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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 09122006 - C.119 sr ` ContraTO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ,�� `_ � FROM: John Cullen, County Administrator Costa DATE: September 12, 2006 �S''q��oUK-� County SUBJECT: Community Services Department Monthly Update - SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: ACCEPT monthly update on the operations of the Community Services Department. FISCAL IMPACT: No impact from this update. BACKGROUND: To enhance oversight of the Community Services Department the County Administrator is conducting monthly meetings with the department to receive updates on program issues and to plan and/or authorize actions that may be needed. To ensure they remain updated regarding the status of the program, the Board of Supervisors directed the County Administrator, or his designee, to provide them with a monthly status report. Attached is the regular monthly report on the operations of the Community Services Department. This report includes updates on the activities of the Policy Council, personnel issues, fiscal and audit reports and other programmatic issues. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: NO YES ✓ SIGATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF.COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE r/ APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE (S): ACTION OF BO D (� /�7—1 d Co APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER I' VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. _ UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: Dorothy Sansoe(5-1009) cc: Community Services Department ATTESTED County Administration JOHN CULLEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OFSUPERVISORS B DEPUTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Joe Valentine Executive Director To: John Cullen, County Administrator Patricia Stroh,PhD From: Joe Valentine, Executive Drector Program Services Subject: Monthly Report Director Date: August 18, 2006 I am submitting the following report to enure ongoing communication with the County Administrator regarding all issues pertaining to the Head Start program and the Community Services Department (CSD). A. Policy Council • The monthly Head Start Policy Council meeting was held on Wednesday, August 16th, 2006. This was the:last regular meeting of the 2005-2006 Head Start Policy Council. This year's Policy Council should be commended for their excellent attendance and participation; at no point during the year did the Council luck a quorum to conduct business! At their August meeting they reviewed & approved new hires, the termination of an employee,the submission of the 2007 Head Start and Early Head Start Continuation Grant (including the budget), and 2006-2007 Policy Council By-Laws. They also received training on debt and credit counseling from Consumer Credit Counseling. • The Male Involvement subcommittee met on August 9th. This month they have completed two activities from their newly created Action Plan: the distribution of a survey to assess Father Friendliness of all CSD and partner sites (part of their "assessment" goal) and the creation and distribution of Outstanding Male Involvement certificates to each CSD and partner site to be awarded at upcoming parent meetings (part of their"recognition" goal.) B. Personnel Report 1. Current Staffing Activities: The department hired a Personnel Services Assistant III, Teresa Sanders. Initially, she will have two major responsibilities: overseeing staff recruitment and hiring; and administering workmen's compensation and all other leaves (FMLA, LOA, etc). The department is in the process of hiring into the following classifications: • 1 Site Supervisor I—Verde • 1 Administrative Specialist A sistant III • 1 Child Nutritionist :; .: --.; i;.' • 1 Information Systems Technician • 1 Food Services Worker I • 2 Master Teachers 2425 Bisso Lane Drive,Suite 260 • 4 Intermediate Clerks Concord,California 94520 Tel 925 646 5540 • 9 Associate Teachers Fax 925 646 5904 wwm.ccccsd.or;, John Cullen Page 2 August 18,2006 • Interviews are underway for the Site Supervisor, Master Teachers, Intermediate Clerks, and Associate Teachers 2. Labor Negotiations: • During the negotiation meeting of the all unit tables held on August I't, a little progress was made and we are very close to wrapping up both the FACS and Site Supervisor table discussions. • Abeyances have been lifted on most of the Step 3 and Step 4 grievances. We have 42 total outstanding grievances. C. Fiscal and Audit Reports • In a closeout report dated July 27, 2006, the State's Department of Community Services and Development indicated that the Department expended $636,084.25 of its contract allocation of$637,035 and that the agency met or exceeded most of the programmatic goals as outlined in the Community Action Plan. • On July 24, 2006, the Adminlistration of Children and Families (ACF) approved the Department's request to collaborate with existing non-profit agencies that would provide dontinuous Head Start services to eligible children and families formerly served by the Department's Maritime childcare center. • In a letter dated August 3, 2006, the State's Department of Community Services and Development increased the Department's 2006 Low-income Housing and Energy Assistafice Programs (LIHEAP) allocation from $854,063 to $1,275,444, reflecting an increase of$421,381. D. Licensin Ig ssues L • On August 3, Community Care Licensing conducted a case management visit to our Brookside Center following a report we submitted to them regarding a July 14 incident in which a child was left behind in the classroom when the rest of the class was taken out onto the playground. The CCL analyst noted in her report that the findings of our own internal investigation were "substantiated that due to a lack of communication amongst staff members it was found that a child was left alone." The analyst also noted that the two sl,aff involved have been removed (both have been terminated) and that the facility now has a protocol that ensures staff conduct a head count before and after they leave the room (this is actually a tightening up of our current protocol.) The ``Plan of Correction" was considered complete and CCL had no further recommendations at this time. E. Special Projects/Activities • Pat Stroh and I have completed bur round of individual meetings with each of the members of the Board of Supervisors. In addition to providing each with an update on the overall status of key issues and initiatives, we also discussed issues specific to thei i districts. We appreciate the strong support that each of the Supervisors expressed for our programs. We also appreciated the practical suggestions and assistance each provided us. Supervisor Uilkema is helping us identify options for installing an air conditioning system at Bayo Vista; Supervisor Glover is helping us with John Cullen Page 3 August 18,2006 options to assist the Ambrose Center; Supervisor DeSaulnier has connected us with a person on his staff who Ican assist us in making connections with the Latino community in the Monument Corridor; Supervisor Gioia is helping us both with our collaborative efforts to restore the Maritime Center as well as being alert for opportunities in connection with new housing development; Supervisor Piepho provided some valuable suggestions regarding child safety based on her own experiences as a mother and contacted the Brentwood police department to enlist their assistance in helping us reduce vandalism at our Las Deltas center. We have also spoken with Supervisor Elect, Susan Bonilla, and will tour sites with her once she has been sworn into office. • On July 25, Superintendent Joe Ovick and some of his staff toured our George Miller III center. We have been actively working with the County Office of Education on strategiesi to improve coordination of pre-school programs and support the professional development of teaching staff. Dr. Ovick arranged to connect us with the new dean of the Cal State East Bay Concord campus. They are developing a new bachelor's degree program in early childhood education. • CSD's George Miller III and Lasl Delta Centers have now joined the list of CSD Child Centers that have been approved for accreditation by the "'National Association for the Education of Young Children" (NAEYC.) There are now 13 CSD centers that have achieved NAEYC accreditation! • I participated in a community planning meeting hosted by Supervisor Gioia's office to develop a"Youth Empowerment Center" in North Richmond. The center would use the old Head Start classroom on Silver Avenue. CSD will be assisting with developing linkages with Head Start and parenting training resourcesl • The Women's Initiative has conducted 4 Entrepreneurial Classes to date and 15 women have attended. 4 more classes are scheduled to be held. The 10 week training course, "Simple Steps to Business Success" is th scheduled to begin September 1� • A 3 session parenting course is being planned in partnership with West Contra Costa Unified School District, Adult Education, and Child Care Council. The title of the course s "How Preschoolers Learn." These classes will be held at CSD sites-, in English and Spanish, during the months of September and October. • CSD and Partner sites will be holding elections for the 2006-2007 school year parent meeting officers andl Policy Council Representatives during the months of August and September. The newly elected Policy Council Representatives will receive their orientation and training on September 73rd Cc: Pat Stroh, Deputy Director Policy Council Family & Human Services Co7ittee Maria Fort, ACF