(a) Purpose. Pursuant to Charter Section 16.108-1, the Children, Youth and Their Families Oversight and Advisory Committee ("Oversight and Advisory Committee" or "Committee") shall create a Service Provider Working Group ("SP Working Group" or "Working Group"). The purpose of the SP Working Group shall be to advise the Committee on funding priorities, policy development, the planning cycle, evaluation design and plans, and any other issues of concern to the SP Working Group related to the Children and Youth Fund ("Fund") established in Charter Section 16.108, or the responsibilities of the Department of Children Youth and Their Families ("DCYF") or other departments receiving monies from the Fund.
(b) Membership and Meetings. The SP Working Group shall have at least 10 members. The Working Group shall engage a broad cross-section of service providers in providing information, education, and consultation to the Committee. All members of the Working Group shall be persons actively providing services to children, youth, and their families during the members' service on the SP Working Group. The Working Group shall meet at least four times each year.
The SP Working Group shall include members who are service providers who currently receive funding from DCYF, service providers who have never received funding from DCYF but currently provide services for children and youth, and service providers who have received funding from DCYF in the past and who currently provide services for children and youth. In addition, the Working Group shall include members with expertise or experience in the various funding areas identified in DCYF's most recent Services and Allocation Plan as provided in Charter Section 16.108(i)(2).
(c) Governance. By September 1, 2015, the Oversight and Advisory Committee shall develop initial bylaws for the SP Working Group, and shall appoint an initial chair and vice-chair for the SP Working Group who shall be responsible for developing its structure and facilitating its meetings. The chair and the vice-chair appointed by the Oversight and Advisory Committee shall serve two-year terms in those positions. Thereafter, upon the expiration of each of these terms as chair and vice-chair, the Working Group shall elect succeeding chairs and vice-chairs.
The SP Working Group shall have its first meeting by December 1, 2015. Thereafter, the Working Group shall review and amend, as necessary, bylaws governing its meetings and operations. Meetings of the SP Working Group shall be open to the public and conducted in a manner to encourage widespread participation.
