Information on Funding Opportunities through the Wallowa County Commission on Children and Families

(Please Note that the Request for Proposal period for 2011-13 funding is closed)

This is a brief overview of the background and the process for applying for funding through the Wallowa County Commission on Children and Families (WCCCF).  The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners is the official recipient of funds and makes the final decision on awards which come to Wallowa County through the Oregon Commission on Children and Families.  WCCCF follows a formal process and timeline for seeking applications and awarding funds.   Any public or private organization is eligible to apply for funding with some restrictions.  Funds for programs come from a variety of sources, including federal and state origins. 

It is important to know that funding is entirely dependent on the availability of funds as decided by the legislature and the Oregon Commission on Children and Families.  WCCCF is responsible for developing and managing the funding contracts and the outcomes measurement of the funded programs.  Funded programs provide quarterly reports on the status of their programs to WCCCF.

 WCCCF favors funding projects that combine and collaborate with other programs and funds to build quality services and supports that will outlive the Commission’s investment.  The Commission is guided in its funding decisions by the Wallowa County Comprehensive Plan.

Wallowa County Commission on Children & Families Funding Purposes and Restrictions

The Wallowa County Commission on Children and Families’ funding comes from a variety of sources including federal or state origins.  Current grants include, but are not limited to:  Great Start; Child Care Development Funds; Youth Investment; Family Preservation and Support and Children, Youth and Families Flex Funds.

 Great Start (State):  Programs and services that promote outcomes identified in the local plan including, but not limited to, best practice-based early childhood programs in county settings, services that have proven to be successful, and that meet the needs of the community.  Age:  Prenatal services to expectant mothers, children 0 to 8 years of age and the children’s families.

 Child Care Development Funds (Federal):  Programs and services which promote outcomes identified in the local plan to increase and stabilize the supply and quality of child care for low income working parents and/or student parents.  Emphasis should be placed on school age child care; extended day child care; infant and toddler child care; part-time care; care during non-traditional hours and sick child care.  Highest priority shall be given to areas where school districts are eligible for Chapter 1 grants, areas with high concentrations of poverty, and areas of high and low population density.  Funds shall not be used to contract for childcare slots or scholarships for children from low-income families.  Age:  0-13 years of age, except for special needs children 0-18 years of age.

 Youth Investment (Federal):  Non-stigmatizing programs and services to youth who are chronically acting out or who are victims of neglect, but who are non-delinquent.  Programs and services will be provided in a gender-specific and culturally competent manner to promote outcomes identified in the local comprehensive plan.  Chronically Acting Out Youth:  Youth are considered acting out when they are exhibiting school behavior problems, are out of parental control, are runaway and homeless, or are exhibiting either one or two other risk factors such as poor attitude toward school, substance use, history of family violence, living in poverty, teenage mother, separation from parents, peer rejection, anti-social or delinquent peers, grade retention, or residential instability.  Non-Delinquent:  Youth may be considered non-delinquent if they have no history of, or current involvement with, the juvenile justice system, or have been diverted from the juvenile justice system.  This definition does NOT include youth who have been referred to the Juvenile Department for a criminal activity, or who have been placed on an informal accountability agreement.  Age:  13-18 years of age, although 11-12 year olds may be included where appropriate.

 Family Preservation and Support (Federal):

 Family Preservation Services:  Family preservation services refers to services for children and families designed to protect children from harm and help families (including foster, adoptive, and extended families) at risk or in crisis, including:  Pre-placement preventive services programs, such as intensive family preservation programs, designed to help children at risk of foster care placement remain with their families, where possible.  Examples of programs may include Intensive Family Treatment, Domestic Violence Prevention programs, or other pre-placement preventative programs for families at risk of foster placement.  Service programs designed to help children, where appropriate, return to families from which they have been removed; or be placed for adoption, with a legal guardian, or, if adoption or legal guardianship is determined not to be appropriate for a child, in some other planned, permanent living arrangement.  Examples of programs may include family preservation services to assist in re-unification of families.  Service programs designed to provide follow-up care to families to whom a child has been returned after a foster care placement.  Examples of programs may include family-centered service programs that provide follow-up care to families re-united with their child.  Respite care of children to provide temporary relief for parents and other caregivers (including foster parents).  Example of programs may include Family Respite Care.  Services designed to improve parenting skills (by reinforcing parents’ confidence in their strengths, and helping them to identify where improvement is needed and to obtain assistance in improving those skills) with respect to matters such as child development, family budgeting, coping with stress, health, and nutrition.  Example of programs may include Parenting Skill Building.  Case management services designed to stabilize families in crisis such as transportation, assistance with housing and utility payments, and access to adequate health care.  Example of acceptable programs could include Family Support and Connections.  All children and their families.

 Family Support Services:  Family support services means community-based services to promote the well-being of children and families designed to increase the strength and stability of families (including adoptive, foster, and extended families), to increase parents’ confidence and competence in their parenting abilities, to afford children a stable and supportive family environment, and otherwise to enhance child development.  Family support services may include:  Services, including in-home visits, parent support groups, and other programs designed to improve parenting skills (by reinforcing parents’ confidence in their strengths, and helping them to identify where improvement is needed and to obtain assistance in improving those skills) with respect to matters such as child development, family budgeting, coping with stress, health, and nutrition.  Example of programs may include Parenting Classes, Parent-to-Parent Support, and In-Home Visitation Classes.  Respite care of children to provide temporary relief for parents and other caregivers.  Example of program may include Family Respite Care.  Structured activities involving parents and children to strengthen the parent-child relationship.  Example of program may include Healthy Start.  Drop-in centers to afford families opportunities for informal interaction with other families and with program staff. Example of program may include Family Resource Centers.  Transportation, information and referral services to afford families access to other community services, including child care, health care, nutrition programs, adult education literacy programs, legal services, and counseling and mentoring services.  Examples of programs may include Dial-a-ride, Child Care Referral, and Outreach Centers.  Early development screening of children to assess the needs of such children, and assistance to families in securing specific services to meet these needs.  All children and their families. 

 Children, Youth and Families Flex Funds (State):  These funds are to be allocated based on priorities identified in local plans and directed toward systems, programs or initiatives based on best practices.  These funds are to allow maximum flexibility by counties to fund those areas of highest priority.  Age: 0-18 and their families.

Prevention Service Elements 70 & 80 (State):  These funds support integrated strategies designed to prevent substance abuse and associated effects, regardless of the age of participants, under the requirements of OAR 414-056-0000 through 415-056-0025 and must have a current Letter of Approval issued by the Oregon Department of Human Services, Addictions and Mental Health Division.  They are designed to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors associated with substance abuse.  The funds are used to implement the use of the following integrated strategies:  Information dissemination such as media campaigns; prevention education such as school curricula and parenting education; alcohol, tobacco and other drug free alternatives such as youth leadership and community service projects; community based processes such as community coalitions; environmental/social policy development such as school policies and community laws related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; and problem identification and referral such as student assistance programs.