Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Human Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Acceptance of a Grant in the amount of $641,382 from the Georgia Department of Public Health for the DeKalb Maternal, Infant, & Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program- at no cost to the County.
Body
Information Contact: Mr. Damon Scott, Director, Human Services Department
Phone Number: (404) 687-2385
PURPOSE:
To consider accepting a grant award in the amount of $641,382 from the Georgia Department of Public Health for the DeKalb Maternal, Infant, & Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and to appropriate the funds to the grant fund.
NEED/IMPACT:
The DeKalb County MIECHV (Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting) Program connects families to parenting resources and a wide range of community services that improve child family well-being. Families receive services through First Steps, Parents as Teachers (PAT) and Head Start- Home Based Option visiting programs. This model is an evidence-based approach that has been proven to be successful for families with intensive needs. This grant award represents the 11th year that funding for this program has been offered to DeKalb County. The MIECHV Program focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect as well as promotes positive parenting to enhance the achievement child developmental milestones and prepare young children to be successful in school.
While in person home visits have been put on hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the DeKalb MIECHV program successfully provided services during the last year by holding virtual home visits using a webex platform and phone calls- serving 159 families. If approved, the DeKalb program will serve 195 families with home visiting and 1,000 families through First Steps Program during the new contract. The grant period is October 1, 2021- September 30, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund because there is no match requirement.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Accept the Grant award in the amount of $641,382 from the Georgia Department of Public Health for the DeKalb MIECHV program; Appropriate all the funds to the Grant Fund; Authorize disbursements and Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute all necessary documents.