REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 24, 2023
FROM
JACQUELYN GREENE, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contracts with Agencies to Provide Early Head Start and Head Start Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 5, effective July 1, 2022, to Contract No. 20-495 with Easter Seals Southern California, Inc., to provide Early Head Start and Head Start Program services, increasing the total contract amount by $107,465, from $15,556,439 to $15,663,904, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023.
2. Approve Amendment No. 3, effective July 1, 2022, to Contract No. 20-498 with Ontario-Montclair School District, to provide Early Head Start and Head Start Program services, increasing the total contract amount by $4,545, from $657,975 to $662,520, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023.
(Presenter: Jacquelyn Greene, Director, 383-2005)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommended amendments will not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The increase of $112,010 is 100% federally funded through the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department (PSD) 2022-23 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Under the terms of the recommended amendments, PSD will continue to provide services in part through contract agencies for Early Head Start and Head Start programs. The recommended amendment to the contracts will enable the agencies to provide a 2.28% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for their personnel, and program supplies and services as provided for by ACF.
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start, General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs serving more than 3,800 children in locations throughout San Bernardino County. 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.
There are five contract agencies, including the two in the Recommendation, that provide Early Head Start and Head Start Program services to approximately 863 eligible children and their families annually:
• Easter Seals Southern California, Inc. provides services to 579 children.
• Colton Joint Unified School District provides services to 176 children.
• Fontana Unified School District provides services to 24 children.
• Needles Unified School District provides services to 52 children.
• Ontario-Montclair School District provides services to 32 children.
The recommended amendments are being presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) at this time, as PSD received the funding notices from ACF on August 26, 2022 and received the agencies’ amended budgets in November 2022. The COLA funding is effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. This is the first date available for presentation of these amendments following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval by the Board at this time will have no impact on PSD’s Early Head Start and Head Start Programs services and activities.
Contractors’ performance will be measured by reviewing monthly reports and supporting documentation to monitor compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contracts. Contractors will cooperate with the County in the monitoring and evaluation of these contracts and comply with all reporting requirements established by these contracts. The contracts may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
On June 23, 2020 (Item No. 56), as the result of a competitive procurement, the Board approved contracts with the agencies listed in the Recommendations to provide Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool Program services, in the combined total of $19,915,460, for the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023.
On October 6, 2020 (Item No. 23), the Board approved Amendment No. 1, to Contract No. 20-495 with Easter Seals of Southern California, Inc. to provide Head Start and Early Head Start Program services. This amendment increased the total contract amount by $619,813, from $13,730,472 to $14,350,285, for a 2% COLA and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for COVID-19 related costs, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023.
On October 27, 2020 (Item No. 56), the Board approved Amendment No. 1, to Contract Nos. 20-494, 20-496. 20-497, and 20-498 with Colton Joint Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, Needles Unified School District, and Ontario-Montclair School District, respectively, increasing the total contract amount of these contracts by $200,699, from $6,184,968 to $6,385,637, with no change to the total contract period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. These amendments provided for a 2% COLA and CARES Act funding for COVID-19 related costs.
On June 22, 2021 (Item No. 52), the Board approved Amendment No. 2, to Contract No. 20-495 with Easter Seals of Southern California, Inc. to provide Head Start and Early Head Start Program services increasing the amount by $70,000, from $14,350,285 to $14,420,285, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. This amendment provided for CARES Act funding for COVID-19 related costs.
On September 14, 2021 (Item No. 27), the Board approved Amendment No.3, to Contract No. 20-495 with Easter Seals Southern California, Inc., and Amendment No. 2, to Contract Nos. 20-494, 20-496, 20-497, and 20-498 with Colton Joint Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, Needles Unified School District, and Ontario-Montclair School District, respectively, to provide Early Head Start and Head Start Program services, increasing the total contract amount of these contracts by $1,559,408, from $20,805,922 to $22,365,330, with no change to the total contract period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. These amendments provided for 1.22% COLA, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funding, and American Rescue Plan Act funding.
On May 24, 2022 (Item No. 63), the Board approved Amendment No. 4, to Contract No. 20-495 with Easter Seals of Southern California, Inc. revising the budget to carryover the unexpended funds in the amount of $99,414 from program year 2020-21 to program year 2021-22, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on November 17, 2022; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 25, 2022; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on December 28, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on January 4, 2023.