To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nick Honey, 565-4343
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
New Funding and Contract Amendments for Housing Support for Foster Youth.
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a Resolution to increase the Department budget by $200,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022, using new funding from the California Department of Social Services for the Family First Prevention Services Act. (4/5th Vote)
B) Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Human Services Director to accept $49,160 in new funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Housing Navigation Program for Transitional Age Foster Youth. (Majority Vote)
C) Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Human Services Director to accept $168,800 in new funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Transitional Housing Program for Transitional Age Foster Youth. (Majority Vote)
D) Authorize the Human Services Director to execute an amendment to the existing contract with the Child Parent Institute for the Parent Mentor Program to augment funding by $47,236 for FY 2021-2022. (Majority Vote)
E) Authorize the Human Services Director to execute an amendment to the existing contract with American Logistics Company Schools to augment funding by $65,000 for FY 2021-2022. (Majority Vote)
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Human Services Department (HSD), Division of Family, Youth and Children’s Service, requests that the Board adopt three resolutions accepting new funding and authorize the Director of Human Services to execute two contract amendments for existing services provided to families and youth involved with child welfare services. New funding has been received from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and must be appropriated for planning and program development related to the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act this fiscal year. New funding may also be accepted from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for housing for transitional age foster youth; the funding must be accepted this fiscal year, but will be expended in FY 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. HSD is also seeking Board approval of amendments to two existing contracts for services provided to families involved with child welfare.
Discussion:
Requests for Appropriations for the Family First Prevention Services Act
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) is a federal initiative that was approved in 2018 and will have a significant nationwide impact on child welfare services. The FFPSA creates new funding and program opportunities for child abuse prevention services while simultaneously placing additional restrictions and requirements on residential/group home care placements. The long term vision is to increase and enhance available preventative services for families and reduce the number of children and youth placed in residential/group home care.
California is now beginning to ready itself for statewide implementation and has submitted the statewide plan for FFPSA implementation for federal approval as of September 2021; the State anticipates beginning implementation and drawing down new federal dollars sometime in calendar year 2022. Local implementation of the provisions of the act require extensive planning efforts. A Countywide comprehensive plan to create broad based goals and strategies to prevent and address child abuse must first be developed to inform allocation of FFPSA resources. Child welfare must take the lead on these prevention planning efforts as well as subsequent strategies to build a more robust array of child abuse prevention services, drawing down new FFPSA funding. This work will focus in three key areas:
1. Develop goal-oriented collaborations between County agencies and community partners in order to combine resources and build capacity for service delivery.
2. Work with community based organizations and County partners to effectively implement evidence based practices with fidelity.
3. Create and maintain a structure for oversight and continue to work with the community to ensure robust preventative services are available and will effectively mitigate future abuse or neglect.
The Division of Family, Youth and Children’s Services began FFPSA planning efforts in 2019. The Division has been working with both the Health and Probation Departments as well as the Human Services Upstream Investments team to build a leadership team to oversee the development of FFPSA funded programs, monitor and address evolving state guidance on implementation of FFPSA, and review data on families that will be eligible for prevention services. Additionally, data trends reflecting disproportionality and equity issues within child welfare service delivery will be identified and addressed through FFPSA implementation.
Per CFL 20/21-92, the State has made an allocation of $332,034 available for Sonoma County for planning efforts related to FFPSA implementation. The Division anticipates utilizing $200,000 of the allocation in the current fiscal year, and the remainder in FY 2022-2023. The Division is therefore requesting additional appropriation for the current fiscal year. These funds will be utilized for consultant contracts to complete a community-wide needs assessment to better understand unmet needs for child abuse prevention services, as well as for facilitation and plan development of a county-wide child abuse prevention plan. These two components are required by the State for each county that is opting into FFPSA and will be key tools in future planning of child abuse preventative services funded through FFPSA.
Requests to Accept Funding for Housing Supports for Foster Youth
The HSD Division of Family, Youth and Children requests Board approval to accept $49,160 for the Housing Navigation Program (HNP) and $168,800 for the Transitional Housing-Plus Program from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. This funding will support housing services for transitional age youth ages 18-25. This multi-year funding is a renewal of prior allocations and will be utilized to continue the housing unit expansion and housing support services that were developed when the first allocations were awarded in 2019. Board resolutions accepting the funding must be approved in order for the Department to accept these allocations.
The Transitional Housing Program (THP) funding will continue to be subcontracted to TLC Child & Family Services, which already manages the THP-Plus for transitional age youth. This augmentation allows more non-minor dependents and former foster youth to live in transitional housing for up to two years while being supported by TLC through case management, life skills development, building work force skills and assistance with securing permanent housing. The cost of this program is approximately $2,700 per youth/per month. This is the third Transitional Housing Program allocation that the Department has received. Due to prior state delays in contract finalization for the first allocation, the Department is still expending the first allocation and the second allocation is pending. Funding is time-limited and this third allocation will be utilized when the second allocation is expended and will be spent after July 1, 2022 and prior to June 30, 2024, the end date for the allocation.
The $49,160 in HNP funding will continue to be subcontracted to Interfaith Shelter Network in the FY 2022-2023, who will continue to use these funds for direct financial assistance - supporting youth to break down financial barriers in their efforts to find and obtain housing in this difficult housing market. The direct financial assistance will be provided to youth that are participating in the existing Housing Assistance and Permanency Program that is funded separately to provide Housing First informed housing services to foster youth and families with child welfare cases. This is the second Housing Navigation Program allocation the Department has received; funding is time-limited and must be spent prior to June 30, 2024.
Requests for Contract Modifications for Services for Families involved in Child Welfare
Two existing contracts between the Human Services Department and current contractors require amendments and funding increases in order to meet increased client needs and address barriers to equity in the Department’s contracted services.
American Logistics Company
American Logistics Company (ALC) provides transportation for youth to and from school. This service was procured as a sole source and is utilized for children temporarily staying at Valley of the Moon, as well as for children in placements where the ability to provide transportation to and from school is a significant barrier to keeping the child in a placement with a family. Projected utilization and costs are higher than originally anticipated due to higher than anticipated utilization related to the return to in-person school. The one-year contract for transportation services is currently funded at $110,000 annually; an increase of $65,000 is necessary to ensure that services can be provided for the remainder of this school year. This funding is already included in the FY 2021-2022 budget for transportation services and is funded through Title IV-E and Realignment funding. The budget for FY 2022-2023 will reflect this increased cost and utilization.
Child Parent Institute
Child Parent Institute (CPI) currently operates the Parent Mentor program to support families with active child welfare cases in Family Reunification services. Parent Mentors are CPI staff with lived experience - parents that have successfully completed their own child welfare Family Reunification case. These mentors provide individualized support, mentoring and coaching to existing child welfare clients. Qualitative data shows the significant impact of this support and demand for this voluntary program has exceeded the capacity of the two existing Parent Mentors, and the program has not been able to hire a bilingual Parent Mentor for nearly two years. The contract modification will allow CPI to hire a third Parent Mentor that will be bilingual, so that the Department may have mentoring support available for Spanish speaking families as well. The current contract for this program is $217,562; a contract amendment will increase the contract amount by $47,236 for a total contract cost of $264,798 for this fiscal year, and a new annual cost of approximately $300,000 in future fiscal years. This expense covers the cost of the position as well as mileage and other related expenses. This funding is already included in the FY 2021-2022 budget for case services and is funded through available Certainty grant and Realignment funding.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
June 8, 2021: Board approved the Parent Mentor services contract with CPI for $217,562 and the transportation to contract with ALC for $110,000.
September 22, 2020: Board approved resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of the second County Allocation Award under the THP program.
April 21, 2020: Board approved resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of the County Allocation Awards under the THP and HNP programs.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$112,236 |
$462,230 |
$281,036 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
200,000 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$312,236 |
$462,230 |
$281,036 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$312,236 |
$462,230 |
$281,036 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
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Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$312,236 |
$462,230 |
$281,036 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Family First Preventions Services
Per CFL 20/21-92, the State has made an allocation of $332,034 available for Sonoma County for planning efforts related to FFPSA implementation. HSD FYC plans to use $200,000 this FY 2021-2022, and the remainder of $132,034 for planning activities in FY 2022-2023. An increase of appropriations for $200,000 is requested in FY 2021-2022.
California Department of Housing and Community Development funding
The $49,160 in funding for the HNP and the $168,800 in funding for THP is a renewal of prior allocations and will be used in FY 2022-2023 for continued support with the current contracted services providers.
Child Welfare Contract Amendments
The funding for the increase of $47,236 for CPI's contract and the increase of $65,000 for ALC to support the needs of child welfare clients is included in the HSD’s FY 2021-2022 adopted budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Budget Resolution - Increase Department budget by $200,000
Funding Acceptance Resolution - Housing Navigation Program
Funding Acceptance Resolution - Transitional Housing Program
Contract Amendment with Child Parent Institute
Contract Amendment with American Logistics Company
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None