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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
PARENTING TO PREVENT VIOLENCE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, violence has impacted and continues to impact the lives of too many citizens of Cook County; and,
WHEREAS, violence has proven tremendously costly to Cook County government in the administration of its hospitals, courts and jails; and,
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners affirm their moral obligation to reduce the escalating trend of neighborhood violence in Cook County; and,
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners wish to send a strong public message that violence is both unacceptable and preventable; and,
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners wish to bolster this strong public message of zero tolerance for violence by strategically investing County resources in programs that attack the root cause of violence in our communities; and,
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have already shown themselves to be forward-thinking and pro-active in the establishment of the Justice Advisory Council and its Violence Prevention, Intervention and Reduction Programs; and,
WHEREAS, research clearly demonstrates that the more children are exposed to violence in their homes, the greater the risk that those children will demonstrate aggressive and violent behaviors in later in life; and,
WHEREAS, according to the World Health Organization, parent and family based interventions are among the most promising strategies for producing long-term reduction in youth violence;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 2-Administration, Article VI-Boards, Commissions and Committees, Division 4-Cook County Violence Prevention, Intervention and Reduction Advisory Committee, Section 2-527 of the Cook County Code is amended as follows:
Sec. 2-527. - Cook County Violence Prevention, Intervention and Reduction Programs.
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(c) A “Parenting to Prevent Violence” program shall be administered by the Advisory Committee. Said program shall be implemented via the administration of grants to qualified 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations, following a grant application process, request for proposal or request for qualification issued by the Justice Advisory Council. To be a qualified 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization to receive grant funds pursuant to this initiative, said organization must clearly demonstrate expertise and experience in the field of parenting education via information including, but not limited to certification, education level of providers, community profile, and written scholarly or instructional materials. Grants issued to qualified 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations shall be selected by the Advisory Committee subject to the approval of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The Justice Advisory Council, via its Director, shall issue the grant application process for the “Parenting to Prevent Violence” Program and necessary related requests for proposal or requests for qualification and shall be authorized to execute said grant agreements as approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, subject to the process set forth in the Cook County Procurement Code, and further subject to the following conditions:
(1) Grants administered pursuant to the Parenting to Prevent Violence program shall be annually fixed by the County Board from the proceeds of the Special Use Gasoline and Fuel Tax.
(2) The total value of grants administered during the first full Fiscal Year of the Parenting to Prevent Violence Program shall be not less than $2,000,000 dollars.
(d) Effective Date: The effective date of this ordinance amendment shall be June 1, 2016 or upon passage and publication, whichever date is later.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect on June 1, 2016 or upon passage and publication, whichever date is later.
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