First 5 LA Serving the Community?

Recommendations 10

• R1

  Page 162
  Family Strengthening
• R2

  Page 162
  Community Capacity Building
• R3

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  Systems Improvement Initiatives The Strategic Plan also included Countywide Strategies as a separate, but complimentary, component of the plan. In the 2010 Implementation Plan for the 2009-2015 Strategic Plan, the Family Strengthening and Community Capacity Building components are described in greater detail. The Systems Improvement Initiatives were combined with the Countywide Strategies. According to the early strategic documents, First 5 LA envisioned that the Countywide Strategies would develop strong, coordinated and responsive systems to support families and improve outcomes for children prenatal through five years of age. Figure 2.1 presents brief descriptions of the three components of First 5 LA’s Place-Based Strategy. FIRST 5 LA SERVING THE COMMUNITY? 160 2013-2014 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT Figure 2.1: Description of the Place-Based Components and Countywide Strategies Strategy Component Description Place-Based Strategy The Place-Based Approach is comprised of the three components below. Family Strengthening Investments to provide intensive, direct services to at-risk families. This component consists primarily of support for the “Welcome Baby!” and other home visitation programs. Community Capacity Building Seen as a vehicle for partnering with communities. Goal is to organize and train residents and organizations to advocate for themselves. Investments in this area have primarily supported the development of 14 Community Partnerships. Systems Improvement Activities designed to impact the larger structures affecting child well-being in the 14 communities. Countywide Strategies The countywide strategies are to consist of investments in seven areas, namely 1) Public Policy, 2) Public Education, 3) Resource Mobilization, 4) Workforce Development, 5) Data Systems Integration, 6) Health Access, and 7) Information Resource and Referral. Source: FY 2009-2015 Strategic Plan and 2010 Implementation Plan The components of the Place-Based Strategy and Countywide Strategies have not been presented consistently in budget and expenditure documents, thus making it difficult to track spending by activity over time. In fact, less detail has been presented over time in the Agency’s budget documents. A review of Agency budgets and expenditure reports illustrates this point. The names given to the Place-Based Initiative components changed between FYs 2010-2011 and 2013-2014. In the final two years, the investments in this category are referred to in a single line item as Best Start. FIRST 5 LA SERVING THE COMMUNITY? 161 2013-2014 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT This change is consistent with the restructuring of the Place-Based Strategy that occurred upon the adoption by the Commission of the Best Start Family Framework in June, 2013. However, collapsing spending records for different program elements into one budget category reduces the transparency of the Agency’s financial documents, as well as the Commission’s ability to provide oversight, and the level of disclosure provided to the public. Figure 2.2 presents budgeted amounts for the various program components that comprised Place-Based Initiatives in FYs 2010-11 through 2013-14, including program components that were transferred in and out of the Place-Based Initiative category. Figure 2.2: Changes in Budget Presentation for Place-Based & other Initiative Expenditures, FYs 2010-11 through 2013-14
• R4

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  Workforce Development, 5) Data Systems Integration, 6) Health Access, and
• R7

  Page 169
  Pacoima/Northeast Valley
• R9

  Page 169
  South El Monte/El Monte FIRST 5 LA SERVING THE COMMUNITY? 166 2013-2014 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT
• R10

  Page 170
  South Los Angeles/Broadway-Manchester
• R11

  Page 170
  South Los Angeles/West Athens
• R12

  Page 170
  Southeast LA County Cities
• R14

  Page 170
  Wilmington Nowhere in First 5 LA’s budget and financial documents are expenditures for the Place-Based Initiatives tracked by the fourteen communities. Staff indicated that they do not have this information readily available for review. Budget Documents Do Not Include Sufficient Detail about Place-Based Expenditures During the course of FY 2012-13, changes were made to the Place- Based Strategy allocation at several points. Figure 2.6 below highlights changes to the allocations that were proposed in the FY 2012-13 budget. Initially, the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners adopted an annual program budget for FY 2012-13 of $31 million for Place-Based Initiatives. In April, the First 5 LA Board took action to identify an allocation amount per community. It approved funding levels of $1.7 million per community, or a total of $23.8 million ($1.7 million per community x 14 communities) over the course of the 2012-13 fiscal year. That total was subsequently reduced by the Commission, to $560,000 per community, or $7.8 million total in July 2012 (when the Agency initiated its internal “pause,” to re-examine the goals of the Place-Based Strategy). This total was significantly below the $31 million initially budgeted for FY 2012-13. In July 2012, additional funding was approved for evaluations, communications, and partnership logistical support, rather than for the full range of activities that were to comprise the Place- Based Strategy. The budget reduction between April and July was due to the Agency’s internal decision to slow the pace of Place-Based Strategy implementation. It is unclear, however, why both the April and July budget allocations in the supplementary documents were lower than the original FY 2012-13 Budget. FIRST 5 LA SERVING THE COMMUNITY? 167 2013-2014 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT Figure 2.6: Place-Based Strategy Budget Allocations in FY 2012-13