Agenda

Return

C. 23

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:	December 14, 2021

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Early Head Start Childcare Partnership Grant Extension

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/14/2021

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor

Contact:

V. Kaplan, (925) 608-5052

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 14, 2021
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to extend the grant project period to allow sufficient time to complete grant activities under the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grant, including the facility renovation and construction of the central kitchen, for the term January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Board Order will extend the grant period to expend the previously board approved (C.42 - approved 04/20/2021; amount of $1,457,564) carry-over budget of unobligated Federal funds from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Head Start in the amount of $1,457,562 for the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program. ACF's Notice of Award (NOA), dated 11/12/2021, is for the amount of $1,457,562. No local match is required. (CFDA #93.600) (100% Federal)

BACKGROUND:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) allows grantees to carry-over unobligated funds to the next grant period to allow grantees to complete unfinished program initiates and projects that were identified in the previous years’ operation, but are still work-in-progress in the current grant period. Additionally, ACF issued Information Memorandum 21-01, Updated Coronavirus Disease 2021 (COVID-19) Fiscal and Administrative Flexibilities, allowing grantees to request extensions on expiring awards.

The Board approved the submission of a grant application to ACF for Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant funds on August 16, 2016 (C.37). As a result, the County was awarded funding in the amount not to exceed $5,000,000 for the budget period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 to address program initiative of health and safety, nutrition, disabilities and mental health of families as well as professional development of Early Head Start staff. Community Services Bureau (CSB) was unable to fully utilize the initial grant amount due to many factors such as an inability to hire qualified teaching staff, difficulty in finding qualified partners/sub-recipients and project delays.

ACF recognized these difficulties and granted the roll-over of the unspent portion of $4,035,918 into the grant period of September 1, 2018 through August 31, 2019, in addition to the new grant funding of $3,540,487 (May 1, 2018, C.20) for the same budget period. During this budget period, Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD), Community Services Bureau (CSB), was able to meet its program initiatives, however, was unable to fully utilize the amount of unobligated funds of $1,798,050 when the grant period ended on August 31, 2019 as a result of delays in the completion of County Public Works projects. The carry-over request of $1,798,050 is the result of unobligated funds of $450,234 from the basic grant of $3,540,487 and $1,347,816 from the first carry-over amount of $4,035,918.

ACF recognized the Grantee’s situation and agreed to extend the grant period of the unobligated funds from the period September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020. The Board approved this carry-over of unobligated funds under EHS-CCP in the amount of $1,798,050 on April 28, 2020 (C.20).

CSB then identified an unobligated balance from the grant budget period of September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020. The Board approved to carry-over unobligated funds in the amount of $1,457,564 for the period April 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 on April 20, 2021 (C.42).

This Board Order is to approve the submission of an application to request an extension of the project period for EHS-CCP to allow sufficient time to fully expend based on the 2021 carry-over of unobligated funds. Due to the complexity of ACF’s pre-approval requirements for facility renovation, additional time is needed for ACF to review and approve CSB’s proposed renovation and construction of the central kitchen facility. The Head Start Policy Council approved this action at their November 17, 2021 meeting.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If not approved, the County will lose funding required to complete budgeted facilities projects which will have adverse effects on the health and safety of children being served.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

The Head Start program of the Community Services Bureau of the Employment and Human Services Department supports three (3) of Contra Costa County's community outcomes - Outcome 1: Children Ready for and Succeeding in School, Outcome 3: Families that are Economically Self-sufficient, and Outcome 4: Families that are Safe, Stable, and Nurturing. These outcomes are achieved by offering comprehensive services, including high quality early childhood education, nutrition, and health services to low-income children throughout Contra Costa County.