REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
JUNE 11, 2024
FROM
JEANY ZEPEDA, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Emergency Childcare Services for Foster Youth
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies to provide emergency childcare services, in a combined amount not to exceed $9,427,617, for the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025:
1. Child Care Resource Center, Inc. in the amount of $7,406,694.
2. Pomona Unified School District, including non-standard terms, in the amount of $2,020,923.
(Presenter: Jeany Zepeda, Director, 387-2792)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of these contracts will not exceed $9,427,617 for the contract period and is funded 100% with state funds and federal funds. Adequate appropriation and revenue are included in the Human Services Administrative Claim 2024-25 Recommended Budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Under the terms of the recommended contracts, Child Care Resource Center, Inc. (CCRC) and Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) will collaborate with Children and Family Services (CFS) to provide emergency child care services to eligible families, in an effort to increase the number of foster children successfully placed in home-based family care.
A primary barrier to placing foster children with families is the lack of immediate access to childcare. The passage of California Senate Bill 89 (Chapter 24, Statutes of 2017) established the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program (Bridge Program), which requires Counties to enter into an agreement with the local Child Care Resource and Referral Programs (R&R) to provide a child care navigator for families and trauma-informed care training and coaching services. CCRC and PUSD are currently the only R&Rs contracted with the State to provide services in San Bernardino County.
Under the recommended contracts, CFS will provide eligible families with a time limited monthly payment or voucher for childcare for children ages 0 through 12 years. Additionally, families will receive support from a childcare navigator provided by one of the R&R. Childcare programs and providers serving children in the Bridge Program will also receive trauma-informed training. The California R&R Network will develop and coordinate the training content to be used.
Services provided under these contracts may be terminated by the County without cause upon 30-day prior written notice. Contractor performance will be monitored by review of monthly reports and an annual site visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract.
As a public entity, PUSD has certain contract terms that must be included in their agreement which differ from the standard County contract terms. The non-standard terms include the following:
1. The County is required to indemnify PUSD from and against any and all liability, loss, expense or claims for injury or damages arising out of the performance of the agreement by the County, but only in proportion to and to the extent such liability, loss, expense, attorneys’ fees or claims for injury or damages are caused by or result from the negligence or intentional acts or omissions of the County.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify PUSD, the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse PUSD for costs, expenses, and damages, which could exceed the total agreement amount.
2. The agreement does not include certain standard County insurance requirements, including the waiver of subrogation.
• The County standard contract requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: No waiver of subrogation may allow PUSD’s insurer to bring suit against the County, which could result in expenses that exceed the total agreement amount.
CFS recommends approval of the agreements with CCRC and PUSD, including the non-standard terms in the PUSD agreement, so that it can continue to provide eligible families with a time limited monthly payment or voucher for childcare for children ages 0 through 12 years.
PROCUREMENT
Purchasing supports the non-competitive procurement of Emergency Childcare Services as the above vendors are the only authorized distributors for the County. The State of California mandates that the Children and Family Services Department utilize State approved R&Rs as part of the emergency Childcare Bridge Program, which provides crucial support to families in crisis. The vendors referenced above are the only approved R&Rs in the County.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on March 11, 2024; County Counsel (Kaleigh Ragon, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 4, 2024; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) May 10, 2024; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on May 14, 2024; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on May 21, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-0238) on May 23, 2024.