title
Receive an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Subject Matter Workgroup presentation and consider providing further direction on Children / Education recovery project options
body
Published Notice Required? Yes_______ No___X___
Public Hearing Required? Yes_______ No ___X___
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors receive an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Subject Matter Workgroup presentation and consider providing further direction on Children / Education recovery project options.
SUMMARY:
At the direction of your Board, the County Administrator’s Office has been working with various Subject Matter Workgroups to bring forward project options under eligible categories in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) for further Board discussion and direction. This presentation brings forward a package of four project options in the ARPA eligible categories identified by your Board under the topic area of Children / Education recovery project options.
The Subject Matter Workgroup engaged numerous organizations and entities in the process of developing the project options, including but not limited to the Solano County Office of Education, each of the school districts, the Workforce Development Board, the Solano County Library, Solano County Health and Social Services and local nonprofit providers. The workgroup also considered data and recommendations from the Local Child Care Planning Council (which includes a broad array of stakeholders, including child care providers and consumers/parents using child care) via its review of Community-Wide Data and identification of areas to focus. Lastly, the Workgroup integrated existing publicly available data in health, early care and education, and family support across the early childhood systems of care with the projected available resources from a variety of sources to identify those areas that remain as significant gaps to address in the community.
First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission leadership and the County Superintended of Schools, Solano County Office of Education will provide an overview of identified project options for Children / Education recovery projects under the County’s ARPA allocation, providing the Board an opportunity to consider providing further direction.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Subject Matter Workgroup identifies four project options with a total estimated cost of $4,938,000. These project options qualify under the ARPA U.S. Treasury eligible spending category of “Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities”, which the Board previously affirmed as a Solano County eligible category. The Board of Supervisors approved an initial allocation of Solano County ARPA SLFRF funding in this category area of $10,000,000, subject to future modification depending on Board direction.
The costs associated with preparing this agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2021/22 Adopted Budget. Any future allocation of funding for the project options presented by the Subject Matter Workgroup would be deducted from the Solano County ARPA allocation of $86,949,405. There is no impact to the General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
Solano County received a direct federal funding allocation under the ARPA - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program of $86,949,405. These funds are intended to provide support to the County in responding to the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19 and impacts on our communities, residents, and businesses. The Board of Supervisors previously received an overview on ARPA guidelines and approved the eligible spending categories for potential allocation of funding in-line with the U.S. Treasury guidelines. The Board also provided several opportunities for public comment/input into the development of the ARPA Recovery Plan and agreed to receive Subject Matter Workgroup presentations to further explore funding options in consideration for determining the funding plan for ARPA SLFRF funds.
The County Administrator’s Office is working with many workgroups to bring forward to the Board Subject Matter Workgroup presentations addressing key ARPA categories for potential investment. This presentation brings forward a package of four (4) project options for Board consideration for the topic area of Children & Education under the “Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities” Category within the ARPA framework. A full description of each proposal is in the attached Subject Matter Workgroup report, including:
• Team members
• Existing studies/reports
• Funding Considerations
• Identified needs
• Project proposal
The Subject Matter Workgroup Report identifies four project options as follows:
1. A renovation of the Beverly Hills Elementary School Site in South Vallejo from a K-5 school to an Early Learning Center to expand child care facilities by almost 200 child care / early learning slots for a total of nearly 300 spaces - Up to $1,870,000 for FY2022/23. See Project Briefing included as Attachment B.
2. Access to a business management system for child care providers, including provision of technical assistance and ongoing support to these 100 child care providers to assist them with the “back office” functions to support the stability of the providers and assist with weathering any future economic crises - Up to $888,000 over three years (FY2022/23-FY2024/25).
3. Expansion of prevention crisis mental health services to the K-12 school population as the widespread and significant impact to student’s abilities to cope with the changing school conditions were underestimated - Up to $1,650,000 over three years (FY2022/23-FY2024/25).
4. Education and career pathway options for 90 transition-age youth disengaged from school during the pandemic year to provide educational and career pathways. - Up to $530,000 over three years (FY2022/23-FY2024/25).
These four proposals were the identified needs after reviewing community data, considering other investments by a variety of stakeholders to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability of the proposal to be sustained beyond the life of the investment, and the readiness of the impacted system to successfully integrate the investment into ongoing functionality.
The attached Subject Matter Workgroup Report outlines project options to address services to disproportionately impacted communities during the COVID-19 pandemic for Solano County’s children. The goals of the projects are multifold: (1) to support children and families disproportionately impacted by the pandemic in both access to available child care, educational supports and mental health supports; (2) to aid child care small businesses in COVID-19 recovery and update their business models with technology solutions; (3) to ensure Solano has available child care options for families to support their return to the workforce; and (4) to identify and re-engage students ages 18-24 who have been out of school and want to return to complete their graduation requirements.
The Subject Matter Workgroup Report outlines identified needs and funding recommendations in detail. The Report is included as Attachment A.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to receive the presentation from the Subject Matter Workgroup on Children / Education recovery project options or provide further direction. This is not recommended as the presentation was prepared in accordance with BOS direction to bring forward subject matter presentations to address impacts and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and Board direction will assist in ensuring the Board receives information necessary to determine the funding plan for APRA SLFRF funds including the authorization of specific projects.
Alternatively, the Board of Supervisors may:
1. Approve any of the identified project options for funding, and direct staff to return with the necessary action items to allocate Solano County ARPA SLFRF funds to the specific Board approved project, approve Appropriations Transfer Requests to establish the project budget, and take other necessary action.
2. Direct staff to remove any or all project options presented from future consideration by the Board in determining ARPA SLFRF funding.
3. Direct the Subject Matter Workgroup to return with alternate project options or additional information on any of the project option presented.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
First 5 Solano has worked with the County Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, General Services, the Library and the Solano County Office of Education and the Workforce Development Board to develop these recommendations for BOS consideration.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION