REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 13, 2026
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award from the California Department of Social Services for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Accept grant award from the California Department of Social Services, for the continued participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, in the amount of $2,089,629, for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Arlene Molina, Director, 383-2078)
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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant award for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in the amount of $2,089,629 is funded through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and does not require a local match. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department’s (PSD) 2025-26 budget and will be included in the future recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Head Start (HS), Early Head Start (EHS), and State Preschool programs and serves more than 2,000 children through direct services throughout San Bernardino County. The programs provide education, health, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parental involvement services for children ages zero to five with the overall goal of increasing the school readiness, health, and wellness of young children from economically disadvantaged families.
PSD has received Federal funding for CACFP from CDSS since 1965. This grant award will be used to provide 659,189 meals (breakfast and/or lunch) and snacks to an estimated 1,471 HS, EHS, and State Preschool eligible children countywide, at an average cost of $3.17 per meal. The annual cost to administer PSD’s countywide food program historically exceeds the annual grant awarded by CACFP, when this occurs, PSD subsidizes food program costs through eligible HS and EHS grant funding.
On August 19, 2025 (Item No. 36), the Board of Supervisors approved submission of the grant application to CDSS for continued CACFP funding in the amount of $2,089,629, for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. A formal Notice of Award is not sent when funds are awarded requiring PSD to periodically review the CACFP system to verify approval. This created a slight delay which could not have prevented this item from requiring retroactive approval, as funds were awarded on October 21, 2025, with an effective date of October 1, 2025. Approval at this time will not impact PSD services or activities.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 2, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on December 15, 2025.