TO: NEIGHBORHOOD
SERVICES AND
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
FROM: Jon Cicirelli
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: March 24, 2025
Approved Date:
4/2/2025
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
SUBJECT: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Report
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Report for fiscal year 2024- 2025.
BACKGROUND
On April 9, 2024, the City of San José City Council approved the Children and Youth Services Master Plan document and the recommendations to develop a CSJ System of Care (CSJ SOC).1 In the Mayor’s June Budget Message for fiscal year 2024-2025, City Council approved $1 million to support the CYS Master plan and launch and implementation of the CSJ SOC in the demonstration site communities.2 To assess impact on a smaller scale, before expanding to other vulnerable communities, Council approved piloting the development and implementation of the infrastructure, components, and processes (i.e., intake, screening, referral, evaluation, data collection) of the CSJ SOC in two demonstration sites in East San José, 1) the Poco Way community, including the Mayfair community, in zip code 95116, and 2) Seven Trees community, including the Santee community, in zip codes 95111 and 95122. The demonstration sites were identified in partnership with City of San José City Manager’s Office, PRNS, Library, and community stakeholders. While these communities have rich history and vibrancy, and immeasurable assets, strengths, and attributes, they are also communities whose residents experience disparities and 1 https://sanjoseca.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=c5920123-10f2-4200-aa71-41cde835ae87 2 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/113842/638597664102830000 COMMITTEE AGENDA: 4/10/25
ITEM: (d)2
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
inequities across many domains, including health, life expectancy, income, housing, educational attainment, justice, and welfare systems.
The Children and Youth Services Master Plan was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Families, children, and youth from specific areas already experiencing socio-economic challenges were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, worsening their living conditions. Consequently, they faced even greater challenges and barriers to economic recovery, as well as overall reductions in health, physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being.
In the Mayor’s June 2021 Budget Message, the City Manager’s Office (CMO) was directed to develop a comprehensive "Cradle to Career" Youth Development Master Plan, now referred to as the Children and Youth Services Master Plan.3 The City Manager’s Office and City staff began the development of the CYS Master Plan in the fall of 2022 by developing a robust community engagement strategy. As a result, City staff engaged over 3,000 individuals, community members, and organizations/entities.
The information gathered from the community engagement activities along with available data, literature review, and evidence-based and best practices resulted in a Children and Youth Services Master Plan grounded in community voice that includes a vision and the seven priority areas for San José children and youth, see Table 1.
To achieve the vision, the CYS Master Plan included the following key elements:
Guidance on policy priorities, investments, and alignment of programs. Operationalize the San José Bill of Rights for Children and Young Adults. A strategic and integrated City of San José System of Care (CSJ System of Care/CSJ SOC) service delivery system to provide a safety-net for children and youth, and their families, from prevention to intervention. A continuum of support for children and youth from cradle to career; and Long-term and sustainable impact and measurable outcomes.
The CYS Master Plan priority areas align and support three of the four City Council Focus Areas; Increasing Community Safety, Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness, and Cleaning Up Our Neighborhoods.4 The focus areas hold the City accountable to drive positive outcomes that most impact the community and generate actionable and measurable solutions to address these priorities. Thus, the vision and outcomes of the CYS Master Plan support the City’s progress in achieving the focus areas. 3 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=9462559&GUID=B971B27E-38CD-4CD8-B9CE-7A54541BA505 4 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/mayor-and-city-council/city-council-focus-areas Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
Table 1: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Vision and Strategic Priority Areas The development of the CYS Master Plan also included identifying gaps in existing service and policy landscape, and opportunities to align and leverage other City, county, regional, and state-level initiatives and strategic plans. Furthermore, the CYS Master Plan and CSY System of Care align with and support the YEA pillars of Prevention, Intervention, Diversion + Re-entry, and Healing, and supports in the Project Hope priority neighborhoods.
ANALYSIS
The vibrancy, economy, well-being, and future of all those who live, work, visit, and do business in San José are intrinsically intertwined with the outcomes of its young residents, and their families. To have true transformative systems change with longterm sustainable impact, the City has a critical role to play. As a policymaker, funder, convener, service provider, and partner, the City, alongside all sectors of the community, can dismantle systemic racism, structural barriers, persistent inequities, and Vision Statement
Fostering a future where every child and youth in San José blossoms into healthy, resilient, selfsufficient adults, enriched with abundant opportunities to live, work, play, dream, and prosper within the vibrant landscape of Silicon Valley.
