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Santa Clara County public health seeks local input on Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights pilot in two neighborhoods
Summary
County public health presented a plan to pilot the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights in two neighborhoods, propose surveys and partner with local organizations to expand nature access for children; staff said a community survey would be finalized and deployed in the coming weeks.
Representatives from Santa Clara County Public Health briefed the commission on June 12 about the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights, an initiative the presenter said was nationally adopted in 2021 and is being used locally to increase equitable access to nature for children.
Pia, identified in the presentation as a health science specialist with the county, described the Bill of Rights as a set of activities and policy levers to raise awareness of children's connection to nature and to remove access barriers. "Nature is super important for all of us," Pia said, describing benefits such as improved physical health, cognitive performance and social networks for children who have access to nature.
Public health staff said they identified two initial target locations for outreach and survey work (identified in the materials as Lasanmus Park and a neighborhood in East San Jose/Los Angeles-area nodes) after analyzing health indicators, transit access and obesity-related data. The team proposed local surveys to learn what activities families want and to design collaborative programs (for example swim access or transit to parks) based on demand. Victoria, a county staffer who followed the presentation, said the team would partner with neighborhood groups and other agencies to avoid duplicative efforts and to leverage existing programs.
Commissioners asked when the survey would be released and how it would be marketed. The presenters said the survey had not yet been finalized and expected it to be circulated within the next one to two meetings; they said it would be available in Spanish and Vietnamese and that outreach plans include in-person surveying at community events and collaboration with local partners to reach families without reliable online access. Staff emphasized that this meeting was informational and that actions would follow after the county compiles survey data and returns with recommendations.
No commission vote occurred on the presentation; commissioners offered to support outreach (for example by hosting a table at local events) and staff encouraged collaboration with schools and neighborhood organizations during the survey rollout.
