REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 5, 2025
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Contract with Barstow Community College for Student Internship Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial contract with Barstow Community College, including non-standard terms, for training and field experience for students enrolled in various student internship programs for the period of August 6, 2025, through July 31, 2030.
(Presenter: Arlene Molina, Director, 383-2078)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommended Contract is non-financial in nature and as such does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Preschool Services Department (PSD) provides Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs that include comprehensive child development and family services, comprised of education, health, nutrition, parent involvement, and psychological services for children ages zero to five years and their families. Head Start and State Preschool programs have been operating in San Bernardino County (County) since 1965. Since 1999, PSD has provided these programs through a combination of direct and contracted services. The overall goal of these programs is to increase the health and school readiness of disadvantaged children and increase the self-sufficiency of low-income families.
PSD employs qualified professionals who will provide the tutelage and guidance needed to student interns participating in the various Barstow Community College (BCC) programs. Student interns will assist in providing hearing, vision and hemoglobin screenings to PSD-enrolled children. The student interns will also provide parent education classes in areas such as chronic health conditions and reducing the spread of communicable diseases. PSD's population of approximately 2,039 children ages zero to five throughout San Bernardino County will provide BCC student interns with required field experience and internship hours. The partnership will provide a mutually beneficial internship program offering the training and field experience BCC student interns need and a valuable means of maximizing PSD’s available public resources.
BCC’s performance will be monitored by reviewing monthly reports to ensure compliance with the administrative and programmatic requirements of the contract. BCC will cooperate with the County in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this contract and comply with all reporting requirements. The contract may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days’ written notice.
The Contract includes terms that differ from the standard County contract. The non-standard terms include:
1. The County is required to indemnify the Contractor for injury to persons and property arising out of any negligent act or omission 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 this indemnification, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. Claims that may otherwise be barred against the County, time-limited or expense-limited could be brought against the indemnitees without such limitations and the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse the indemnitees for costs, expenses, and damages.
2. The Contract does not require Contractor to meet the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policies, 11-05, 11-07 and 11-07SP.
• County policy requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department and as set forth in County policy and in the County standard contract.
• Potential Impact: The Contract does not include County standard insurance requirements. This means that the County has no assurance that the Contractor will be financially responsible for claims that may arise.
PSD recommends approval of the Contract, including the non-standard terms, to allow the department to continue providing training and field experience to student interns in various programs offered through BCC.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on June 16, 2025; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 12, 2025; Risk Management (Greg Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on May 21, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on June 24, 2025.