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Approve a contract with Leaven Kids, Inc. for $150,000 to provide early identification, intervention and prevention services in under-resourced neighborhoods, for an amount not to exceed $150,000 for the period January 15, 2024 through January 14, 2027; Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any future amendments, pending County Counsel concurrence, up to an annual aggregate of $74,999; and Authorize the Chief of Probation to execute any amendments which are technical or administrative in nature
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Published Notice Required? Yes_____ No__X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes_____ No__X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Chief of Probation recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract with Leaven Kids, Inc. for $150,000 to provide early identification, intervention and prevention services in under-resourced neighborhoods, for an amount not to exceed $150,000 for the period January 15, 2024 through January 14, 2027;
2. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any future amendments, pending County Counsel concurrence, up to an annual aggregate of $74,999; and
3. Authorize the Chief of Probation to execute any amendments which are technical or administrative in nature.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Department issued a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) in June 2023 to solicit bids for prevention services for At Promise Youth for the period of January 15, 2024 through January 14, 2027. Notification of the RFP was sent to over 1500 entities registered to receive County RFPs, a press release announcing the opportunity was issued and ran in the Daily Republic on June 16, 2023, and the opportunity was regularly discussed at the Solano County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) meetings which engage many community partners. After careful consideration of the bid criteria and taking into account the bidders’ qualifications as determined by the information provided by the proposals received as well as the overall price and value to the County, the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) approved Leaven Kids to provide these services.
The Solano County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) recommends addressing gaps in prevention services for youth at the community / neighborhood level in its Comprehensive Multiagency Juvenile Justice Plan. This project will help the County do more than divert youth from the juvenile justice system, it will help youth build on their own unique talents, expand their agency, build connections that leverage collective community care, and reimagine their role in our community. Rather than seeing youth as a problem to be solved, funding prevention programs like this, see youth and their engagement as a key part of the solution, a resource to be invested in and protected. To reduce the number of young people exposed to the juvenile justice system and provide them with meaningful services.
Leaven Kids’ mission is to revitalized communities through early education intervention by establishing learning centers in the heart of the most challenging neighborhoods and prioritizing the care of children, inspire parents and neighbors to take an active role in supporting their community. As community pride and morale rise, crime rates decrease. Their model has shown how it can help break the cycle of poverty and crime that plagues many neighborhoods, motivating entire communities to achieve a brighter future.
Leaven Kids center provides children access to educational resources, mentorship, and a safe and supportive environment, which enables them to excel in school and reach their full potential. Families start to believe in a better future, crime and gang activities are deterred, property values rise, and communities are transformed.
Leaven project locations are 1) Sereno Drive, Vallejo; 2) Alamo Gardens, Vacaville; and 3) The Groves, Fairfield. Each Center is in low-income apartment complexes where participants grades K-5 live. Leaven operates after-school 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. and weekday afternoons in the summer. Targeted participants display pandemic learning loss, demonstrated by low student achievement scores, and are disproportionately affected by poverty, exposure to violence, lack of affordable/accessible after-school care, technology, and a lack of supervision.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The maximum amount for the contract is $150,000 and it is funded by the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act. The contract costs are included in the Probation Department FY2023/24 Working Budget. There is no additional impact to the County General Fund.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could choose:
1. Not to award the contract to Leaven Kids, Inc. This action is not recommended as the services address the needs of youth development services provided in under-resourced neighborhoods.
2. Not to delegate signing authority to the County Administrator to execute the standard contract within budget appropriations. This action is not recommended as it would reduce flexibility and timeliness in completing the scope of work outlined in the contract.
3. Not to authorize the Chief of Probation to approve and execute any future contract amendments that are technical or administrative in nature. This action is not recommended and is not practical as it would require the Department to request Board approval for routine matters such as minor technical or administrative changes.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the contract as to form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION