From the County of Santa Cruz: At the urging of Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and Zach Friend, on January 24th, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to establish a “Thrive by Three Fund” to help fund effective programs serving very young children (prenatal through age three). The Board Directed CAO Susan Mauriello to dedicate $350,000 for the Thrive by Three Fund in next year’s budget.
A large group of children’s advocates including Mary Lou Goeke of United Way, Dr. Salem Magarian of Santa Cruz Community Health Centers, David Brody of First 5, and community activists Allison Guevara and Shebreh Kalantari spoke at the meeting, urging the Board to make this investment in proven programs that support babies, toddlers and families during this incredibly important time in a young child’s development.
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