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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06072005 - C61-C65 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ,;.•''; �'�_...,. FROM: Tom Whittington o VAN CI ,Department of Information Technology �►• . �'rA=V-T .t'c DATE: May 24, 2005 SUBJECT: Agreement for Contract Analyst Support Specific Request(s)or Recommendations(s)&Background&Justification I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Information Officer of Department of Information Technology or his designee to execute on behalf of the County an agreement with Penncel Software to provide programming services in the amount of $78,000 effective July 1,2005 through June 30,2006. II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funds are budgeted for this contract. DoIT will recover this contracts cost through Service Level Agreement charges to the Auditor,Assessor,and Treasurer/Tax Collector. III. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION AND BACKGROUND: The Land Information Division of DOIT is currently in the process of converting our legacy IDMS systems onto a CICS/Oracle Platform with applications coded in COBOL II.'This conversion affects the departments of the Auditor, Assessor,and Treasure/Tax Collector. Penncel has thorough knowledge of each of the above mentioned business units and the business process of all three departments. The owner of Penncel is a retired DOIT employee who supported these systems while the county employed him. Penncel will provide a bridge for the skill sets required for a successful conversion. They bring with them the legacy knowledge of the IDMS architecture,the new skills of COBOL II,new skills in CICS,and the skills in SQL to navigate the Oracle database. The conversion of our databases to the new Oracle platform will eventually allow the Land Information Division of DOIT to provide information from our IBM mainframe to the Internet environment. IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: If this request is not approved,we will not be able to complete our conversion effort of the Land Information System to the CICS/Oracle environment. This will have an extreme negative impact with the customer base that participates in the Land Information System. This negative impact will also be felt by our GIS application which we have been working with to coordinate our efforts. Cost overruns will be inevitable,because of the skill level of the staff that will be required to take over the task of Mr.Cellini,in addition to their current workload. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: .Recommendation of County Administrator ,Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other Si natures Action of Bo )on: 007.) 0 Approved as Recommended Other VOTE OF SUPERVISORS: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Absent: Abstain: Attested: fct cc: (4) Department of Information Technology John Sweeten, Cler of the Board of of Supervisors and County Administrator . B �- C Y DEPUTY M382(10/88) • TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ��-•��'"'-�---.a . . Contra FROM. Lori Gentles, Interim Assistant County nil Administrator Director of Human Resources Costa, DATE: June 7 2005County CSU SUBJECT: Contracted Temporary Help Contracts ' 2 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Interim Assistant County Administrator - Director of Human Resources, or designee, to execute contracts with AppleOne Employment Services and Venturi Staffing Partners in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 each per fiscal year to provide temporary help to County agencies, departments or offices for the period of July 2, 2005 - June 30, 2008. (All Districts) (Funded by User Departments) BACKGROUND The County frequently requires temporary help to assist County agencies, departments, or offices during peak loads, temporary absences, and emergency situations. It is in the economic interest of the County to provide such temporary help by contracting with temporary help agencies since they include all insurance coverages in their rates and there are no fringe benefit costs, thus reducing future County liabilities and costs. As governed by State law, temporary help obtained under these contracts may not be used in place of employees in the case of a labor dispute or for more than 90 days for any single instance of peak load, temporary absence, or emergency situations. The Human Resources Department recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit bids from over 90 different agencies to provide contracted temporary help to the County for the period of July 1, 2005 — June 30, 2008. We received sixteen (16) responses to the RFP, fifteen (15) of which were qualified bidders. An Evaluation Committee consisting of representatives from the Health Services Department, Employment and Human Services Department, the District Attorney's Office, the Assessor's Office, Building Inspection, and the Public Works Department was formed to review the written proposals. The employment agencies were also invited to participate in a formal presentation/interview process before the Evaluation Committee to supplement their written proposal and to answer any additional questions posed by the Committee. The presentation/interviews were held on May 4 — May 6, 2005. The agencies were evaluated by using the following criteria: the agency's ability to service the County's needs, specifically in the outlying areas of the East and West County; the process by which the agency's recruit, screen and test applicants; the agency's history and success in providing this type of service to other jurisdictions, including the qualifications of the staff that will be assigned to the County's account; their financial stability; and competitive pricing. Based upon the Committees' review of the criteria, we are requesting Board approval to proceed with executing contracts with the employment agencies listed a e. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE ----NN-----N---NNN----N---f--N-NNNN--N----NN-NDN-M-N--NNS-NN-N--N----------N----------- --NNN -- - N-N- -N-N---NN-NNN-N- ✓RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMEND T O BOARD COMMITTEE v1PROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): Iza:� ACTION OF BO(R)ON APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ' UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: / ATTESTED Orig.Dept: Human Resources Department(Lori Gentles 5-1754) JbHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CC: Human Resources Department Auditor-Controller ,_Q ` BY ,DEPUTY M382(10/88) FISCAL IMPACT The cost of the execution of these contracts is budgeted by each operating department. There is an advantage to the County because the contracts are for athree-year period and there will be no increase in cost during this time frame. In prior years, the contracted temporary help agencies were given an increase of 65% percent of the COLA that the County received. Therefore, the cost of these contracts will remain static for three consecutive years. In addition, the mark-up rates are very competitive and range from 26.9% to 30.84%. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION Denial of the execution of these contacts would significantly impact operating departments who , currently employ agency contracted temporary help. �� Contra Costa TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COU.11ty FROM: DENNIS M. BARRY, AICP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR (� DATE: June 7, 2005 SUBJECT: CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH DARWIN MYERS ASSOCIATES FOR GEOLOGIC CONTRACT SERVICES (Contract #C33999) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Community Development Director, or his designee, to execute a contract amendment with Darwin Myers Associates to increase the payment limit by$96,000 to a new payment limit of$176,000,and to extend the term from June 30, 2005, to June 30, 2006 to provide continual geologic services. FISCAL IMPACT The cost is covered by revenue received from application fees paid by developers and applicants. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS Darwin Myers Associates provides geotechnical review services for land use projects requiring geology reports or where topographical or geological concerns are present. The specialized work provided by Darwin Myers Associates includes performing initial CEQA assessment on geotechnical issues, reviewing geology reports submitted by applicants, reviewing grading plans and providing guidance on other geotechnical issues. The amendment will allow Darwin Myers Associates to continue providing the services. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATOR 24wooe ECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMME ION OF BOARD 06MMITTEE /APPROVE OTHER r SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BO ON 60t'..` APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED KOTHER_ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS (1 I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE ,,UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Raymond Wong (925-335-1282) ATTESTED Cc: Community Development Department (CDD) Marie Rulloda, Auditor-Controller JOHN SWEETEN, CLERK OF County Administrator THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Bob Drake, CDD (925) 335-1214 AND C NTY ADMINISTRATOR BY O `���-- - , DEPUTY TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS � •.s---_L,,,o� *:- ..* Contra FROM: JOHN SWEETEN •� - -� �• COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ..... s o � Costati DATE: June 2 2005 °SrA_Dov County SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE A RENEWAL CONTRACT (38-819-2) WITH MS. GINA DAVENPORT IN THE AMOUNT OF $56,000 FOR SCHOOL READINESS OUTREACH SERVICES FOR THE PERIOD FROM JUNE 11 2005 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2006 (District 1). Specific Request(S)or Recommendation (S) & Background and Justification RECOMMENDATION �S): APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Administrator or designee to EXECUTE Contract #38-819-2 with Ms. Gina Davenport in the amount of $56,000 for school readiness outreach for the period from June 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 (District 1). FINANCIAL IMPACT: This contract is fully funded through First 5 Contra Costa funds as part of the collaborative School Readiness Initiative in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. There is no net County cost to this contract. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: This contract supports two Contra Costa County community outcomes: "Children Ready for and Succeeding in School" and "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing." The program promotes improved school readiness and social competence for preschool-aged children not currently in licensed care. BACKGROUND: Ms. Davenport has provided contract School Readiness Outreach services to the Department since 2004. This contract will provide more than a year of additional outreach service hours to families in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. CSD had collaborated with First 5 and the WCCUSD in this project since 2003, helping to strengthen children's school readiness at more than fifteen elementary schools. First 5's grant of funds to CSD supports this position and three similar project positions as part of a statewide First 5 school readiness initiative. