities today on the parent leadership training institute um item on the agenda.

We also discussed at length the implementation plan recommendations, including um those that came from listening to community, um, from commissioner comments at the April meeting, and they had a chance to digest that with us and provide some um guidance to us, which you will hear about a little bit more even in the presentation later today.

And then um our next meeting is scheduled on June 12th.

Uh so also on the agenda is the request to appoint Cassidy Page to the Behavioral Health Commission seat.

Cassidy is a parent leadership training institute graduate and facilitator.

She's a peer support manager at Stanford Sierra Youth and Families, and she holds the vice chair uh seat on the behavioral health commission, which would be a great addition to our advisory committee.

And then we're also requesting appointment of junior goris.

He is our immediate past president and and uh termed out of his current seat, but he is seeking a seat um on the as the um SAC Children's Coalition seat, which we have an opening in.

All right, very good, thank you.

So we do have action on this item.

Uh Madam Clerk, do we have anyone's time to speak on this matter?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, at this point, uh the Chair will make the um uh motion to appoint uh junior gores to the children's coalition seat and appoint Cassidy Page to the behavioral health commission seat.

Is there a second?

All second.

Okay, it's been moved and seconded.

Roll call vote, please.

Chair Cerna.

Aye.

Commissioner Wesley.

Aye.

Commissioner Fernandez I Garcia.

Aye.

Commissioner Gordon.

Aye.

Commissioner Cassier.

Aye.

Commissioner Gatari.

Aye, and Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Very good.

Thank you.

Next item, please.

Item number six, evaluation committee update.

Did not meet last month.

All right.

Short and simple.

I assume no one has signed up to speak on this.

No, sir.

All right, we're good.

Next item.

Item number seven, financial planning committee update.

Did not meet last month.

All right, did oh.

And no one to speak on this matter.

No, sir.

All right, next item.

Item number eight, systems optimization and sustainability committee update, May 20th, 2026.

Mr.

Chair.

Uh the uh SOS committee met on June 1st.

Uh, the SOS committee uh reviewed the 2027-2030 implementation plan.

Uh considered commissioner and public feedback received at the April Commission meeting and discussed recommendations for the April Advisory Committee meeting.

The key discussion points and recommendations included four key points.

Number one, funding recommendation methodology, number two, advisory committee feedback, three, commitment to community-driven decision making, and number four, flexibility to man to maximizing impact.

Uh, on the first key point, the committee reviewed the rigorous three-point methodology staff used to develop the proposed funding allocation.

Uh, ensuring recommendations were grounded in community input, data, and foundational projects.

For the second uh key discussion, advisory committee feedback, the committee received input from the advisory committee members Carolyn Curtis, who shared the advisory committee's review of the proposed spending plan, including discussions regarding potential alternative funding sources with each priority area.

And number three, on commitment to community-driven decision making, both the advisory and the SOS committee strongly supported maintaining the funding allocation presented to the commission in April.

This recommendation reflects the intensive feedback gathered through community focused groups and surveys and honors a commitment made through the transparent community-led planning process.

Maintaining these allocations reinforced first five Sacramento's credibility, integrity, and accountability for the families and communities who helped shape the plan.

And then finally, the fourth point: flexibility to maximum impact, consistent with first five's Sacramento's trust-based funding approach demonstrated through the equity and action grants.

Both committees recommended flexibility and funding allocation to partners of the partners in Birth and Beyond Collaborative and WIC through their three-year implementation.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

That's our uh report.

Very good, very thorough.

I appreciate that.

Um questions by commissioners, comments, seeing none.

Uh, Madam Clerk, do we have anyone's time to speak on this?

No, sir, we do not.

All right, thanks again.

Next item.

Item number nine, presentation of the 2026 parent leadership training institute graduates.

Okay.

Uh I am in possession, I think, of two speaker slips so far.

So if there are others maybe who have arrived late that wish to address the commission, you're again certainly welcome to do so.

We'll just ask that you complete a speaker slip.

All right.

Good afternoon.

Do we have the slides?

Thank you.

You can go to the next slide, please.

Clickers right next to you.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

We're happy to present to you with an update on our activities under our parent partnerships strategies.

Um, first, I'll provide a brief overview of our activities, and then second, you will hear about how alumni from our parent leader programs are making an impact.

And lastly, you'll hear from our PLTI newest graduates.

Under parent partnerships, we have worked in collaboration with the Sacramento Children's Homes, sorry.

With the Sacramento Children's Home and Lead for Tomorrow.

Through these partnerships, we've implemented courses that are not only building the capacity of parent leaders and connecting them with the opportunities for advocacy and civic engagement, but we are also building trust and strengthening our relationship with the community.

This is evident with the overwhelming response that we received from parents during our strategic planning community input process.

Where we received over or almost 3,000 survey responses, as well as rich discussions from focused groups from populations in Sacramento.

There are typically uh marginalized.

This was a this has been a significant shift from solely relying on our contractors to hear from the community.

With our parent partnership strategies, first five has a direct connection and relationship with parents, enabling them to have a seat at the table at advisory committee, at our equity and action committee, SAC Family Connect, and many other groups.

And when we say a seat at the table, we don't just mean filling a seat, these parents have a voice.

You can see, all the people behind me, and you will hear from them.

Lead for Tomorrow provides an online civic engagement course called the Community Academy on Community Action.

It is ideal for the busy parent because it can be taken at your own pace and scheduled meetings for discussions.

Over 50 parents have participated in ACA, and we have some great modules with several of you that participated in the videos.

And we even have a PLTI alumni who is now a facilitator for ACA.

Also, the DADS program that Julie mentioned in her ED report.

This is also in partnership with Lead for Tomorrow and the F2 project.

This is our effort to specifically draw in dads into leadership through the Dads Becoming Heroes curriculum.

We see this as part of the continuum of fathers to see themselves as leaders in their families and then engage them further into our other parent leadership programs.

Last week, 15 dads graduated from the six-week course.

So we hope to have a report for you soon to see how their experience went.

PLTI, as of this week, we'll have over 100 alumni.

I'm not going to say too much about PLTI since you will be hearing from them directly, but I would like to share some highlights from a recent case study conducted by ASR.

The National PLTI and NYU, they do evaluate PLTI every three to four years, but since we wanted something specific for Sacramento County and something more timely, we decided to do our own case study.

Please note that the case study was conducted last year with 42 alumni that participated either in a survey or in an interview about their experience since completing PLTI.

Of these, 81 of them reported to have volunteered in their community.

Now, in comparison to 11% from the general public, according to a 2024 survey by the Sacramento County Health Interview Survey.

As well as 69% reported to have held a position in an organization, a committee or group compared to 8% of the general public in Sacramento County.

We have seen these parents in action from advocating for their special needs child to repairing sidewalks or reopening a community swimming pool.

The parent leaders, they are making impact.

And with that, before I hand it over to the alumni coordinators, we just want to give a special thanks to our partners at Public Health and DCFAS because it is because of their support that we were have been able to add the Spanish cohort.

And because of that, this year we were able to invest more in alumni to create a coordinated and robust network of parent leaders to truly focus on the fostering relationships between the cohorts while they are experiencing civic engagement.

So I will now hand it over to Maria Alena and Phoenicia, our alumni coordinators.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi.

Hello.

I'm Phoenicia.

I'm a parent leader, PLTI, ACA, all those things.

And I'm here to tell you guys about the alumni activity for 2026 for PLTI.

We started off in February with the SAC Family Connect Summit, which the parent leaders served lead roles in planning and execution.

It was an awesome experience, and it was lovely to see the togetherness of the community.

Two groups had guided tours.

It was another awesome experience to see the families come together and just have that legislative experience.

I mean, a lot of questions, a lot of conversation and everything.

For many of them, it was their first, but not the last time that they said they would visit.

I heard a lot of families talking about taking their kids back or going back with their husbands and bringing other people.

So it was awesome.

One of the quotes or one of the things that really caught an eye was that.

Somebody, I'm not sure.

I can't tell you who said it, but it was bringing our children and parent leaders to the Capitol was deeply empowering.

The most meaningful part for me was seeing the youth treated with such respect and included so thoughtfully, along with the wonderful Capital Tour.

This should continue year after year so our children can walk with us, learn from the experience, and witness what a strong and powerful community look like.

That is true.

They have to learn from somewhere, right?

If we don't show them, if we don't leave by the example, how will they know what to do?

So best regards to our commissioners, first five for standing with our communities, Sacramento Strong.

Hey, oh sorry.

And then to remind you guys to save the date for April 2027 to kick off because we will be back for advocacy month.

All right, very good.

Thank you.

I gotta go to Civics.

Okay.

Um, and then the civic engagement involvement for the PLTI community is excessive.

I mean, we are very active all over the place.

Myself sit on so many boards and in so many meetings.

I see so many faces.

Hi to whoever I haven't spoken to.

We also have people um like the lead for tomorrow PMAG, we have the Hope Training, people affiliated with the Health Education Council, City Planning Academy, links to law enforcement.

We have people in the PTOs, PTAs, and um ALCs, ELAC, excuse me.

Get my letters together here, sorry.

And then I want to also ask for all the parent leaders that are gonna come up after me to make sure you um state your involvement in whatever committee or boards that you guys are on because it's too many for us, so it's like really I don't be here all day if I tell you everything.

That's even including myself.

So I'm gonna pass it over to Maria Lena.

Thank you.

Aninde Matuhumari Alena, I'm a graduate of the first cohort of PLTI in Sacramento in 2023.

I have served as a site coordinator for the first Spanish language cohort.

Uh, and I am currently a phase two facilitator as well as the alumni coordinator.

Uh we have grown a lot over four cohorts.

It doesn't seem like it's been that long.

Uh, and it is amazing to see how the projects are grown.

The themes are consistent, however, the passion and product changes uh as new perspectives come in every year.

This year, we have more little libraries coming to uh different communities.

We have literacy programs coming for marginalized communities that include art and parent engagement.

We have youth-centered financial empowerment and literacy coming.

We have so many wellness projects coming that range from nutrition to natural remedies to mute uh to mental wellness to art therapy to physical movement.

We have time management uh workshops coming.

We have many support groups that center men, culture, identity, and belonging.

Uh we have public safety uh projects coming, safe and healthy relationships, housing justice and dignity, support for kinship and foster families, and community for our special needs families, all coming to Sacramento.

It's amazing to see.

This is all made possible because the first five commission and first five Sacramento made a commitment to language justice by investing not only in the Spanish language cohort but also investing in trans um, I'm sorry, interpretation devices so that everybody can really truly have a seat at the table.

Um, the state of California's governor office of community partnership and strategic communication says that Sacramento has an 11.7% of the population have limited English proficiency.

So thank you for recognizing that very small community and making such a huge impact.

Um yeah, I'm centering them.

Uh parent leaders are growing more successful in implementing their projects because they are connected to family resource centers day one through our partnership with Sacramento Children's Home, who has provided not only space for weekly sessions but community support and resources for the families.

PLTI serves and the community parents leader, the community parent leaders are serving.

Uh, thank you, first five commissioners and Sacramento Children's Home for building a table.

More and more of us can find a seat at.

I would like to now hand it off to the amazing Michelle Garabay with Sacramento Children's Home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That was a lot.

Thank you.

Um, so yes, Michelle Garabay, site coordinator, program manager for the Sacramento Children's Home, PLTI Parent Leadership Training Institute.

Um, it is a pleasure to be here running the program with all the help from everybody and the support from all the commissioners from DC FAS, from Public Health, to make it possible to have this program.

We have about 40 amazing graduates this year.

We have 22 in our English cohort, we have 18 in our Spanish cohort.

Out of that, our goal has always been to have more male participants.

We have eight male participants this year.

If our graduates can please stand up to get recognized, please.

Thank you.

Thank you for your amazing work and your commitment for the six months.

If I could have now our leadership team stand up, Amani and David.

To help us make it possible, our site, my site alumni coordinators and my facilitators, please stand up.

Again, I want to thank everybody here because without every single one of you, it is not possible to have our leaders out in the communities.

I've been a leader for 25 plus years out in Sacramento.

Um, it is a pleasure always, and I want everybody to remember for someone to tell you keep pushing the work you do, keep being the great person and amazing person you are.

It helps you be that leader out in the community, all together accepting each other's differences.

And for that, I will now hand it over to Craig Fowler, which is our first speaker.

Hello, I am Craig Fowler, and I'm a proud parent leader.

And on behalf of the PLTI Sacramento Cohort 4, I want to thank you for the opportunity to enrich ourselves and our communities.

Over the past 20 weeks, we have connected from across the county to build relationships, nurture opportunities, and become powerful agents of positive change throughout Sacramento.

The PLTI program not only provided the child care, we were required to attend the weekly classes and the hands-on interactive civic training with top notch facilitators, but also provided a financial stipend to start a nonprofit organization that serves underprivileged students in the Head Start program and senior citizens living in fear of isolation.

This is my PLTI project.

It is called Moai Intergenerational Gardens, and it will provide 900 square feet of community gardens in a senior living facility to allow 144 developing minds each year at nearby Marvin Marshall Children's Center the opportunity to discover Mother Nature, foster profound empathy, and patience while building relationships with other vulnerable members of their community at the other end of the age spectrum.

As important as my PLTI project is to my community, is the relationship and personal development within my PLTI colleagues.

Watching their leadership and civic skill sets develop from week one through today is akin to a seedling being nurtured into a mature, vibrant plant ready to bear fruit.

Fertilizing and nurturing these plantlings over the past 20 weeks were an amazing group of facilitators.

Master Gardeners, Yannette, Mary Alena, Cassidy, Morgan, Crystal, and Michelle brought professionalism, experience, understanding, compassion, and infectious energy to every meeting and made sure that each and every one of us have the tools that we need to be successful parent leaders throughout Sacramento.

And so with that, I would like to thank you again for this opportunity, and I'm excited to very excited to raise the next generation of leaders throughout Sacramento.

So now I'd like to introduce Lena, Leela, I'm sorry, from our Spanish cohort.

Leela.

Thank you.

Thank you.

If you need translation, you can put your headset on now, please.

Sorry.

I helped you.

Gracias por su dedicación, apoyo y compromiso con la community.

Durante este proyecto, apprend que ser leader significa ser un puente entre las organizations and the community.

My project se llama Honrando Mis Raices.

Este proyecto is de la conviction de que todo lo que soy hoy proviene de una historia que merece ser recordada, valorada y honrada.

Gracias por creer inosotros for appoyar nuestros proyectos.

Hi, this is Mohammed Newly, a parent leader and a father of nine kids.

Did you say nine?

You say nine, nine kids?

Nine.

Wow, okay.

First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the parent leadership training program, a PLCI, the organizers, facilitators, and everyone who made this program possible.

It has been an honor and a privilege to participate in this 20-week journey.

When I joined this program, I was looking for an opportunity to learn and grow with a parent and as a member of my community.

Over the past 20 training weeks, I have gained much more than I expected.

The practical knowledge, the skills, and the most importantly the confidence to become a stronger leader and an advocate of children and families.

One of the most valuable aspects of this program was the opportunity to connect with other parents from diverse backgrounds.

Through our discussions, teamwork, and shared experience, we built meaningful relationships and created a strong network of support.

These connections reminded me that we are stronger when we work together and learn from one another.

The impact of this program extended beyond the class through the connections I made during this training.

Another important impact has been on my personal growth.

The program challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, share my ideas, and believe in my ability to make a difference.

It has strengthened my confidence and encouraged me to continue learning and serving others.

Most importantly, I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from other inspiring group of parents who share the same commitment and creating a better future for our children.

The friendship, support, and connections built during these 20 weeks, or something I will always value.

Thank you to everyone who guided us through this journey.

Your dedication has made a lasting impact on our lives.

I am proud to be part of this initiative, and I look forward to putting these leadership skills into action.

Thank you for your support and thank you for this incredible opportunity.

So this section, I would like my uh cohorts, uh Spanish cohort, Mr.

Hector, to come.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Well, my name is Hector Alejandro Callejas, and uh I have had the blessing of being a Sacramento County resident since 1985.

And um what led me here today is a different approach since I am not only a dad, but I'm also a grandparent.

I'm not sure if I'm the first grandparent uh in the program, but I am very proud to have said that uh that it was a very positive experience.

