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FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE - Special Meeting

Meeting Date:	05/13/2019
Subject: Head Start Program Change
Submitted For:	Kathy Gallagher
Department:	Employment & Human Services
Referral No.:	119
Referral Name:	Head Start Program Change
Presenter:	Camilla Rand	Contact:	Camilla Rand, 925.681.6301

Information

Referral History:

On May 7, 2019, the Board of Supervisors referred to the Family and Human Services Committee for discussion the Employment and Human Services Department, Community Services Bureau's proposed elimination of Head Start Home Based Program services for children ages three to five.

Referral Update:

The Community Services Bureau (CSB) is proposing permanently eliminating Home Based Program services, effective June 14, 2019. The one Early Childhood Educator-Project position would be permanently eliminated, as well. The twelve (12) Home-Based slots will be relocated to twelve (12) Head Start Center Based slots. Thus, there will be no loss of slots/services and CSB will be able to meet the growing need for Center Based services. This Board Order is to request this subject matter be referred to the Family and Human Services Committee for discussion.

On an ongoing bases, CSB analyses multiple data to inform decisions that ensure program design continues to meet the changing needs of children and families in the community. CSB has seen a reduced need for pre-school home-based services over the past several years. In 2016, CSB implemented a slots reduction, which included the reduction of our Head Start Home Based services to one caseload of 12 slots. This year to date, CSB has only been able to fill all 12 Home Based slots during one month, with an average monthly enrollment of 8. As CSB looks towards slot planning for next year, only 3.2% of children on the waitlist, age-eligible for preschool list home base as a desirable option. This rate reduces to .05% when looking at new applications since 2018. To remain responsive to the needs of the community, CSB is requesting to increase the availability to Center Based services through converting Home Based slots into Center Based.

With the conversion of the Home Based slots into Center Based, there will be no need of employing an Early Childhood Educator. The incumbent is interested to transition/bid into a Teacher-Project position prior to or on June 14, 2019. At this time CSB has several vacant Teacher-Project positions. A Meet and Confer with PEU, Local 1 was conducted on April 16, 2019. Agreement was reached about termination of the Home Based Program, conversion of the Home Based slots into Center Based slots and the transition (bid) of the Early Childhood Educator into a Teacher-Project position (incumbent meets the Minimum Qualifications for this position). Teacher-Project and Early Childhood Educator-Project are comparable positions.

Attached is a report from the EHS-Community Service Bureau Director requesting a change of scope to the Head Start Program to reallocate 12 Head Start Home-Based slots to 12 Head Start Center-Based slots for children aged 3 to 5, to better reflect the changing needs of the community.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

ACCEPT report from the Employment and Human Services Department on the proposed reallocation of 12 Head Start Home-Based slots to 12 Head Start Center-Based slots for children aged 3 to 5, to better reflect the changing needs of the community.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

There is no fiscal impact.

Attachments
Staff Report_Proposed Head Start Program Change
Handout: Head Start Supplemental Information