Explanation
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Urban Family Development Center (UFDC), a non-profit corporation, in support of their Dads2B/Day1Dads Campaign. This ordinance authorizes an upfront payment to UFDC to support the execution of that program. UFDC does not currently have sufficient funds on-hand to await reimbursement for expenses incurred.
UFDC is currently expanding the Dads2B program and Day1Dads Campaign to engage fathers and expectant parents in addressing key community issues like infant mortality, parental support, and family stability. UFDC will expand its Dads2B Reimagined initiative to serve 50 new fathers in Franklin County, with a concentrated focus on the 43232 zip code and its surrounding areas. This intervention directly addresses the challenges faced by low-income families through the Day1Dads Campaign, which aims to engage fathers from the earliest stages of their child's life, encouraging active participation in prenatal care, family dynamics, and early childhood development. UFDC will host community-centered events and curate networking opportunities, aligning with feedback from focus groups to foster greater fatherhood involvement. These gatherings will help recruit Campaign Ambassadors who champion fatherhood, promote co-parenting, and drive holistic family engagement. These events, together with ongoing programming, will offer fathers spaces to exchange resources, build leadership skills, and strengthen community ties. Central to the strategy is the formation of a Steering Committee comprised of local stakeholders, community leaders, and experts. This committee will oversee the execution of both the Dads2B program and the Day1Dads Campaign to ensure alignment with community needs and Franklin County’s strategic focus on family well-being and poverty reduction. Partnerships with organizations such as City of Refuge Goodlife Foundation, Moms2B, and CelebrateOne will further enhance the capacity to address issues like infant mortality. UFDC will provide trauma-informed care, mental health support, co-parenting education, and financial literacy workshops to foster stronger family units and mitigate disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Families will be guided through Family Improvement Plans (FIPs), and supported by intensive case management to ensure tailored solutions for their specific needs. Additionally, fathers will have access to Trauma-Informed Care Certified Life Coaches, and mindfulness practices will be incorporated into the curriculum to promote emotional and mental well-being. These strategies will contribute toward Franklin County’s broader goals of health equity and family stability.
Council is supporting this effort with $15,000.00 for staffing, consulting, and administrative costs, in its continued effort to support expectant and current parents in the City of Columbus.
FISCAL IMPACT: $15,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency designation is requested in order for UFDC to continue the Dads2B programming uninterrupted.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Urban Family Development Center in support of the Dads2B/Day1Dads Campaign; to authorize an expenditure of $15,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($15,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, lower-income communities suffer from disparate outcomes in childbirth and parenting resources; and
WHEREAS, the Urban Family Development Center (UFDC) has been a close partner of CelebrateOne and various healthcare agencies in the City of Columbus to assist expectant parents; and
WHEREAS, UFDC is expanding its Dads2B program and Day1Dads Campaign to engage fathers and expectant parents in addressing key community issues like infant mortality, parental support, and family stability; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council is proposing funding to assist with staffing, consulting, and administrative costs for this program; and
WHEREAS, $15,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk's Office in that it is necessary for the Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Urban Family Development Center to provide funding to keep the Dads2B/Day1Dads Campaign programming in effect, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peach, property, safety and welfare; and now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Urban Family Development Center in support of the Dads2B/Day1Dad Campaign.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $15,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.