Priority Areas Expected Outcomes
Early Learning and Childcare All children experience nurturing adults and safe environments that support their optimal physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Learning and Empowerment All youth graduate from high school and are empowered to access opportunities that enable them to realize their educational goals and prepare for a successful future.
Health and Mental Wellness All youth are resilient, connected to others, feel valued, and have a sense of purpose, and access to holistic supports throughout their developmental journey.
Housing Access and
Security
All youth and their families live in safe, affordable, and stable housing of their choice without fear or anxiety of displacement.
Meaningful and Sustaining
Jobs
All youth develop into capable and self-sufficient adults with the mastery of essentials skills for successful entry into a meaningful career of their choice in Silicon Valley.
Safe, Clean, and Connected
Communities
All youth and their families feel connected to each other and exercise their voice and leadership in strengthening their community, in safe, clean, vibrant, and inclusive neighborhoods.
Systems Transformation:
City of San José System of
Care
All youth and their families have access to a safety-net of services and supports and opportunities pathways, from cradle to career, that are integrated and leveraged in partnership with the City of San José, state, county, local, and national resources, and initiatives.
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
generational trauma that create a chasm across the City and in neighborhoods. All children and youth deserve to grow up with confidence that their racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic background, family history, or zip code of residence will not be a determining factor in their access to resources and support, and ability to achieve their dreams and full potential. City staff recognize the importance of a collective impact approach that places the child in the center, supporting their development from birth to adulthood, cradle to career, within the context of their family, school, neighborhood, and larger community. With the support and guidance of consultant, Collective Impact Solutions, and City staff, this collaborative approach led to the development of the City of San José Children and Youth Services Master Plan Annual Status Report 2025, that includes a robust description of the parallel work, key accomplishments, lessons learned, and proposed strategies to achieve the vision for children and youth, and their families, refer to Attachment 1.
Progress and Accomplishments
City of San José System of Care, Safety-Net Design
City staff across departments (e.g., Library, PRNS, OED/work2future, ORE, Housing), and community stakeholders (e.g., education leaders, school districts, grassroot and community-based organizations, childcare providers), families, children, youth, and young adults completed the co-design of the CSJ System of Care tools and processes in March 2025. The design of the CSJ System of Care, is grounded on social and racial equity, cultural relevancy, trauma-informed practices, proven systems change and theoretical frameworks, and the No Wrong Door Service Delivery framework, refer to attachment 2.
Priority Areas
Per Council Direction, staff identified and aligned short and mid-term goals to support youth, categorized into four groups: 0-5 years, K-5th grade, 6-12th grade, and post-high school to 24 years old, ensuring success in high school, college, or career and technical schools, across City departments and programs, refer to Attachment 3. This exercise also provided an opportunity to map City programs and services to the seven priority areas and identify areas being addressed internally, and areas that require leveraging resources and supports with external community partners.
Priority Area Workgroups: Through June 2024 to February 2025, City staff formed and launched the Priority Area Workgroups with approximately 120 individuals, representing 62 organizations to participate in one of the seven priority area workgroups. Community partners were identified based on their expertise, knowledge, interest, and area of service. The Priority Area Workgroups reviewed the goals and objectives for each priority area recognizing that these are ambitious and need to be further refined for the demonstration site communities, refer to Attachment 4.
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
College and Career Pathway Supportive Strategy
In July 2022, the Google Community Benefit Fund invested in the Library to launch a three-year project now known as the College and Career Pathways Supportive Strategy to coordinate efforts throughout the City to achieve the following goals:
Improve education and employment outcomes for San José’s youth. Increase participation by historically underserved students in:
o Post-high-school education and training programs;
o Internships and apprenticeships; and,
o Jobs that lead to longer-term careers in fields that provide a living wage in Silicon Valley.
Demonstrate improved program outcomes through reporting to the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee (NSE).
