REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 1, 2026
FROM
JEANY GLASGOW, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve fee-for-service contracts with the following agencies to provide Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services, in the aggregate contract amount not to exceed $10,262,840, for the period of October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with the option to extend two additional one-year periods:
1. A Coming of Age to Adulthood, Inc. dba A Coming of Age Foster Family Agency
2. A Greater Love Foster Family Agency, Inc.
3. A New Beginning Therapeutic Solutions Marriage and Family Counseling Center
4. Amazing You Services, APC
5. Apex Professional Services, Inc. dba Harmony Homes Foster Family Agency
6. Ark Homes Foster Family Agency
7. Building Bridges Foster Family Agency
8. C & C Center for Healing
9. Culture Collective Counseling
10. Divine Truth Unity Fellowship Church dba Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
11. Essentials for Healing, Inc.
12. Gentle Roots Therapeutic Services
13. Greater Hope Foundation for Children, Inc. dba A Greater Hope
14. Happy Children Resource Center Foster Family Agency Inc.
15. Lutheran Social Services of Southern California
16. Making a Difference Association
17. Mel Latone Family Counseling, Inc., dba Bittersweet Encounters
18. Outreach Nation Corporation
19. Samaritan Counseling Center
20. Serenity Group Family Therapy, Inc.
21. Simple Solutions Family Therapy, Inc. dba Simple Solutions Psychotherapy
22. Sisters of Soul Youth & Family, Inc.
23. The Heart Matters Foster Family Agency
24. There is Hope Inc
25. True Escape Marriage and Family Therapy
26. Youths Hope Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Inc.
(Presenter: Jeany Glasgow, Director, 387-2792)
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). The total aggregate cost of these fee-for-service contracts will not exceed $10,262,840, for the period of October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The funding for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services (CAPTS) program is comprised of approximately 61% ($6,260,332) Federal (Promoting Safe and Stable Families allocation), 27% ($2,770,967) Realignment 2011, and 12% ($1,231,541) Birth Certificate Trust Fees. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Human Services (HS) Administrative Claim 2026-27 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
San Bernardino County (County) investigates over 30,500 allegations per year of abuse and neglect of children. Children and Family Services (CFS) operates under the Child Welfare Services system and its duty is to provide care and protection for children placed under its supervision pursuant to the provisions of Welfare and Institutions Code sections 16540, et seq. The major goal of this system is to protect and promote the welfare of all children by preventing and/or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children.
CFS provides services through CAPTS to help biological and adoptive families stay together in order to avoid removing children from their homes when this can be accomplished safely. CAPTS is for the entire family unit to participate in programs and services that include strength-based and holistic family-based intervention strategies that will improve the emotional and psychosocial well-being of the child and family unit and prevent future crisis/abuse. Services include a variety of activities such as individual, group, and family/couples therapy; psychological testing and evaluation; bonding/attachment assessments; parent education, anger management, domestic abuse, and life skills classes; and support groups.
CFS has provided CAPTS to eligible children and families through contracted agencies since 2014. Based on CFS’ Protective Factors Survey results from CAPTS service recipients electing to participate in the survey and provide feedback, the following key outcomes were reported for 2025-26:
• 88% of the 50 parents/caregivers reported that the therapeutic services received assisted them in meeting their case plan goals.
• 81.4% of the 43 parents/caregivers receiving Domestic Violence services reported that these services contributed to meeting their case plan goals.
• 87.7% of the 57 parents/caregivers participating in Parenting Education Classes indicated that the classes assisted them in meeting their case plan goals.
On September 22, 2024, Assembly Bill No. 2496 passed, which added section 1062.33 to the Code of Civil Procedure and required that Foster Family Agencies (FFAs) and public entities each bear the cost of insuring against their respective acts and omissions and defending against claims arising from those risks. Effectively, the County can no longer contractually require FFAs to indemnify the County and requires modification of the County’s insurance language, including removal of the waiver of subrogation requirement and other insurance requirements. The revised insurance language allows for broader coverage options with respect to the abuse/molestation requirement, permitting coverage to be met through a combination of general liability, professional liability, and/or umbrella liability policies, provided that the policies do not exclude abuse or molestation claims.
The non-standard indemnification and insurance terms apply only to the nine FFA vendors listed in the Recommendations: A Coming of Age to Adulthood, Inc., A Greater Love Foster Family Agency, Inc., Apex Professional Services, Inc. dba Harmony Homes Foster Family Agency, Ark Homes Foster Family Agency, Building Bridges Foster Family Agency, Greater Hope Foundation for Children, Inc. dba A Greater Hope, Happy Children Resource Center Foster Family Agency Inc., The Heart Matters Foster Family Agency, and There is Hope Inc. The nine FFA contracts contain the following non-standard terms:
1. The FFA contracts do not require the FFA to indemnify the County, as required by County Policies 11-05 and 11-07.
• The County standard contract requires the contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold the County harmless from third-party claims arising out of the acts, errors, or omissions of any person.
