Approve first amendment to Agreement No. 22-143 with Children’s Home Society of California to increase funding in the amount of $361,801 for 2022-23 for a new contract maximum of $1,653,394 for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025 for the provision of providing Foster Care Emergency Child Care Bridge Program services. (No general fund impact) (Sullivan)

Approve first amendment to Agreement No. 22-143 with Children’s Home Society of California to increase funding in the amount of $361,801 for 2022-23 for a new contract maximum of $1,653,394 for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025 for the provision of providing Foster Care Emergency Child Care Bridge Program services.

The Yolo County Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program) provides resource and referral (R&R) services, trauma-informed training for childcare providers, and a voucher payment system for childcare services for Resource Families/Foster Parents.
The Bridge Program is a temporary childcare voucher program where services may be provided for up to six (6) months. If necessary, the County may extend services for up to 12 months. The purpose of the Bridge Program is to provide Resource Families/Foster Parents with immediate access to childcare. A primary goal of temporary childcare assistance is to concurrently enroll families in a permanent long term childcare program so that there is a smooth transition to the permanent childcare with no break in services.

The Bridge Program gives priority to the following target populations: severely disabled children ages 0–21 not receiving foster care payments but expected to complete the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process within 60 days; children with exceptional needs ages 0–21 not receiving foster care payments but expected to complete the RFA process within 60 days; children ages 0–5 years in need of emergency foster care placement; and children ages 0–5 years with current caregivers in need of child care that promotes placement stability.

The Bridge Program also provides a Child Care Navigator in Yolo County and provides a voucher payment program for emergency childcare in an effort to increase placement and stability for children that enter the County of Yolo Child Welfare System (CWS.)  In addition, the Bridge Program provides childcare providers with trauma-informed care training in order to give childcare providers support and education when caregiving for a child that has incurred trauma.

Subsidized childcare in Yolo County is scarce and typically has long waiting lists for those eligible to the programs. In addition, CWS encounters barriers to finding immediate placement for children because many Resource Families/Foster Parents are employed and have a need for childcare for children placed with them. In many instances, childcare may be the only reason why a child is not placed immediately.

On or about June 28, 2022 the County entered into an Agreement with Children’s Home Society to provide services for Yolo County dependents and Resource Families/Foster Parents, as well as provides opportunities for increased placements for Yolo County dependents and it also allows for one-time funding to support the authorization of paid nonoperational days for COVID-19 pandemic related closures and childcare reimbursement based on the maximum certified hours of care rather than attendance for providers serving children in the Bridge Program.

HHSA request approval of this First Amendment which increases funding in the amount of $361,801 for Fiscal Year 2022-23. The additional funding is based on the increased allocation for Emergency Child Care Bridge Program services. The California Department of Social Services increased the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program) allocation for Yolo County for Fiscal Year 2022-23. The Bridge Program comprises four main components: the childcare vouchers, childcare navigator, trauma-informed care training, and county operations. The FY 2022-23 funds were distributed amongst each of the four components

Performance Measures included in this Agreement are as follows:
The Performance Measures were included in the underlying Agreement and are not being revised at this time (See Att. B. Performance Measures).
 

HHSA confirms Children’s Home Society of California has performed satisfactorily under this agreement. Children’s Home Society provides an average of 23 caregivers per month childcare services.

County Counsel has approved this Agreement as to form.
Department of General Services, Procurement Division

On June 1, 2022, the then acting Yolo County Procurement Manager or designee approved a sole source procurement for these services.

Procurement reviewed HHSA’s request and determined that it was in the best interest of the County to approve the sole source. Without sole source approval with the vendor, the County would be unable to implement the emergency childcare for foster children program. This may impact the placement of children in foster care and create additional expenses for caregivers. Factors considered, included but were not limited to:

1) vendor is the only local resource and referral (R&R) services for Yolo County; 2) satisfactory vendor performance; 3) rates are based on Regional Market Rate (RMR) Survey; and 4) vendor programs include childcare navigator in the County and provides resource family and foster parents a voucher payment program for emergency childcare. In addition, vendor providers trauma-informed care training to childcare providers for support and education when caregiving for a child that may incur trauma.