Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Nicole Pollack, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Agreement with Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo, Inc. to Operate an Emergency Child Care Bridge Program
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo, Inc. to operate the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for foster children in San Mateo County for the term of November 13, 2018 through June 30, 2019, in an amount not to exceed $174,597.
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BACKGROUND:
The lack of access to child care for potential eligible families seeking to take in a foster child is one of the top barriers to placing young foster children with families. The passage of Senate Bill 89, established the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program (Bridge Program). The Bridge Program provides a six-month payment or voucher, or child care and assistance from a child care navigator, to eligible relative caregivers, eligible families, or parenting youth in foster care. Trauma-informed care training and coaching are also provided to child care providers who care for children in foster care. SB 89 requires participating counties to enter into an agreement with their designated Child Care Resource and Referral (R&R) Program agency(s) to provide the trauma-informed care and navigator services. SB 89 also authorized counties to enter into an agreement with their designated Alternative Payment Program (APP) provider. The Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County (4Cs) is a California Department of Education designated APP provider and is San Mateo County’s designated R&R agency.
DISCUSSION:
4Cs will operate the Bridge Program in San Mateo County. Program services include providing emergency child care vouchers, child care navigator services, and trauma informed care training/coaching. 4Cs will provide child care vouchers to help pay for the child care costs for foster children from birth through age 12, children with exceptional needs, and severely disabled children up to the age of 21. Navigator services assist eligible families with finding a child care provider, securing a subsidized child care placement if eligible, completing child care program applications, and developing a plan for long-term child care appropriate to the child’s age and needs. In addition, 4Cs will provide its providers with access to trauma-informed care training that includes, but is not limited to, infant and toddler development and research-based, trauma-informed best care practices. Providers will also receive trauma informed coaching to assist them in applying the training and learning strategies for working with children in foster care.
San Mateo County’s designated R&R is 4Cs. The Human Services Agency is requesting that the Board waive the Request for Proposal process because San Mateo County has only one designated R&R, and it should therefore be considered a sole source.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 in aggregate.
Approval of this agreement contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing child care assistance that will increase the capacity of child care programs to meet the needs of foster children in their care, and maximize funding to support the child care needs of eligible families. It is anticipated for FY 2018-19 that 95% of families identified by Children and Family Services will receive a child care voucher, and 90% of eligible families will receive child care navigation services (services include referrals to child care providers, program benefit information, and long term child care placements).
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2018-19 Target |
|
Percentage of families identified by CFS that will receive a child care voucher. |
95%* |
|
Percentage of referred eligible families that will receive navigation program services (services include referrals to child care providers, program benefit information, and long term child care placements). |
90%** |
*A minimum of six families will be served with additional served based on availability of funding.
**Based on availability of funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total obligation of the agreement is $174,597. Of this amount, $147,897 is funded by State Emergency Child Care Bridge Program allocation, and $26,700 is Net County Cost. Budgetary appropriation is included in the FY 2018-19 Adopted Budget.