On December 1, 2020 the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a request from the Office of the County Executive, One Fairfax to apply for and accept grant funding, if received, from the Urban Institute, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in the amount of $125,000 as one of up to eight counties selected to participate in a newly created Upward Mobility Cohort.
As a participant in the cohort, a County team will receive technical assistance from the Urban Institute in the development of the Mobility Action Plan, to include the development of a set of evidence-based metrics in such areas as education, health, housing, safety, and work. Urban Institute’s tailored technical assistance over 18 months will be in the form of:
- Data Analysis
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Policy and Programmatic Advising
- Peer-Learning Opportunities
The metrics will help inform priorities, set targets, catalyze action, change policies and practices, and will allow the County to monitor our progress in advancing upward mobility over time. Priorities identified in the Mobility Action Plan will be implemented within existing resources as appropriate or presented to the Board of Supervisors for funding consideration.
The grant period is from January 2021 to June 2022. When grant funding expires, the County is under no obligation to continue funding the program, and no local cash match is required. The Board also approved authorization for the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive and/or a designee appointed by the County Executive to enter into the grant agreement and any related agreements on behalf of the County.
Source: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors