TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Yasumoto, Health and Human Services Agency
REPORT BY: Summer Isham, Contracts Supervisor
SUBJECT: Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 190321B with Community Resources for Children, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Health and Human Services requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 190321B with Community Resources for Children, Inc., increasing the amount by $126,512 for a new annual maximum of $259,134 for the term July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, and each automatic renewal thereof, to make use of an augmentation to the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for the Foster Children allocation.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of today’s requested action is to approve an amendment to increase the contract maximum to make use of an augmentation to the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for the Foster Children allocation.
Approval of the requested Amendment No. 2 will:
1. Increase the amount by $126,512 for a new contract maximum of $259,134, and each automatic renewal thereof;
2. Replace Exhibit A (Scope of Work) with Exhibit A-1 to add Nonoperational and Hold Harmless support, tracking and data collection, along with support for additional childcare slots and monthly reporting in the Child Development Management Information Systems (CDMIS);
3. Replace Exhibit B-1 (Budget) with Exhibit B-2 to revise the Agreement’s budget to incorporate the increased budget.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Health & Human Services, Child Welfare Services |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Although these services are discretionary, approval of this action will remove the barrier of childcare for resource families taking in a foster child. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
This Agreement contains a provision for automatic annual renewal. Appropriations have been included in the approved Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget and future fiscal years will be budgeted accordingly. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If this contract is not approved, Child Welfare will be unable to utilize this resource and funding to provide childcare for foster placements. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Collaborative and Engaged Community |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The goals of the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program) are to increase the number of foster children successfully placed in home-based family care settings, increase placement stability, increase the capacity of childcare programs to meet the needs of foster children in their care, and maximize funding to support the childcare needs of eligible families. The Bridge Program is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and utilizes the State General Fund as the funding source.
The contract is being amended to reflect the FY 2021-2022 allocation increase for the Bridge Program due to the prior fiscal year reappropriation of the Bridge Program funds based on the Budget Act of 2021. This reappropriation was due to counties not opting into the Bridge Program and leaving a surplus of funding on the table. Additionally, funds were left over from the prior fiscal year as many childcare options were underutilized due to childcare facilities being particularly vulnerable to the effects of positive COVID-19 cases, along with the mandate of the Stay-at-Home Orders in California which created an effect of less families utilizing childcare due to Work from Home agreements.
The amendment will also authorize paid nonoperational days for COVID-19 pandemic related closures and childcare reimbursement based on the maximum certified hours of care rather than attendance (otherwise known as “hold harmless”) for providers serving children in the Bridge Program. The funds related to the nonoperational and hold harmless support are distributed based on each participating county’s percentage of the overall State childcare voucher allocation. This reallocation of funds will also fund additional childcare slots and allow for monthly reporting through the Child Development Management Information System (CDMIS) which is used to report information to the federal government on subsidized childcare and development programs in order to comply with state- and federally- mandated reporting requirements.