REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 4, 2026
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with WestEd for California Collaborative on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Contract with WestEd, including a non-standard term, for California Collaborative on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning services, in the amount of $1,347,800, for the period of August 5, 2026 through August 4, 2029, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
2. Authorize the Director of the Preschool Services Department to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments, on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review and approval.
3. Direct the Director of the Preschool Services Department to transmit any non-substantive amendments related to the contract in Recommendation No. 1 to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(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 does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The contract amount of $1,347,800 is 86% ($1,159,108) federally funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant funds, and 14% ($188,692) is funded by the California Department of Education. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department (PSD) 2026-27 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start, State General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs. These programs provide education, health, nutrition, cognitive, social/emotional, and 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.
WestEd provides coaching, leadership facilitation, and exclusive training on advanced content of California Collaborative on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning services (CA CSEFEL). CA CSEFEL Teaching Pyramid training is a systematic framework of evidence-based, user-friendly practices to help early childhood educators meet the needs of the growing number of children with challenging behaviors and mental health concerns. CA CSEFEL Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) training supports early childhood educators in observing, documenting, and assessing children’s development using the DRDP tool. The training focuses on using data to inform instruction, improve program quality, and support positive outcomes for children.
Since January 2021, WestEd has trained PSD staff on how to support children with challenging behaviors and mental health concerns. The training consists of leadership team development, professional development, document review and implementation, and classroom coaching and support. The training allows PSD staff to better serve these children and their families. The recommended contract will allow WestEd to provide CA CSEFEL Teaching Pyramid and DRDP training to new PSD staff and add services to support the comprehensive professional development of PSD educators, which include support to the trainers and classroom coaching staff.
Delegated authority will allow the Director to execute non-substantive amendments and allowable term extensions in a timely manner, ensuring continuity of services and reducing administrative delays.
The contract includes a term that differs from the standard County contract. The non-standard term is:
The contract does not require WestEd to indemnify the County for all claims arising out of the contract.
• The County standard contract indemnity provision requires the Contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from third-party claims arising out of the acts, errors, or omissions of any person.
• Potential Impact: WestEd is not required to defend, indemnify, or hold the County harmless from claims arising from the County’s own acts or omissions which may arise during the performance of the contract. Additionally, if the County is sued for any claim based on its use of WestEd services, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages, which could exceed the total contract amount.
PSD recommends approval of the contract, including the non-standard term, as the training and certification are necessary for PSD employees to use the Teaching Pyramid framework.
PROCUREMENT
Purchasing supports the non-competitive procurement of the WestEd training and certification program, Teaching Pyramid, based on specialized training. WestEd is the only vendor in California authorized to certify employees in the use of the Teaching Pyramid framework. These proprietary training and certification services are offered both in-person and virtually, are specifically aligned with PSD curriculum requirements, and are not available through other vendors. Because no alternate sources can provide this certification, competitive procurement is not feasible.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on July 6, 2026; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 2, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on July 6, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on July 22, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on July 8, 2026.