REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2020
FROM
PHALOS HAIRE, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts with Agencies to provide Head Start, Early Head Start and State Preschool Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies to provide Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs, in the total amount of $19,915,460, for the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023:
1. Colton Joint Unified School District, in the amount of $3,229,260.
2. Easter Seals Southern California, Inc., in the amount of $13,730,472.
3. Fontana Unified School District, in the amount of $1,121,607.
4. Needles Unified School District, in the amount of $1,243,224.
5. Ontario-Montclair School District, in the amount of $590,877.
(Presenter: Phalos Haire, Director, 383-2005)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The combined amount of $19,915,460 for Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool program services is 97.30% ($19,377,743) federally funded through the Administration for Children and Families and 2.70% ($537,717) state funded through the California Department of Education. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department’s (PSD) 2020-21 recommended budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs provide comprehensive child development and family services that include education, health, nutrition, parent involvement, and psychological services for children ages 0 to 5 and their families. Head Start and State Preschool programs have been operating in San Bernardino County since 1965. Since 1999, PSD has provided these programs through a combination of direct and contracted services. Under the terms of the recommended contracts, the agencies listed in the Recommendation will provide countywide Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool program services to approximately 856 children eligible children and their families. PSD currently provides direct services to approximately 4,200 eligible children and their families in areas not served by these contracted agencies.
PROCUREMENT
On November 25, 2019, the Chief Executive Officer approved and authorized the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP), ePro Bid # PSSD20-ADMIN-3528, to solicit agencies to provide Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs to eligible children 0 to 5 years of age for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2013. The RFP was posted on the County of San Bernardino Electronic Procurement Network (ePro), and mailed directly to 133 agencies with experience in providing Head Start Services.
Human Services (HS) received proposals from five agencies, with their one-year costs, as follows:
Easter Seals Southern California, Inc. (ESSC) - $5,662,782
• Head Start Full Day Center Based Program - 127 children
• Head Start Part Day Center Based Program - 224 children
• Head Start Home Based Program - 132 children
• Early Head Start Full Day Center Based Program - 72 children
• Early Head Start Home Based Program - 24 children
Ontario-Montclair School District (OMSD) - $215,569
• Head Start Part Day Center Based Program - 32 children
Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) - $1,234,587
• Head Start Part Day Center Based Program - 174 children
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) - $446,221
• Early Head Start Full Day Center Based Program - 24 children
Jumpstart Learning Center - $994,050
• Head Start and State Preschool Combination Full Day - 60 children
An evaluation of the proposals was completed by a team that included representatives from PSD and HS Auditing Division. The proposals were evaluated based on experience, proposed services, cost, geographic area, facility, staffing, financial stability, administrative capability, and experience serving special needs children.
The evaluation team found that ESSC, OMSD, CJUSD and FUSD best met the requirements and qualifications of the RFP and were recommended for contract award. The agencies not recommended for contract award were unsuccessful based on lack of experience with federal grant programs. The agencies not recommended for contract award were notified by mail that they may protest the recommendation by submitting a formal protest letter to the HS Contracts Unit by March 16, 2020. No protest letter was received.
Additionally, it was determined by PSD that although Needles Unified School District (NUSD) did not submit a proposal in response to the RFP, continuing the Head Start and State Preschool Services that NUSD provides is vital to the Needles community and its surrounding area. As there are no other Head Start or State Preschool providers in the Needles vicinity, a procurement was initiated with NUSD and based on the ensuring proposal provided, they are included in the Recommendation for contract award. Purchasing concurs with the recommended contract award to NUSD as no agency in the Needles area responded to the PSD RFP for these services. NUSD is the only provider of Head Start and State Preschool Program services in the Needles area.
PSD recommends awarding contracts to five agencies, in a total amount not to exceed $19,915,460, for the provision of Head Start, Early Head Start and State Preschool programs throughout San Bernardino County. Each contract may be terminated without cause by the County with a 30-day written notice.
Contractor performance will be measured by reviewing the required monthly reports and annual site visits by County staff to monitor compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contracts.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Jennifer Mulhall-Daudel, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on June 4, 2020; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 8, 2020; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer) on June 8, 2020; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on June 5, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on June 5, 2020.