Um from the training, from the um networking, from the resources, uh everything has made an impact in my life because now I know how to help others.

Okay.

Uh in the past, I've always been the beneficiary of such help.

Now I'm able to provide some assistance.

Okay, by sharing uh what I've learned.

Um so we're looking for uh passing on uh that positive impact that hasn't made in my life, throughout my life, to others uh coming behind me.

My project also deals with men, uh especially Spanish speakers, because oftentimes we don't just don't know that the resources are available um, you know, when we need it.

So um that's my gonna be that's that will be my project.

Um moving on.

I want to say thank you, because number one, we already uh heard about the numbers, okay.

I am part of the uh cohort, the third cohort in Spanish.

I understand last cohort only had one man.

Well, this year or this cohort, we've had uh 12 ladies, we've had six men, Spanish speakers, and we were blessed with five couples, married couples.

Okay, so we are forming stronger teams.

Okay.

Uh so with that, I just wanted to say again thank you, and I wanted to introduce uh Miss Aureli Williams from the public health department.

Thank you so much because your funding made my cohort possible.

Thank you.

Uh, greetings, everybody.

My name is Aureli Williams with um the Health and Racial Equity Unit and Public Health, Human Services Program Planner.

Um, on behalf of public health, we want to express our gratitude and our deep partnership that we created with First Five Sacramento and the PLTI Institute program.

This initiative was very creative, and also I do want to give thanks to Dr.

K because with her leadership, this was also possible.

Um, when we invest in our communities, we give them back voice.

We give them back power.

They decide and they know their lived experiences, how they can change lives, how they can be resilient in communities, and also it builds an infrastructure for systems change.

That's what system change looks like.

So this year we supported two incredible PLTI cohorts, an English cohort with 23 participants, and in Spanish a cohort with 17 participants for 40 parents all together and caregivers who committed themselves to growing a community of advocates, of civic leaders, of change makers for their families and for their communities.

It's been inspiring for us as well in public health to see this change go forward despite any challenges or barriers that they may face in their own personal lives.

They are committed.

They were people of their word to continue and to graduate, which is inspiring for us in public health.

Also, I wanted to mention that PL, this is the second time that public health has supported PLTI as well because we see that this work matters and leadership development is rooted again in their lived experience.

I really want to emphasize their lived experiences because though data tells a story, they also have a story as well.

And for those that aren't familiar with Colejas, they are a collegiate organization focusing on more of the Latin folks, helping them to excel in education.

But we work together with PLTI and Michelle Gatti Bey, where we did a presentation, and our app stack was um accepted.

And it was the first time in their history that public health was there to present the model of PLTI to show the power of community leadership.

So we've been very excited and proud to present public health and their model at a collegiate um level.

So thank you again, first five for your collaboration and for your continued support, and I want to emphasize that this is what systems change looks like when we support and invest in our communities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Once again, thank you, Adelite.

Thank you, public health, the commissioners.

Anyone who made it possible for the program.

Um we are graduate our graduation is Wednesday the third from 6A at the Sacramento Children's Home.

And with that, we are still seeking funding for a second cohort.

We do have a English Spanish cohort, excuse me, that we are going to have in the Delta River area 2027.

And with that, amazing program.

Thank everybody.

This is a dream for a lot of people, and it's we're gonna keep going.

A lot of great work has been done, is being done, and will continue being done.

And with that, if anybody has any questions.

I don't think so.

I appreciate uh all the speakers.

If you could all do us, well, do the clerk uh a favor.

We want to make sure we have your names in the record spelled correctly.

So uh before you leave today, those that spoke, if you can just fill out a speaker slip uh before you leave and get to the clerks uh the clerk over here to my left.

That would be wonderful.

We do have some others that are uh a couple other people in the audience that wish to address this matter, but um before you leave the podium, I want to thank you for uh all your energy and your investment of time and and uh um just kind of the spirit of the whole moment.

I think we're all very touched to hear uh some of the stories uh and it's something that I think this commission appreciates every year.

We hear the program growing and one gentleman explaining kind of the um uh composition growing to including couples now.

That's uh it's really uh very encouraging to hear.

So thanks again to everyone that spoke thus far.

And with that, I'm gonna invite David uh Baker to the podium.

Thank you.

Thank you, Michelle.

We're very uh David Baker, CEO of Sacramento Children's Home.

We're very lucky to have Michelle as part of our team.

First off, just gonna thank Dr.

Cassari.

I know I'm out of order on this, but uh the for all your work with the First Five Commission, all your work uh for the county.

And I should apologize now for before you leave for all of the phone calls and emails that my staff sent you in 2020 and I know they were a bit relentless.

Uh I just really want to thank the commission for supporting PLTI.

It's amazing to see these folks every year about how much this program is growing, and and I just love hearing about the effects that we're having in this program uh with the alumni who who have not just graduated, but they continue to have uh a positive ripple effect into the community.

And it's not that often that we have programs that we're able to fund that are very proactive and have such an amazing impact that goes on and on, and to hear about a gram father who's involved with this is even more impressive, and I just just truly appreciate the ongoing commitment of both the public health and first five commission uh for this program.

It's it when when times are lean, it's difficult sometimes to lean into and fund what I would call proactive programming that's gonna really have a positive effect on the community, and you guys have shown that you're willing to do that and continue to do that.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, David.

Crystal.

Okay.

Hey all right!

Okay.

Can I just say hashtag first five proud?

Hey, put your five's up okay.

Okay, okay.

Y'all got it.

Y'all got it.

Okay, peace and love.

Crystal Harding.

I reside in County District 3, and I also serve as a director on the North Highlands Recreation Park District Board, which serves or supports, collaborates with three different supervisors, Cerna, Rodriguez, and Desmond.

So amazing, I'm telling you, so much love in that community.

Um, this, I'm speaking on behalf of my role with SAC PLTI.

I get to support with social media, uh communications and emails, calendars, and all that stuff.

And folks still don't get it.

Um, and then I get to do data entry.

I entered everyone's so every night we have evaluation where folks uh share their input, their feedback about from the facilitation and content to just how things were from food to the the temperature in the room, and even some compliments.

So I got to really see what the cohort was experiencing, even though I wasn't there the entire time.

Uh we lot we launched our social media, our relaunched in September, and boy have we grown.

Uh we've tripled in our followers and our following, and it's really exciting.

I want to also just point out we have a new site for our website, SAC FamilyConnect.com, uh forward slash PLTI.

And then check us out on social media, Facebook at SAC PLTI, Instagram, Sacramento P L T I, and then our link tree.

If you know how to do the whole link tree thing forward slash sport forward slash SAC PLTI.

I'm really proud to be a part of the first cohort 2023 baby, and we have grown so much.

I think we graduated 11, and here we are at 110.

So I'm just saying keep this going.

And I also want to shout out the parent leaders who continue to extend and invite their folks into the fold.

Uh a lot of folks are referred, and even the summit we've had so much in so much interest.

So we look forward to the next cohort and all the things that we have to share.

Again, like, follow, share, subscribe, all that stuff.

Peace.

Thank you, Kristen.

All right.

I don't have anyone else signed up to speak, but I think we want to.

Do we want to do a photo?

Group photo?

Okay.

So uh Julie direct us.

Oh, we get uh maybe commissioners can actually just stay where you are and we can if we all come in and do like a big thing with the commissioners.

Well, she does.

We all she's talking about us, y'all.

That's uh y'all.

Come on, come on.

If everybody could please come forward, that's right.

Thank you.

Yeah, I remember that now.

Do you want to answer your phone?

Well, all of those favorite.

Is there any significance to the blue versus the orange shirts?

You notice that we have a lot of colours.

I don't want to see that on is Alexander.

That was the one that would have to answer.

Just stand there and keep smiling, everybody got one good one.

We can do some two three.

Do we want some first five hands?

Okay, I'm good.

Is everybody else good?

Don't move until everybody's good.

Just send me a video.

No, you don't.

Sweet.

Thank you all.

And thank you for that interpretation.

That was that was his for this screen go anyway.

That was as fantastic as it gets.

Let me tell you.

That was terrific.

I think we'll let the room clear a little.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sorry.

It makes you scared.

All right, next item, please.

