Children and Youth Commission Strategic Plan
The Children and Youth Commission (CYC) is pleased to present its Strategic Action Plan for the FY2023 - 2026 cycle. This plan reflects key decisions made in the annual strategic planning sessions held in the fall of 2022 and builds upon the planning and health improvement efforts reflected in the 2019 Children and Youth Commission goals.
Click here to download the Strategic Action Plan for the FY2023 - 2026 cycle.
In 2019, the Children and Youth Commission adopted the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) methodology to develop a strategic framework that identifies funding priorities to leverage key health and social determinants indicators for community impact. The Children and Youth Commission gathered information on critical community needs and inequities identified through qualitative and quantitative data, needs assessments, and information gathering.
The Ends Framework outlines the desired results or outcomes proposed in the following three priority areas:
- Safety and Basic Needs
- Early Childcare and Supplemental Education
- Youth Wellness
The Children and Youth Commission (CYC) was formed by Resolution 1989 and is charged by the City of Santa Fe by an Ordinance in 1998 with surveying and assessing the needs of the children and youth within the City of Santa Fe, identifying and recommending to the governing body existing legislation, policies and programs that promote the healthy development of young people, determining priorities for program development, advocating in the community on behalf of children and youth, and planning short and long-range improvements for young people, from birth through the age of twenty-one (21).
The Commission receives three percent of the City's gross receipts taxes and administers funding to local nonprofits on a three-year funding cycle at approximately $1.2 million annually (funding amount varies due to GRT fluctuations). The fund's purpose is to support community programs that promote the healthy development of children and youth ages birth to twenty-one (21). The Commission works in partnership with the City liaison of the Youth and Family Services Division to provide advice on ways to effectively plan, coordinate and support children and youth-related efforts in the Santa Fe community. Plans and policies are presented to the governing body for approval.
In 2019, the Santa Fe Regional Juvenile Justice Board successfully merged with the Children and Youth Commission to create effectiveness and efficiency in the funding and community work that comes out of the Youth and Family Services Division. The Santa Fe Regional Juvenile Justice Board brings extensive knowledge about opportunities available to juvenile justice-involved youth as well as $198,000.00 in state Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Juvenile Justice Prevention funding.
The newly merged Commission strives to see positive results in the lives of community members - including improved health, behavioral health, a sense of safety, and more equitable access to the opportunities that allow all constituents to achieve their full potential. The Commission is working towards affecting the overall health, safety, and quality of life of all children in Santa Fe.
During the 2019 Children and Youth Commission Strategic Planning Retreat, the Commission developed an Ends Framework and identified shared values, guiding principles, and a vision and mission statement. The Commission also identified and adopted a new strategy to address some of the community's most urgent needs. The new strategy is navigation services and is based on the Accountable Health Community model, which is a well-coordinated system of care. Navigators screen individuals for needs related to the social determinants of health and make referrals to partner agencies. The model is made up of youth and adult health and human service providers brought into alignment, not only by their desire to help clients and patients but also by local funders and the alignment of funds to support this streamlined, effective strategy. The goal is to provide easy access to a safety net or navigation services so children, youth, and their families can thrive.
CYC Grants
The Small Grant Fund opportunity will reopen in the summer/fall of 2024.