COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

 

DATE:

September 15, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 27, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Glen H. Brooks Jr., Interim Director, Human Services Agency

Mark Lane, Director, Children and Family Services

SUBJECT:

Agreement with Edgewood Center for Children and Families

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution:

 

    1 Waiving the Request for Proposal (RFP) process; and

 

    2. Authorizing the execution of an Agreement with Edgewood Center for Children and Families in the amount of $477,105 for the administration of the Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP) and outreach to guardians regarding the KINGAP Program. The term of this Agreement is July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: : Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goals 6: Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods.

 

The Agreement contributes to this commitment and goal by providing services to children and their relative caregivers and Non-Related Extended Family Member (NREFM) caregivers, in order to strengthen and support the caregiver-child relationship, stabilize placements and support the mental health, physical health and overall well being of relative and NREFM caregivers.

 

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

Actual

FY 2004-05

Projected

FY 2005-06

Percentage of children who will not enter the foster care system due to stable placement with a family/non-related family member

100%

100%

 

BACKGROUND:

Since June 1, 1998, the Human Services Agency (HSA) has received an annual allocation from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) under AB1193 to provide KSSP services to relative caregivers of children. In addition, funding through Targeted Case Management (TCM) was used to augment the annual CDSS allocation. Edgewood Center for Children and Families piloted the KSSP project in San Francisco and this was used as a model and funded by the State. As there were no other KSSP programs in the Bay Area, except the San Francisco pilot, Edgewood was selected as a sole source provider to develop the KSSP services for the County of San Mateo.

 

Last year, as part of the Family to Family Initiative, Edgewood Center for Children and Families implemented a NREFM Program to provide critical services to dependents of the Juvenile Court who live in San Mateo County. Since that time, services such as counseling, peer mentoring, tutoring, homework assistance, recreation and respite services have been provided to over 700 relative and NREFM caregivers and children.

 

DISCUSSION:.

HSA wishes to continue contracting with Edgewood Center for Children and Families for the KSSP. In addition, Edgewood will provide information about KINGAP to guardians of children who remain dependents of the Juvenile Court. KINGAP is a State-funded program that provides funding to guardians for the care of the child after dependency is dismissed. (Previously funding was available only while the child remained a dependent). Through these efforts it is anticipated that more guardians of dependent children will enroll in KINGAP. In most of these situations the Dependency can be dismissed and the Children and Family Services case can be closed; thereby, lowering caseloads.

 

Subsequent to the submission of its FY 2005-06 budget, HSA received information about new state and federal requirements, regarding the use of TCM funding which for San Mateo County eliminated TCM as a viable funding source for the Kinship Program. HSA is proposing to use fund balance for FY2005-06 to supplant the loss of TCM funding in order not to interrupt these vital services for these families. In the event that a suitable alternative funding source to TCM cannot be secured for FY 2006-07, HSA will during the FY 2006-07 budget process, reallocate from Child Welfare Services, Child Welfare Redesign, or other funding resources, the necessary funds needed to sustain the Kinship program.

 

Edgewood Center for Children and Families has successfully provided services to the relative and NREFM caregivers in San Mateo County since 1999, and continues to be the provider used by San Francisco for KSSP. Edgewood established the first Kinship program in the State and is responsible for initiating legislation that led to the State adopting its model for Kinship services throughout the State. Presently, Edgewood is the Technical Assistance Coordinator/Advisor for eleven (11) counties that are providing Kinship services through the State supported KSSP programs. Because Edgewood is a sole source provider of these services, has experience in providing similar services in other counties, and has successfully provided such services within this County, it is in the County’s best interested to waive the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

 

This Agreement has been delayed as negotiations for the KINGAP program was finalized and sustainable funding was being explored for the Kinship Program. This Agreement has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Counsel’s Office. Risk Management has reviewed and approved the Contractor’s insurance coverage.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The term of this Agreement is July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.  The total obligation is $477,105, of which, $100,000 is funded through the Kinship Supportive Services Program allocation budgeted in the FY 2005-06 Children and Family Services Budget . The Net County Cost is $377,105, of which $360,380 is Fund Balance that has been submitted with the proposed September Budget Revision Package.