Item number 10, approval of data management system contract for fiscal years 2026-27 through 2029-30.

All right.

Great.

We have Carmen Garcia Gomez will take this as our evaluation manager.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

Today we're asking for the Commission's approval to authorize the executive director or her design to negotiate and execute a contract with AJW Inc.

for a data management system in an amount not to exceed 267,500 for a period of July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2030.

Commission staff and funded partners utilize a data system to collect and store client-level data, monitor contracts, and produce annual reports that assist us in learning more about our programs and produce community reports.

You may recall in February, I came to the commission and asked for your approval of 100,000 increase to the evaluation budget so that we can explore a new data system management.

At the time staff proposed releasing an RFP in hopes of identifying a vendor who would provide these services.

Staff released a letter of intent, and soon after we released a request for proposals.

We received four proposals by April 17th, which was the due date.

as the top proposal, who would they who they then recommended for funding?

In the coming months, Commission staff will work with AJW.

Should you award the contract to customize a system to that meets the commission's data requirements with the goal of launching next April 2027?

In addition to this vendor's ability to meet the commission's requirement based on the specifications set forth in the RFP, the commission will also see a savings of about $4,000 a year.

If approved, the recommendation will result in funding AJW Inc.

Staff recommend contracting with AJW Inc.

to provide a customizable club-based data system for unlimited users, providing storage support, and technical assistance for a four-year period.

This concludes my report.

Yes, Commissioner Gordon.

A question about the uh the contractor eight HAW.

Could you talk a little bit about who are the principals in that firm and what is what is their history and experience?

Sure.

So they have over 20 years of experience working with ECE.

The um majority of their contracts are around um child care providers.

They have a big contract with um a resource and referral firm.

They have worked with child action.

They've worked with First Five California years ago and the CARES program.

They have also worked with First Five LA.

Um, we would be the first commission that they would be working with.

Um they have some contracts back east that I talked to the managers to ask for references.

Everybody had really great things to say.

My biggest concern is, you know, this is this is a pretty big deal.

It's a big job to customize a system.

One that you know, going from 16 years with the system to customizing something brand new.

I was really concerned with will they be able to accomplish this?

And everybody that I did talk to said that they have made true to their promises.

So they said we asked for it, and they said we can make it happen, and they made it happen.

So that's really important to me because there are a lot of pieces to this.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

So uh the uh contract would be for four-year period for support and technical assistance.

My question is about the storage, yes.

Do we lose access?

Access after four years.

So no.

Well, we would lose access to their system, but they would they would help us migrate to a new system, or we can pay for additional storage after that.

We currently have data, 16 years worth of data in the system.

We don't plan to migrate all of that data.

We're looking to migrate about three years worth of data into the new system.

They will assist us with that also.

Um so the reason that we had asked for the hundred thousand dollars was to help us with with the customizing of the system in the one year, and so they will be doing that for I think it was eighty-two thousand dollars for the year.

Um the hope is to be to launch April 1st of next year, so we have that last quarter of the fiscal year to um train enter data, and then the con the current contract with our with our provider would end next June 30th.

Okay, and so this this is beyond the scope of this contract, but do we not keep our own data somewhere?

No, we we pay for hosting, so they host our it's uh we host they host our data.

Um we can certainly talk to our current um vendor to see if there's an opportunity that they would continue hosting.

Of course, that would, you know, they would they would charge us for that.

Um, and I don't know, we haven't met with them yet.

We're gonna be meeting with them in the next in the coming weeks to to talk about that process.

Okay, so I have a uh similar line of questioning because uh if I if I understand Eric's um uh inquiries here, they might be similar to mine because based on what I kind of understood as conflicts in the past, or not conflicts, but um, I guess maybe it misunderstandings, but in terms of the data, it's our data.

It is so it's not really my question isn't so much access, it's like uh I guess it's more about ownership and an understanding by the vendor that it's our data, so when it's our data, um we should not hopefully have the kind of conflicts we've had in the past with the existing uh provider, right?

No, I'm not we didn't necessarily have conflicts.

There were limit there are definitely limitations to our current system, and that's why um I talked to Julie about going out to bid because our our contractors were coming to us asking for some things, and our current vendor was not able to to do these things.

You know, like one of the one of the requests was can you add another um drop down to the client file to ask what their multi um ethnicity is, and they couldn't do that.

So it's simple things, and so, and then we had another ask, and they said we can't do that.

And I said, okay, I'm sure there's others out there that can do that because um again, 16 years maybe they're um unable to, you know, grow um in the way that we were asking them to grow.

And so that was more, it wasn't necessarily a conflict, it's more of a limitation.

Sounds like sophistication almost.

Yes, and so the data is ours.

If we wanted to migrate all of it, we could, it would probably cost us more money.

Um, and there's a lot of cleaning to do, 16 years worth of data.

Um, there are clients in the system that we haven't touched in 16 years.

Do we want to migrate that, right?

Um, and so the reason we decided on three years is because that gives us the data that we need to run the uh CPS lookup report for birth and beyond, and then any clients that are still active in the system, whether they have been receiving services for three years or five years, they will be coming, um, they will be migrating to the new system.

Dumb question, but because um fundamentally those that this commission serves by law have an age limit to that to that population.

Does that then kind of um beg the question why would we want to keep data as long as 16 years?

We and that's why we decided on like three years.

Um, but however, it's quite interesting because um, I mean, if we ever wanted to do some reports, there are there are now parents in the system who received services as you know, five-year-olds, um, and so we see I see that a lot.

Um, and then grandparents who are now taking care of their grandbabies from their when and they were parents when they came to us for services.

So it depends, but I think I think we decided on three years.

Um there's still certainly, you know, opportunity to to rethink that and talk about it.

We can certainly talk about it at our evaluation committee um in July, um, because we have some time still before the migration happens.

All right, very good.

We have a few other commissioners in the queue here.

Commissioner Wesley.

Yeah, actually, that was the question I was gonna ask.

Are they able to aggregate and disaggregate data and then have certain fields first collecting the data and then being able to aggregate and disaggregate data?

And can they run reports for us as well?

They can run reports, however, the way that their system is set up, um, the report, it's very easy to run reports.

We would just if the data go in in whatever column, you know, let's just say there's 20 columns, um, we could just select whatever filters we want and run the report.

Um a lot of the reports um we can't we they will create canned reports for us, but a lot of the reports aren't even canned, is just select the fields that you want to run, like a a grandparent who is taking care of their five-year-old, only five-year-old, you know, who lives in this zip code, who so um it's nice, okay.

That was my question, and I I don't know this is more probably technical.

The other vendor is it for similar?

Yeah, yeah.

Are um the data that is ours, um, is there a way, even though we're just collecting three years from the with the potentially new vendor?

Are we able to look, I mean, link longitudinal data or put pieces together ourselves if we wanted to look at longevity of certain projects or participants.

We could it's just um like where would we store it?

Gotcha, and how you know, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, okay.

Because we don't have anything like that.

We would have to talk to the county and see if they if there's a possibility that there's a lot of things that go into storing that much data, yeah.

Okay, thank you.

That's a fair amount.

And I just just to maybe to our chair and um commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

We own the data, and so like our current vendor or any vendor can't use our data, can't share our data with anyone else.

That is correct.

Correct.

Okay, so like it's our data, we own it.

It can't be used if any other entity.

Correct.

If we go to them, let's say that we decide today we're only gonna migrate three years, and then we go to them in December and say, we changed our mind, we found a host, we want all of this data, they give it to us, they send it, they work with that other third party to migrate that data.

Um at the end of the contract period, if we say we're only we only migrated three years, there's X amount of data, and there it needs to be.

Um you need to dispose of it, then they do that.

Dr.

Fernandez I Garcia.

So if you uh discuss changing the the amount of years or which years to migrate, would that change the cost of what we're about to do?

Okay, then I won't ask anything, but I do have questions about that.

Okay, yeah.

Feel free to give you could give me a call or email or or Julie, we can definitely talk about it.

It does, I do have to provide them with a data dictionary.

Um, and all of the things, and so um the data, while they're they're pretty clean.

We've done such a good job at maintaining data, the older data are not so much anything before 2018.

There's a lot of duplicates, there's a lot of empty assessments in the system, a lot of things that I'm not sure we would spend our time in going through that to clean it.

It takes hours and hours.

I've been doing that every like day that I have time after, like between four and five, and I'm like find myself six o'clock, and I'm like, okay, I need to shut down because it's addicting too, right?

It's like, it's just that COVID was such a uh you know momentous thing in society that I can't the nerd in me wants to always be able to look at before COVID.

Yeah, during COVID.

That's interesting after COVID.

So having a sample even of a year in those two time frames pre-during, would be good.

In my humble opinion.

I can definitely look to see how many how much data, because again, it's only been six years, and a lot of those clients are probably still active.

So we might be getting a lot of that data already.

Commissioner Mook.

Yeah, I think I think I'm just gonna reiterate some of what um Dr.

Fernandez Garcia is saying.

I I think the negotiation here, which is what this is, is getting them getting it getting what's ours, right?

And and having the right to retain what we do with it, and what that's that's what we can, and maybe there is nothing to do at some point in time, but I think getting as much of it as possible, at least exploring what what is um what is there for us to retain as ours since it does is our data.

I think the county though, like the county has databases that have millions and millions of data sets to them.

I don't feel like our county would be overwhelmed at 16 years of first five client data.

Like that's just that I know that sounds to us, we're like, whoa, that's a lot.

But like that's not a lot.

So and I just feel like these are those moments that you could have down the road, we're like, darn it, I wish we would have held on to the post pre and post-COVID data so that we could run.

I mean, as our new health officer is sitting over here, she nodded.

I watched it.

Um, we want to have the right to do something with it.

So I would just like not I I don't know, just the ah well, that three years sounds good.

I don't know if I would, it doesn't feel right to me.

Okay, you can check in with D-Tech, sure, our county IT and see what that might cost us and build it in if we have the budget to do that and just pay DTEC to store it for us.

It's a good option.

Okay, any other questions?

Thanks again, Carmen, for the staff report.

Do we have anyone sign up speak?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, we do need to approve this, so I would entertain a motion at this time.

I'll move to approve.

Okay, it's been moved.

Second, it's moved and seconded.

Roll call vote, please.

Chair Sure, sir, no.

All right, Commissioner Wesley, aye.

Commissioner Fernandez I Garcia.

Aye, Commissioner Gordon.

Aye.

Commissioner Gassierie, aye.

Commissioner Guitari.

Aye, and Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Very good.

Thank you.

Next item, please.

Item number 11.

Is that an editorial?

Momentously.

Item number 11, approval of revenue agreement with Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance for the CallWorks Home Visiting Program and Expenditure Agreement with the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento for the period of July 1st, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Very good.

So I'll have to recuse myself due to my role with DHA.

Exit stage left.

There's no Shelby, so there's only six votes.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Shall we end up in the sky?

For this item, we only have six voting members, because we don't have Shelby today.

Okay.

Noted.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

My name is Chris Clinton, and I'm the program planner for the CalWorks Home Visiting Program.

Today I have one item for approval.

The current CalWorks contract will end June 30th.

Therefore, staff is coming to you today requesting the same contracting authorities as last year.

Staff is seeking approval to enter into a new revenue agreement with DHA up to the amount of 4.7 million dollars for the CalWorks Home Visiting Program.

And to execute an expenditure agreement up to 4.45 million with CAP C for direct program implementation and their subcontractors.

And I also wanted to mention that since the state budget has not yet been finalized, we cannot confirm the exact amount for this contract.

If the CalWorks Home Visiting Program is reduced by DHA following the final state budget hearings, the agreement will need to be amended at that time, pending DHA's directive.

If CalWorks allocation is lower than anticipated, the up to language in this link, the up to language in this letter uh provides coverage for that adjustment.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very good, thank you.

Uh on that last point, does that mean that if we had to um make adjustments, we'd do so in the uh October time frame?

We would and sometimes they get the the dollar amount to us in October.

It has been as late as November before, but as long as it's that up to, that means we don't necessarily have to bring it back to you all on an agenda.

We just take care of it back of house and then let you know what our final dollar amount is.

Understood, thank you.

All right, any questions from Commissioners?

All right, seeing none.

Uh Madam Clerk, do we have anyone sign up to speak?

No, sir, we can ask.

Okay.

Pardon me.

No, sir.

All right, very good.

Uh entertain a motion then at this point.

I'll move it.

Second.

Okay, it's been moved and seconded.

Roll call vote, please.

Church Serna.

Aye.

Commissioner Wesley.

I'm sorry, we have speakers.

Um, hold that thought.

Let's see, who do we have here?

Uh we have two speakers, I think.

Uh, we'll start with Kenya.

I'm wondering if this is the wrong item.

It is 11.

Is this the item?

I think it was not for this item.

Yeah, I think I think it's for 13.

I think I'm supposed to be for 13.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

She has it long.

Oh, okay.

And then Leona, too.

Okay, so wrong numbers on the speaker slip.

And you're Leona, too.

Okay, and that's the thirteen.

Okay.

Okay, 13, all right.

All right.

So where were we?

Yeah, roll call vote, please.

Chair Cerna.

Aye.

Commissioner Wesley.

Aye.

Commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

Aye.

Commissioner Gordon.

Aye.

Commissioner Gassier.

Aye.

And Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

I was gonna say if the database got applause, and that one didn't, we have problems.

All right, next item.

Item number 12, approval of equity in action grantee capacity building consultant in an amount of 140,829 for July 1st, 2026 through June 30, 2028.

We have uh Dr.

Dunkel here to take this one for us as our lead on all things equity in action.

Hello, good afternoon, Commissioners.

Um I am Lindsay Dunkel, program planner for uh early learning and racial equity.

Uh you have before you a proposal to contract with the Touchstone Leadership Group to do capacity building for our grantees in the Equity and Action Project in the amount of 140,829.

So this is the next step in the Equity and Action Project.

They are busy getting up and running with their contracts.

Um but one of the major goals in the strategic plan was to do capacity building for these grantees so that they would be uh sustainable, that they would be set up to to go after other funding.

Um the amount is allocated in the current implementation plan.

Um having uh Touchstone Leadership Group as our continuing partner is a big strength here.

They actually um took members of the equity in action committee who had to recuse themselves from certain decision making processes and used them to begin outlining this capacity building work.

So they're intimately familiar not only with the mapping that the equity and action committee did, but also with each of the grantees and their applications.

So the grantees are contractually obligated to engage in this work, um, and we are looking forward to to diving in with them uh on their self-defined capacity building.

I did just want to note that there I made a mistake in the uh um memo in the fiscal impact and conclusion sections on page three.

I noticed uh that I flipped the last two numbers um in those sections, but the the header and the rezo are correct.

It is 140,829.

Very good.

Thank you.

Uh any questions for staff.

Okay, see none.

Madam Clerk, do we anyone sign up to speak?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, entertain a motion then.

I move.

Okay, it's been moved.

Second.

Okay.

Roll call vote, please.

Chair Cerna.

Aye.

Commissioner Wesley.

Aye.

Commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

Aye.

Commissioner Gordon.

Aye.

Commissioner Gassiria.

Aye.

Commissioner Gatari.

Aye.

And Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Okay, very good.

Thank you.

Next item.

Item number 13, approval of the first five sacramental implementation plan for fiscal years 2027-28 through 2029-30.

Okay, before we uh hear from our executive director, I believe we have some recusals.

So we'll start with Dr.

Kasuri.

Yes, sorry.

Um, I do need to recuse myself because it does involve uh some funding for the Department of Health Services, and also since this is the last item for this uh agenda.

Just to want to sign off as um a commissioner and again thank you all for the opportunity, and I wish you all the best.

I will be waiting to hear more excellent news and work that comes out of this commission.

Thank you.

All right, very good.

Thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Fatari.

Yes, I also need to recuse myself because of Department of Health Services and Department of Child Family and Adult Services Oversight.

So thank you.

And I will also excuse myself, but I will be back next time.

And we have two more.

I need to recuse myself.

Because I'm the superintendent of the county office and uh benefit from this program.

So I will move, I will move along.

Okay, and then you had to.

I'm refusing as well because of my affiliation with SCOE.

Okay.

And we still have enough to vote, right?

Yes, we do.

All right, very good.

We'll let everyone clear the room.

