Agenda

Return

C. 93

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:	May 7, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Amend Contract with Lilliput Children’s Services for Kinship Support Services to Caregivers of Child(ren) of Revelative(s)

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 05/07/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

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

Contact:

Gina Chenoweth 8-4961

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: May 7, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Lilliput Children’s Services, effective May 1, 2019 to increase the payment limit by $71,500 to a new payment limit of $491,500, for additional emergency financial support to families while awaiting Resource Family approval, with no change to the term, July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.

FISCAL IMPACT:

This will increase department expenditures by $71,500 for a new total of $491,500 to be entirely funded by State Kinship Supportive Services revenue.

BACKGROUND:

Lilliput Children’s Services was selected from a competitive procurement, Request for Proposal (RFP) #1159, to provide the Kinship Support Services Program for East Contra Costa County. The Kinship program provides community-based family support services to caregivers and the dependent children placed in their homes by the juvenile court as well as for those relative youth who are at risk of dependency or delinquency. Additionally, the program provide multiple support services for relative and non-relative caregivers, including site based mentoring, case management, support groups, recreational/group activities, respite, emergency assistance and educational forums.

Prior to 2011, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) allocated funds annually to individual counties for the purpose of recruiting foster caregivers. These funds, along with funding for other child welfare activities, were realigned to counties in 2011. In 2015, to address an anticipated increase in the needed number of caregivers resulting from the implementation of the Continuum of Care Reform effort, the CDSS initiated a time-limited, multi-year augmentation of realigned recruitment funds, known as Foster Parent Recruitment, Retention and Support (FPRRS). In addition to providing supplemental funding for the purpose of recruiting, retaining, and supporting foster caregivers, FPRRS also enacted a significant revision of the process by which counties receive this kind of funding. The Budget Act of 2015 included examples of allowable expenditures for FPRRS funds, which were later codified in Welfare and Institutions Code (W&IC) section 16003.5(a) by AB 403 (Chapter 773, Statutes of 2015). This augmentation is scheduled to end after fiscal year 2018-19.

The additional funds being added to this contract represent unspent FPRRS funding available to Contra Costa County prior to June 30, 2019 for initial emergency family support. Emergency financial support enables the caregiver(s) to purchase needed resources to support a child while awaiting Resource Family approval and initiation of foster care payments. Support provided includes funding for groceries, furniture (e.g. crib), diapers, and clothing, to meet the child's immediate needs. Distributing these funds to Liliput Children's Services will provide valuable financial assistance to families awaiting home approval, helping each become an adequately supplied and welcoming Resource Family.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Contra Costa County foster youth, at-risk dependents and at risk non-minor dependents will have less access to transition into approved, appropriate, stable permanent placements with relatives, non-relative family members or resource families.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

This contract supports all five of the community outcomes established in the Children's Report Card: 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"; and 5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families" by providing family support, stability, and safety of children, thereby preventing out-of-home placement.