TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement between the City of Long Beach and Public Health Foundation Enterprise, in the amount of $83,105 for the First 5 LA Little by Little Literacy Project for the period of May 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014, and any subsequent amendments that extend the contract or increase future funding levels. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
From 2003 to 2008, with funding from First 5 LA, six Los Angeles County Public Health Foundation Enterprise (PHFE) WIC Centers were transformed into WIC Literacy Centers, where the importance of good nutrition was extended to include good nutrition for the brain. This project, titled Little by Little (LBL), changed the WIC culture to one in which school readiness activities were integrated into WIC services, and WIC individual and group education encounters included early learning topics and strategies.
During this five-year project, at every WIC visit at these Literacy Centers, over 118,000 children ages 0-5 received age-appropriate developmental materials, developmental learning tools and activities for parents to do with their children at home. By working closely with other agencies that specialized in school readiness and literacy activities, expanding these activities into the WIC setting, and educating families about early literacy activities, this project assisted WIC families in creating stimulating home environments and a "culture" that fostered literacy prior to school entry. PHFE WIC has expanded this program to include seven Los Angeles County local WIC agencies with an allocation of approximately $30 million for a six-year period from First 5 LA.
The City will collaborate with the PHFE WIC Program to provide literacy services at the St. Mary's WIC office from May 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014, initially, with the potential to renew or expand the program. The goal of this project is to reinforce the importance of reading to children daily and involves providing developmental materials and children's books.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Vu on November 18, 2013 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on November 21, 2013.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City council action is requested on December 10, 2013 in order to commence the program on May 1, 2014.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of the agreement is $83,105 for the period of May 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. Sufficient funds are currently appropriated in the Health Fund (SR 130) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HE). There is no City match, and no local job impact associated with this action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY
DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER