99-3410. BOOST FOR KIDS: Better Opportunities and Outcomes Starting Today Performance Partnerships With State and Local Government for Results for Children

[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]


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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]), [phone] or Ann Segal 
([e-mail]), [phone].
Pamela R. Johnson,
Deputy Director, National Partnership for Reinventing Government.
[FR Doc. 99-3410 Filed 2-10-99; 8:45 am]
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