Expect to hear a big woo-hoo from Dr.

Kay as she enters the foyer.

Oh no.

He's just teasing you.

It's my last chance.

I missed that.

He already sent you an email asking you to be on a committee, though, so just be ready.

All right, you're on.

Okay, great.

All right.

The final big item of the meeting today.

Um, so we're here to approve hopefully the 2027 to 2030 implementation plan.

And just to frame a little bit here, um, this plan has a 20% reduction from our current implementation plan.

Um, but there are some positives here to share about this plan.

Um, first five is one of the few uh commissions in the state that has held funding steady over the last six years.

Many commissions have been declining uh contracts out with the community in that time.

Uh but we at this commission intentionally made the decision to hold steady at our current funding amount while increasing um through this new strategic plan our efforts to uh focus on racial disparities and uh really go deep into our racial equity work.

Um and I think that is something for us to be proud to be proud of.

Um our contractors have known about the reductions um clearly for many years coming.

Um, and while it is hard to make uh those reductions, I do think that the process has been very transparent and engaged with community all along.

And so with that, I will be.

Uh over that 10-year time frame.

And then our implementation plans, we will have three of them during that 10-year period.

Um, and that's really our how.

That's how will we uh get those goals accomplished.

Um the implementation plan will guide our procurement processes this fall, enabling the commission to award funds to our selected contractors in 2027 so that contracts can be up and running on July 1st.

Um and at our April meeting, commissioners had the opportunity to review the staff recommendations to discuss amongst yourselves, um, to hear public comment, and then to provide guidance to staff on this draft on that draft plan.

We took several um of your uh recommendations um to a couple of our committees, and I'll talk about that as we move forward.

Just as a reminder, this is probably very familiar now.

This is you're in the second of three year, uh, second three-year uh implementation plan, and uh how we will operationalize this work over the next period.

This site is just a quick reminder of the efforts that staff worked on over the last 15 months, along with the related decisions that commissioners made um during that time, including the approval of our 35.7 million dollar uh spending plan.

As mentioned, uh we used a three-pronged approach in determining the funding strategies and allocations for your consideration.

Um we were informed by the community trends report that our partners at ASR completed, and then we engaged in a community in input process through focus groups and with nearly 3,000 parents.

Um, and should be noted, these are parents who we don't typically hear from.

In the past, we used to just ask our providers to have parents complete a survey.

We really changed the way we do that now with with our parent leadership training institute and just our work in community, I think, which is really a testament to that 3000 surveys.

Julie, before you continue, uh how does that uh compare to other first fives to the extent that you may know this, where we're uh kind of cutting out the middle man and talking directly to parents?

I think it's a huge interest to other commissions.

Um it's seen as a gold standard to be able to reach directly out to your families, but not a lot of first fives have a have a program like parent leadership training institute.

In fact, we're the only one that actually in the state that has a formal parent leadership train training institute.

Um Alejandra Labrato, our deputy director has presented at First Five Association, and we are hoping that we'll be presenting at the First Five California meeting later this year.

Um last year we presented at first five associations statewide meeting.

There's a lot of interest in it.

Um, and I think many would be would love to do what we're doing.

Um, yeah.

Where is the meeting and when?

The first five California meeting is in August in Anaheim.

Have we had uh when you presented last year to the association?

Did you have parents present or not?

We did not, but it's actually is Crystal still here, Crystal left, but Crystal Harding um is the one who it we're applying on behalf of Crystal is applying on behalf of us to have that parent voice in the room in the yeah, present to do that.

We will just be there as her support.

Right.

So, okay.

I'm just wondering out loud, um if well we can talk offline, but um I assume we would both agree that it might be of some interest and benefit to maybe have a parent or two um be part of be part of that uh down in Southern California.

Yes.

And if so, maybe we can find a maybe a stipend for travel or something if if they're so inclined to I mean it's not it's not a you know a vacation, but uh yeah, you know, have them prepare and and understand maybe what their role would be to help impress upon um the mothership, the why this is working for us, and why you other first fives around the state might want to consider um borrowing from our experience to do something similar.

Yes, exactly.

All right, we'll talk.

Perfect.

Thanks.

Yep.

Um and lastly, the third uh pillar there is around uh really operationalizing those foundational principles that you all approved with the beginning of our strategic plan.

Okay, so at the April 6th meeting, commissioners requested that staff bring the recommendations back after your discussion and hearing from community to um uh at least one committee, and we ended up taking it to both the advisory committee um on April 10th, and then the SOS committee on May 20th, and they had recommendations or suggestions that were incorporated into the final version that you will have in front of you today.

Um, one was to add uh make explicit the strategy around reducing African American child death and those FRCs who are doing work under that.

And so it had not been a fourth strategy.

There had only been three strategies in the original version.

So in this version, you will see a fourth strategy talking uh specifically related to reducing um disparities in uh child welfare data and deaths.

Um, and then allowing flexibility um in how birth and beyond um allocates their dollars across those four strategies.

So in prior years, the commission has determined for them how we how we wanted to see those dollars spent, and this time around, leaving that fluid.

So you'll see the 10.1 million dollars with that decision to be made by birth and beyond leadership around how to split it between the four strategies.

Um, the both committees really wanted to also allow that flexibility for birth and be or for our breastfeeding support work, which is taking a 50% reduction, to be able to say, do they need to front load some money in the first of those three years in order to allow a little extra time that perhaps they can bring in additional dollars in 2028 or 2029 that but they'll need a little upfront money to stay mostly whole.

So that was one of the suggestions to allow that flexibility, really going with that trust-based grant making that we've been talking about through equity in action.

And then finally, um using a letter of interest process as a first step for the breastfeeding dollars as well as for the developmental play groups for children with exceptional needs to see if we need to go through to do a full um a full competitive bid RFP process, which is extremely time consuming.

So if we typically have two partners for uh breastfeeding support, if they come in together and put in a joint uh letter of interest, then we would not necessarily have to do a full competitive bid process.

So we'll have to see what happens with that.

Um, and then same with our developmental play groups.

Um, we had a reduction in that, and so we wanted to put that back out to see if anybody else might be interested in doing it for a less lesser dollar amount.

Okay, final look at your spending plan.

Um, we track expenditures by these three main categories for first five California that's admin, eval, and program.

And within the program is pretty much what we're talking about here today.

This is where the majority of our money goes out to community-based organizations who do both direct service and systems improvement work on our behalf.

Okay, this chart shows in greater detail the dollar amount and percent of funding allocated to each of our five priority areas.

Um it also provides detail on the commission-related costs with implementing those direct services and systems change projects that fall under the programs.

Um, as you can see, the majority of funding is still directed toward health and well-being.

In our current um implementation plan, it's 65%.

And in this implementation plan, it did drop to 63%.

Um, next up is the racial equity at 15%.

This actually increased 2%, it was 13% in the last uh implementation plan.

And then just these small amounts, but still something quality child care clearly took a bigger hit.

They were at, I believe, 3%, and now they're hovering just a little below one percent.

Uh parent partnerships at 2%.

They were currently at 4%, and systems improvement at 2%, and it was, I'm sorry, swapped those 3%, and systems improvement was four percent.

So relatively the same allocation, basically at the end of the day.

Now going a little deeper, we'll look at each of the priority areas with additional funding, additional information added on these are the core strategies for racial equity.

Shows the total allocation, how we would get the money out the door, and of all the racial equity dollars, 93% going toward that equity in action funding pathway, and 7% for sort of supportive strategies that help us get that get those dollars out the door.

Health and well-being.

This has four of the 11 total strategies under this priority area.

And I mentioned that some of them you will see have just the continuation of existing contractor.

And there are a couple reasons why we can do this.

And I just thought I would run you through those.

So we do this when continuity of services from that existing entity is critical to keep the momentum going, when there's significant cost efficiencies that are realized, when the current outcomes are exceptional, when there are limited agencies that can provide the requested services, and or when braided funding or a match requirement that complements first five funding exists.

So when you see something that says continuation of current existing contractor, it is met one or more in most cases of these criteria.

Again, this is where you'll see that addition of the fourth strategy under Birth and Beyond.

We're down to just one strategy under our child care, but it's it's a big one, it's a powerful strategy.

