REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 12, 2024
FROM
JACQUELYN GREENE, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Revenue Agreement with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Revenue Agreement with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools providing incentive stipends in the amount of $97,765, and administrative costs in the amount of $30,000, for a total of $127,765 for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
(Presenter: Jacquelyn Greene, Director, 383-2005)
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 Revenue Agreement (Agreement) with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) is 100% State funded through the California Department of Education. The Preschool Services Department (PSD) is not requesting adjustments to its 2023-24 budget at this time but may return to the Board to request such adjustments if necessary. Adequate appropriation and revenue will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs and serves more than 3,000 children in 31 locations through direct services throughout San Bernardino County. The programs provide education, health, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages 0 to 5 with the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in economically, disadvantaged families.
The California State Preschool Program (CSPP) provides education, health, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages 3 to 5, referrals to health and social services for families and staff development opportunities for employees. CSPP services cover full-day and part-day childcare and development programs that include nutrition, parental education, information on child development and care that have an educational component that is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children served. Services are provided to eligible children and parents who are either attending school or are enrolled in a job-training program, and families involved with Child Protective Services.
Under the terms of the recommended Agreement, SBCSS will provide stipends for teaching staff in order to retain employees that meet all of the minimum criteria. Teaching staff must work directly and consistently with subsidized children in a classroom or virtual setting at least 15 hours or more per week, for at least nine of the last 12 months working within the Child Development /Early Childhood Education (ECE) learning model to qualify for the stipend.
PSD receives revenue agreements from SBCSS for teaching staff incentive stipends in July of each fiscal year. However, the amount of the revenue agreements are not determined until the required Quality Count California and California State Preschool Program (QCC-CSPP) applications are completed. These applications are completed by applicants electronically at the California ECE Workforce Registry website.
Last year, approximately 52 PSD staff who worked with CSPP eligible children qualified for the stipend. The program was initiated by the State of California to encourage teachers working in state-funded child development programs to remain in the field of early childhood education as well as pursue further training and education. The retention of early childhood education staff benefits children enrolled in the State programs by offering a continuity of care with the same teacher from year to year.
On December 29, 2023, PSD received notification of the Agreement. This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first available date following the required fiscal, administrative, and legal reviews. Approval at this time will not impact PSD’s CSPP services and activities, as it is anticipated that the referenced QCC-CSPP stipends will be distributed in August 2024.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on February 7, 2024; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 8, 2024; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst III, 386-8392) on February 22, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on February 23, 2024.