Since 1992, The Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families has brought together public and private service providers to address the needs of Montgomery County, Maryland's children under the age of 18, and their families. One in four county residents fits this youthful profile. Designated as a Local Management Board by the State of Maryland, the Montgomery County Collaboration Council's purpose is to be a catalyst so that agencies and other groups can collaborate to achieve positive results in the community. Now a quasi public non-profit, the Collaboration Council's work continues to grow and change to meet the ever-evolving needs of the county's residents. Comprised of 350+ public and private agencies, faith-based organizations, families, elected officials, businesses and community advocates, the Council: Assesses community needs Sets priorities Targets resources Oversees the delivery of services Together, these groups have developed link The Children's Agenda, a blueprint to assure that funding and strategies will improve lives and futures. This blueprint acts as a guide to assist our partnerships in nurturing a community where children are safe, healthy, successful in school, prepared for life, and supported by a caring family and neighborhood. The Montgomery County Collaboration Council is committed to the integration of the values and principles of cultural and linguistic competence into all aspects of our policy-making, management, strategic planning, funding, capacity-building and service delivery. Our goal is to foster effective partnerships and programs that recognize and respond to the diversity in culture, ethnicity and language of our children, youth and families. We will hold ourselves publicly accountable for continuous progress toward fulfilling this policy.