Assessment Needs Children's health
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MEMORANDUM
January 4, 2006
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Needs Assessment for Children
Mississippi Valley Promise, Dubuque County Extension Office, Community Foundation
of Greater Dubuque, Dubuque County Public and Parochial Schools, Dubuque County
Department of Human Resources and the Dubuque County Empowerment Board are
embarking on a community-wide needs assessment specifically aimed for children ages
0-20. The assessment will begin in February 2006 and conclude in June 2006, with the
planning process following.
The Empowerment Board, along with the other organizations mentioned, all do various
community needs assessments. The group has realized that this is not only redundant,
but creates a lot more work with often a limited or incomplete final assessment. By
pooling efforts, resources and data, the hope is to conduct a thorough community needs
assessment for children which will then lead to community strategic plans and also
assist the organizations involved with their individual strategic planning.
Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan requests City Council approval to
contribute $2,000 toward the Community Youth Needs Assessment, and to consider
additional funds in the Fiscal Year 2007 Improvement Package during the upcoming
budget process.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Michael C. VanMilligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Mary Rose Corrigan, RN, Public Health Specialist
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MEMORANDUM
January 4, 2006
TO:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM:
Mary Rose Corrigan, RN, Public Health Specialist
SUBJECT: Community Needs Assessment for Children
INTRODUCTION
In conjunction with the Mississippi Valley Promise, Dubuque County Extension Office,
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Dubuque County Public and Parochial
Schools, Dubuque County Department of Human Resources, the Dubuque County
Empowerment Board, of which I am a member, is embarking on a community-wide
needs assessment specifically aimed for children ages 0 - 20.
BACKGROUND
The Empowerment Board, along with the other organizations mentioned, all do various
community needs assessments. The group has realized that this is not only redundant,
but creates a lot more work with often a limited or incomplete final assessment. By
pooling efforts, resources and data, the hope is to conduct a thorough community needs
assessment for children which will then lead to community strategic plans and also
assist the organizations involved with their individual strategic planning
Proposals for conducting the Dubuque County Assessment are being evaluated and a
steering committee has formed consisting of the organizations mentioned above. The
steering committee is proposing a collaboration of youth-serving organizations, working
together to conduct a research-based community needs assessment for Dubuque
County children aged 0 - 20, followed by an inclusive envisioning process that results in
a strategic community plan with goals and priorities that will be used as a roadmap for
the future.
An informational meeting was held on December 12, 2005 for other various
organizations in the community to learn about the assessment process. At the end of
this meeting, the group was charged with deciding:
· Whether they want to be a part of the assessment process;
. Providing data and assessments already done through their existing
organization for the process;
. Contributing financially for the needs assessment and planning process.
The Health Services Department is involved in a periodic Community Health Needs
Assessment and Improvement Plan. However, this assessment does not focus on
children and is more broad-based. I believe the need for an assessment and planning
process for the youth of the community is needed and extremely important. It would not
only benefit the Health Services Department and the Empowerment Board, but could
provide invaluable information for the Leisure Services Department, Neighborhood
Development Specialist, Community Development activity, and other departments from
within the City.
In addition to a FY07 budget improvement package for assistance with the needs
assessment and planning process, I am requesting using $2000 of FY06 existing Health
Department funds towards the process. These funds would come from the following
Health Services Department activities:
. 10017100-62731 (Administration Misc. Services) - $1,000
. 10017500-62671 (Lead activity Misc. Op. Supplies) - $700
. 10017400-62671 (Pub. Health Nursing Misc. Op. Supplies) - $300
I realize this is not a budgeted item, however, the assessment will begin in February
2006 and conclude in June 2006 with the planning process following. The quality of the
assessment and the level of community input will be contingent on the amount of
funding received from the various organizations for the process.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend allocating $2000 of existing FY06 Health Services Department funds
towards the Community Youth Needs Assessment process.
BUDGET IMPACT
The $2000 will come from existing, unspent funds in Health Services Department
activities.
CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Approve contributing $2000 towards the Community Youth Needs Assessment. In
addition, consider the FY07 Improvement Package during the upcoming budget process
to contribute additional funds towards the Needs Assessment and planning process.
MRC/cj
cc: Gil Spence, Leisure Services
Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Specialist
Dawn Lang, Budget Director