Agenda - 11-20-2017 - 8-g - Approval of NACo Rural Impact Community Challenge Resolution

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RES-2017-075 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION WHEREAS, small towns and rural communities are home to millions of Americans and are a vibrant part of our nation’s economy; and WHEREAS, in 2014, approximately 1.4 million children in rural areas were poor and over 700,000 children lived in rural families with cash incomes that fell below half of the poverty line; and WHEREAS, high rates of poverty have persisted for generations, including over 300 rural counties with poverty rates of over 20 percent in every Census since 1980; and WHEREAS, investing in poor children and their families not only reduces poverty in the near term, but also improves children’s education, health, and earnings outcomes later in life; and WHEREAS, rural and tribal communities face distinct challenges, including limited access to critical services, fewer job prospects, and in some places, relative lack of institutional capacity; and WHEREAS, no matter where they live, all families aspire for the cornerstones of economic security: a well-paying job, child care, a college education, health care, a home, and retirement; and WHEREAS, Orange County and all counties recognize that a child’s zip code should not determine her destiny, and that every child should have the opportunity to succeed; and WHEREAS, Orange County formed The Family Success Alliance (FSA) in 2014 in response to significant disparities in opportunities for children in Orange County, in both rural and urban areas. It is designed as a place-based initiative to build a pipeline of success from cradle-to-college/career. FSA uses a “collective impact” approach to bring together community members, local government agencies, non-profits, and other community leaders to close the opportunity gap and eliminate intergenerational poverty in two zones where families are struggling to make ends meet.; and WHEREAS, through The Rural Impact County Challenge, the National Association of Counties and the White House Rural Council are encouraging public, private and nonprofit leaders to reduce the number of children living in poverty in rural areas; NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, THAT we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby sign on to the Call to Action to reduce the number of children living in poverty, commit to sharing lessons learned with other counties in my state and across the country to support a national initiative and encourage all county officials, employees and residents to participate 3