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------- ------------------------ ✓'f Y A COMMENDATION OF COUNTY RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COM EE */APPROVET O HER w SIGNATURE(S): ----------------------- -- - - ----- ---- ---- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTION OF BO R ON., APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE AYES: NOES: SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED CONTACT: Chris Parkhurst,646-5981 JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CC: CAO CSD(3 orig.,signed,sealed copies) Pat Stroh BY ,DEPUTY TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS _ _ -= TO: 1. o' Costa FROM: John Cullen, Director Employment and Human Services DepmeCounty DATE: May 17, 2005 SUBJECT: Family and Children's Trust Committee (FACT)recommendations for FY 2005/2006 funding for contracts from Childcare Affordability Funds. SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTIONS I. ACCEPT the Family and Children's Trust Committee(FACT)recommendations for FY 2005/2006 funding for contracts from Childcare Affordability Funds. II. APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee to EXECUTE contracts with the following agencies listed below: (Contractor Term Contract# Pmgram mount Contra Costa County 7/01/05-6/30/06 #21-264-1 Low Income Infant Care Subsidies $23,550 Community Services Mt. Diablo Unified 7/01/05-6/30/06 #21-258-1 Crossroad High School Childcare $40,000 School District Services for Teen Parents YMCA of the East 7/01/05-6/30/06 #21-256-1 Childcare Services for Teen Parents $45,000 Bay/WestCounty Pittsburg Pre-School 7/01/05-6/30/06 #21-251-1 Childcare Services for Teen Parents $25,000 Coordinating Council Private Nursery 7/01/05-8/30/05 #21-254-1 Childcare Subsidies for Infants of $0 Asso. Dba Professional Low Income Working Parents Association of Child (No Cost Contract Extension) Care Education(PACE) Private Nursery 9/01/05-6/30/06 #21-254-2 Childcare Subsidies for Infants of $1165450 Asso. Dba Professional Low Income Working Parents Association of Child Care Education(PACE) Total: $2509000 III,FINANCIAL IMPACT: $250,000 Childcare Affordability Fund; 100% County. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT:_]LYES SIGNATURE: L& RIC- L,--AROMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE PROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BO ONT0� APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) 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. ATTESTED I 1 0 JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Contact: DANNA FABELLA, 3-1583 cc: CONTRACTS UNIT-EB COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY 0 ,DEPUTY MARY K.MILLER,FACT AUDITOR-CONTROLLER CONTRACTOR PajZe Two CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: The contracts will support all five of the community outcomes: 1) "Children Ready for and Succeeding in School"; 2) "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood"; 3) "Families that are Economically Self Sufficient"; 4)"Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; 5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families"by availing families of safe affordable childcare and providing subsidies for the childcare. The outcome is a stabilization of the family unit and the provision of opportunities for individuals to obtain and maintain unsubsidized employment. BACKGROUND: In February1997, the Board approved a recommendation from the Family and Human Services Committee that the Family and Children's Trust Committee(FACT)be responsible for establishing priorities for use of the Childcare Affordability funds and recommending to the Board those agencies and contract amounts to be supported with these funds. On July 13, 2004 the Board approved a recommendation from the Family and Children's Trust Committee to contract with the above five agencies for FY 2004-2005 to provide subsidized childcare services for low-income working families and childcare services for teen parents to enable them to continue high school or GED preparation and/or secure employment. The terms of the contract provided the option for an additional year of support pending the availability of funds, the provision of quality services, and the achievement of stated outcomes. During this fiscal year,FACT Committee members and staff have closely monitored the contractors for fiscal and program accountability and conducted extensive site reviews with each program. Each of the contractors has met or exceeded their contract goals and is continuing to provide quality services for the target populations. During the first half of the year, the PACE program,which is providing childcare subsidies for infants of low income working parents, had difficulty recruiting parents able to afford the proposed co-payment due to the high cost of infant care. An increase in the subsidy amount was authorized and the program now is exceeding the required monthly enrollment. A two-month, no-cost extension is required to permit the program to fully expend its' 2004-2005 award amount. Following the no cost extension through August 2005,the PACE program will be funded for continuing services for a ten(10)month period through July 2006. The attached 2004-2005 Childcare Affordability Report was presented to the Family and Human Services Committee on May 2, 2005. That Committee subsequently approved the report and funding recommendations. t A v i FAMILYAND CHILDREN'S TRUST COMMITTEE Please reply to FACT Staff Contra Costa County Employment&Human Services Department 40 Douglas Drive Martinez,CA 94553-4068 (925)313-1614 (925)313-1758(fax) TO: Family and Human Services Committee Supervisor Federal Glover Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier FROM: John Cullen, Director, Employment and Human Services Mary Kay Miller, FACT Staff W<." ► RE: FY 2004-2005 Child Care Affordability Report DATE: April 26, 2005 RECOMMENDATION..S The Director of the Employment and Human Services Department recommends that the Family and Human Services Committee accept this report from the Family and Children's Trust Committee(FACT) and direct FACT to disburse the Child Care Affordability Funds for FY 2005-2006 to the same contractors and in the same amounts for the second year of the two-year funding cycle as follows: ➢ $116,450 to the Professional Association for Childhood Education(PACE)to administer child care subsidies for county-wide infant care for low-income families; ➢ $23,550 to the Early Head Start program of the Community Services Department to provide three additional child care slots for infants of teen parents at the Contra Costa College site in San Pablo; ➢ $45,000 to the YMCA of the East Bay for child care for teen parents enrolled in the teen program at Richmond High School; ➢ $40,000 to the Mt. Diablo Unified School District to provide child care for teen parents within the Crossroads High School teen program; ➢ $25,-000 to the Pittsburg Pre-School and Community Council for child cares services for teen parents in Pittsburg/Bay Point. THE FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S TRUST COMMITTEE IS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE OF VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS Further, the Director recommends that the FACT Committee be directed to begin the Needs Assessment Process for the next funding cycle, similar to the one approved by this Committee for the previous cycle, in the fall of 2005, and meet again with FHS in January, 2006 to discuss the priorities for funding and the RFQ process for FY 2006- 2007. BACKGROUND In 1997, the Board approved a recommendation from the Family and Human Services Committee that the Family and children's Trust Committee(FACT)be responsible for establishing priorities for use of the Child Care Affordability funds, developing and managing the competitive process for awarding these monies, and monitoring the resulting programs for contract compliance and achievement of outcomes. In 2002, the Board approved a two-year funding cycle for disbursement of the funds. The EHSD Director and FACT staff met with this committee in June and July of 2003 and February and June of 2004 to develop and refine the process and procedures used to conduct a thorough needs assessment, including obtaining significant community input, establish the priorities for funding,manage the RFQ process with the Contracts Unit of the Department, and review and select the contractors to be recommended for 2004-2005. Appendix I includes the reports of those meetings, and relevant Board Orders. Following completion of these processes, this Committee and the Board approved the recommendations of the FACT Committee and contracts were awarded to the above listed agencies for one year with the possibility of renewal pending the availability of funds, satisfactory contract compliance, and achievement of outcomes. The following report details the process used by FACT to assess contract compliance during FY 2004-2005, illustrates the outcomes achieved by the projects for the families and children provided services and provides the basis for recommending continued funding of the projects at their current level for the second year of this cycle. FACT Monitorigg Process During the past ten years, FACT Committee members and staff have developed a thorough and consistent monitoring process for contractors that focuses on financial accountability, collection and analysis of performance and outcome data and assessments of direct project"operations" and program quality via comprehensive site-visits by teams of Committee members. **** Financial Monitoring Project expenditures are tracked by FACT staff and the Contracts Unit of EHSD on a monthly basis to ensure contactors are adhering to all budgetary requirements. Back-up 2 documentation of line-item expenditures is reviewed before payments are authorized. Any significant variation in a line item from the approved budget must be resolved and changes approved in writing before payment will be authorized. This close monitoring helps detect any possible over/under-spending and allows mid-contract adjustments to be made rather than end-of-the-year adjustments that often have implications for the following fiscal year. ❖ Performance and Outcome Assessment Each project is required to maintain and submit performance and outcome data to the Committee for monitoring purposes. For projects that provide primarily subsidy payments for infant care, these include numbers of children served in each area of the county, dates of service, types of care provided(e.g. center-based, exempt, etc.,) specific child care providers and basic demographic information about the families/children served. Because the projects providing childcare to teen parents are multi-focused, additional information on the teens, including academic progress,job training/employment, improved parenting and life skills, and overall emotional/social/health-mental health of the teens are also monitored. Care for the children of these teens is all occurring in a closed, center-based classroom setting permitting additional monitoring of the child's appropriate development in most significant domains—social/emotional, physical, motor and cognitive. Each project completed an assessment questionnaire specifically developed for these projects to document their progress toward meeting both the service delivery and outcome obj ectives of the project as stated in their proposals. These include descriptions of program philosophy, outreach, intake, service provision, termination and,f'ollow-up procedures, in addition to the quantitative indicators of contract compliance i.e. numbers of families served, demographic information, etc.). Appendix II includes a copy of the data collection instrument. ••• Project Site-Visits Teams of FACT members/staff conducted site-visits to each project in early 2005. The site-visits provided an opportunity to follow-up on any issues or questions that surfaced when reviewing the data forms and allow team members to see and understand the programs' operations in more depth than can be captured through the submitted data alone. In particular, team members conduct facility assessments, observe the interaction between the participants (teens and children) and between staff and the participants, and usually have the opportunity to interact with both the administrative and line staff of the programs to discuss both the successes and challenges facing the programs. Having staff "walk" g members walk them through a typical day for the teens and children provides invaluable information about the breadth of services available and how each can be 3 successfully brought to bear on the problems the teens and/or their children are currently acing. FACT has always viewed these visits as a monitoring tool, but equally importantly, a mechanism for providing technical assistance to the project staff when issues of concern have been observed, or when staff articulate problems with which they have been grappling. Over time, FACT Committee members have worked with many contractors that have encountered most of the same service delivery problems and can share solutions that have proved successful elsewhere. Developing cooperative relationships with the contractors to jointly focus on improved service delivery has been a hallmark of FACT's approach to program oversight. The following report on each contractor's progress to date is a compilation of all the information collected through data collection efforts and the project site visits. The diversity of the services provided by each project precludes direct comparisons, but overall, each project is meeting, or is likely to exceed their projected outcomes for the families and children they serve. INDI VID UAL PROJECT REPORTS I. Child Care for Teen Parents ➢ Crossroads High School The Crossroads High School project provides child care for the children of teen parents attending school, supportive services to the teens that empowers them to continue their education,break the cycles of teen pregnancy,poverty and violence, and education/skill building programs to improve their parenting practices and eventual self-sufficiency. ,. y Enrollment in the program is at capacity of 50 students and their children. All of the children are under 5 years of age with the far majority under 2. 67% of the teens and their children are Latino, 9% are African American, 14% Caucasian and the remainder are Native American or Multiracial. The program is open to any pregnant or parenting high school student in MDUSD and the current enrollment includes 35 students from central county and 20 from east county. Childcare is provided by a lead teacher and two associate teachers in each of three children care rooms (infant, toddler and pre-school)with support from childcare attendants. The program models being used are CAL-SAFE (California School Age Families Education and Early Head Start. The psychologist that is supported with Child Care Affordability funds works with the teens to increase their understanding of the developmental milestones of their children and ways to encourage healthy growth. The teens are strongly encouraged to interact with their children during the school day and they are with them during the lunch period. These times are used to model appropriate interactions, methods of dealing with behavior issues, and ways to encourage strong 4 bonding of the teen and her/his child. Developmental profiles are maintained for each child and staff work with the parents to incorporate strategies to improve developmental outcomes outside of the classroom. Services for the teen parents include both academics and parenting classes/enrichment activities. The goal of the program is to provide the services necessary to support the teens academic, life skills and parenting successes and provide a road map for their continued growth after graduation. The students have academics in the morning and parenting education classes, individual counseling, public health nurse/pediatric clinic visits, nutrition education,psychologist interactions with the student and their children, and enrichment classes, as needed, in the afternoons. A Spanish couples counseling class is offered in the evenings. A new addition to the program supported by the Child Care Affordability funds is a Spanish-speaking counselor. Over half of the students speak Spanish and 20% of the students are Spanish-only speakers. In addition to the counseling and support services provided by the counselor, the teens are enrolled in ESL classes and audio equipment has been purchased to enhance their skills. Working with these.teens presents new challenges, and the project has dealt with them admirably. Crossroads is a model program of the integration of childcare, academic education and supportive services to encourage young teens to become better parents, continue their education and set goals for themselves and their children that lead to a productive self- sufficient life in the future. ➢ Pittsburg Pre-School and Community Council Teen Program Twelve out-of-school youth and their children are supported by the Child Care Affordability funds in this program that provides continuing education to students seeking their GED, and supportive services to improve their self-sufficiency, employability and parenting skills. Childcare is provided in the Pre-School's Therapeutic Nursery, a long-established program of developmental childcare services. There are currently 13 children involved in the program, exactly what had been projected, but there are also_13 teens rather than the eight that had been projected,because none of the teens has more than one child. To date four of the children are 0-2 years of age and 9 are toddlers. 75% of the youth and their children are Latino, 17% are African American and 8% are Caucasian. All are from Pittsburg/Bay Point. The Therapeutic Nursery is open from 7AM to 5:30 PM to accommodate the teens that need to travel to work early. It is housed in a very large building that is also home to other childcare programs for older children. The Nursery includes both infant and toddler space and has a capacity of 28 children. It is well designed, having recently been re- furbished by a specialist in space planning for young children. The classrooms are 5 staffed by credentialed teachers and aides, and are equipped with numerous activity areas for large and fine motor development, space for creative projects, books, meals (breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided) and napping facilities. There is a strong focus in the program on growth and development in the domains of social/emotional, physical, and cognitive. Staff use the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP)program to initially assess the child's development and continue to track that development across all the domains as long as the child is in the program. Parents review these assessments with the teachers on a routine basis and are instructed in the best ways of encouraging their child's development at home. Continuing parent education is a focus of the program and classroom teachers model appropriate interactions, behavior management, and other positive parenting practices. Other specific education classes for parents (nutrition, well- baby care, promoting nurturing positive relationships, etc.) are provided on an on-going basis. Parents are involved with their children often during the day,working in the classroom, during mealtimes, observing or, for older children, participating in field trips/park excursions. One of the clear advantages of this project is that if a child is enrolled as an infant, he/she is able to move from the nursery to the toddler program and from there to the pre-school classroom at specified ages. PPSCC is committed to retaining the children of the teen parents enrolled in this program until they reach school age to provide continuity of services and ease the burden on their young parent(s) who by that time are in the work force or in continuing educational programs. All of the teen parents in the program have had some high school usually at Pittsburg High or Riverside, the District's Continuing Education school, but are not currently enrolled. The teens receive academic instruction in preparation for the GED from 1:30 to 4 PM every day. If necessary, transportation for both the teen and her/his child is available via the PSCC van. The credentialed instructor spends significant time on both math and language skills because most of the teens are performing several years below grade level in these areas. The tutoring is individualized to each student and there is a continual focus on the acquisition of academic skills as well as life-skills. The program has graduated ten youth so far and several others will take the GED soon. Two of the graduates are enrolled in community colleges. In addition to academic instruction, the teen parents receive significant job training/placement assistance. PSCC has a computer lab that is accessible for technical training, resume writing, and web-based job searches. There is a job developer on staff who works closely with the teens to prepare them for future work activities. One of the interesting components of the program is that most of the teens hold jobs during the morning hours and return to PSCC in the afternoon for academic skill building. Staff believe that the youth have had few positive role models of job-related success and work to break down misconceptions and increase their self-confidence when searching for and keeping employment. Other services available to the teens include health screening, ESL classes, counseling and substance abuse rehabilitation, health and social service outreach focusing on 6 perinatal, AIDS/HIV and homeless care and nutrition education. Two new program components are being explored. The first is to have the teen parents screened for TB and fingerprinted so they can work in the classrooms as aides with their own and other children, and the second is to develop a program at Juvenile Hall so that teens with young children can be assessed and a plan developed for their continued education and job training before they are released on probation. ➢ YMCA Teen Program at Richmond High School Child Care Affordability funding is supporting childcare services for five teen parents who are enrolled in the program at Richmond High School. This program is focused on providing the supportive services necessary to enable young parents to complete their high school education while attending to their parenting responsibilities and improving their ability to make meaningful choices about their own and their children's futures. Eligibility for the program includes • Teen parent is income eligible based on California Department of education family fee schedule; • Teen is enrolled in a WCCUSD school,participating and attending on a regular basis; • Teen maintains passing grades while enrolled in the program; and • Child(ren) of the teen may be enrolled in childcare until 3 years of age. Although only five subsidized slots were funded for this project, to date nine children have received childcare. All of the children are under two years old; eight are Latino/Hispanic and one is African American. Childcare is provided at the Kathi Sanchez Center on the campus of Richmond High School. Services include the provision of a safe, nurturing, and stimulating g"environment; care to the infants expressed needs with warmth and affection, communication through singing, talking and reading and the provision of social, emotional, cognitive and motor developmental activities all geared to the specific age and needs of the individual child. Pre-language and language development are stressed. The teen parents are involved in their children's care at the Center through parent meetings, parenting discussion groups, educational materials, interactions with their child during noon meetings, etc. Each child's development is assessed using the Brigance Screening tool, and additional monitoring through the Desired Results Developmental Profile is conducted routinely. The results of these screenings and assessments are shared with the parents and they receive helpful tips ton how to encourage their child's development at home. Services for the teens while enrolled in the program include academic assistance, emotional support and practical help accessing other community services (e.g. MediCal, WIC, family planning, transportation, employment assistance, etc.). A"Flex Fund"is available through a First 5 grant to provide for certain essential needs that the teen may 7 f r not be able to afford. There is both a case manager and a counselor on staff to work with the teens. A Family Advocate (part of the Head Start program) is also available to develop a Family Partnership agreement with the teen parent that outlines the goals that the teen wishes to reach, the supports that will be necessary to reach those goals and a plan of action to access the necessary services. Services are coordinated with Head Start, Child Care Council, EHSD, WIC, Planned Parenthood, Welcome Home Baby and others to ensure seamless service delivery. 