[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 28 (Thursday, February 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6920-6921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3410]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR REINVENTING GOVERNMENT
BOOST FOR KIDS: Better Opportunities and Outcomes Starting Today
Performance Partnerships With State and Local Government for Results
for Children
Authority Citation: Non-statutory, President's Budget for FY
2000.
Background
All of our children deserve to grow up healthy, secure and able to
realize their full potential. Vice President Al Gore has created a
strong federal team to work with innovative local and State partners to
get better results for children. This team will work to minimize
administrative barriers and maximize how resources are used to get the
best results for children.
The ``Boost For Kids'' Initiative will recognize the leadership of
innovative States and localities that are improving the lives of their
communities' children. Boost For Kids will work with them to reinvent
how programs are administered to give people at the local level greater
flexibility to improve the lives of all of their children. The
initiative builds on meetings that Vice President Gore has had with
families and communities across the country and at the ``Family Re-
Union,'' an annual discussion of public policy from the perspective of
families that he moderates in Nashville, Tennessee.
Announcement
We are seeking to form up to 10 performance partnerships with State
and local governments that are working together to enhance positive
outcomes for children, youth, and families. These partnerships will
permit leading local and State partners to work together with Federal
representatives to:
Manage for results for children;
Streamline administration;
Address barriers at the federal, State and local levels--in
ways allowable under current law--to better provide needed services and
supports for children;
Maximize the use of resources for services for children; and
Share lessons with other communities.
What Are the Benefits to States and Communities?
This initiative will not provide additional Federal funds; it will
support efforts by all levels of government to cut red tape, integrate
services and use current funding more effectively. It will:
Facilitate consolidated planning and reporting and provide
greater flexibility in administering grant funds with related goals as
allowed under current law;
Recommend changes to pool administrative savings from
discretionary grant programs to create local ``Boost For Kids
Investment Funds''---to turn dollars saved in administration to
improving outcomes for children to the extent allowed under current
law;
Help communities use data to achieve better outcomes for
children;
Provide increased access to federal data and geographic
information and assistance of federal data experts in devising
strategies for collecting and analyzing data on outcomes such as child
insurance coverage, immunization, housing, food security, traumatic
injury rate, youth crime rate, and school readiness;
Share lessons learned electronically and through a ``How To''
Manual on ways to use flexibility to improve outcomes for children; and
Give national recognition to State and local partners for
their results and work to improve the health, safety, living
conditions, and well-being of children.
Who Can Apply To Be a Partner?
Expressions of interest can be submitted by any of the following:
the head of a local collaborative that includes appropriate local
government representation, the head of the local government, or a key
local government agency head. For smaller jurisdictions, local
governments can submit combined applications. Evidence of partnership
with State government must be clear.
How Does My Community Express Interest in Boost For Kids?
Potential partners should submit a brief Expression of Interest. To
minimize any burden, try to keep submissions under ten pages in length.
Use existing plans and documents wherever possible.
Selection Criteria:
The Federal Steering Committee will select partners based on:
--Existence of community goals or report card for children and a
commitment by the partners to use data to measure progress and manage
resources to improve child well-being;
--Readiness and commitment of partners to cut red tape, integrate or
better coordinate services, use current funding more effectively and
achieve better results for children. Partners must include the
community/local level and local and State government;
[[Page 6921]]
--Commitment to a long-term strategic plan and a sustained effort to
improve the well-being of children, youth and families within the
community;
--Potential impact of proposed partnership based on issues and proposed
outcomes and time frame provided in the Expression of Interest; and
--Balance in terms of geography, demographic characteristics and areas
of focus.
Federal Partners:
Boost For Kids is led by a Federal Steering Committee which
includes the following Federal partners: the Departments of Education;
Health and Human Services; Housing and Urban Development; and Justice;
the Federal Geographic Data Committee; the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, the Federal Interagency Forum on Family and Child
Statistics; Food and Nutrition Services, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, the National Partnership for Reinventing
Government, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Expressions of interest in partnerships must be received by close
of business on March 12, 1999. They may be submitted by mail, fax or
electronically to: Boost For Kids, National Partnership for Reinventing
Government, Suite 200, 750 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202)
632-0390 (fax), [email protected]
For further information, please contact Pamela Johnson
([email protected]), (202) 694-0011 or Ann Segal
([email protected]), (202) 690-7858.
Pamela R. Johnson,
Deputy Director, National Partnership for Reinventing Government.
[FR Doc. 99-3410 Filed 2-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-05-P