REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 5, 2021
FROM
JACQUELYN GREENE, Interim Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Management Information Technology USA, Inc., dba ChildPlus Software for Record Keeping and Data Reporting System
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contract with Management Information Technology USA, Inc. dba ChildPlus Software, for record keeping and data reporting system for Head Start and State Preschool Programs, in the amount not to exceed $250,340 for the total contract period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024.
(Presenter: Jacquelyn Greene, Interim Director, 383-2025)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of this contract will not exceed $250,340 for the three year contract period, and is 100% federally funded through the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department’s (PSD) 2021-22 budget, and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The approval of the recommended contract with Management Information Technology USA, Inc. dba ChildPlus Software (ChildPlus) will allow PSD to maintain the current record keeping and reporting system. ChildPlus maintains all PSD Head Start and State Preschool data for enrollment, classroom records, medical and health information, and historical data. Additionally, PSD uses ChildPlus for preschool student recruitment, messaging families, and mobile applications. ChildPlus has provided PSD’s record keeping and reporting system via contracted services since 2015.
Head Start Performance Standards and the California Department of Education require that a record keeping database and reporting system be used to consistently collect and record data, generate reports, make information accessible to appropriate parties, and maintain confidentiality. A record keeping database and reporting system is also necessary to ensure PSD maintains compliance with required federal and state reporting information regarding child assessments, child attendance, medical information, health conditions, immunization records, and compliance monitoring.
PSD operates Head Start and State Preschool programs that 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. The overall goal of these programs is to increase the health and school readiness of disadvantaged children and increase the self-sufficiency of low income families.
The contract with ChildPlus includes terms that differ from the standard County contract terms. The non-standard terms include the following:
ChildPlus maximum liability for damages arising from or related to the contract is limited to the amount actually paid to ChildPlus within the 24-month period preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
• The County standard contract does not include a limitation of liability.
• Potential Impact: Claims could exceed the liability cap and the contract amount leaving the County financially liable for the excess.
PROCUREMENT
On June 2, 2015 (Item No. 55), as the result of a competitive procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 15-276 with ChildPlus to provide a record keeping and reporting system for the Head Start and State Preschool Programs, in the amount of $117,839, for the period of June 3, 2015 through June 30, 2018. On May 22, 2018 (Item No. 73), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the contract, increasing the total amount by $147,090 to $264,929, and extending the contract period through June 30, 2021.
PSD is recommending a new contract with ChildPlus, the existing vendor providing the required record keeping reporting system, as initiating services with a new vendor would require significant additional funding for new compatible software. The cost savings to PSD to maintain the existing system in place is approximately $226,000. The breakdown of the cost savings are $70,000 to transition from ChildPlus software to different software, $60,000 for the access to archived data, and $96,000 in staff training costs.
This item is being presented to the Board at this time, as there was a lengthy negotiation on the contract language and this is the first date available for presentation following the required administrative, operational and legal reviews. Board approval at this time will not impact the record keeping and data reporting services as ChildPlus has continued to provide the services.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Becky Giroux, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on September 13, 2021; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 16, 2021; Human Services Information, Technology and Support Division (Danny Tillman, Departmental Information Services Administrator, 386-3765) on September 24, 2021; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on September 21, 2021; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on September 20, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on September 20, 2021.