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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01141997 - D3 To: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM` Costa SCOTT TANDY, DIRECTOR ;Y COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT �,•• � County DATE: " January 14, 1997 SUBJECT: ACCEPT HEAD STARTGRANT AWARD FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)L BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ACCEPT the 1997 Head Start Grant Award (County #39-815-9) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families in the amount of $6,298,786 to continue providing Head Start services to 1,183 children and their families for the period from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997. II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: County, as -the Grantee, is required to generate a 20% non-federal match. An appropriation adjustment will be made to the Department's budget. III. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/BACKGROUND: On February 27, 1996 and July 23, 1996 the Board accepted 1996 Head Start funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to continue providing Head Start services throughout the County for the period from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996. On September 17, 1996 the Board authorized the Department to submit the 1997 Head Start Grant Application in the amount of $6,298,786 to continue providing Head Start services for the period from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997. The application was subsequently approved by ACF and, as a result, the County will,receive. $6,298,786 to continue Head Start services through calendar year 1997. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE($): - ACTION OF BOARD ON January 14, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ---------- 1 AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC�TACT: Scott Tandy 313-7369 ATTESTED January 14, 1997 CC: CAO ) PHIL CHEIOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF CSD PE IS S ANO COUNTY AO ST ATOR BY M382 (10/88) INCOMING FUNDS NARRATIVE STATEMENT Head Start Grant Award for 1997 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (County #39-815-9) 1. PROJECT/PROGRAM TITLE. Head Start. 2. FUNDING AGENCY. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF). 3. SUBMITTAL STATUS. Grant award for funding of program from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997. 4. PROPOSED TERM. January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997. The Head Start program is expected to continue indefinitely. 5. CURRENT FUNDING. Total funding from ACF for 1997 is $6,298,786 with an in-kind share of$1,574,697. 6. FUTURE FUNDING. Federal funding for Head Start program services is expected to continue indefinitely. 7. BUDGET SUMMARY. Personnel 2,729,448 Fringe Benefits 975,155 Travel 37,700 Equipment 0 Supplies 103,955 Contractual 1,451,668 Other 1,000,860 TOTAL APPROVED, FEDERALLY 6,298,786 FUNDED BUDGET 8. STAFFING REQUIREMENTS. The Head Start program is administered by the Community Services Department. The Department conducted a search for a new Head Start Program Manager during the fall of 1996 and hired Tony Colon who will begin working for the County this month. C. Fay Graef, a consultant who has provided Head Start Management, Supervision, and Consultation services since September 1996, will continue to provide assistance to the Head Start program through February 1997 in its transition to Mr. Colon's management. The program provides directly operated services to J children in West, Central, and East County. All administrative staff and directly operated program staff are employed by the County. Head Start services are also provided through subcontracts with two private non-profit delegate agencies, First Baptist Church and Bayo Vista Head Start. The delegate agencies employ their own staff. The program is expected to review its staffing structure to take into account new Federal performance standards. A reorganization will be considered in 1997 which should result in minor staffing changes. 9. PROGRAM NEED. According to the Association of Bay Area Government (ABAG) statistics, the number of preschool-age children living in poverty in Contra Costa County equals 9,340. The Head Start program will serve 1,183 children during the 1997 program year which is only 13% of the preschool-age children living below the poverty line within the county. Other child development programs are serving approximately 23% of the preschool age children living below the poverty line which leaves approximately 64% (or 5,978 children) not being served. Clearly, there is a need to maintain, if not expand, Head Start services in Contra Costa County. 10. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS. The Head Start program staff provides a vital link to many community services. Referrals include education, counseling, health, disability, mental health, battered women's and child protective services. 11. PROGRAM GOALS. In addition to the overall Head Start goals established by Federal legislation, the 1996-98 local program goals selected by the Head Start Program Policy Council members are as follows: Goal 1: Through 1996-98, focus training and technical assistance resources on developing an effective intervention/prevention program for family abuse issues. Goal 2: By 1998, develop a system to support job training and employment of parents, including Head Start parents, staff, and community members. Goal 3: Through 1996-98, provide parents and staff with prevention/intervention strategies that assist with food access, nutrition education, and low cost meals, especially with regard to limited budgets. 