By Liz Kresse
July 16, 2007

Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, chair of the committee, convened the June 23 meeting of the Children, Health and Human Services Standing Committee. The session focused on universal healthcare, childhood obesity, and high school after school programs.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom briefed mayors on his new Healthy San Francisco Initiative, a program designed to make healthcare services accessible and affordable to uninsured San Francisco residents between the ages of 18-64. Eligibility is not dependent on immigration status, employment status, or pre-existing conditions. Approximately 82,000 San Franciscans will be covered under the new initiative for an estimated cost of $201 million. The initiative, which debuted on July 2, will be financed through a combination of: city and county funds; participant contributions (based on ability to pay); employer contributions; and other public sources such as the recent three-year award of $73.1 million from the State Department of Health Services.

Newsom ended his presentation by saying “This is a question of response, accountability, and doing what needs to be done.” He added that “it’s a worthy effort…and every one of you can do this too.” For more information on this initiative, contact Tangerine Brigham, Director of Health Access Program, San Francisco Department of Health, phone: 415-554-2779 or email: tangerine.brigham@sfdph.org or visit www.sfhap.org.

Dr. Dwayne Proctor, Childhood Obesity Team Leader for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, briefed mayors on the Foundation’s initiative to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by the year 2015. The Foundation has recently dedicated $500 million to this initiative, which involves supporting efforts to increase access to affordable healthy foods and routine physical activity. In the area of healthy eating, some of the strategies that have been used include offering healthier foods and beverages in schools, encouraging the development of grocery stores in inner-city neighborhoods, and promoting participation in federal meals programs.

Procter said mayors can assist in these efforts in such ways as working with community partners, promoting programs such as the federal meals programs, and ensuring basic safety in low-income neighborhoods so that residents can access healthy foods and remain active.

Lorna Donatone, President of School Services for Sodexho, described several efforts Sodexho has undertaken in school and after-school settings to address the childhood obesity epidemic. Sodexho has introduced food products with zero trans-fat, healthier alternatives to standard snack foods (e.g., baked chips, low-fat cookies), healthier recipe modifications, reduced portion sizes and increased variety. Adding that “Wellness is ensuring that kids have enough to eat,” Donatone described several Sodexho programs that address hunger in children.

For example, in Providence, the “Backpackers” program sends home backpacks full of healthy foods with students who are at risk of hunger to ensure that they and their siblings have enough to eat over the weekend. In addition, the “Feeding Our Future” program provides 235,000 free nutritious meals to school kids during the summer months in 17 cities.

Sam Piha, Founder and Principal of Temescal Associates, made a presentation on the concept of “High School After School,” which focuses on after-school programs for high school students. Piha spoke about the nationwide dearth of funding for after-school programs for older youth and the growing realization among mayors and others that there is a need to engage older youth in meaningful after-school activities. Low graduation rates and reports such as “Too Big to Be Seen: The Invisible Dropout Crisis in Boston and America” have highlighted the serious economic and social costs of dropping out of high school.

Piha noted that, compared to high'school graduates, high school dropouts earn significantly less over their lifetime, spend an average of 20 years living in poverty, have mortality rates that are 300 percent higher, and are 350 percent more likely to get arrested. According to one recent estimate, taxpayers save $127,000 per student who completes high school. However, Piha added, new research on older youth suggests that they are motivated to attend quality after-school programs if the programs address their needs (e.g., teach them marketable skills and prepare them for college). They also demonstrate improved school attendance, test scores, and graduation rates when they are offered meaningful after-school programs in their high schools. Piha stressed that mayors can play a key role in promoting such programs by bringing leaders together from various public agencies, private foundations, and the business community to create effective programs.

During the business portion of the meeting, the following resolutions were approved and sent to the full membership of the Conference of Mayors where they became official policy:

• Reforming Federal Programs So That They Better Help Families and Individuals Reach and Maintain Economic Self-Sufficiency

• Providing Federal and State Support for Universal Preschool

• Reauthorization and Expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance

• Providing Universal Access to Affordable Health Care

• Making TANF Work Requirements More

• In Support of Mental Health Parity

• Reforming America’s Agricultural Policy

• Resolution to Reduce the Recurrence of Violent Crime

• Health Disparities

• Expanding the National Investment in After'school and Out-Of'school Programs

• Head Start Reauthorization

• Appropriation for Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act (Formerly Known As Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act)

• Environmental Health Care Support

• Fund Homeland Security Initiatives Related to Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness

• Support for Adequate Medicare Reimbursement

• A New Bottom Line in Reducing the Harms of Substance Abuse

• 2008 Community Services Block Grant Restoration

• Adequately Fund Title V and Population Based Services