REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 6, 2026
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Contract with Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County for Participation in the Food Bank Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Contract with Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, including non-standard terms, for participation in a food assistance program to distribute food at no cost to families with children enrolled in the Early Head Start, Head Start Preschool, and State Preschool programs, for the period of November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2031.
(Presenter: Arlene Molina, Director, 945-6478)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as this item is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Preschool Services Department (PSD) operates the Early Head Start, Head Start Preschool, and State Preschool programs, serving approximately 2,039 children through direct services in San Bernardino County (County). These programs provide education, health, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages zero to five years with the overall goal of increasing family engagement and the school readiness of young children in economically disadvantaged families.
Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) serves as an Eligible Recipient Agency (ERA) for food assistance programs. ERA organizations partner with local programs within their communities to distribute food at no cost to low-income households. Under the recommended contract, CAPSBC will provide food on a monthly basis to PSD, which will act as the Sub-Recipient Agency responsible for coordinating the receipt, storage, and distribution of food to eligible PSD families. PSD will also promote the program to participating families, maintain required distribution and program records, and provide applicable reporting to CAPSBC in accordance with program requirements.
The Terms and Conditions of the Contract include terms that differ from the standard County contract. The non-standard terms include the following:
1. The County is required to indemnify, defend, and hold CAPSBC harmless for claims arising out of injuries or damages to third parties or property of third parties caused by the negligent 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 CAPSBC, 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 CAPSBC without such limitations, and the County would be responsible to defend and reimburse CAPSBC for costs, expenses, and damages.
2. The Contract does not require CAPSBC to meet the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policies, 11-05, 11-07 and 11-07SP.
• The County policy requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department and set forth 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 CAPSBC will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the Contract, which could result in expenses to the County.
PSD recommends approval of the Contract, including the non-standard terms, as this will allow the department to distribute food to benefit PSD families in the County who are in immediate need of these resources. The overall goal of the Food Bank program is to reduce the financial burden of purchasing food, improve children’s health and well-being, and support overall family stability.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on September 15, 2026; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 15, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9044) on September 15, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on September 18, 2026.