2. Infant Care Subsidy Programs ➢ Professional Association for Early Childhood Education(PACE) This project provides parent-choice infant care subsidies to low-income families. The families and service providers are located throughout the county; however priority is given to families in the low-income communities of Richmond, San Pablo, Concord, Pittsburg, Bay Point and Antioch. Eligibility for the program includes: • Family income falls within 50-75% of the California Median Income Guidelines; • Family has a need for child care and has no other viable option for non-subsidized child care; and • Child is under 24 months old This program has been integrated into the PACE Alternative Payment Program (APP) and managed in a similar manner. Outreach for these services occurs via flyers and mailings,referrals from community-based agencies,phone contacts with areap roviders collaborative meetings with other agencies, etc. Once a potential family is identified, the case manager assigned to the program assists them to provide the necessary' documentation, helps identify and select an appropriate provider(exempt,non-exempt family child care, or center-based), and manages the payment process to the provider. Case managers have a background in early childhood care and are equipped to sensitively assist parents through the process of searching for a provider. They are also available to provide resources and referrals to other agencies for additional services the parent(s) might need. PACE has an eligibility list of over 1000 Contra Costa families in need of subsidized care. Admission to this program follows the Admission Priorities Guidelines of the California Department of Education-Child Development Division. The guidelines assist in determining which eligible family is admitted first among families with varying incomes and sizes. When two or more families are in the same rank, the family with a special needs child has priority. After that consideration, the family who has been on the eligibility list longest is admitted first. Families may continue to receive subsidy payments for their infant until the child reaches 24 months old. The case manger works with families about to leave this program to 8 transition onto other programs for which they are eligible. This may be one of the PACE programs or an outside childcare funding program depending on the families' eligibility status. If a family is eligible for another of PACE's funding streams, they will receive priority when a slot opens up to avoid undue disruption in services that often jeopardizes the parent's employment. The target enrollment for the program was 17-18 parents receiving subsidy payments of up to $500 per month toward their infant care costs. At this subsidy level, a co-pay would generally be required. The actual amount of the co-pay is dependent on the provider rate which varies by type of care—generally infant care runs between $700 - $1000 per month in the county. These criteria were established as a way of providing child care options for low income families whose incomes are just above the poverty level, which eliminates them from consideration for some subsidy program such as Early Head Start/Head Start. Although 13 families were subsequently identified that met the eligibility requirements and were enrolled early, it became increasingly clear that, despite intensive outreach efforts by the staff, many families most in need of child care who also met all the eligibility criteria were simply unable to afford the co-payment required. Enrollment continued to be low for several months and project staff contacted FACT for guidance. During the site-visit in March, the FACT Committee and staff to the program agreed to increase the possible subsidy amount for some families to a maximum of$700 per month depending on the circumstances of the family. Although actual income is one consideration for an increased payment, the primary factor is to identify income-eligible families who can't afford a$200-$300/month co-payment due to competing financial needs. A clear case in point is the single mother who is already paying $400 in childcare for an older sibling and now would be faced with an additional monthly co-payment ent of p $300 for her infant. These childcare costs would constitute over 35% of her"monthly income, obviously an impossibility if housing, food, transportation and other obligations are to be met. Following implementation of the new subsidy limit, enrollment the following month increased from 13 families to 20, and three additional families will begin receiving subsidies in May(not all of these families are receiving the $700 maximum payment). Half of the families are using exempt care providers and half are using non-exempt family childcare providers—none are using center-based care, most likely due to the increased cost of such care. Due to previous low enrollment, it's possible that the project will be under-spent for this fiscal year. If that turns out to be the case, FACT recommends that up to a 2 month no- cost extension to this year's contract be granted. The FY 2005-2006 contract could then be funded at the same amount,but for ten months. Given current enrollment at 23 families, the projections are that all of the funds in next year's contract would easily be fully expended in those ten months. 9 ➢ Head Start Child Care Program Three child care slots at the at Head Start's Contra Costa College Early learning Center are being supported with the Child Care Affordability funds.' Students graduating from the Teen Program at Richmond High School with infants and who are enrolled at the college are eligible for this childcare. The program is coordinated with the YMCA program at Richmond High and enables these young parents transitioning to college the opportunity to access high quality child care for their infants while providing support services that encourage growth and self-sufficiency and facilitates college retention. Eligibility for the program follows normal requirements for Early head start and includes income eligibility based on Federal Poverty guidelines and have a demonstrated need including employment,, seeking employment or be in a training/ educational program. The full day(7 AM to 5:30 PM) childcare program is conducted in two classrooms on the campus of the college. One of the spaces is designed as a Montessori environment, and the other is a more typical classroom. Both are extremely well-equipped for developmental activities and there is a large outdoor play area for the older children. Overall, the curriculum for this project follows that of other Early Head Start programs, and includes services for the child as well as supportive, on-going services for the parents. The High Scope curriculum for infants/toddlers is followed and complemented with the creatively-based Reggio approach to learning. The credentialed teachers and support staff are attuned to the needs and cues of the children during the day and the schedule is flexible to allow for parents to be involved in their child's activities whenever their class schedule permits. Each child is assessed at entry with the BriRance Screening tool and developmental progress in social/emotional,motor, cognitive and relationship- building skills is tracked using the Desired Results Developmental Profile (=DRDP). The primary caregiver/teacher of each child works closely with the parents to understand and follow the infant's development. They also provide the parents with ideas for continuing activities to be implemented outside the classroom. Parents meet as a group on a monthly basis and are provided parenting education classes and supportive counseling. Additional services for the young parents include employment assistance/job training, health and mental health services,, mentoring/tutoring, life-skills training, nutrition education and dental services. A Family Advocate works with the parent at entry to develop a Family Partnership Agreement that details the goals they wish to work on and tracks their progress monthly. The family Advocate provides resource and referral services to assist the teen to access other needed community services. To date, three families are enrolled in the project,, the targeted project number. Two teen parents are enrolled in the college and one who has a disability is attending the Regional Center in lieu of classes on campus. Two of the families are Latino/Hispanic and one is African American. 10 1 I Conclusion Based on data collection about the services being provided and site-visits to each project, it is apparent that each of the five funded projects is progressing extremely well toward meeting their goals and objectives and each, we believe, will continue to fully meet or exceed their contract obligations should they be recommended for continued funding in FY 2005-2006. As noted earlier, the PACE subsidy program encountered some difficulties in the first half of the year enrolling the requisite number of families that could afford the co-payment for their infant care. Following the increase in the maximum subsidy amount agreed to by the FACT Committee however, they were immediately able to increase enrollees even beyond the projected number. At this rate, all of the funds would be spent by the end of the two years and the contracted number of families served would be met. There were no issues uncovered during the monitoring process that were of concern, and, if anything, the FACT has been very impressed with each of the project's ability to implement new services of as high quality as quickly as they did with so few problems: Staff of each project were uniformly enthusiastic about their programs and obviously committed to the children and parents with whom they are working. Many new innovations were noted and several projects described currently underway for service improvements or whole new services components if they are re-funded for next year. The FACT strongly endorses continuation of these projects and hopes the Family and Human Services Committee agrees to forward this recommendation to the full Board. 