PENINSULA PARTNERSHIP LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

The Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council is a group of influential leaders from multiple disciplines whose mission is to formulate policies that effectively address the needs and foster the healthy development of children, youth and families in San Mateo County. Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the County of San Mateo, and the San Mateo County Office of Education, are the three main funders supporting the council.

The council was established in 1994 as an advisory body to the Peninsula Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. In 2006, the council expanded its focus to include the range of issues impacting the health and well-being of children, youth and families in San Mateo County. Additional, the council developed the following strategies:

• Facilitate and promote greater integration of systems and services.
• Maximize the effective use of resources available to communities.
• Encourage public and private organizations to combine their efforts to eliminate duplication and deepen impact.

In the fall of 2008, the council developed a Bill of Rights for the Children and Youth of San Mateo County. The bill supports the belief that all children and youth, regardless of where they live, their race, ethnicity, or income level, deserve to have the same rights. It serves as an important tool for local leaders and officials who want to take the needs of children and youth into account when policy decisions are made. The San Mateo County Youth Commission developed policy-level recommendations for each article of the Bill of Rights for consideration by local city councils and school districts. As of November 2008, the bill had been endorsed by the following organizations:

• San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
• San Mateo County Office of Education
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation
• San Mateo County First Five
• Youth and Family Enrichment Services
• 17th District Parent Teacher Association
• United Way of the Bay Area
• Ravenswood City School District
• Jefferson Union High School District

To learn more about the bill, download a copy of the frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions or would like to get involved, please contact us at partnership@siliconvalleycf.org.

San Mateo County’s Bill of Rights for Children and Youth has become a model for the state. A resolution introduced by Assemblymember Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, endorsing a statewide children’s bill of rights has been approved by the state Legislature supporting fair treatment of and investment in California’s youth. The resolution, approved Sept. 4, 2009, is modeled on the bill developed last year by the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council.

If you are a young person and would like to get involved with other youth in San Mateo County to get endorsements of the Bill of Rights and/or to use the Bill of Rights to achieve concrete changes in your school or community, please visit the San Mateo County Youth Commission.