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
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Ontario Police Department for Dedicated Office Space
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Ontario, on behalf of its Police Department, including a non-standard term, for dedicated office space for Children and Family Services staff to provide crisis response services, for the period of September 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031.
(Presenter: Jeany Glasgow, Director, 658-1181)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
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 is a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended non-financial MOU will allow Children and Family Services (CFS) to utilize dedicated office space within the City of Ontario’s Police Department (OPD) located at 2500 S. Archibald Avenue located in Ontario for the purpose of providing child welfare crisis response, investigative support, and related services from the dedicated office space and in the field. The MOU reaffirms CFS' commitment to responsive child welfare services delivered through collaborative partnerships with law enforcement and outlines the use of office space at OPD for a co-located Social Service Practitioner (SSP). A SSP is a CFS staff member who works out of the OPD facility while remaining a County employee under CFS supervision.
The co-located SSP will primarily be assigned child abuse referrals involving incidents occurring within OPD's jurisdiction that, by law, require a social worker to contact the involved family within 10 days of the referral’s initiation. The SSP will support complex investigations requiring a multidisciplinary response, including allegations of physical and sexual abuse. The SSP will facilitate the timely exchange of police reports, child welfare records, and investigative updates between OPD and regional CFS staff, as permitted by law and agency policies When appropriate, the SSP will respond alongside law enforcement to conduct coordinated assessments and connect children and families with appropriate services. Co-location strengthens early intervention and prevention efforts and improves coordination between the two agencies.
Since 2022, CFS has partnered with law enforcement agencies to enhance crisis response services, improve coordination, and increase operational efficiency. Similar agreements are in place with the Fontana Police Department, San Bernardino Police Department, and the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to provide dedicated office space that supports these collaborative efforts.
Approval of this item will establish a dedicated, no-cost workspace at OPD, further expanding this collaborative initiative within the Ontario region. Under the MOU, CFS and OPD will establish mutually satisfactory methods for exchanging the information necessary for each party to perform its respective duties. Confidential information, including personally identifiable information and protected health information, will be safeguarded in accordance with County and CFS privacy policies; maintained in secure, on-site record storage; and protected through OPD staff training on CFS confidentiality requirements and the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required by applicable state and federal laws.
The MOU contains a term that differs from the standard County contract. The non-standard term includes the following:
The MOU contains a mutual indemnification provision whereby the County and OPD are required to indemnify and hold harmless the other party from any and all claims and damages to the extent caused by its negligent or wrongful acts in connection with its performance under the MOU.
• The County standard contract indemnity provision requires the contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from all third party claims arising out of the acts, errors or omissions of any person. The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of another party.
• Potential Impact: OPD is not required to defend, indemnify or hold the County harmless from any claims. In some cases, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages. By agreeing to indemnify OPD, claims that may otherwise be barred against the County, time limited, or expense limited could be brought against OPD without such limitations and the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse OPD for costs, expenses, and damages.
CFS recommends approval of the MOU with OPD, including the non-standard term, because CFS has determined that the benefits of securing dedicated office space at no cost to the County, improving coordination with law enforcement, and supporting timely child welfare crisis response and investigations outweigh the potential risks associated with the non-standard term.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on July 30, 2026; County Counsel (Daniella V. Hernandez, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 19, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on August 19, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on August 17, 2026.