Children’s Trust and Alachua County briefed on literacy needs assessment and $600,000 youth‑health RFP with community health worker component

Alachua County’s Children’s Trust and county commission received updates Tuesday on two initiatives the board called complementary: a youth health request‑for‑proposals that includes community health workers and a countywide comprehensive literacy needs assessment led by the Lassinger Center.

County staff said the youth‑health RFP (closed May 30) includes $600,000 and explicitly encourages proposals that incorporate community health workers (CHWs), mobile health services and partnerships that serve both Gainesville and rural communities. Commissioner Prizzi and other board members said the pilot funding currently comes from revenue‑recovery dollars (originally American Rescue Plan dollars) and WIOA (workforce) funds and that the health department and CareerSource have helped administer recruiting and training. Claudia Tuck, director of Alachua County Community Support Services, told the board the current allocation covers training and short‑term pay for CHWs but is insufficient for ongoing salaries; she urged that proposers identify sustainable funding for long‑term staffing.

Trust staff introduced the Lassinger Center, which is conducting a three‑phase needs assessment and will produce a comprehensive literacy plan aimed at improving literacy outcomes across ages (0–18 and family supports). The consultant outlined the schedule (initial data organization; interviews, classroom observations and surveys in June–July; and a post‑assessment planning phase), noting the contract was executed in early May and deliverables were expected in August, with possible extension into the fall to accommodate school schedules.

Board members pressed for a broad scope. Several trustees said the work must go beyond K–3 to address older students who are not reading on grade level, request trended data that accounts for policy and pandemic ‘doglegs,’ and identify where interventions will be most effective. A school board member and others urged classroom visits, teacher interviews and attention to teacher training and turnover as drivers of literacy outcomes.

Public comment included Stephanie Scott, a parent, who praised a local STEM reading program that improved her child’s grades and urged expanding similar efforts across elementary schools. Trust staff said they would coordinate with school district partners, the library, Santa Fe College and UF on adult‑education and family components.

Next steps: staff will continue data collection and bring back the needs‑assessment findings to the boards; the youth health RFP and CHW pilot will report results to the board and return recommendations for future funding once applicants’ proposals are evaluated.