It's not a lot of money, but it's what's working, I feel like to make a difference on that systems level.

Um it's our countywide child care coalition, which is now called Lift Up Sacramento.

And then the three strategies for parent partnership are listed here, and that's the continuation clearly of our parent leadership training institute that did not receive a cut at all in the this um implementation plan.

It also includes um community stipends for our advisory committee members and other parents doing work for us out in on behalf of first five, and then our stipend so we can continue our work with language justice.

Um we also have uh health systems liaison that took a bit of a hit, but um is still going to help our contractors be able to sustain their programs, hopefully through leveraging of Medical and CalAim.

Um, oral health systems, we're really gonna focus on fluoridation, community water fluoridation this period as our 20 year contracts with the water districts are culminating over the next three to five years, and so we really just want to shore up, encourage and advocate to make sure that they don't turn off their water fluoridation when they're when they're not mandated to uh from us any longer.

And then, of course, our continued um work with uh and support of Black Child Legacy Campaign Steering Committee, our SAC Family Connect, which is both uh home visiting collaborative and our website that you've heard so much about small contract with child safety forward for child safety forward Sacramento with CAP Center, um they coordinate uh countywide systems uh work around preventing child abuse and neglect and finally, public will and advocacy dollars to help us get out to the capital and uh respond when needed and to keep the importance of the investing in the first five years at the forefront.

And I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you, Julie.

Any questions for executive director before we hear from members of the public?

Right.

Seeing no questions.

Thanks again.

We will uh start with David Baker.

Back up, Dr.

David Baker, CEO of Sacramento Children's Home.

First, I want to uh thank the commission and Julie's team for all their work on this.

It's not easy when dollars are going down and they're becoming more and more scarce.

Uh I want to thank you guys again, ongoing support for the crisis nursery, the the 800,000 or so that the commission puts in.

We we leverage that to bring in another million and a half, and this last year I think we we have more safe stays than we've had since uh um the pandemic before the pandemic, and so those dollars are making a huge impact every day, keeping kids out of the system.

It has it's it sounds expensive, but it's way cheaper than bringing kids in.

Not only that, it's way better for kids and families.

So, secondly, I'm on a short leash here.

Uh the I think uh Chair Cerna started uh his work uh and brought this group together was 15 years ago around the Blue Ribbon Commission.

And and and I just think it's important.

I'm I appreciate uh you adding uh focus on the work that's being done uh for African American babies in South Sac and in North Sack.

The one of the first programs was our village program, and we use that program, the commitment that this commission has made to saying that it's so important that we're gonna call it out as a very specific budget item and give it directly to those services.

I do trust my partners over here at CapC and our group to to make sure we keep that focus, but I I think it's important that we that it that it's called out on a regular basis, that that's what this money is for, and it's making a huge impact.

We do leverage that to bring in a lot of other dollars uh because it's such important work.

So I appreciate that.

I I hope that we could look at making sure that I worry about mixing the dollars that them getting diluted at some point, and I think that's been expressed.

But uh, and it's and and we have a commitment from everybody on and birth and beyond to make sure that doesn't happen, but it's easy to do now, it's hard to do in the future as dollars continue to go down.

So um thank you for the work that you're doing on this, all of you though.

Thank you.

Thank you, David.

Right.

Uh Kenya, Bemi.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

My name is Kenya Fagbimi.

I'm the executive director of Her Health First, and I just wanted to extend a thank you to First Five Team and the Commissioners and everyone that is involved in reduction of African-American child death.

Um, we know that this is an important issue, and I just appreciate that there has still been a pulse on the importance of keeping that at the forefront, and the organizations that are working to improve those outcomes, and so again, thank you, first five.

And I just want to say to those organizations that are experiencing a cut.

Let's put our heads together and see how we could collaborate and figure out how we could um strengthen each other and continue doing the work that we all doing.

So thank you again, and good afternoon.

Thank you.

Uh Leona Spivey.

Hi, I'm Leona Spivey, and I just came to say, ooh, I'm nervous.

Um I just came to say that I just really want you guys to know I really appreciate you guys for the continuing support for Black Mothers United.

This has truly been a hard year for me personally and our organization, and I just want you guys to know, like I said, I appreciate you guys.

I I look over through the room and I see so many familiar faces, and I it takes a lot to run a program.

And the the money that you guys give us, we truly appreciate it.

Um Dr.

Fernandez, I see you.

I appreciate you.

Um, Dr.

Olivia, when she when they said she was retiring, my heart just dropped because it's women like her that's in the community that keeps us going.

It's so many, so many, so many.

I mean, we would not be who we are if it was not for the community, the of the people that support us.

And I just want you guys to know that keep please continue to support us.

Just please feel.

I know you're gonna leave us soon, but continue to support the work that we do.

It's not easy, it's not easy.

Just continue to support us, check on us.

It's not easy.

The work we do is not not easy at all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Janae.

Eustace.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

Thank you to all the Birth and Beyond Executive Directors and staff and the Cap Center staff who are here today.

Um, showing their commitment.

I know a lot of folks are tuning in as well.

Um, and thank you all, just all of you and First Five, of course.

Um we appreciate the commitment.

We appreciate the partnership all the time, and what we have to say out loud is a 20% cut, as well as the proposed 10% cuts from DCFAS.

It's not significant, and we know that you all understand that.

Um, these these cuts are big for us, and these cuts will have unintended consequences.

Um, a lot of you came to our site visits, and we are so thankful and so grateful to see you there.

And you heard about our wait list, and you heard from families directly that they want and they need the home visitation, and it's the glue.

We heard about why families stay for so long.

It's because of those connections, and that means children are safe.

That means that we are doing our job in reducing um childhood uh child abuse and neglect, which is exactly what we're here for.

Families will feel these cuts, they'll have reduced access to services and supports, they'll have longer wait times, they'll have fewer prevention um and early intervention opportunities, and it'll be an increased strain for those families as well.

And we know prevention works.

Um, but it does not work when we can't reach families before they're in crisis.

But we are grateful, we're grateful that you all have that trust and um relationship with all of us to implement the implementation plan and to really structure where we take those reductions and where we can um have the flexibility because of your trust-based grant making because of your centering of families and their needs.

This is how we're able to um practice in that, and so we do appreciate the opportunity that you are allowing for us to really direct those um the reductions.

So, again, we just appreciate the partnership always, and we are only a phone call away if ever there's any opportunity to speak to you all or help to um just come closer during this time as we heard earlier today.

So, thank you.

Thank you.

Our final speaker is Linea Hathaway.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

My name is Linnea Hathaway, and I'm a member of the early learning department at the Sacramento County Office of Education.

I coordinate the and I have to look at my notes, the early learning partnerships building mindful early care and learning, or we go by PBM for obvious reasons.

And yes, someone at the office did win the prize for the longest project title of the year.

Uh, first, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to First Pipe Sacramento for its longstanding investment in PBM's quality improvement efforts for family child care homes and for private child care centers throughout our county.

Your support of PBM has helped hundreds of early learning educators strengthen their knowledge, skills, and practices.

Through PBM coaching, professional development, and individualized support.

Educators have improved their ability to build positive relationships with children and to support children's social emotional development.

Your investments have made a meaningful difference in the daily experiences of thousands of young children and families across Sacramento County.

But the work is not finished.

Post-pandemic, early learning educators are facing increasingly complex challenges.

Child care providers are reporting more infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with significant social, emotional and behavioral needs.

Our school district partners report more children entering school with undiagnosed developmental delays and disabilities, and there are gaps in foundational literacy skills.

At the same time, many child care, family child care, and center educators serving our youngest children continue to work in very isolated silos.

I don't have a whole crew of people here because we can't take a field trip to the first five commission to demonstrate to you the value of their work and of your investment in their work.

That is why we respectfully request first five Sacramento's increased investment or return of investment in the priority area in quality child care.

Continued funding for PBM will allow us to focus on strengthening the quality of development of early care and education for infants and toddlers during the most critical years of brain development as well, while also helping educators respond effectively to challenging behaviors, support early literacy development, and refer developmental concerns earlier.

By investing in the educators who care for young children, we create stronger outcomes for children, families, and our community.

Thank you for your leadership and your continued commitment to Sacramento's youngest learners.

Great.

Thank you.

Okay, those are all our speakers on this item.

It is a uh action item.

Uh before we uh entertain a motion though, um Julie, uh maybe you can um share with us uh again kind of the, you know, how deliberative a process was it to come up with some um I think some difficult recommendations in terms of the the budgeting that uh adjoins the implementation plan because most of the speakers were you know speaking to the budget side of it.

Um maybe enlighten us a bit about um how involved that process was that it's not arbitrary.

For instance, that we're you know, that we're looking at child care the way we are versus some of the other aspects of our um mission here.

Uh so that those that I think rightfully are advocating for their place in the world relative to uh their work in relationship with first five and the budget that first five, um, the quality of the budget for first five and what the implications are for their organizations and their missions.

I think they deserve to maybe understand how um serious we we've taken it.

Absolutely, yes.

It's been a 15-month process.

We we've been um at it and uh we've been I think I'm proud of how just transparent instead of taking commissioners uh into a retreat for two days and busting it all out.

We've brought each individual piece before the commission for discussion on multiple agenda items and then pieces have been approved along the way, um and then for you know this big piece that came uh the the largest part, which is the investment part, the budget, um, that spelled out in the implementation plan, always the most difficult piece because even when you're not reducing funding, we didn't.

I'll say this last time around, we didn't uh we didn't reduce overall spending, but our contractors still took a bit of a hit because we said we're gonna take a chunk of this money and put it into racial equity work.

So, so some of them have had a hit in the last three years as well.

So, just a little bit of context around that.

Um, and that and that that um interest and direction that we we took it in in terms of uh growing our interest in advancing uh racial equity, that's not mutually exclusive necessarily to those missions.

Uh there's there's in fact a lot of uh commonality to fulfillment of what they're attempting to do in our community, very complimentary, right?

Yes, exactly.

Very complimentary, they weren't eligible for those dollars, but the work that they're doing and in the neighborhoods that that these agencies are in, they're functioning in those same neighborhoods.

Um, you know, I I spoke we used a three-pronged approach.

We talked to more parents than we we than we ever have, and I think that it it does make a difference in what you hear when if you're asking parents who are already involved in one of the programs.

They all tell you how wonderful those programs are that you need to keep funding those programs.

The ability to we talked to several, of course, we talked to folks who were a part of a current program, but we also really made an effort to talk to parents who did not even know who first five was and were telling us what they needed outside of our we're already all drinking the Kool-Aid of First Five vision.

And so that was really important to us.

Again, having PLTI, which is a program, but not a fun, not a not a service direct service providing program.

Um help us with that was amazing.

And I think the other thing that we did this time around that was different from previous years, is we said, um, we really want to look at what's funded through the lens of our foundational principles.

That was a different way to do it too.

Uh this came out of our um focus groups and the parent uh the ad hoc committee, the steering ad hoc um uh strategic planning committee to say we have these principles, the principles are go narrow and deep, fund where the things are most needed, where there's disproportionate outcomes and vulnerable families, leverage fund where you can leverage other fund where you can't where no one else is is able to leverage other dollars, but we can they can get our money, like um Dr.

Baker was saying, our money helps them to leverage additional dollars.

Which was the case with PBM program until this this year, which is they used first five money to leverage more money from first five California, but that program ended.

Um promote prevention early intervention and community collaborations, make data informed decisions and support first five's ability to carry out its mission.

Those are your those are your foundational principles.

So we also rolled things through there, and all of it got thrown into a hopper and came out with a scoring with a score um from the highest to the lowest, and so what you saw when things were recommended for reduced funding is that they came in at the bottom of all three of those things went combined, and that was the methodology.

An advisory committee was you know very clear on taking changing that really would impact our credibility and community, um, and it's not equitable to try to fund something that didn't rise to the top in that system by taking money from others who who did rise to the top.

So that's why we didn't you didn't see any major changes between this recommended plan and the earlier plan.

Yeah, thank you thank you for the explanation.

That's that's very helpful.

Commissioner Moak.

Yeah, that was that was great, Julie.

Appreciate that.

I think and look that like we talked about last time and like we've talked about for 20 years, like that.

We've known this is coming, it sucks, we've known it's it was gonna suck, and we knew we were gonna have to make some difficult decisions, and I feel like I just want to applaud um the approach that you got that the team has taken because it is very different.

I mean, I've been through a few of them more than anyone else, actually.

And I mean, this just feels very right, and you you know listening, listening to the right voices, which includes providers and people, so um families, obviously, everybody.

So I guess I just, you know, we we call it we're calling it a reduction, and certainly it is a reduction, but it's not a reduction in our commitment to these to people and kids and zero to five little ones and their families, right?

Like we just have a smaller funding pool to pull from.

Yes.

And I guess the analogy I think about and I've thought about for a long time is if uh household, if someone loses their job in their household, mom loses her job.

They don't care about the kids less.

They just have less money to deal with the day-to-day, and I think you gotta make some choices in that moment.

And like that's what we are faced to do, and it's not that we care less, right?

Because these are our little kids in many cases.

What I am appreciative of, and Janae, I want to make sure I I wanna call this out because I thought this was extraordinarily smart, is I also think you provided and have provided an element of flexibility that's different than we've ever done before, allowing contractors to have a little bit more of the the steering wheel when it comes to making some decisions around the economics and the fiscal approach to what is going to be happening over the next year, couple years.

So like I applaud you with that too because our we only have again, we're all the pool is only so big, the resource pool is only so big, and we only have so much we can do, but providing at least some good, you know, very clear guidelines, as well as giving them as many tools as they have it is uh is an incredible approach.

So I do want to make sure that like that's also recognized because I thought that was a massive step.

One that we've never taken before.

A trust-based grant making is was a really, I thought I really I appreciated that.

Um so again, I'm I'm it uh we knew this day was coming.

I gave the analogy last time about my little guy wanting to go not wanting to get a shot.

Uh his flu shot at Dr.

Cassier, the doctor is here.

Like, you're gonna have to get it eventually.

Like, sorry, buddy, like it's gonna have to happen, and we know this is it.

But the the care that you've taken, I think the approach that our contractors have taken and the understanding and the creativity that they have.

I mean, you came down and said let's figure it out, let's figure out this town does typically figure things out, and so I think there is a chance for people to rally together and figure things out differently.

But I just applaud you guys.

I know that we're in a tough spot, but um this is what this is where we are and what we've got to do.

Thank you, Commissioner Moak, Commissioner Wesley.

Um, actually it's gonna say something very similar.

So you took the words out of my mouth, but I'm also thinking about something really concrete if there's ways for us to think about.

I don't know, if like touchstone or a way for a PLTI us to come up with a way to think together about you know how we can leverage other dollars, you know, from other places, other entities, other funders, uh, because of limited resources.

And I'm really thinking about the black maternal health space because our neighboring counties right now are not doing well, and we've been able to hold the line, and we're doing really, you know, very, very well.

Um, but just trying to figure out together, and that's future no decision making right now, obviously.

But just I feel hopeful about sometimes you have a pain point that um creates a pressure point to think about what are what else is out there for us.

Um and we can start to think together and be creative.

So yeah, we could bring it to SOS committee, which is our our working group on that, right?

Any other questions or comments by commissioners?

Right, seeing none.

Uh this is an action item, so um entertain a motion.

I'll move to approve the implementation plan.

Okay, second, it's been moved and seconded.

Uh roll call vote, please.

Chair Cernan.

Commissioner Wesley.

I.

Commissioner Fernandez Garcia.

I Commissioner Evans, Commissioner Guerra.

And Commissioner Moak.

Aye.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

All right, very good.

Thank you.

Next item.

Item number 14, Commission member comments.

All right.

I don't see anyone in the queue.

Um, I guess I'll take the opportunity to remind people that uh tomorrow is election day.

Uh so if you haven't voted, you can still vote.

Uh don't send it through the mail.

You're going to have to use some of the ballot drop boxes.

For instance, the one is about a hundred feet that way outside of our building here.

But please participate in your process of being represented.

And I think we have some very, very qualified people on the ballot.

A lot of important races.

A lot of important races that will have implications for many of the things that we discussed here during our full agenda today as it relates to the mission of first five.

So keep that in mind.

And if there's uh no further business, then before this commission, we stand adjourned.