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