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Approve a contract with Child Start Inc., in the amount of $283,000 for the term July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 to support Year 1 operations of Rise Vallejo (formerly known as the Vallejo Early Learning Center); Delegate authority to the County Administrator to sign the contract; and Delegate authority to the Executive Director of First 5 Solano, with concurrence from County Counsel, to execute any future amendments that are administrative in nature and have no fiscal impact
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract with Child Start Inc., in the amount of $283,000 for the term July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 to support Year 1 operations of Rise Vallejo (formerly known as the Vallejo Early Learning Center); and
2. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to sign the contract; and
3. Delegate authority to the Executive Director of First 5 Solano, with concurrence from County Counsel, to execute any future amendments to the contract that are administrative in nature and have no fiscal impact.
SUMMARY:
First 5 Solano, in partnership with Child Start Inc., will launch Rise Vallejo, an early learning and family support center, in fall 2025. This contract will subsidize operational costs during the center’s first year, ensuring a successful launch as child care providers phase in quarterly, scaling services for children and families in Vallejo and surrounding areas.
Approval of this contract enables the County and First 5 Solano to address critical community needs through strategic partnerships while maintaining fiscal responsibility and alignment with the Commission’s strategic goals.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The funds for this contract are included in the department’s FY2025/26 Working Budget. Funding is provided by Proposition 10 tobacco tax and there is no impact to the General Fund. This Contract is for $283,000 for the term of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 to provide year 1 supplemental facility operations funding for Rise Vallejo. In the first year of operations, the facility is anticipated to open with only a portion of the classrooms filled and child care and early learning providers will be phased into all 18 classrooms over the course of the year. Services and facility operations costs in future years will be fully funded by the child care and early learning providers utilizing the space at the Rise Vallejo.
DISCUSSION:
Rise Vallejo (formerly known as the Vallejo Early Learning Center) is a new early learning and family support center in Vallejo supported by First 5 Solano to expand access to high-quality early learning environments and family support services in Solano County. The center is currently scheduled for a phased opening beginning in October 2025.
In June 2023, the Board approved an operational agreement with Child Start Inc., the local Head Start and Early Head Start provider, to operate Rise Vallejo. This $283,000 contract for FY2025/26 is intended to subsidize operational costs during the first year of operations, including facility-related expenses, site management, and classroom readiness to ensure a successful launch of services for children and families.
At the launch of operations, it is expected that nine of the eighteen classrooms will be occupied by child care providers, including Child Start, and these providers will pay their proportionate share of facility-related expenses. The center is planned to scale services and onboard one new childcare provider each quarter to ensure full operational capacity over the first year. The subsidy provided by this contract will provide funding for the vacant classrooms during the first year to cover site-wide costs, such as the site manager, reception, building maintenance and landscaping so the extra burden does not fall on the filled classrooms.
First 5 Solano has prioritized early childhood education as a key investment to improve school readiness, support working families, and advance equitable outcomes for children ages 0-5. To address longstanding gaps in services, First 5 Solano collaborated with Child Start Inc., the Solano County Board of Supervisors, Solano County Office of Education, the philanthropic community, the City of Vallejo, and other partners to develop a sustainable hub for early learning and family support.
Once fully operational, Rise Vallejo will serve as a vital resource for Vallejo families, offering integrated early care, education, and family support services in one centralized location-helping to strengthen the community and improve outcomes for the county’s youngest residents.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to approve the contract with Child Start Inc. This alternative is not recommended, as it would limit First 5 Solano’s ability to support the successful launch of Rise Vallejo by subsidizing operational costs in Year 1, potentially delaying or reducing the scale of early learning and family support services in Vallejo. The Board could also choose to modify the contracts or direct staff to return with additional information before taking action, which could delay implementation.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The contract has been approved by County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION