Explanation
This ordinance authorizes a grant agreement with the Center for Healthy Families in support of their COVID-19 outreach efforts to black girls.
The Center for Healthy Families engages parenting teens and their children in opportunities to acquire self-sufficiency capabilities of health and well-being, positive networks, education and employment through a coordinated network of the most effective community services. The Center has increased distribution to provide food, diapers and wipes, housing support, hand sanitizer, soap, and cleaning products. The pandemic has forced the organization to pivot how it delivers services. Families have experienced increased stress due to loss of income, isolation and loneliness due to social distancing from friends and loved ones, strain on household resources, disruption of routine, juggling work from home, being their child’s teacher, increased screen time and being plugged in all day, as well as a regression in behaviors. These stressors necessitate the need for the service team to increase service contact. We have seen an increase of crisis situations with families, domestic and intimate violence incidents and families living in unsafe and (families doubled or tripled capacity) unstable housing with an increased touch to families. Because of the pandemic, the Center for Healthy Families has reached capacity to provide services in thr Help Me Grow program, resulting in a waitlist. Demand is up more than 50 percent.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the CARES Act fund.
Emergency action is requested to avoid any delay in providing the resources necessary to respond to the increased demand as a function of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with Center for Healthy Families in support of their COVID-19 outreach efforts to black girls; to authorize an expenditure from the CARES Act Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($320,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Center for Healthy Families works with Black Girls in their homes and in their communities; and
WHEREAS, the Center for Healthy Families began to open up outreach service delivery model while taking major precautions due to COVID-19 and meet the needs of the Black Girls served by the Center for Healthy Families; and
WHEREAS, the agency’s request for services has outpaced the ability to deliver, and agency losses due to COVID have not allowed the organization to increase staffing to reach girls; and
WHEREAS, this funding will allow the Center for Healthy Families to supplement their service delivery at a critical time;
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased demand for services for the Center for Healthy Families; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of CARES Act funding to support the Center for Healthy Families is necessary to address the elevated demand caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2020 Budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a grant agreement with Center for Healthy Families in support of their COVID-19 outreach efforts to black girls, thereby preserving the public health, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Center for Healthy Families in support of their COVID-19 outreach efforts to black girls.
SECTION 2. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $320,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared an emergency measure and shall take effect and be enforced from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.