11 APPENDIX I FY 2003-2004 COMMITTEE REPORTS AND BOARD ORDERS • .0 FAMILYAND CHILDREN'S TRUST COMMITTEE Please reply to: FACT Staff Contra Costa County Employment&Human Services Department 40 Douglas Drive Martinez. CA 94553-4068 (925)313-1614 (925)313-1758(fax) TO: The Family and Human Services Committee June 6, 2003 FROM: John Cullen f Mary Kay Miller (FAtT Staff) SUBJECT: Child Care Affordability Fund ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECOMMENDATION The Director of the Employment and Human Services Department recommends that the Family and Human Services Committee direct the Family and Children's Trust Committee to disburse the Child Care Affordability Funds for FY 2003-2004 as follows: I. $140,000 to the Contra Costa Child Care Council for child care subsidies to low-income, at-risk families in Contra Costa County not eligible for CalWORK's child care; 2. $50,000 to the Pittsburg Preschool and Community Council for infant/toddler therapeutic child care for low-income, at-risk children in East County not eligible for CalWORK's child care; and 3. $60,000 for child care for emergency foster families throughout the county. BACKGROUND In 1991, the Board of Supervisors earmarked $250,000 of Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue from the Embassy Suites Hotel for countywide child care. In 1997, the Board approved a recommendation from the Family and Human Services Committee that the Family and Children's Trust Committee (FACT) be given the responsibility for recommending the use of these funds to the Board, after discussions with the Family and Human Services Committee. In May 2002, the Board of Supervisors accepted the recommendation from the Family and Human Services Committee and the FACT Committee to fund the three agencies at the above-listed amounts for 2002-2003 and also approved moving the allocation process to a two-year cycle beginning in 2002-2003. Thus, the recommendation to fund these THE FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S TRUST COMMITTEE IS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE OF VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS three agencies for the 2nd year in the cycle (FY 03-04) is consistent with thereviousl p y approved Board action. CURRENT CONTRACT STATUS REPORT In May 2002, following discussions with and approval of this Committee and the Board, the same contractors that are being recommended for funding in FY 2003-2004, were approved for funding for this current fiscal year as follows: 1. $50,000 to the Pittsburg Preschool and Community Council; 2. $140,000 to the Contra Costa Child Care Council; and 3. $60,000 for emergency foster home child care. Each of these contractors has performed admirably under the terms of their contracts this year and each has met or exceeded their goals. Pittsburg Preschool and Community Council provides year-round, therapeutic child care for 24 infants and toddlers with a history of, or at extreme risk of, child abuse whose families are not eligible for CalWORK's child care. The program also provides parenting education/mentoring, health care services, ESL classes,job training and recruitment, and referrals to other community resources as required. The Child Care Council has provided 152 child-months of subsidized child care for non- CalWORK's eligible families. The Council acts as the County's clearinghouse for child care referrals and is in the best position to allocate these scarce resources in an equitable manner to the neediest families in each area of the county. The Emergency Foster Care Program within EHSD has developed specific guidelines for the use of the child care funds awarded to foster families. These funds are used to provide child care for foster parents that allows them to continue their employment while caring for abused/neglected children in their homes. BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION Last year, the FACT Committee considered the child care issues currently facing the county, met with representatives of child care agencies, and reviewed the results of the First 5 Commission (Prop 10)public hearings related to child care and the strategies that the Commission has approved for funding for this fiscal year and the next, As in the past,.the one area of child care that is still not being heavily supported with existing funds is subsidized care for needy families. These families, most of whom are the"working poor," are not eligible for other child care assistance. It is virtually 2 impossible for them to maintain their employment or continue school and also pay the high cost of child care. The FACT Committee believes that subsidized care for these families is important to the overall safety and development of the children and also provides an incentive for the parents/caretakers to complete their schooling and seek or maintain employment that improves family functioning and avoids the need for CaIWORK's services or cash aid. The compelling need for this subsidized care has been demonstrated the last several years as the Child Care Council has a list of almost 4,000 low-income children whose families are not eligible for CalWORK's waiting for child care. Further, it is more clear every year that an adequate process for competitively distributing these funds requires significant work developing and managing a Deeds Assessment process, preparing the RFP/RFQ for distribution, and reviewing the resulting proposals to make recommendations to the Board. A two-year cycle permits these activities to be more carefully conducted and is also more consistent with the FACT Committee's two- year funding cycle for other contracts under it's purview (each year either the Child Care Affordability or the Child Abuse Prevention (CAPIT/Trust Fund) contracts would be re- bid.) We hope that the Family and Human Services Committee agrees with these recommendations and forwards them to the full Board for approval. s "1 Rug 14 03 01 : 25p Clerk of the board ��� ��`� �J1- r• � EN[PLOYNIEN'T AND HUMANSERVICES CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DATE July 1 S, 2 003 TO Family and Human Services Committee Supervisor John Gioia Supervisor Federal Glover FROM John Cullen, Director, Employment & Human Services Mary Kay Miller, FACT Staff SUBJECT Child Care Affordability Fund RFCONiMFNDATION(S) The'Director of.the Employment and Human Services Department recommends that the Family and Human Services (FHS) Committee direct the Family and Children's Trust Comrru ttee (FACT) to: I. Disburse the Child Care Affordability Funds for FY 2003-2004 as follows: 5140,000 to the Contra Costa Child Care Council for parent-choice child care subsidies to low-income, at-risk families throughout the county not eligible for CaIWORKs or other no-cost child care; $50,000 to the Pittsburg Preschool Coordinating Council for infant/toddler therapeutic child care for low-income, at-risk families in East County not eligible for Ca1WORKs or other no-cost child care, and $60,000 to the Employment and Human Services Department for child care for emergency foster families with no eligibility for other subsidized care. II. Implement the Needs Assessment and RFP process for allocation of these funds for FY 2004-2005 according to the following timetable: September `03: Develop and distribute Needs Assessment questionnaires. October: Review data relative to current county child care resource availability, gaps in services and coordination of existing pro grams. November: Convene public meetings to receive community input regarding child-care issues and needs. December: Share Needs Assessment and Community Input results with FHS, with recommended priorities for RFP. Jan/Feb `04: Issue RFP and conduct outreach. Feb/Mar: Review and rate proposals and develop recommendations to FHS. . - 1 I Aug 14 03 01 : 26p Clerk of the Board 922 jj:3 11111i1d P. at April: Report back to FHS on the recommended allocation of the 2004- 05 funds. Following approval by this Corrm-tittee and the Board of Supervisors, one-year contracts,ontracts, with the possibility of renewal, will be awarded to successful applicants. Ill. Complete the re-appointment process for existing FACT members, assist Supervisors to fill any District vacancies if requested, and, if necessary, prepare a recommendation to the FHS Conimitter, regarding any chancre in membership required to keep the FACT review and recommendation process efficient and conflict free. BAC1K(;RQTj In 1997, the FHS Committee requested the FACT Committee to assist in developing the priorities for allocation of the Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Child Care Affordability funds for FY 1997-1998 and to develop a process for the future disbursement of these funds. This responsibility was previously held by the Internal Operations Committee and its staff, and had resulted in the Board of Supervisors allocating funds to the Contra Costa Child Care Council for parent choice child care subsidies for the working poor and resource and referral services -to families needing child care, the Pittsburg Preschool Coordinating Council for therapeutic infant/toddler child care, and the Community Services Department for child care centers in Richmond. (See Attachment 1, Board Order C.95 Providing Recommendation Authority to FACT). During 1998, the FACT Conunittee reviewed current county child care issues, attended During, Local Planning Council and Prop 10 Commission (now First 5 Contra Costa) meetings, Z.-. and 'invited child care professionals to attend meetings and provide 'input to the planning 4:1 process. Following this needs assessment process and with approval of the resulting rM priorities by the FHS Committee, FACT issued a Request for Info" ation to solicit proposals for the administration of child care subsidies for low-income families not eligible for CalWORKs child care. The solicitation was broadly advertised throughout the county via newspaper legal notices and distribution to agencies and programs known to have the capacity-for administering subsidies (see Attachment II, Child Care Subsidies RFI and Related Documents). The Pittsburg Preschool,. the Child Care Council, and the foster care program of EHSD submitted proposals. FACT Conunittee members reviewed these and all were found to meet the eligibility requirements (see Attachment III, Proposals Received in Response to RFI). The FHS Conuruttee recommended to the full Board that each of these procr ,rams be awarded funding for 1998-1999. In response to a request from Supervisor Uilkema to expand the allocation of Child Care. Affordability Funds to include center-based child care, the FACT Conunittee issued RFP #1052. in February 1999, which included planning grants for two center-based child care programs in multi-service settings for FY 1999-2000 (see Attachment IV, RFP #1050. f mUg 14 UJ U I : ebp L,1 e r K UT C,rIC 1:3 U or U f Following approval by the FHS Committee and the Board, $40,000 planning grants were awarded to the Center for Human Development for the Monument Com"dor Family Center and to Opportunity West for the development of a Teen Resource Center in Richmond. The Teen Resource Center was funded through Child Care Affordability and FACT supported the Monument Corridor .grant with other funds. These new projects were in addition to the re-approved Pittsburg Preschool, Child Care Council and EHSD contracts. The two multi-service center projects were subsequently supported by other FACT monies, and each has developed plans for large-scale multi-service centers that will include child care. Both of these centers recently were approved for significant additional funding for FY2003-2004 from the First 5 ConuTussion as "Fan-dly Learning Resource Centers. Pittsbura Preschool Coordinatincy Council, Contra Costa County Child Care Council and EHSD emergency foster care services have continued to receive Child Care Affordability Funding each year through 2002-2003, following successful completion of contract requirements, and approval by the Family and Human Services Committee and Board of Supervisors. In February 2002, the FHS Committee also approved a two-year allocation cycle for the Child Care Affordability funds when approving three contracts for FY 2002-2003. This current year, FY 2003-2004, is the second year of that cycle,"in which continued funding for the current contractors is being recommended. A new needs assessment and RFP P is to be undertaken in accordance with two-year cycle approved last year. If FHS and the Board of Supervisors agree, work on this hew solicitation by the FACT C: Conunittee would begin in September 2003. (See Attachment V, FY 2002-2003 Contracts). FY '700%2J)03 CONIRACIOR RE Each of theproararns supported in FY 2002-2003 has met or exceeded their goals. Attachment V1 includes information on the families and children served this year by each of the contractors. The FACT Corn-nittee collects basic information from the projects on a yearly basis using the format 'Included in Attachment V1. The Conunittee conducts site- visits to the programs to better understand how well goals are being met and to offer technical assistance if necessary.' A copy of the last site-visit report to one of the programs is included in this attachment as well. 1EACT MFMERSMI! The FACT Comn-uttee .