TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and any subsequent amendments, between the City of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Proposition 10 Commission - First 5 LA in an amount not to exceed $197,084 for the period of July 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013 to continue the Long Beach- Wilmington Best Babies Collaborative Program, and execute service subcontracts and subsequent amendments with the listed agencies for outreach and health education. (Districts 1,6,7,9)
DISCUSSION
Since October 2005, the City Council has approved grant funds for the Long Beach-Wilmington Best Babies Collaborative (LB-W BBC) Program funded by the Los Angeles County Proposition 10 Commission - First 5 L.A. With the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) as the lead agency, the Health Department oversees the implementation of the program by working with community-based agencies to maintain a coordinated and comprehensive network of resources to improve birth outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged families in Long Beach and Wilmington (zip codes 90802, 90805, 90806, 90813, and 90744). First 5 LA has awarded the City of Long Beach $197,084 to continue the program for six months (July 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013).
Although the overall infant mortality rate in Long Beach has declined, it varies by race and ethnicity, with the greatest disparity among Black or African American infants. In 2008, African American infants had a mortality rate of 10 per 1,000 live births compared to 5.3 for Asians and 4.3 for Latinos. The preterm birth rate for Long Beach in 2008 was 10.6, slightly lower than the State rate of 10.7. However, the pre-term birth rate is highest among African Americans at 14.8 followed by Asians at 11.9. The low birth weight rate for Long Beach is 7.4 compared to 6.8 for California.
Through the leadership of the Health Department, Long Beach continues to see a decline in infant morta...
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