From the "Readers’ Forum" page of the Contra Costa Times, the West County Times, the East County Times, the San Ramon Valley Times, and the Valley Times.

By Nicole Taylor
President & CEO
East Bay Community Foundation
Guest commentary
Posted: 03/28/2009 12:01:00 AM PDT

THE STIMULUS package has moved from the headlines to a "behind the scenes" implementation stage as states decide how to distribute funds coming their way. So now begins the tough work of taking $787 billion in assistance and ensuring it has real impact.

Can the stimulus package really make a difference in the East Bay?

It can, especially if philanthropic leaders, business leaders, grass-roots leaders, and service providers exercise leadership and work closely with elected and appointed officials to push hard for important priorities and for transparency in the way the money is spent.

What are those priorities?

First, the stimulus package can help families from Oakland to Pittsburg and from Fremont to Richmond get back to work immediately. Both individuals and local businesses stand to benefit from a package providing job placement assistance to unemployed workers — a package that also gives employers a tax incentive to hire.

The tax incentives to local businesses for hiring out-of-work residents amount to a double bonus. They extend many small and family-owned businesses a critical lifeline, while serving as an economic driver by getting people back on their feet and back to work.

For those who have recently been laid off, the package provides $500 million for state employment agencies to assist with job placement — and not a minute too soon, since California, like most other states, faces budget shortfalls that threaten unemployment funds.

The package also includes $3.95 billion for job training, dislocated-worker training and youth services. In fact, $1.2 billion will go toward creating summer jobs for young people. Seasonal employment can assist in later job placement for young people and can keep youth off the streets during summer months. Potentially $494 million of this amount could come to California.

We need to ensure that our East Bay communities with high unemployment rates are targeted for these funds. Those same communities are suffering from increased crime problems so the importance of economic advancement cannot be overemphasized.

The second priority in the stimulus package that could benefit the East Bay is support to assist young children. We know helping children succeed academically is the key to their economic opportunity when they become adults, so investments in early child care expand opportunities for low-income children and families.

The region's child care needs are dire. According to a 2006 study, Alameda County has an estimated gap of approximately 15,700 child care slots. Contra Costa County has an estimated gap of 14,000 child care slots with the largest shortfalls in school-age care in Richmond, Antioch, Concord, and Pittsburg.

The stimulus provides $2 billion to a Child Care Development Block Grant, which will provide services to an additional 300,000 low-income children. Potentially, $221 million of this amount could come to California. Again, we need to ensure the East Bay communities with the largest gaps in child care services are targeted for this support. This funding can lead to greater economic opportunities for families and caretakers who will have the ability to seek jobs or training while their children are cared for.

For Early Head Start and Head Start, the stimulus extends an additional $1.1 billion and $1 billion respectively, providing services for approximately 120,000 additional infants and children over two years. Potentially, $82 million of this amount could come to California. There are more than 21,000 children in the East Bay who could benefit from this assistance.

What sort of oversight will there be?

President Obama has announced the creation of a stimulus watchdog to ensure that the funds are spent wisely. But a federal stimulus watchdog isn't enough. We in the East Bay must become local watchdogs. We must also provide the local leadership to ensure stimulus assistance truly helps those in need.

The East Bay Community Foundation is committed to working with grass roots advocates, service providers, and local and state officials to ensure stimulus assistance is deployed so it changes the lives of individuals and families most in need — and so decision-making is transparent and understandable to all.