Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Agreement with SMCU Community Fund and Community Equity Collaborative Regarding San Mateo County Child Care Relief Fund
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution approving an agreement with the Community Equity Collaborative and the SMCU Community Fund for the distribution and administration of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act funds for the San Mateo County Childcare Relief Fund to provide grants to San Mateo County Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes for the term August 4, 2020 through October 31, 2020.
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BACKGROUND:
On July 21, 2020, the Board of Supervisors (“Board”) adopted a resolution approving a $2,000,000 allocation of CARES Act funds for the purposes of seeding the Child Care Relief Fund (“Fund”), a COVID-19 recovery fund to benefit child care programs adversely impacted by COVID-19 and directing the County Manager, or his designee, to negotiate agreements with the Community Equity Collaborative (“Collaborative”) and the SMCU Community Fund (“Community Fund”) to administer and distribute grants from the Fund.
The Fund Purpose: The Fund’s purpose is to ensure the health, welfare, diversity, and long-term sustainability of communities throughout the County by supporting the continued viability and availability of high quality Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes in San Mateo County that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, with a particular focus on such establishments that provide child care services to the County’s most vulnerable residents; that are located in Priority One Zip Codes (i.e., zip codes identified by the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council Child Care and Early Learning Needs Assessment as having the highest need for such services); that have demonstrated fiscal sustainability; and that have participated in other existing County initiatives, such as the Big Lift and Quality Counts, as authorized and directed by the Board at its meeting of July 21, 2020 (the “Fund Purpose”).
Disbursement of Funds: Pursuant to the Fund Purpose, the Fund shall be disbursed as individual grants of no more than fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000) each to a minimum of twenty-five (25) San Mateo County Child Care Centers and no more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) each to a minimum of sixty-five (65) San Mateo County Family Child Care Homes. For purposes of the Fund, “Child Care Center” has the meaning set forth in Section 101152 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations and “Family Child Care Home” has the meaning set forth in Section 102352 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
To qualify for a grant from the Fund, a Child Care Center or a Family Child Care Home must establish that they have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 and that they are appropriately licensed by the State of California or exempt from such licensing requirements.
Grants from the Fund shall be in an amount that covers approximately one month of operating expenses for the grantee, including payroll, rent, and other operating cost, or the above-referenced maximum grant amounts (i.e., $55,000 for Child Care Centers and $10,000 for Family Child Care Homes), whichever is less.
Pursuant to the direction of the Board on July 21, 2020, the County will enter into an agreement with the Community Fund and the Collaborative for the administration and distribution of the Fund (the “Agreement”).
Pursuant to the Agreement, the Parties will collaborate to develop and finalize priority criteria for grants from the Fund. These priority criteria will include, at a minimum, a preference for funding for Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes that provide child care services to the County’s most vulnerable residents; that are located in Priority One Zip Codes; that have demonstrated fiscal sustainability; and that have participated in other existing County initiatives, such as the Big Lift and Quality Counts.
DISCUSSION:
The Collaborative will conduct an initial review of grant applications to determine completeness and eligibility for the grant program. The Collaborative will also coordinate and facilitate the work of the Advisory Team, which will determine prioritization for grants among the applications received and make grant recommendations to the Community Fund. The County will transfer $2,000,000 to the Community Fund, which will have the responsibility to disburse grants to Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes selected for receipt of a grant.
The Community Fund and the Collaborative will each receive an administrative fee of $5,000 for the services contemplated by the Agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The County shall compensate the Community Fund and the Collaborative a total of $10,000 in administrative fees under the Agreement for the term August 4, 2020, through October 31, 2020. This amount has been included in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2020-21 Recommended Budget.