12. OBJECTIVES. Gil 1: • Select and train one staff member and one parent to provide a personnel management system for Head Start as experts in the field of family abuse prevention and intervention by December 31, 1996. 2 • Evaluate the outcomes of the "Trainer Trainers experts and their subsequent training program on a monthly basis using process data to provide a more comprehensive program in the future by December 31, 1997. • Select and train at least one more staff and one more parent as "Trainer of Trainer" experts in family abuse prevention/intervention to set-up on-going monthly training programs based on outcomes and evaluations of survey needs by December 31, 1998. Goal 2: • Assess the employability needs of Head Start parents and develop a plan for employability and collaborate with the JTPA System by December 31, 1996. • Develop a management structure that is capable of supporting the maintenance of a collaborative effort as outlined in the job training and employment plans of the Head Start Grant by December 31, 1997. • Evaluate the collaborative Job Training and Employment Program and its effectiveness toward increasing the capacity of Head Start to integrate employability training into the Head Start program by July 31, 1998. Goal : • Develop strategies for implementing prevention/intervention techniques that are based on family needs by December 31, 1996. • Collaborate with other agencies to ensure a continuation of strategic plans for food access, nutrition education, and menu planning for low-cost meals by December 31, 1997. • Measure the effectiveness of strategies for increasing education regarding food access, nutrition education, and low cost meal preparation on a limited budget by October 30, 1998. 13. ACTIVITY SUMMARY. The program is funded by the Federal Government to serve 1,163 children. Twenty (20) additional children are funded in a Family Child Care option that is scheduled to end June 1997. The 1997 grant covers services for 1,183 children through June 1997 and then 1,163 for the remainder of the grant year. A major activity for early 1997 is to fill component manager vacancies that are currently being filled by consultants or temporary staff. These positions include Mental Health, Health/Nutrition, Transition, Parent Involvement,.and Disabilities Managers. 14. EVALUATION METHOD(S). The lead person responsible for administration and program evaluation will be the new Head Start Program Manager and the Head Start 3 w Assistant Program Manager. The program is also evaluated by a Federal Monitoring team every three years. A Federal review is scheduled for May 1997. In 1995 the program was reviewed by a Federal team and placed on a one-year compliance plan or faced possible termination of the grant. In 1996 a follow-up review team found the program to be in compliance, but minimally. The normal three year review was moved up one year to 1997 to review compliance progress. 15. CHANGES COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR (IF ANY). On June 27, 1995 the Board of Supervisors authorized.the Community Services Department to operate the Central County Head Start Program directly beginning with the 1995-96 program year. This program was formerly operated by contract with Family Stress Center who voluntarily terminated the agreement effective July 31, 1995. This program continues to be directly operated by the County. On September 12, 1995 the Board authorized the Department to notify the United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations (UCSSO) that, because of failure to perform as a Delegate Agency, including non-compliance with Federal rules and regulations, the County would not renew its contract with it for 1996. The Board also directed staff to give notice to the UCSSO of its appeal rights and set October 10, 1995 as the date for the Grantee to review any appeal filed by the UCSSO. Further, the Board directed staff to prepare the 1996 Head Start grant application for the Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and Byron areas to reflect an interim Grantee Operated Program beginning January 1996 to ensure no interruption of services to families and children. On October 17, 1995 the Board denied the UCSSO's appeal to continue providing Head Start services. The County has been operating a Grantee Operated Program in East County since January 1996 and will continue to do so until further notice. The County's Health and Human Services Committee has asked the Community Services Department to conduct public hearings, interview staff and parents, and provide the Committee with a timetable in order to make a final determination as to whether or not to put this program out for bid under an RFP. Federal regulations require that the Head Start Policy Council also be involved in making this decision and must approve or disapprove such delegation of services. In March 1997 the ACF plans to conduct a full, On-Site Program Review Instrument ,(OSPRI) survey to assess the County's progress in restructuring its Head Start program, complying with federal regulations, and eliminating program deficiencies. 16. POTENTIAL CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. Dependent upon the decision to RFP or not-RFP the directly operated East County program, there may be concerns expressed by community organizations that are interested in bidding for a delegate agency contract. Local Union One representing Head Start staff also has a petition signed by staff that many would prefer to remain employees of the County. 4