To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Donna Broadbent, 565-4349, Regina de Melo 565-4346
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Funding for Housing Support for Transitional Age Foster Youth and for the Alternative Payment Child Care Program
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of the Human Services Department to apply for and accept $162,208 in new funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program for Transitional Age Foster Youth, and authorizing the Director of the Human Services Department to apply for and accept $614,387 in new funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Transitional Housing Program for Transitional Age Foster Youth.
B) Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of the Human Services Department to accept funding and execute contracts and subsequent amendments for the Alternative Payment Child Care Program.
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Executive Summary:
The Human Services Department (HSD), Division of Family, Youth and Children’s Services requests Board approval to apply for and accept new funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The funding will be used to expand existing housing support services provided to foster youth and families involved in Child Welfare Services. While HSD must accept the funding now in order to meet the HCD deadlines, the actual funds will be appropriated and used for services in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Fiscal Years.
HSD also requests approval of a resolution authorizing the Director to execute a contract and associated amendments with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. A resolution to designate the HSD Director as an authorized signatory for the contract and amendments is required. The funding must be used to administer child care subsidy payments to child care providers that provide care to children whose families are involved in the Child Welfare system. Additional amendments to the contract may augment the amount of revenue received and/or the contract period and would not change any program requirements or other provisions in the contract.
Discussion:
The HSD Division of Family, Youth and Children’s Services requests Board approval of two resolutions to accept funding as part of ongoing programming that will maintain and expand existing services to foster youth and families in the Child Welfare system.
Housing Support for Foster Youth
HSD requests approval from the Board to apply for accept $162,208 for the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program (HNMP) and $614,387 for the Transitional Housing Program (THP)-Plus from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. This funding will expand existing 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 to apply for and accept the funding must be approved in order for HSD to accept these allocations. No separate application process was required to accept this allocation; the application and acceptance will be completed through the Board Resolution. To further simplify the process, the California Department of Housing and Community Development has encouraged Counties to complete only one Board Resolution to access both the HNPM and THP program funding.
The HNMP funding will continue to be used to provide direct financial assistance for current and former foster youth seeking housing. The funding will be provided to a community-based organization that will use the funds to provide youth with housing location and case management services, as well as provide direct financial assistance in order to overcome barriers and find safe and stable housing for youth that need support. A formal Request for Proposal process for this service began in December 2022 and it is expected that a contractor will be in place by July 1, 2023. This is the first allocation from the newly reconfigured HNMP that HSD has received (previous allocations were received from the Housing Navigation Program or HNP). Funding is time-limited and must be spent prior to June 30, 2025.
THP funding will continue to be subcontracted to TLC Child & Family Services who already manages THP-Plus for transitional age youth. This augmentation will significantly expand the program and allow 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 $3,300 per youth/per month. This is the fourth THP allocation that HSD has received. Funding is time-limited and must be spent prior to June 30, 2025. The Human Services Department will augment the FY 23-24 contract with the new funding as projected; that contract will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for approval as part of HSD’s consolidated annual service contract approval board item, which is anticipated for June 2023.]
Child Care Subsidies
HSD operates an Alternative Payment Child Care Program and provides child care subsidies to families involved with Child Welfare Services. The Alternative Payment Child Care Program allows parents to choose their own child care provider and then subsidizes the cost of child care by paying the child care provider directly. This contract was previously administered through the California Department of Education, however that responsibility has shifted to CDSS as of July 1, 2021. CDSS has recently notified agencies of a new requirement that the governing body must now designate signatory authority for contracts as part of the Continued Funding Application, a request initiated by child care agencies for ongoing funding that is completed every January for the next fiscal year.
This program provides child care subsidies specifically for child welfare clients who need child care in order to meet the requirements of their case plan. Funding for this program has been received annually since 1974, and the amount is set by the State. CDSS has not communicated the amount of funding that HSD will receive for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, but does require that authority be designated now to allow the HSD Director to sign the contract and subsequent amendments to accept funding as part of the Continued Funding Application process.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
January 4, 2022: Approved resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of additional allocations for THP and HNP.
November 2, 2021: Approved resolution authorizing the HSD Director to accept Alternative Payment Child Care Program funding for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
September 22, 2020: Approved resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of the second County Allocation Award under THP.
September 1, 2020: Approved an agreement for Child Care Services with the California Department of Education for FY 2020-2021.
April 21, 2020: Approved Resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of the County Allocation Awards under THP and HNP.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY 23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$0 |
$388,297 |
$388,298 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$0 |
$388,297 |
$388,298 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$0 |
$388,297 |
$388,298 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$0 |
$388,297 |
$388,298 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The $162,208 in funding for HNMP and the $614,387 in funding for THP-Plus will be included with the Human Services’ FY23/24 and FY24/25 budget. The two allocations total $776,595 and will be split evenly over the two fiscal years. Half of the funding, $338, 297, will be spent in FY 23/24 and the second half, $338,298, will be spent in FY 24/25. Alternative Payment Child Care Program funding amount is unknown at this time and will be added to the FY 23/24 budget when the contract is received.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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|
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1 - Resolution for Alternative Payment Child Care Program
2 - THP and HNMP Joint Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None