• Potential Impact: The FFAs are not required to defend, indemnify, or hold the County harmless from any claims, including indemnification for claims arising from an FFA’s negligent or intentional acts. If the County is sued for a claim, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages, which could exceed the total contract amount. However, pursuant to the Code of Civil Procedure section 1062.33, the County can no longer contractually require FFAs to indemnify the County.
2. The FFA contracts do not include certain 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 an FFA’s insurer to bring suit against the County, which could result in expenses that exceed the total contract amount. However, pursuant to the Code of Civil Procedure section 1062.33, the County can no longer require FFAs to provide an additional insured endorsement or waiver of subrogation rights.
The remaining 17 non-FFA vendor contracts contain standard County terms.
CFS recommends approving the fee-for-service contracts, including the non-standard terms for the FFAs, in order to allow CFS to continue providing CAPTS services. The recommended contracts will be paid on a fee-for-service basis and written in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10,262,840 and will be effective for the period of October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with the option to extend two additional one-year periods. The fee-for-service contracts are written in this manner to allow CFS the flexibility of selecting the contractor that best meets the needs of each client. CFS will monitor individual referrals to ensure that total payments do not exceed total spending authority. The fee-for-service contracts may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days advance written notice.
The current CAPTS contracts expire September 30, 2026. Under the new contracts, CAPTS will continue to be provided through 26 qualified providers countywide and is anticipated to serve:
• Approximately 1,300 children annually
• At an estimated cost of $2,500 per child.
Contractor performance will be monitored by review of monthly reports and annual site visits to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the Contract. Contractors will cooperate with the County in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this Contract and comply with any and all reporting requirements established by the Contract. Contractor charges must be for services provided to eligible beneficiaries under this funded program. CFS will review the invoice and attachments remitted by contractors prior to payment. The County reserves the right to request additional program and/or fiscal reports to facilitate these monthly reviews.
PROCUREMENT
The County Administrative Office approved and authorized HS to release a formal Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. HSSA26-CFS-6246 on April 14, 2026, to solicit applications from interested and qualified agencies to provide CAPTS for the period of October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The RFQ was posted to the County’s Electronic Procurement Network website. Applications from the 27 agencies listed below were received by the deadline, met the minimum submission requirements, and continued through the evaluation process.
|
Proposer |
Location |
|
A Coming of Age to Adulthood, Inc. dba A Coming of Age Foster Family Agency |
Riverside, CA |
|
A Greater Love Foster Family Agency, Inc. |
Whittier, CA |
|
A New Beginning Therapeutic Solutions Marriage and Family Counseling Center |
Hesperia, CA |
|
Amazing You Services, APC |
Colton, CA |
|
Apex Professional Services, Inc. dba Harmony Homes Foster Family Agency |
Apple Valley, CA |
|
Ark Homes Foster Family Agency |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Asante Family Agency |
San Bernardino, CA |
|
Building Bridges Foster Family Agency |
Ontario, CA |
|
C & C Center for Healing |
Redlands, CA |
|
Culture Collective Counseling |
San Bernardino, CA |
|
Divine Truth Unity Fellowship Church dba Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance |
San Bernardino, CA |
|
|
Colton, CA |
|
Gentle Roots Therapeutic Services |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Greater Hope Foundation for Children, Inc. dba A Greater Hope |
Victorville, CA |
|
Happy Children Resource Center Foster Family Agency Inc. |
Pomona, CA |
|
Lutheran Social Services of Southern California |
Orange, CA |
|
|
Colton, CA |
|
Mel Latone Family Counseling, Inc., dba Bittersweet Encounters |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Outreach Nation Corporation |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Samaritan Counseling Center |
Upland, CA |
|
Serenity Group Family Therapy, Inc. |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Simple Solutions Family Therapy, Inc. dba Simple Solutions Psychotherapy |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
Sisters of Soul Youth & Family, Inc. |
Colton, CA |
|
The Heart Matters Foster Family Agency |
Grand Terrace, CA |
|
There is Hope Inc |
Upland, CA |
|
True Escape Marriage and Family Therapy |
Victorville, CA |
|
Youths Hope Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Inc. |
San Bernardino, CA |
A team that included representatives from CFS, HS Auditing, HS Contracts, and HS Program Development Division completed an evaluation of the RFQ applications. The applications were evaluated based on minimum qualifications including but not limited to: a complete application, minimum of two years licensed experience providing direct counseling and treatment services to children and families in any or all of the relevant types of service, proof of possession of current, active, and valid professional medical licenses for rendering psychological and/or therapeutic counseling services, no record of unsatisfactory performance, and submission of adequate financials as specified in the RFQ were eligible for contract award.
As a result of the evaluations, the 26 agencies listed in the Recommendation were recommended for contract awards. One agency was not selected for award due to prior contract performance. On July 17, 2026, award and denial letters were sent to all responsible and responsive proposers. No protests were received by the end of the allowable period, which was July 27, 2026.
The Purchasing Department supports this competitive procurement based on the formal solicitation completed by CFS.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on August 17, 2026; County Counsel (Daniella V. Hernandez, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 19, 2026; Risk Management (Noel Cantrell, Administrative Supervisor I, 386-8890) on August 18, 2026; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on August 17, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on August 17, 2026.