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Approve a first contract amendment with Social Change Partners, LLC for $120,000 for a total contract amount of $194,257 to continue providing implementation support of Health and Social Services, Child Welfare Services’ Comprehensive Prevention Plan for the current period through February 28, 2026; Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the amendment and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999; and Approve a $40,000 Appropriation Transfer Request to recognize unanticipated federal revenue (4/5 vote required)
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No __X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _____ No __X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services (H&SS) recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve a first contract amendment with Social Change Partners, LLC for $120,000 for a total contract amount of $194,257 to continue providing implementation support of Health and Social Services, Child Welfare Services’ Comprehensive Prevention Plan for the current period through February 28, 2026; delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the amendment and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999; and approve a $40,000 Appropriation Transfer Request to recognize unanticipated federal revenue (4/5 vote required).
SUMMARY:
In 2018, federal enactment of the Family First Prevention Services Act established a new and optional opportunity for county agencies to access federal Title IV-E funds to prevent the need for foster care. H&SS, Child Welfare Services division elected to pursue this opportunity which required the development and implementation of a five-year Comprehensive Prevention Plan (CPP). H&SS’ Child Welfare Division has contracted with Social Change Partners, LLC since 2022 to support the development and implementation of the CPP. Social Change Partners has provided and continues to provide project management support, which includes assistance with the development of the prevention plan, identifying key program staff and stakeholders to participate as part of an implementation team, and advancing the ongoing progress and objectives of the CPP.
This first contract amendment extends the contract with Social Change Partners through February 28, 2026 and provides for continuing support for the implementation of the five-year CPP that was approved by the California Department of Social Services in 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Child Welfare Services received a federal Family First Transition Act (FFTA) non-competitive grant allocation of $410,893 to support implementation of the Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), which prioritizes services that keep children safe, and whenever possible, with their families. The FFTA allocation is funding to engage in prevention and/or early intervention planning. The $120,000 increase in the contract amount will be funded with the FFTA allocation. There is no impact to the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
In May 2022, H&SS contracted with Social Change Partners to assist Child Welfare Services with the development and submission of the County’s five-year (2023-2027) CPP related to the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). The CPP was created with widespread stakeholder collaboration and outlines various prevention strategies, including expanding Healthy Families America home visiting model and creating a community pathway model of prevention services. Child Welfare Services’ CPP was approved by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and is currently being implemented with technical assistance and support from Social Change Partners LLC.
Components of the CPP include:
1. Risk assessments and eligibility determinations for Title IV-E prevention services.
2. Ensuring evidence-based programs (EBPs) are being delivered with model fidelity.
3. Implementing “payor of last resort” protocols for Title IV-E funded prevention services.
4. Training and oversight of the Child Welfare Services prevention workforce.
5. Implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) protocols.
6. Data collection, tracking, and reporting to meet state and federal requirements.
To ensure that all requirements of the CPP are continuing to be met, H&SS’ Child Welfare Services entered a contract for $74,257 with Social Change Partners, LLC for the period of July 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025 to assist with ongoing support and to advance the components of the CPP. Child Welfare Services refers to the prevention work plan as Solano STRONG. STRONG is an acronym standing for Safe Families, Trauma Responsive, Reflective, Open-Minded, Nurturing, and Growing.
This first amendment increases the current contract by $120,000 for a new total contract amount of $194,257 and extends the contract through February 28, 2026.
The Solano STRONG prevention plan aims to:
1. Establish a community advisory board and shared leadership team to embed community and lived experience in decision-making.
2. Develop a community pathway to help families access services outside the traditional child welfare system.
3. Expand the capacity of Solano County’s existing Healthy Families America home visiting program.
4. Deliver training to transform mandated reporting into a community supporting model to help families address their challenges.
Social Change Partners also facilitates a bi-monthly Solano STRONG subcommittee meeting with participants from Child Welfare Services, Stanford Sierra Youth and Families, Public Health’s Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Bureau, and the Children’s Network. Each agency is involved in one of the Solano STRONG strategic goals. Social Change Partners continues to ensure agencies are on track to meet outlined goals, strategic planning, and financial planning in these meetings.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the contract amendment with Social Change Partners or the ATR to recognize the federal Family First Transition Act revenue. However, this is not recommended as this amendment will allow Child Welfare Services to continue the implementation of the County’s Comprehensive Prevention Plan approved by CDSS.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION