TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Yasumoto, Director of Health and Human Services Agency
REPORT BY: Jennifer Ivancie, Staff Services Analyst I
SUBJECT: Agreement No. 230351B with Community Resources for Children (CalWORKs Stage One Child Care program)
RECOMMENDATION
title
Director of Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to terminate the current Agreement No. 4000 with Community Resources for Children (CRC) and sign a new Agreement No. 230351B, for a contract maximum of $600,691 for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, and each subsequent renewal, for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage One child care program.
body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of today’s action will allow Napa County to continue its agreement with CRC to provide administration and support services and make direct payments to providers for child care referrals under HHSA’s CalWORKs program. There is no change to the contract maximum. Entering into a new agreement allows Napa County to update its contract language, including changes in the Scope of Work to reflect updates to child care regulations.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
|
Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
|
Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
|
Where is it budgeted? |
Health and Human Services Agency Self Sufficiency Services |
|
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Mandatory |
|
Is the general fund affected? |
No |
|
Future fiscal impact: |
Appropriations have been included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget and future fiscal years will be budgeted accordingly. |
|
Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, the Scope of Work will not align with current regulations for the CalWORKs Stage One child care program. |
|
County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Livable Economy for All |
|
Additional Information |
None |
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
In August 1997, California Welfare Reform Legislation (AB 1542) was signed into law. This law established the CalWORKs program and mandated a three stage child care payment system. This system was designed to allow all eligible CalWORKs families the opportunity to access child care in order to work or attend some type of training program with the goal of becoming economically self-sufficient. The availability of quality child care is essential to the success of the CalWORKs child care program.
Eligibility for CalWORKs child care begins when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash aid and participates in the Welfare-to-Work (WTW) program. Napa County, through its contract with CRC, administers the Stage One child care program. Stage One child care provides current CalWORKs cash aid recipients assistance with paying for child care with a provider of their choice, if they are employed or participating in county approved WTW activities. Child care is provided for children through the age of 12, and for exceptional needs and severely disabled children up to age 21. The Stage One program ensures that access to stable child care is never a barrier to participating in the WTW program.
Under the prior regulations for CalWORKs child care programs, child care was only authorized once an activity was approved and for only the length of time and amount of hours for that activity. This provided instability for families in CalWORKs as they could lose child care placements and have to change child care providers due to the rigid standards of the prior regulations.
The Scope of Work is revised in this agreement to reflect the updated regulations that now permit immediate and continuous childcare authorizations for an eligible CalWORKs family. These families will now be eligible to receive 12 months of continuous child care. Child care is mandated to be authorized full-time (30 or more hours per week) upon granting of the CalWORKs case for eligible families. This change allows for a family to have access to stable, full-time child care while the family is in receipt of CalWORKs.
Immediate and continuous child care eligibility is part of a two-generational approach to disrupt the cycle of poverty by simultaneously focusing on the needs of parents and children. Immediate and continuous child care alleviates potential instability caused by frequent changes to WTW activities or other circumstances that require multiple childcare authorizations while engaged in WTW.