Council delays vote on $17.9 million Sacramento Children’s Fund awards after hour of public testimony; commissioners, staff praised and asked for fixes

The Sacramento City Council heard a lengthy presentation May 20 on proposed awards from the Sacramento Children’s Fund (Measure L) and, following extensive public comment, voted to defer final action until the council meeting on June 10.

Renee Caustin, program manager for the Sacramento Children’s Fund, presented the commission's recommendations and reviewed the request‑for‑proposals process, scoring criteria and two funding scenarios staff prepared for council consideration. "The funding available for the first 3.5 years was approximately $17,900,000," Caustin said in the presentation. She described a competitive process: the city received 121 applications requesting about $125 million; staff and a Grant Advisory Review Panel scored and ranked eligible proposals using published criteria. The strategic investment plan that guided the RFP set program goals — mental health and emotional wellness, reducing youth homelessness, preventing and reducing youth substance use,…