TO: Mayor Gavin Newsom

FROM: San Francisco Youth Commission

CC: Gloria Young, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

DATE: February 21, 2006

RE: 2006-07 Budget Recommendations

This memorandum highlights the Youth Commission recommendations for the 06-07 General Fund budget to better serve the young people of San Francisco.

Executive Committee:

• Fully fund the San Francisco Youth Commission's Program and Policy Coordinator position in the Clerk of the Board budget.
• Expand funding for youth-led initiatives such as DCYF's Youth Empowerment Fund and other such programs in Department of Public Health and Human Services Agency. Youth are incredible, and a relatively untapped resource in solving community issues.

Health and Housing Committee:

• Expand Wellness Centers to middle schools, continuation high schools, and all SFUSD high schools. Find the necessary funding through voter approved Proposition 63, which will allow the City and County of San Francisco to invest $80,000 towards the Wellness Initiative. DCYF's general funding could also be dedicated to this effort.
• Remove the 90-day window for youth to apply for the Healthy Kids program, with particular attention towards assisting foster care, homeless, juvenile and undocumented youth. Dedicate outreach funding and program support services to DCYF contracts, such as community-based organizations serving the aforementioned youth communities.
• Allocate funding through DCYF, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Department of Human Services to provide a full complement of developmentally appropriate housing options for youth that focus on safety, stability, affordability, and transitions to prevent precarious housing or homelessness, with special focus on the LGBTQQ youth community.

Youth Justice Committee:

• Prioritize violence prevention and intervention programs in schools, with a focus on cultural competency and easing racial tensions. Re-allocate SFPD funds dedicated to school security to new community-based programs. Program service providers should reflect the demographics and experiences of youth that are being served to be youth culturally competent. Currently there are no programs within schools that specifically address racial tension and violence.

• Save Safe Haven, which is to be closed June 06, because of an end in federal funding. It is one of the best citywide programs that serve at-risk youth in a culturally competent way. We request DCYF funding ($850,000) be used to keep programs open and for Save Haven to create a tracking system of youth participation.

Recreation and Services Committee:

• Expand Workreation under Parks and Recreation beyond the current aging out age of eighteen years old, ideally through age twenty-one or twenty-three.

• Fully fund the Young People's Teen Theatre, without raising fees for the theater summer or school year programs. This resource should be free for youth all year around. This item is under the Park and Recreation department.

• Fund the Youth Nighttime Coalition of CellSpace, an organization that provides a youth-led venue for youth entertainment. CellSpace's coalition model will be effective in addressing violence and security issues around night youth entertainment.

Youth Employment Committee:

• Fund additional employment programs for at-risk youth that provide culturally competent pre-employment, retention and job training. Funding from DCYF, MOED.

• Reform WIB's Youth Council to become a full intermediary for youth employment initiatives. This includes funding a joint full time staff (DCYF/MOED) to coordinate citywide youth employment efforts and staff the Youth Council. The Youth Council needs an active stipended youth membership. Currently the Youth Council has no youth members.