Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Department Head/Elected Official: Estella Gonzalez
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Department Head/Elected Official: Estella Gonzalez
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Transmittal by the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO) of two 2024 Achievement Awards received from The National Association of Counties (NACo) for its Early REACH and Hire Up Harris programs.
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Background and Discussion:
The NACo Achievement Awards program is a non-competitive awards program that seeks to recognize
innovative county government programs. DEEO was awarded two awards for programming in the areas of workforce and early childhood.
Hire Up Harris is a rapid upskilling and reskilling program dedicated to supporting residents of Harris County by connecting them to resources and training opportunities for high-quality jobs that pay a living wage, provide benefits, and have the potential for further career advancement. The program couples skills training with soft skills development and wraparound support services to best assist underemployed and unemployed individuals. The program also helps build capacity among workforce development service providers through evaluation efforts to instill best practices that will result in transformational outcomes.
Early REACH is a comprehensive initiative addressing the critical need for accessible high-quality child care in Harris County, Texas. The program aims to provide vital support and resources to families and child care centers, fostering positive outcomes for children's development and well-being. Early REACH has created 800 high-quality child care slots that are fully funded at no cost to families. Additionally, the program includes professional development opportunities for child care providers, quality improvement initiatives for child care centers, and mandates a minimum pay rate of $15 per hour for child care workers. Through collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, Early REACH seeks to create a sustainable framework that promotes access to high-quality child care for families, improves the financial stability and well-being of child care providers and centers, and enhances the overall early childhood education landscape in Harris County.
Expected Impact:
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Alternative Options:
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Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
X Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
_ Governance and Customer Service
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Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: July 15, 2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Estella Gonzalez, Executive Director, DEEO; Jie Wu, Director, Program Planning & Innovation, DEEO; and Santrice Jones, Director, Early Childhood Initiatives, DEEO.
Attachments (if applicable): NACo Award Certificates (2)