RESOLUTION NO. RS2008-353

A resolution endorsing the National League of Cities’ Council on Youth, Education and Families City Platform for strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth as a blueprint for the Nashville community, and requesting the Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth to conduct an inventory of existing resources.

WHEREAS, the National League of Cities’ Council for Youth, Education, and Families (NLC-YEF) developed a platform/agenda in 2005 for municipal action and leadership on behalf of children, youth, and their families; and

WHEREAS, America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, which is the nation’s largest cross-sectoral alliance of government, nonprofit, corporate, and community organizations focused on positive youth development, joined with the NLC to challenge municipalities across America to take concrete steps toward achieving positive, significant results for children and their families; and

WHEREAS, the NLC-YEF City Platform provides a roadmap for Nashville to connect our children and families with five essential resources identified by America’s Promise: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to help others, thereby greatly increasing the odds of our youth thriving in this community; and

WHEREAS, Metropolitan Nashville has its own set of unique strengths and weaknesses, and our needs and vision should be specifically identified by our community based upon our city’s mix of assets and opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the NLC-YEF City Platform is not designed to be a comprehensive catalogue of everything a city can or should do for youth and families, but rather provides starting points for action and practical steps that can be taken to build stronger families and improve outcomes for children and youth; and

WHEREAS, the NLC-YEF City Platform can provide the foundation for a wide-reaching, comprehensive vision for strengthening our families and improving the outcomes for all children and youth in Nashville; and

WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council is committed to assisting with the implementation of the platform, and desires to solicit cooperation with public and private community providers that are working to positively impact the lives of young people in our city.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County hereby endorses the National League of Cities’ Council on Youth, Education and Families City Platform for strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth as a blueprint for the Nashville community, a copy of which platform is attached hereto and incorporated into this resolution as though copied herein.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Council requests the Mayor, through the Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth, to analyze each of the twenty-one key action steps included as part of the City Platform, and to conduct an inventory of existing resources and identify weaknesses or gaps in the existing resources. This inventory should be published for access by the Council and the community as a whole.

Section 3. The Metropolitan Council should publicize this “City Platform” throughout Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, particularly to public and private organizations and individuals working to positively impact the lives of our young people, and solicit cooperation and support throughout the county.

Section 3. The Metropolitan Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to Mayor Karl Dean and to Danielle Mezera, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth.

Section 4. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Ronnie Steine

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred:	Rules & Confirmations Committee
Introduced:	June 17, 2008
Adopted:	June 17, 2008
Approved:	June 23, 2008
By: