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March Newsletter 2025

April 22, 2025

With warmer weather on the horizon, I’m looking forward to the opportunities the season brings and more time out in the sun with friends and family.  

One event I am truly excited about is the annual Bunnies and Bonnets Parade in downtown Campbell on Saturday, April 19. It’s a great way to kick off spring, and I look forward to seeing many of you there to enjoy the festivities. 

Celebrating the Impact of Childcare Expansion: A Milestone in Supporting Working Families 

On March 14th, I hosted a press conference at the Willow Glen Community Extended Day Enrichment Program adjacent to Willow Glen Elementary School to celebrate a major milestone in our community's support of working families. We announced and celebrated the final allocation of $15 million in our childcare expansion grant program, an initiative I brought to my colleagues back in 2023. This grant program is revitalizing and strengthening childcare providers across Santa Clara County and making a difference right now for hundreds of families. 

Thanks to this generous program, more than 600 new childcare slots are now available, ensuring more families have access to affordable, high-quality care. The lack of a comprehensive, publicly funded childcare infrastructure has long plagued parents and employers alike, but the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic left many providers struggling – and, in the case of several hundred, permanently closing. That translates to fewer parents working, businesses losing employees, and less disposable income in the economy. This grant initiative has changed the narrative for at least 50 providers and, by extension, every other group that benefits from this system. 

I must recognize the inimitable Valley Health Foundation for their commitment to selecting grant recipients from nearly 500 applicants. This initiative wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and collaboration of our key partners, including the Office of Children and Families Policy, the Santa Clara County Office of Education, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, and the Low-Income Investment Fund. Together, we’re ensuring that childcare providers across the County can expand services, hire additional staff, and create better learning environments for our children.  

March Board of Supervisors Meetings -  

March 11th: 

Budget Process Updates & Enhanced Transparency for Public Engagement

As we navigate the budget approval process this year, I’ll provide updates and highlight several resources in my pursuit of ever-greater public transparency. While the overall process remains consistent with past years, the current extreme level of budgetary uncertainty is new and decisions at the federal and state levels may require dramatic and rapid adjustments at the local level.

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    • Key Resources:
      • Budget Calendar: This page lists important dates for the budget process, including the May Budget Hearings.
      • Budget Inventory Items: While each office has its own process, the County-wide inventory website is a valuable resource for local nonprofit organizations. 
      • Timeline Adjustments: To allow for more processing time, the board offices must submit inventory grant proposals for inclusion on the budget workshop agenda by April 23, which may affect the deadlines for Board office applications. The deadline to submit inventory grant requests to my office is April 6 and there is more information below. 

I also invite everyone to stay engaged through the Off-Agenda Report Portal, which offers a great way to track discussions and review budget-related reports as they become available.  

March 25th meeting:  

I attended this meeting remotely, as I am currently in Washington D.C. caring for my daughter who recently underwent a serious surgery (she is recovering well and I expect to be back in the County by the end of this month). I was able to participate in a discussion concerning the study of our carceral facilities that is currently underway and the need for more robust re-entry services at Elmwood (credit to President Lee for sunshining this need) and to vote affirmatively to increase funding to Abode Services which is providing essential housing and rental assistance for behavioral health patients. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in the entire meeting but am happy to get answers to any questions you may have about what transpired after I left. 

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Budget Inventory Grant Applications 

The Budget Inventory process enables the Board of Supervisors to allocate one-time funding to support community-based nonprofits in their efforts to offer innovative programs or invest in needed capital. In District 4, I will prioritize grants for programs that align with both County-wide and district priorities, including mental health, childcare, homelessness prevention, and alternatives to incarceration. The deadline to apply is April 6, 2025. Applications must include the Inventory Cover Sheet and Levine Act Disclosure Form. Submit applications to [email protected]. 

Notable past recipients of grants brought forward by D4 include: 

  • Pacific Clinics - TRUST Van: Expanding crisis response with a new van for the community-based TRUST team. 
  • Alameda Business Association - Longevity Walks: Free fitness programs for adults 50+, promoting health and community engagement. 
  • Elmwood Correctional Complex - Gardening Program: Offering ecological land management training, supporting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. 
  • Luther Burbank Family Resource Center (FRC):  Parenting support, access to mental health counseling, early childhood education programs, and assistance with housing and financial needs. The center serves as a lifeline for families facing challenges, promoting stability and well-being in the community. 

Black Maternal Health Week 

I am very proud of the upcoming 3rd annual film screening event in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare Office for Health Equity & Improvement, elevating the visibility and import of Black Maternal Health Week. 

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., we will present We Need Each Other: Fighting for Black Maternal Health at the Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium in San Jose. The event will feature a screening of the impactful documentary Black Motherhood Through the Lens, followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Dr. Adeiyewunmi (Ade) Osinubi and healthcare leaders from local private and public hospitals. 

It is critical to provide both current and future medical professionals with the tools to approach care for Black birthing people with cultural humility and a patient-centered mindset. I encourage medical students, nursing students, medical residents, and current practitioners to join us. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit will be offered. 

Please RSVP via Eventbrite for the most up-to-date details. 

State of the Valley: Key Insights and Takeaways 

At this year’s Silicon Valley Index event, Joint Venture Silicon Valley presented its comprehensive findings on the region’s economic and social landscape. The event brought together a diverse group of leaders, from elected officials and business executives to scholars and community advocates, who are working to shape the future of our region. The Index covers everything from the effects of inflation on everyday life to the glaring wealth disparities across Silicon Valley. And they are glaring, not to mention alarming. As JVSV President and CEO Russell Hancock stated, without hyperbole, that these are the “conditions for instability and revolt.” 

Some of the key insights shared included: 

  • 1% of households control 15% of Silicon Valley’s collective liquid assets. 
  • The top 10% of earners hold 71% of the collective wealth in the Valley. 
  • A single adult with two young children needs to earn $91 an hour to achieve self-sufficiency. 
  • 11% of older adults in Silicon Valley live below the poverty line. 

These findings underscore the urgent need for equitable solutions and collaborative efforts to uplift the hundred of thousands of individuals who are living in poverty as a result of the incredibly high cost of living here. And to be clear, we need them to live here. They are teachers and mail carriers and waiters and custodians and bus drivers and hotel managers and dry cleaner owners and on and on. In short, they ensure the quality of life for all of us. 

Want to learn more? Check out this month’s blog, where we dive deeper into the Silicon Valley Index and explore what these numbers mean for the future of our region. 

Podcast 

This month, And Just One More Thing takes on a new format with two videos that showcase some of the impactful work my team and I have been doing. 

The first video offers an exclusive look into the childcare expansion grant, featuring a portion of the speech I delivered. 

The second video shines a spotlight on the Luther Burbank Family Resource Center, which received a Budget Inventory Grant from my office to support its ongoing operations and continued service to the community.

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to my team for anything you need!

-Warm regards,

Supervisor Susan Ellenberg

District 4 Supervisor