Fremont City Council Meeting: 09/16/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5527) DOC ID: 5527
Updated: 9/11/2025 9:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH AGREEMENT TO FUND YOUTH AND FAMILY OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS - Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement for FY 2025/26 with Alameda County Health in the amount of $203,211 to Fund the Family Support Services Program at the Fremont Family Resource Center Family and the Department of Human Resources Youth and Family Services Division's Why Try Cognitive Behavioral Groups Program Contact Persons:
Name: Alina Kwak Arquimides Caldera
Title: Family Resource Center
Administrator
Human Services Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2004 510-574-2056
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: Alameda County Health (ACH) has renewed its commitment to fund the Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC), as well as the Human Services Department Division of Youth and Family Services program entitled Why Try behavioral groups. Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with ACH in the amount of $203,211.
BACKGROUND: Since FY 2006/07, Alameda County Health (ACH) has provided Measure A funding to the Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC) to support its infrastructure and family support services, as well as other City programs consistent with the County’s Youth and Family Opportunity (YFO) Initiative. The purpose of the YFO Initiative is to strengthen the capacity of “anchor” community-based organizations to provide a continuum of integrated, high quality, and accessible, school-linked health and wellness support for youth and families.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: For FY 2025/26, ACH is providing funding to both the FRC and the Why Try cognitive behavioral groups program run by the Department of Human Services Youth and Family Services Division (YFS).
Fremont Family Resource Center: The FRC offers family support coordinators (social workers) who partner with parents and caregivers to assist them with access to resources, including health care and health insurance, housing, mental health, immigration services, and services for individuals with disabilities. This support allows families to obtain and maintain employment and to become economically self-sufficient. Family support coordinators provide office, home, virtual, and school-based services and receive referrals from all three local school districts: Fremont Unified School District, Newark Unified School District, and New Haven Unified School District.
WhyTry program: YSF’s WhyTry program provides at-promise (formerly called at-risk) youth the option of attending the Alternative to Suspension program. Youth participants may be first time offenders, on probation, in CalWorks, in the foster care system and enrolled at any Council Staff Report (ID # 5527) Meeting of September 16, 2025 Updated: 9/11/2025 9:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
of the three local school districts, and/or youth who have committed an offense on a school campus.
The WhyTry program is a 4-6 weeks group workshop series offered throughout the school year. Capacity is approximately six students per series for a total of 30 youth annually. It is an evidenced-based curriculum based on weekly learning modules and experiential activities that influence positive behavior change, improved social relationships and decision -making skills. It also provides holistic, wraparound support services and structured service-learning opportunities. All of the youth participants are at-risk for academic failure, continued involvement in the juvenile justice system, alcohol and substance abuse, gang and community violence, and/or mental health problems.
FISCAL IMPACT: The FY 2025/26 ACH funding is allocated as follows below. In anticipation of this agreement, sufficient funding was appropriated in the Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Fund (Fund 179) as part of the FY 2025/26 Adopted Operating Budget.
Program Amount
Family Resource Center $185,524
Youth and Family Services – WhyTry 17,687
Total: $203,211
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Approval of an agreement to provide funding to the FRC and Human Services Department’s social services programs is exempt from, and is not a project subject to, review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to, without limitation, CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), (4) and/or(5), and/or 15061(b)(3), as it is an administrative or fiscal governmental activity that will have no possibility of causing a significant impact on the physical environment. Each of the foregoing provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA exemption.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with Alameda County Health in the amount of $203,211 to fund the Family Support Services Program at the Fremont Family Resource Center and the Department of Human Services Youth and Family Services Division's Why Try Cognitive behavioral groups program.