Howard County has presented the five-year Local Children’s Board Community Plan for Children, Youth and Families. The plan provides a framework for partnerships between public and private organizations and is designed to support the developmental success of all Howard County youth.
The plan focuses on strengthening access to high quality education, health care and wellness, with an emphasis on equity within support systems and outcomes. Officials say that increasing school attendance, expanding workforce development opportunities, and streamlining behavioral health resources are specific areas of interest for the county’s measurable outcomes for children and youth.
The plan’s goals and strategies align with the HoCo S.T.R.I.V.E.S. initiative (Strategies To Reach an Inclusive Vision and Equitable Solutions), a multi-year platform for supporting families through extended behavioral and mental health resource provisions, social and emotional learning, and community capacity building.
“It is a privilege to continue our work for Howard County communities and families through this new five-year planning process,” said Jacqueline Scott, director of the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services. “Stability at home is a critical element of keeping each other safe and healthy while our county adjusts to a ‘new normal’ in nearly every phase of life. This plan offers recommendations and resources to support that goal, and to invite community members to lead these efforts in partnership with us.”