Mono Strategic Plan (2005)

The California Children and Families Act (also known as Proposition 10 or “First 5”) was enacted in 1998, increasing taxes on tobacco products in order to provide the funds to create a comprehensive and integrated delivery system of information and services to promote early childhood development from prenatal to age 5. Mono County currently receives approximately $430,000 a year from these funds, through annual allocations, augmentations for small population and rural counties, and school readiness and child care workforce retention incentive matching funds. In order to access these monies, the county must adopt a strategic plan that shows how Proposition 10 funding will be used to promote a comprehensive and integrated system of early childhood development services.

The Mono County Children and Families Commission (referred to as simply “the Commission” throughout) was created in 1999 to evaluate the current and projected needs of young children and their families, develop a strategic plan that describes how the community needs will be addressed, determine how to expend local First 5 resources, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and activities funded in accordance with the strategic plan. The mission of the Commission is:

The Mono County Children and Families Commission provides leadership for a network of support for all children, from the prenatal stage through age five, and their families, developed and operated in partnership with communities and families and accountable to them for improving outcomes in children’s health, safety and learning.

The vision of the kind of future the Commission is working to create is:

All Mono County children will thrive in supportive, nurturing and loving environments, enter school healthy and ready to learn, and make a positive contribution to society.

In order to fulfill its vision and mission despite relatively limited resources, the Commission has adopted a very strategic, targeted approach to using First 5 funds.