Kids Hope Alliance asks Mayor's Office for $2.4 million

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Kids Hope Alliance  is asking the Mayor’s Office for an additional $2.4 million in funding.

If granted, the money would be spread across programs servicing early learning, special needs preteens and teen juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention programs among other things.

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The board reached the decision Wednesday.

“One of the programs we’re really excited about is extending the Mayor’s Youth at Work program," said KHA CEO Joe Peppers.

The city’s website describes the Mayor’s Youth at Work Partnership as “… a partnership with business, education, nonprofit and philanthropic entities to develop an integrated youth employment career pathway system.”

If the proposal is approved, the program would receive an additional $229,500 to pay 225 students $8.50 per hour, working 20 hours per week, for six weeks, according to documents obtained from KHA.

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Students in the program tell Action News Jax they’re growing professionally.

“I got to meet every councilman, went to a couple of budget meeting, and committee meetings,” said program participant Tanyan Adams, 18, who’s working alongside Councilman Samuel Newby.

Christian Williams, 16, is working in the office of Dr. Jennifer Blalock, KHA’s Chief Strategy Officer.

“It’s giving me a responsibility, more responsibility, to take ownership of what I do and what I love,” he said.

The proposal will go before the mayor’s Budget Review Committee Friday.

Jacksonville’s Public Affairs Director Nikki Kimbleton says in a statement, "Mayor Curry created KHA to serve area families and youth. We are in the middle of the budget process and until it's concluded and presented to council, it is still in the works, but as always, the success to KHA is a very important part of Mayor's agenda."

The Kids Hope Alliance provided Action News Jax the following breakdown of the proposed budget enhancements, and their specific costs:

• $514,609 - "Diversionary programs offering tutoring, job training, and life skills to teens and youth in the juvenile justice system and/or targeted populations to include but not limited to alternative schools, foster care system, homeless and teen parents."
• $503,188 - "Additional funds needed Afterschool Programs contracts through June 30, 2020 and to plus up new RFP."
• $274,040 - "Mayor's Pathways Academy will employ students to work part time during the year, after school hours. The program will consist of two cohorts of 110 students for a Fall and Spring cohort. The Students will work seven weeks and receive valuable jobs coaching during the program. Funding includes hiring 4 Job Coaches, two for Fall and Spring. The Job Coaches will come onboard a week earlier to start the program and stay a week later to wrap up the program, for a total of nine weeks." (31,520 total hours)
• $229,500 -"Part time dollars for Mayor's Youth at Work Partnership. This will fund 225 students for 6 weeks, working 20 hours per week at $8.50/hr." (27,000 total hours)
• $204,000 - "Additional funds needed to Provide Summer Camp Program RFP: Added Southside, Windy Hill, Jacksonville Heights, Ramona (340 students)"
• $100,000 - "College Success and Access Academy – Preteen / Teen: Agency to provide college success test prep and college pathway support for the five title one high schools."
• $100,000 - "Young Men's Success Summit – Agency to develop and host Young Men's Success Summit and Summer Success Institute: 5th to 6th and 8th to 9th grade transition. Six one week sessions."
• $50,000 - "Trauma Informed Training and Special Needs Programming. Funding for additional Trauma-Informed training, screening and enhanced programming for Special Needs programs."
• $50,000 - "Early learning enhancements including curriculum, training, and additional scholarships in geographic areas of high need."
• $42,000 - "MYLAC to include Youth Mental Health and other Youth Summits determined by Jacksonville's Youth in Jacksonville."
• $40,920 - "Provide in-kind match for the Head Start Program run by Lutheran Services Florida and housed in KHA's Don Brewer Early Learning Center. This request eliminates the revenue for use of City facility. Therefore, the General Fund contribution increases."
• $40,800 - "Part time dollars to hire Program Assessors for the afterschool and summer camp programs." (2,040 hours)
• $40,800 - "Part time dollars to hire additional part time employees to evaluate RFPs and assist with additional program assessments." (2,040 hours)
• $10,000 - "City funds needed cover Afterschool Food Program Grant."
• $9,618 - "Funds for professional development for staff."
• $8,550 - "Increased cost for background screenings for 225 summer jobs students at a cost of $38 per screening."
• $8,512 - "Increased cost for background screenings for 224 additional pathways Job Coaches and students at $38 per screening."
• $3,974 - "Medicare Tax for additional dollars added to the Pathways Academy year-round jobs program above."
• $3,328 - "Medicare Tax on the wages added to the Mayor's Youth at Work Partnership program above."

Cox Media Group