The initial three-year project term closes in June 2025 and made meaningful progress toward achieving the three goals.
Built partnership structures and collaboration opportunities, including those related to the CYSMP Meaningful and Sustaining Jobs priority area that allow for more targeted and effective programming to advance education and employment outcomes for youth in San José.
Focused on developing and expanding quality youth employment opportunities. o 11 City-directed programs serving 3,072 participants in FY 23-24 alone.
Participation rates and outcomes detail in Attachment 5. Regular reporting of the College and Career Pathways Supportive Strategy has been presented annually to the NSE through the Education and Digital Literacy Annual Report, which is typically presented in the Fall.
More details about this work are available in a report to the Library and Education Commission from January 2025.5
Blue Zones Readiness Assessment
In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the City Council allocated $150,000 to study the implementation of a Blue Zones project in San José. This funding was supplemented with additional funding from the County of Santa Clara, The Health Trust, Santa Clara Family Health Plan, and Adobe for a total of $550,000 to support the development of the Blue Zones Assessment, Readiness, and Feasibility Report (BZ Report) by the Blue Zones organization. Blue Zones is an organization aimed at improving the health, longevity, and quality of life of a community through engaging communities to strengthen social connections, supporting places such as worksites and schools to 5 https://www.sjpl.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2025/01/LEC-Memo_January-15-2025_Amended-SupportingDocuments.pdf Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
make healthier options accessible, and enacting policies that optimize the use of City streets, public spaces, and community involvement.
On October 22, 2024, Blue Zones organization presented the final BZ Report to the City Council and to County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors in their respective meetings.6 The BZ Report details the assessment process and the findings on the health and wellbeing of San José residents, with a focus on the demonstration site communities of the CYS Master Plan. The report includes recommendations and potential strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of residents.
In response to the City Council memo from Councilmembers Davis, Doan, Foley, and Ortiz, staff have conducted a preliminary inventory of existing resources and gap analysis.7 The Blue Zones organization in collaboration with a Blue Zones Steering Committee, representing City staff, philanthropies, corporations, community-based organizations, school districts, and government agencies, continue to explore the capacity and funding viability to advance the BZ Report recommendations and strategies for San José. If funding is secured to launch Blue Zones in San José, City staff with the Blue Zones organization, County, and other external partners will conduct a more comprehensive assessment of infrastructure assets and explore “quick-build traffic calming projects and availability of multi-model transportation options”, as referenced in the memo.8
Bill of Rights for Children and Youth
In June 2023, City Council adopted the Santa Clara County Bill of Rights for Children and Young Adults (Bill of Rights) replacing the San José Bill of Rights for Children and Youth which had served as aspirational guidelines for departments and community stakeholders over the years since its original adoption in 2010.9 They outlined the essential rights that each young person should and must have to ensure their wellbeing.
It also acknowledges that, at present, access to these rights is not a reality for many children, youth, and young adults.
City staff have adopted the report released in August 2022, identified recommendations to ensure that all the Bill of Rights articles are adopted and addressed citywide.10 With the development of the CYS Master Plan and subsequent coordination efforts with collaborative partners, on March 25, 2025, audit report recommendations were fully implemented and closed.
6 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13370323&GUID=65ADCB62-8643-424E-84FD-D7D29C48D183 7 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13388425&GUID=85746850-40D5-4C81-828B-FAB0A0BB21A9 8 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13388425&GUID=85746850-40D5-4C81-828B-FAB0A0BB21A9 9 https://records.sanjoseca.gov/Resolutions/RES2023-245.pdf 10 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/88407 Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
Health Screenings and Referrals
To address the health and wellbeing of children, the City Council approved funding of $250,000 for Healthier Kids Foundation (HKF) to conduct health screenings for the 2024-2025 academic year in schools with high rates of poverty and underserved children. These efforts serve to address the “Health and Mental Wellness” and “Learning and Empowerment” priority areas of the CYS Master Plan.
Based on the screening results, HKF provides families with follow-up health and medical services or additional resources support, as appropriate. From September – December 2024, the Healthier Kids Foundation conducted screenings on 934 children, that included oral, vision, and hearing. From January – May 2025, HKF will conduct additional health screenings at Alum Rock Union School District, Franklin-McKinley School District, Luther Burbank School District, Morgan Hill School Unified School District (schools in San José), and Campbell Union School District (schools in San José) and plans to screen an additional 700 students.
