In the last four (4) years, CSB has consistently increased the total amount of funding by over 30 million dollars: FY18-19 ($73,284,859); FY19-20 ($79,509,806); FY20-21($92,556,661); and FY 21-22 ($105,643,166). These funding increases also brought a great deal of fiscal activity to monitor from payables/receivables to an increase in the number of contracts, budget tracking, and reporting. The augmentation of COVID Relief Funding also requires complex tracking and fiscal monitoring. Additionally, the recent unexpected Head Start Desk Review created a need for a deeper level of fiscal sub-recipient monitoring that calls for more administrative support. This level of support cannot be provided by the current CSB fiscal unit staff which consists mostly of Accountants and Account Clerks.  
  
CSB’s main funding comes from Head Start and Early Head Start Grants, which have their own additional set of fiscal guidelines. To comply with the sub-recipient monitoring that CSB’s main grantor requires, we need to have a person trained and knowledgeable of Head Start guidelines. While other programs from EHSD have the support of an entire team of Accountants, Fiscal Analysts, Clerks, and other ancillary fiscal staff, CSB is not set up to receive much support from that team because the CSB fiscal team is structured to cover its own operation. The current CSB fiscal team manages most fiscal projects from beginning to the end. Hence the need to add an Administrative Services Assistant III (ASA III) position to address the fiscal needs of CSB.  
  
The ASA III assigned to CSB fiscal unit will provide support with oversight of sub-recipient monitoring, which includes, but is not limited to, fiscal review of sub-recipient files, bimonthly transactional testing of the sub-recipient ledger, on-site visits, training, and technical assistance to subcontractors. In addition, this position will aid the fiscal unit with administrative projects such as budget narrative and contract reviews and approvals, proposal development, and support main fiscal activities for the unit such as the closing of the fiscal year, yearly audits, and the development of the annual CSB budget. This position is justifiable to the grantor because they have preliminarily indicated that the current number of staff members versus the assets under management is disproportionate for the deeper level of sub-recipient monitoring and fiscal oversight of the awarded funds to CSB. This position will report to CSB Department Fiscal Officer and will be located at 1470 Civic Court, Suite 370, Concord, CA 94520.

At the request of our Federal Grantor for additional fiscal oversight, the requested ASA III position is of critical importance for the deeper level of sub-recipient monitoring for all funds awarded to CSB. Therefore, the approval of this position is time-sensitive and of vital importance to meet fiscal compliance and deliverables to our main grantor. If this position is not approved, CSB will not be able to meet fiscal compliance, nor complete the many different deliverables to our main grantor which requires CSB to onboard and monitor a new delegate agency contractor.

Community Services Bureau supports all five outcomes established by 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 Healthy Quality of Life for Children and Families. Thus, it is imperative to add an ASA III position dedicated specifically to meeting CSB's yearlong Head Start and Early Head Start Grant needs and providing services that are geared toward supporting all of these outcomes. Failure to add an ASA III position to CSB fiscal unit may negatively impact the Bureau's ability to timely and effectively support the outcomes listed above.