Children's Budget Fiscal Year 2023-24: An Investment in Children's Well-Being
The County of Santa Clara is pleased to present its Children’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, which reflects the
budget for children and youth-oriented programs as it was adopted by the Board
of Supervisors on June 15, 2023. In collaboration with community partners, the Children's Budget shows programs across the entire County that emphasize supporting the needs of our youth through four general categories of children's well-being:
- Every Child Safe
- Every Child Healthy
- Every Child Successful in Learning
- Every Child Successful in Life
The FY 2023-2024 Adopted Budget as a whole signifies a shift
in the overall fiscal environment facing the County, resulting in a challenging
year. Revenues from property taxes are not increasing at a rate that keeps pace
with our cost increases. Revenues from federal and state subventions may become
unstable. Nevertheless, in spite of fiscal constraints, the County’s commitment
to children, youth, and families is unwavering. Therefore, while the overall
County budget decreased year-over-year, monies allocated to programs supporting
children, youth, and families increased 8.7%, from a total of $1.09 billion to
$1.18 billion.
To this end, the County would like to highlight substantial
investment in three key programs through the FY 2023-24 Adopted
Budget:
- School-Based Wellness Center Grant Program
- Childcare Expansion Grant Program
- Homelessness Prevention System
SCHOOL-BASED WELLNESS CENTER GRANT PROGRAM
The FY 2023-24 Adopted
Budget allocates $5 million of one-time American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding
and $5 million of one-time Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding to support
the implementation of Wellness Centers on school campuses. The goal of this
program is to increase access to mental health services for students with
behavioral and emotional needs, promote mental health awareness, and support
students in re-engaging with school following remote learning during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Wellness Centers provide a designated physical space, with
drop-in access to services and supports in coordination with the school’s other
student supports. The Centers will be staffed by qualified mental health
professionals who will work closely with school staff to provide youth with
behavioral, social, and emotional support—providing early intervention for
mental health needs. By increasing behavioral health services capacity on
school campuses through the implementation of Wellness Centers, youth will be
able to access the support they need in a timely and efficient manner, leading
to improved outcomes for students and the overall school community.
CHILDCARE EXPANSION GRANT PROGRAM
On February 28, 2023,
the Board of Supervisors approved $15 million in ARPA funding for a childcare expansion
grant program with the goal of increasing families’ access to quality childcare
across Santa Clara County. Grant funds will result in added classroom spaces,
enhanced facilities, and successful hiring of childcare staff. The Office of
Children and Family Policy (OCFP) is partnering with Valley Health Foundation
to administer the grant program using equity-grounded outreach and a grant
disbursement approach. Childcare expansion grants will support center- and
family-based providers serving communities that were most impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic and whose businesses experienced childcare disruptions and
enrollment gaps. Through its equity approach, the County expects grant funding
to result in an increase in the total number of quality infant, toddler, and other
childcare spaces available to families.
HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SYSTEM
This program provides
time-limited rental assistance and other financial assistance, as well as light
case management, to families with children and individuals who are at imminent
risk of becoming unhoused. The FY 2023-24 Budget allocated additional
resources, fully offset by increased revenue from an agreement with the City of
Santa Clara, thus increasing the availability of Homelessness Prevention
Services for unhoused families and individuals, focused on current or former
residents of the City of Santa Clara. Overall, the total investment in this
program exceeds $17 million in FY 2023-24.
OVERALL SPENDING ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Based on the FY 2023-24 Adopted
Budget, the County will spend
approximately $1.18 billion on
Children, Youth, and Family
Programs. The County will receive
approximately $954.4 million in
funding from state, federal, and
other sources for Children, Youth,
and Family Programs in FY 2023-24,
yielding a net cost to the County
of approximately $226.3 million.
To put these numbers in context,
the FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget
authorizes spending of $10.67 billion, which means that approximately 11% of total County spending
is for these types of programs.
This amount of spending on
Children, Youth, and Family Programs
described in this Children’s
Budget also understates the amount
that the County spends on programs
benefiting children and youth for
another reason, which is because
programs that benefit the general
public and capital projects are both
excluded from the definition.
EVERY CHILD SAFE
Every child safe category reflects programs that address issues of food insecurity and hunger, children living in safe and stable families, and juvenile arrests. The estimated spending for FY 2023-24 in this category is $660.3 million.
EVERY CHILD HEALTHY
Every child healthy category comprises programs that address routine access to health care, healthy lifestyle, early social emotional development, a developmental asset. The estimated spending for FY 2023-24 in this category is $491.3 million.
EVERY CHILD SUCCESSFUL IN LEARNING
Every child successful in learning consists of programs that address school readiness, third grade reading proficiency, and middle school math proficiency. The estimated spending for FY 2023-24 in this category is $18.1 million.
EVERY CHILD SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE
Every child successful in life entails programs that address high school graduation rates, children fluent in at least two languages, and youth feel valued by the community. The estimated spending for FY 2023-24 in this category is $10.1 million.
For more information, visit FY 2023-24 Children's Budget.