(see Attachment'VII, FACT Membership Roster), is comprised of dedicated volunteers with. backgrounds and interests in children and family services, especially child abuse and neglect prevention, coordination of services delivery and development of effective systems to address unmet needs. There are nine current members, seven of whom have requested re-appointment and that process is currently underway. The vacancies on the Committee are primarily seats from other county Advisory Committees/Boards. These are all voluntary Committees. Given the time they I I ALJr, 14 03 01 : 29p Clerk of the Board have already committed to their original Committee the extensive time required by FACT members to conduct needs assessments and complete the RFP process, and the strict "conflict-free" requirement of FACT members, it has been difficult for these groups to provide representatives to the Committee. The FACT Committee is requesting that any supervisorial vacancy that occur be filled as quickly as possible, that staff to FACT attempt again to solicit membership from the other Advisory Committees, and if unsuccessful, that FACT provide a proposed new Membership Plan to FHS in the fall of 2003. INIRGRAIRD POLICY FOR FUL0 DISBURSEME Numerous discussions surrounding the allocation of 'new and old" TOT have recently been occurring. Currently, 50% of the total TOT from the Embassy Suites, up to a maximum of $250 .000, is used for Child Care Affordability services and administered by FACT. Additional TOT generated by the Embassy and Renaissance Projects will also require grants administration, program oversight and outcome reporting capabilities. The focus of these funding, streams appears to be similar. It may be helpful for the FHS Committee and the full Board to engage in discussions about the development of poli'c'y(ies) that address an integrated approach for the use of these funds. Development of a single Grants Management process may improve overall service and reduce duplication of effort. 4 EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DATE February 23, 2004 TO Family and Human Services Committee Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier, Chair Supervisor John Gioia, Member FROM John Cullen, Director, Employment & Human Services Mary Kay Miller, FACT staff SUBJECT Child Care Affordability Fund RECOMMENDATIONS) The Director of the Employment and Human Services Department recommends that the Family and Human Services Committee approve the following priorities as the basis for the RFQ process for disbursement of the Child Care Affordability funds for 2004-2005 as recommended by the Family and Children's Trust Committee. The Director further recommends that this Committee authorize the FACT Committee to continue development of the RFQ, complete the solicitation process for competitive bids, and forward their funding recommendations to this Committee for approval in late May. BACKGROUND On October 6th, 2003, the Employment and Human Services Director and FACT staff met with this Committee to discuss the procurement process for disbursement of the Child Care Affordability funds for 2004-2005. This Committee approved the recommended process as follows: The FACT Committee will meet with knowledgeable other child care professionals to elicit their advice on the most pressing gaps in child care services in the county and discuss possible service priorities that address these needs. ➢ The Committee will hold public meetings to hear from community residents and child care providers about how they perceive the problems in the child care system, and how these funds might be used in their communities and neighborhoods. ➢ Analyze all the information from these meetings and develop one or more priorities for funding. ➢ Meet with this Committee again to discuss the recommended priorities and authorize FACT to continue with the solicitation process using the approved priorities as the foundation. 1. Needs Assessment Process The following child care professionals met with the FACT Committee during October, November and December to provide recommendations on possible priorities for use of the Child Care Affordability funds: Kathy Linquist ......Local Planning Council Kate Ertz-Berger....Child Care Council Debbie Silverman...First S Commission Brenda Sutherland.. Employment and Human Services foster and relative caregiver program. F Chris Parkhurst......Community Services Department Head Start and-'Early Head Start programs. Additional information was gathered during phone conversations with the California School-Aged Consortium. A series of three public meetings were held on January 14, 21, and 2 8 in east, west and central county. Announcements of these meetings were sent via the distribution lists of the Local Planning Council, Child Care Council, Head Start/Early Head Start programs, and the California School Age Consortium. The meetings were also advertised in the Contra Cost Times, West County Times, and the Antioch Ledger. Although attendance at the meetings was small (32 people), the additional information provided directly from parents and local providers was important to round out the needs assessment and confirm what most of the childcare professionals had told the Committee previously. 2 r The following common themes and recommended priorities were derived from the discussions with child care professionals and participants at the community meetings: 1. Local Planning Council Child care in east and west county ➢ Child care for teen mothers ➢ Accessible, affordable quality care for infants ➢ Culturally competent child care ➢ Care during non-traditional hours (after-hours, sick-child, weekend, etc.) ➢ Before and after-school care for pre-adolescents 2. First S Commission ➢ Early education and child care in low performing school districts ➢ Working poor families —income not quite low enough for stipends ➢ Families that don't trust the "system" even though their children could benefit most from quality child care ➢ Child care in far-east county (Brentwood/Oakley) ➢ Programs for latch-key children whose parents don't understand the danger of this practice 3. Child Care Council ➢ Quality infant care ➢ Child care in east and south county ➢ Need for subsidized care of all kinds—2/3rd of eligible children will never receive services with current funding ➢ Priorities could include: infant care projects, pilot or demonstration projects to test new ways of providing/subsidizing care, helping develop new child care centers in east county, provide supplemental funding (e.g. $100 per child) to improve quality care 4. EHSD Foster and Relative Caregiver Families ➢ Due to lower payments for relative caregivers (mostly grandparents) the need for child care to stabilize placements is crucial ➢ West county has largest number of relative vers care fi (primarilyg African Americans and Latinos) ➢ Foster parents or relative caregivers with special needs children, especially technology-dependent children, require time away from the children because this work is continuous, all day, every day. ➢ Child care for children returning home from placement but, because their parents have court-ordered programs they must 3 attend, they have no place for their children while they comply with court requirements. Often, these children return to the system due to non-compliance. 5. Head Start/Early Head Start ➢ Empty slots in both pre-school (3-5 year olds) and infant toddler programs because there is usually a daily 20% "no show" rate ➢ Eligibility is extremely low - $15,000 for family of 4. Even with this stringent eligibility, over 900 hundred eligible children are on the waiting list and most will "age-out"before they receive services ➢ Looking for funding support to enroll fee-for-service children on a sliding scale 6. Community Meetings ➢ Child care for teen mothers; without it, few of these teens will return to school, or become self-sufficient ➢ Teens don't understand needs of infants/children; supplemental, educational services at centers provide this additional support ➢ Continue funding for existing Child Care Affordability projects ➢ There is a significant need for additional child care of every kind in east county Often, already-existing child care classrooms (e.g. Los Medanos) are empty due to lack of funding to run the programs ➢ Ancillary support services for families need to be available at child care sites. ➢ Increased before and after child care at school sites. 2. REQ Priority Recommendations At its February meeting, FACT Committee members reviewed the collected information from the needs assessment to develop the priorities for funding. Selection criteria for the priorities included: (1) Address the needs of specific underserved populations throughout the county for affordable care where funding can make a significant difference in the lives of children and their parents. (2) Allocate funds where $250,000 can make a difference for the greatest number of families (3) Funds should be available through a fair process to families throughout the county. 4 r The recommended priorities are: I. Childcare services for teen mothers delivered at school sites or community-based programs that can support the teens' school schedules with child care and can provide additional ancillary services to assist teens to move toward self-sufficiency and skillful parenting. II. Subsidies for parental-choice infant care available to low-income families who are ineligible for other subsidized care programs. 3. Timetable for RFQ Process Completion Following approval of the priorities by this Committee, the FACT Committee proposes that the following timetable be adopted for the remainder of the procurement process: March 8th...Board Order to release the RFQ approved. March 24th..RFQ released to public via potential bidders lists March 26...Legal notices placed in all relevant newspapers April 8th... Mandatory Bidders Conference held to review all aspects of the RFQ with any potential bidder. April 29th...Proposals due. p p April 29-May 16...Proposal review period for FACT Committee members. May 17 ......Rating and Review meeting to determine successful bidders to be Y g g ,. recommended for approval. May 18-June 1St ...Appeal period. early June....Meeting with this Committee to discuss and approve recommended contractors. mid-June.....Recommendations forwarded to full Board for approval. July 1, 2004.Approved contractors begin service provision. The FACT Committee has developed and refined this approach and specific instruments to be used in the procurement process over many years and expects as successful an outcome for the Child Care Affordability fund disbursements as it has had with other FACT-funded projects. 