Next Steps
Demonstration Site Communities
The City is investing $1 million in the launch and implementation of the CSJ System of Care through an 18-month project in the two demonstration communities, through direct funding and other in-kind and leveraged supports to the community-based organizations Somos Mayfair and Grail Family Services of the ¡Si Se Puede! Collective and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County of the Franklin-McKinley Children’s Initiative. To ensure an effective launch of the two demonstration sites in April/May 2025, City staff will continue working with a cross-sector of partners to accomplish the following:
Evaluation Framework: Finalize evaluation framework including a data system platform and data collection tools and processes for demonstration site partners to track and monitor participant progress and overall service delivery outcomes. o Outcomes/Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Finalize outcomes and KPIs for the CSJ System of Care and demonstration site services. Scholarships for Children/Youth: Allocation of $100,000 in scholarship funding allows the City of San José and PRNS to further enhance the investment in the demonstration site communities. This additional funding brings the total scholarship investment to $240,000 for families to access children/youth summer programming at Mayfair, Seven Trees, and Emma Prusch. These scholarship options provide access to summer camps throughout the summer, allowing 158 youth to attend summer camps at no charge to qualifying families.
Leveraged Funding/Sustainability: City and community partners continue to explore additional funding to support and sustain the collaborative efforts of the City of San Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
José Children and Youth Services Master Plan and System of Care, and demonstration site partners.
o Demonstration Site Partners Leveraged Funding/Support: Somos Mayfair and Grail Family Services of the ¡Si Se Puede! Collective and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County of the Franklin-McKinley Children’s Initiative, collectively are providing match/leverage funding of nearly $2 million.
College and Career Pathways
Library staff will continue to coordinate citywide to identify opportunities for College and Career Pathway program development and track the progress of participants across programs. The team will track and support ongoing efforts around specific areas of program improvement, refer to attachment 5.
Alignment with County of Santa Clara, Sobrato Philanthropies, and Other Community Stakeholder
The Santa Clara County System of Care, Family First Prevention Services has informed the CSJ System of Care design process. This collaborative effort ensures a seamless service delivery approach from City and community services to County services. This collaborative process, has resulted in the County of Santa Clara Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) investing $1 million directly to community-based organizations within the demonstration sites in fiscal year 2025-2026, tentatively July 1, 2025. These funds will serve to leverage and strengthen an integrated and coordinated no wrong door service delivery approach. Sobrato Philanthropies is also a committed partner with the City to align evaluation efforts to ensure a robust process in collectively developing, assessing, and evaluating performance measures, metrics, and overall outcomes for children, youth, and their communities.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
City staff will continue to track and report on the progress of the CYS Master Plan and citywide programs and services for children and youth to the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee on an annual basis, as part of the Education Strategy annual update or separately by City programs or department (e.g., Youth Empowerment Alliance, Youth Intervention Services, PRNS ActivateSJ Strategic Plan).
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
March 24, 2025
Subject: Children and Youth Services Master Plan Status Update
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated between the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, the San José Public Library, the City Attorney’s Office, City Manager’s, and Budget Office.
/s/
Jon Cicirelli
Director, Parks, Recreation and
Neighborhood Services
For questions, please contact Maria De Leon, Deputy Director, Recreation Services Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services, at [email protected] or (408) 930-7569.
The principal author of this memorandum is Laura Buzo, Division Manager, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services. For questions, please contact [email protected] or (408) 592-0372.
Additional author of this memorandum is Amanda Otte, Community Program Administrator, City of San José Public Library. For questions, please contact at [email protected] or (408) 808-2000.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: City of San José Children and Youth Services Master Plan Annual Status Report 2025
Attachment 2: City of San José System of Care No Wrong Door Service Delivery Handbook and Resource Guide
Attachment 3: City of San José Children, Youth, and Adult Initiatives and Programs Performance Measures
Attachment 4: Priority Area Goals and Objectives
Attachment 5: College and Career Pathways, Programs and Outcomes