A roap aiming to deliver San Diego youth extensive systems and programming was endorsed by a key City Council committee on Thursday.
The Office of Child and Youth Success and the nonprofit Social Advocates for Youth teamed up to develop the city’s first-ever Child and Youth Plan. For months, dozens of focus groups and steering committee meetings were held to gauge community input — and then integrated into the two-year plan.
At Thursday’s meeting, the Community and Neighborhood Services Committee unanimously approved the motion. And Councilmember Raul Campillo was quick to voice his .
“I’m absolutely enthusiastic about how this plan advances progress in the child care and early childhood education sector,” Campillo said.
San Diegans got their first glimpse of the draft in March. Community gathered at the Central Library in downtown, where they divided into groups and discussed actions they would like to see implemented in the project.
Andrea O’Hara, the new office’s executive director, credited the engagement with helping bring the draft to life with fresh youth input.
That will be the key to piping additional funding and resources toward the city’s youth programming, she added.
“We really dove into what an adopted framework could look like to help create better programs for the different focus areas,” O’Hara said. “The youth that were involved in this strategic plan really should be the winners.”
In general, five priorities have been highlighted: education and career pathways; economic and workforce development; youth empowerment; engaging activities; and child care. Each will serve as a framework to chart out action strategies for city departments, fostering new programs, services and partnerships.
To measure the plan’s success, the Office of Child and Youth Success will also follow the work of emerging organizations and services — a point emphasized by Councilmember Henry L. Foster III.
“I do think as we work with these various departments, and as you continue to develop your plan in the actual initiatives that come out from the plan and further discussions, that we really do hone in on metrics, and how we measure success,” Foster said.
The plan’s making considered everything from the city’s youth education levels and chronic school absenteeism to incarceration rates and foster care.
The youth office has meanwhile also been working to revitalize a struggling Youth Commission, which was placed under its purview through an amendment to the city’s municipal code.
Since Mayor Todd Gloria first reactivated the commission almost three years ago, say insufficient training and low turnout at meetings have plagued its operations.
Two new commissioners have been recently appointed, leaving the body with 13 out of 20 total representative seats filled, and a new chair and vice chair have been named, according to O’Hara.
Meeting quorum rules have been a challenge for the . The office has now assembled special councils, so youth can hold virtual meetings to discuss their objectives more consistently.
“Having potentially a strategic plan adopted really kind of puts that blueprint out there, saying, ‘Hey, this is a priority for us, how are we going to meet this?’” O’Hara said.
Should the full City Council approve the proposed youth plan, thousands of San Diego young people can hope to see their visions come to fruition in the near future.