5 R_ t EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DATE June 21, 2004 TO Family and Human Services Committee Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier, Chair. Supervisor John Gioia, Member FROM John Cullen, Director, Employment & Human Services Mary Kay Miller, FACT staff SUBJECT FY 2004-2005 Child Care Affordability Fund Allocation RECOMMENDATIONS) The Director of the Employment and Human Services Department recommends that the Family and Human Services Committee accept this report and direct the Family and Children's Trust Committee to disburse the Child Care Affordability Funds for FY 2004-2005 as follows: 1. $116,450 to The Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE) to administer child care subsidies for county-wide infant care for low-income families; 2. $23,550 to the Head Start program of the Community Services Department to provide three additional slots for child care for infants of teen parents at the already existing Contra Costa College site in San Pablo; 3. $45,000 to the YMCA of the East Bay for child care for teenP arents enrolled in the teen programs at Richmond and Kennedy High Schools; 4. $4.0,000 to Mt. Diablo Unified School District to provide child care for teen parents within the Crossroads High School Teen program, and 5. $25,000 to the Pittsburg Pre-School and Coordinating Council for child care services for teen parents in Pittsburg/Bay Point. 1 BACKGROUND I. Procurement Process The Director of the Employment and Human Services Department and the Chair and staff of the FACT Committee met with this Committee in February, June and October of 2003, and February of 2004 to develop a strategy for the conduct of a needs assessment process, the development of FY 04-05 priorities for the .allocation of the funds and the release of an RFQ to solicit proposals from qualified agencies. These efforts culminated in the release of RFQ #1078 in March, 2004 (see Attachment I). The priorities for the child care services being solicited had previously been approved by this Committee and included: ➢ Child care services for teen parents offered at school sites or through community-based agencies that promote continuing school enrollment and provide support services to assist the teens to move toward self- sufficiency and skillful parenting. ➢ Increased availability of subsidy funding for parent-choice infant care for low-income families. A mandatory Bidders Conference was held on April 8th to inform potential applicants more specifically about what was being requested and to answer questions or clarify any misunderstandings related to the RFQ. Eight proposals were received by the deadline and all were qualified for the formal review process. Over $750,000 in requests was submitted by these agencies which included PACE, Community Services Department Head Start Program, Contra Costa Child Care Council, Children and Family Services Bureau of the Employment and Human Services Department, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, West Contra Costa YMCA, and Pittsburg Pre-School Coordinating Council (2 proposals.) II. Proposal Review Each of the FACT Committee members independently reviewed and scored each proposal received using the Scoring Form in Attachment II. In addition, staff in 2 the Fiscal Department reviewed and scored each proposal for agency solvency, appropriateness of accounting practices and line item budget relevance. The total number of points scored was derived from the averages of these scores. Ano en Rating and Review meeting was held on May 17th. A representative of one applicant agency was present for the meeting. The positive aspects and problem areas of each proposal were thoroughly discussed using the criteria and priorities in the RFQ as the basis for the discussions. In previous discussions with this Committee it had been decided that geographic distribution of services was one of the primary considerations for funding. In light of this, the Committee decided early in the review meeting that the three projects for child care services for teen parents (one each in east, west and central county) should be funded. This meant that all of the programs applying to provide services for teen parents would be funded. The Committee also required that the administration of infant care subsidies needed to be county-wide as much as possible, with a concentration in the low-income, high-need areas. All proposals were analyzed with a view to maximize services and budget efficiencies while ensuring the each program would also provide the highest possible guality child care services. Each of the five projects being recommended (see above) met all of the criteria for funding and were judged to be the ones best able to provide the required services most efficiently for their respective target populations (see Appendix III for a description of the recommended projects.) Because the total funding requests were three times what was avairable none of the recommended projects could be funded at the requested amounts. In some cases these reductions amounted to over a 50% cut, but the FACT Committee was careful to ensure the reductions didn't significantly reduce the viability or quality of the proposed programs. Each recommended agency has agreed to the reduced budgets. Each agency submitting a proposal was notified in writing of FACT's recommendations for funding the following day. There was a two-week appeal period for any agency to formally request a review of the process or the recommendations. No appeals were received. The Committee believes that with FHS input, the procurement process was carried out equitably, without any conflict of interest, and in a forthright and open manner. They also are sure that the recommended projects will provide exemplary services and will contribute to filling some of the child care gaps that currently exist in the county. 3 If these programs are approved for funding by FHS and the full Board, contracts will be entered into to begin July 1St. The FACT Committee will work with each project to develop a monitoring and data collection plan, including two site-visits by Committee teams the first year, for on-going evaluation and mid-course corrections if necessary. 4 Recommended Child Care A rdability Pro rams 2004-2005 I. "Subsidy Funding for Infant Child Care for Low-Income Families." Two programs are recommended for funding in this priority area. 1. Professional Association for Early Childhood Education (PACE) Requested Funds: $175,000. Recommended Funding: $116,450. This program will provide parent-choice subsidies for infant care to 17-18 infants from low-income families throughout Contra Costa County. PACE has provided child care subsidies in 25 Northern California counties (including ours) for 27 years through the Federal and State funded "Alternative Payment Plan"program. The families and service providers are located throughout the county; however, priority will be given to families in low-income communities in Richmond, San Pablo, Concord, Pittsburg, Bay Point and Antioch. If funded, this program will be fully integrated into the current PACE subsidy and voucher system to avoid administrative duplication. Total cost of administering the subsidies (personnel, fringe, and operating costs) is 10% of the budget. All other costs are in-kind. Service Description ➢ 17-18 infants provided subsidized care of parent's choice. ➢ Services geographically distributed. ➢ Families selected from PACE' eligibility list of 2284 children based on CDE median income guidelines for subsidies ➢ All license exempt caregivers will be Trustlined. ➢ Case management services provided to all families including access to transportation, referral and follow-up for nutritional resources, housing needs, medical and dental needs, and parenting classes. ➢ Staff are multicultural, multilingual, speaking Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Mandarin ➢ Evaluation will be based on both process and results-based measures. 1 3 1 2. Community Services Department Early Head Start Program Requested funds: $54,961. Recommended funding: $23,555 The Head Start/Early Head Start programs are the largest providers of early education/child care in the county, serving over 2000 children 0-5 each year. The proposed program will integrate three new child care slots for infants in the Early Learning Center at Contra Costa College in San Pablo. Coordinated with the YMCA program at Richmond High School,this program will enable teen parents transitioning to college the opportunity to access high quality child care for their infants while providing support services to encourage growth and self-sufficiency and facilitate college enrollment and retention. Service Description: )0- Full day infant child care at the Early Learning Center for very low income parents transitioning from the Richmond High School programs to Contra Costa College. ➢ Includes comprehensive services for the infant and parent(s) in areas of nutrition, health, mental health, parent support and disability services. ➢ Provides access to other Head Start Initiatives including Sibling Immunization Drive, Medical Home program, Oral Health Initiative, Mental Health Internships, Fatherhood and Male Involvement program, etc. ➢ The parent is able to work closely with the Center's primary caregiver for his/her child to develop and monitor a comprehensive plan for the child's development. ➢ The infant care program meets or exceeds all Federal and State guidelines for standards of care. ➢ Evaluation will consist of measuring service outcomes three times per year in the domains of infant development (using the Desired Results De'velopmental Profile) and family functioning including academic progress employment, housing, health, family relationships, income and budgeting, social and emotional health, parenting, and community development. II. " Child Care Services for Teen Parents. All three of the programs submitting proposals in this priority area are being recommended for funding, but at significantly reduced amounts. 1. West Contra Costa YMCA Requested funds: $176,060. Recominended funding: $45,000 The West Contra Costa YMCA will fully subsidize five child care slots at existing Infant/ Toddler Centers at Richmond and Kennedy High Schools. The YMCA will provide a continuum of child care and supportive services to pregnant and parenting teens from any school within the WC CU S D. This program will be integrated with the Y Team Counseling Program, WCCUSD's Adolescent Parent Program, Head Start/Early Head 2 Start and First 5 Contra Costa to provide expanded comprehensive services to meet the many and varied needs of teens with infants. The primary goals of the program are to enable students to continue progress toward a high school certificate or GED, provide child care and other related support services, provide case management and family advocacy services, and counseling/therapy services to teen parents with young children. Service Description ➢ Five additional teen parents will be provided child care, case management, and other supportive services at Richmond/Kennedy High Schools. ➢ Eligibility includes public assistance recipient, income standard for family size, the teen must be enrolled in a WC CU SD school and must maintain passing grades while enrolled in the program. ➢ Services for the children include: provision of a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment, developmentally appropriate program that includes social interaction, warm and affectionate response to the infant's expressed needs, communication through singing,talking and reading, and the provision of social, emotional, cognitive and motor development through a variety of modalities. ➢ Services for the teen parent(s) include comprehensive care including academic assistance, pregnancy prevention programs, parent and child development education, emotional support, resource and referral to other programs )WIC, MediCal, employment assistance etc.) when needed, and the availability of therapists/counselors. ➢ Evaluation of the program is based on the successful completion of the school term, percent of teens receiving counseling that improve their functioning and the appropriate development of the children. 2. Mt. Diablo Unified School District Teen Program at Crossroads High School. Requested funds: $76,470. Recommended funding: $40,000 The Program at Crossroads High School will provide supplemental services for the teen parents continuing to attend school n the MDUSD. The supportive, academic and child care services are provided as a continuum of services designed to reduce educational barriers and promote the self-sufficiency of the teens. Service Description: ➢ Services are available to any parenting teen in the WDUSD. The maximum enrollment at Crossroads is 50 teens. All of the teens enrolled at any given time could avail themselves of the services provided by this program. 3 ➢ The new service components include: • provision of a Spanish-speaking counselor to assist the teens in their own language • the addition of a 25%time school psychologist to lead the child psychology class, hold individual and group counseling sessions handle conflict resolution and make other referrals as necessary, and • development of a class in healthy lifestyles and skills. ➢ Evaluation will be based on successful completion of the school term, increased parenting skills, and continuing progress to a high school diploma and/or GED. 3. Pittsburg Preschool Child Care for Teen Parents Requested funds: $50,000. Recommended funding: $25,000 This program will supplement the Out of School Youth Program(OYS) that currently operates fours hours per day. This increase in hours will permit the draw down of additional state funds. Children of participating teens will deceive high quality child care at Pittsburg's therapeutic infant toddler program while their parents prepare for the GED and build computer,job preparation, parenting and life skills. Service Description ➢ The program will support the addition of eight new teens to the Out of School Youth Program and begin operating eight hours per day to draw down other state funds. ➢ Services to be provided include: • therapeutic, developmental and academic child care programs for participants, • daily GED class to be offered eight hours per day, • case management services, • referrals and advocacy, • counseling and substance abuse rehabilitation, • parenting education and life skills, • vocational training, health and social service outreach focusing on perinatal, AIDS/HIV and homeless care, and • mental health counseling. The ability to provide these services at this low funding amount derives from the center's ability to match funds and make the best use of their already existing programs. 4 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS l Costa 1-• j ty ri FROM: John Cullen Director CountyEmployment and Human Services N DATE: April 25, 2005 SUBJECT: ' FY 2004-2005 Child Care Affordability Funds SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or his designee, to issue Request for Qualifications (RFQ) #1078 through the Family and Children's Trust Committee (FACT) for child care services and/or subsidies for low income families in the amount up to $250,000 available for contracts resulting from the RFQ process for the period of Julyl, 2004 through June 30, 2005. FINANCIAL, IMPACT: $2505000 100% Child Care Affordability Funds derived from the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: The contracts will support all five of the Community Outcomes: "Children Ready for School", "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood", "Families that are Economically Self Sufficient", "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing", and"Communities that are Safe, and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families"by availing families, especially low income families, of safe affordable child care through direct services or subsidies, thereby assisting in the stabilization of the family unit and the provision of opportunities for individuals to complete their education and obtain and maintain unsubsidized employment. RACKGROUNI): -In February 1997, the Board approved a recommendation from the Family and Human Services Committee that the Family and Children's Trust Committee (FACT) be responsible for establishing priorities for use of the Child Care Affordability funds and recommending to the Board those agencies and contract amounts to be Paize Two The priorities for funding that were approved by the Family and Human Services Committee and which will form the basis of the competitive process are: 1. Childcare services for teen parents offered at school sites or through community-based programs that promote continuing school involvement and provide support services and programs that assist teens to move toward self-sufficiency and skillful parenting. 2. Increased availability of funding for parent-choice infant care for low-income families. Subsidies for parent-choice infant care will be provided to families currently eligible for subsidized care,but who are not receiving support due to the limitations in available funds. In addition to selecting programs based on the above specific priorities, the FACT Committee will also give significant consideration to programs that: Provide geographic distribution of funding. Target populations of greatest need. Apply best practices in program design and delivery of services. Facilitate accessibility of services, and Include data collection activities as part of their program. The period of funding for these programs will be July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 with the option for a one- year renewal pending the availability of funds and the provision of quality services as determined by the FACT Committee's on going monitoring and evaluation of the programs. APPENDIX II PROJECT MONITORING AND DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT FACT FIRST MONITORING VISIT- CHILD CARE AFFORDABILITY PROJECTS SITE VISIT QUESTIONNAIRE (To be conducted in fall/winter of the first year of a new funding cycle) SECTION I: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Agency Name: 2. Program Name: 3. Date of Site Review: 4. FACT Site Review Team Members: Primary FACT member with responsibility for written report. (This individual will remain as monitor for this agency throughout the two-year cycle.) Other team members: 5. Agency/Program Staff Interviewed: Name: Title: 9/6/2004 1 SECTION Il. PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS 1. Please describe the child care issues/problems that your FACT-funded child care program seeks to address. ❑ Child Care for Teen Parents Attending School. LJ Subsidies for Low Income Families 2. What are your current program goals? (Please list specific goals) Do they differ in any way from those cited in your proposal? If so, please explain the differences (s). 3 Specifically, what children/parents are currently being served by this program? WW,.,.. .;. .. .. .. .. .. ,..�: .. :. .< >:�:..:.;.#,. br#.•".`- .,'BAR;e's ,.:.>,... ,`xw`.„4',,;:....,..,s.. ;&r:. .'',t, •r v ..A: , :+5. }'C. k •„. ..' ,,Rin,••2, yS 3i .• .: ..:.:.•.. :..r:u: :a,:x3:t .oxo.. Children 0-2 Children 2- 5 years of age School age children Parent(s) age 19 or younger Parents over 19 Total # Families Total # children 2 ...:.. .:::.::...��..::.�..r:�. :. ''..::..:.;s:_...v:..: ..,.: i,v ,ay?2•+.:w nf;;;{:$:.•`�•.n:.i. ?k da .0-g African +�;„•.:.2i:., .a'33.e'.:.•� .;�':xi.,�.'+: ab, .?... •¢ �r, ,e e.i:+.: ,:;,.. >}... :.,' � mo,�ii;• (r>' v a a'2 +�y �g•�� '.•}`.',.,:.�.',i,,x •.: ..Y;.ex"i g'�'. :. •... ' Y' y,ffi' ':N'i` .M:l�:::Xa�2�.,,¢•: d3"' 62 3 r Q rt ' M1, y N.. 'w' #'. ::hH.:'t � .•: '. ... •: :2:. H... .�. .:�3. 'tib. 4:: ..i,, yr African American Latino/ His anic Asian/ Pacific Islander Native American/Alaskan Native Caucasian Multiracial or Biracial Other (describe) Total n e: $: .N+ s Projected # Number FAMILIES BY AREA OF THE COUNTY to be served served to to date date East County Central County South County West County Total# Families SECTION III: ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT/STAFFING 1. Briefly describe how this FACT-funded program is fitting into the overall operations of your agency. 2. Is the staffing fully in place for your FACT program? 3 3. Does your staff receive any specific training for your FACT program? When hired? Ongoing? 4. Isram our program using any volunteers? If so, how are they recruited and trained? Y p g g How many are currently involved? SECTION IV: RESOURCE ALLOCATION 1. Are you spending your FACT dollars as projected for this program? Are your expenses running higher or lower than your original projections? If so, please explain. 2. Do you anticipate spending down your FACT funds at a relatively consistent rate (i.e. approximately 1/12 of the contracted amount each month?)? If not, what is the reason? SECTION V: CLIENT FLOW 1. From where are most of your clients coming? What types of outreach do you do? 2. How do clients learn about your program? 4 3. What screening criteria determine who is served and who is screened out from your program? 4. What happens to clients not accepted for services? 5. Do all clients receive the same services? How do you determine the services appropriate for different children/parents/families? 6. Doy ou maintain a waiting list? How are clients handled during this period? About how many people are on the waiting list at any one time? 7. On average, how long does the process from referral to the start of services take? r 8. How long may the child/family receive services? 9. What criteria do you use to close a case? Who makes this decision? 10. What type of client follow-up do you do or do you plan to do? (formal or informal, how often, with whom?) 5 SECTION VI: CHILD CARE SERVICES 1. Please explain the structure of the child care program that you are providing (i.e. center-based, exempt care, other?) 2. If this is a center-based program, is there a philosophy of child care or a specific program model you are following? 3. Is the parent(s) involved in planning the care for his/her child? How? 4. If the parent(s) is involved, is parenting education a focus of your services? How do you provide this education? 5. Does your staff monitor the development of the infants/toddlers while they are in care? Please explain. 6 SECTION VII. SERVICES FOR TEENS 1 If your project is serving teen parents, what specific services are available for the teens? 1. How are these coordinated with the teens' school schedule? 2. Do the teens have an opportunity to interact with their infant/toddler during the day? Has this interaction been educational? 3. Is academic achievement monitored for continued enrollment in the program? What has been the outcome of this? SECTION VIII: COMMUNITY CONTEXT 1. How are you planning to advertise the availability of your services? Do you anticipate any problems reaching full enrollment quickly? 2. Does your program routinely coordinate with other service providers who might be working with the same clients? How do you communicate with these other providers? SECTION IX: MISCELLANEOUS 1. What predicted or unforeseen problems have you encountered? What specific actions are you taking to address these problems? 7 rr 2. Are there other issues or facets of your program of which you would like FACT Committee to be aware? Please attach copies of: • Any publicity your program has received (July 2004 to date) • Any specific materials you have developed for the program F t, 8