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County of Los Angeles DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES 425 Shatto Place -- Los Angeles, California 90020 (213) 351-5602 | |
ANITA M. BOCK
September 26, 2000 |
Board of Supervisors GLORIA MOLINA
YVONNE BRATHWAITE BURKE
ZEV YAROSLAVSKY
DON KNABE
MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH
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The Honorable Board of Supervisors
County of Los Angeles
383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Supervisors:
1. Approve the attached Form Amendment and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend the Family Support Program Services Agreement for two additional years (from October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2002) at a maximum annual cost of $6,647,540. The extension of the Agreements will allow the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to continue the Three-Year Plan previously approved by your Board on June 15, 1999. The $6,647,540 is included in the Department’s Adopted Fiscal Year 2000-2001 budget and is reimbursable by 75% Federal funds and 25% State funds.
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), or her designee, to execute, with the approval of County Counsel and the Chief Administrative Officer, the Form Amendment with each of the 25 community-based Family Support agencies and the Memorandum of Understanding with Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The Agreements required Board execution of amendments, prepared by the County and signed by the contractor, so this delegation of authority requires an amendment to the Agreement, which is included in the form amendment.
3. Authorize the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services, or her designee, to increase the contract sum of the Agreements by no more than 10% based solely on service needs.
The purpose of the recommended actions is to request that your Board approve the extension of 25 Family Support Agency Agreements and one MOU with the Department of Parks and Recreation (Attachment 1) for the continuation of Family Support Program services. The extension of the Agreements will allow the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to continue the Three-Year Plan approved by your Board on June 15, 1999.
Approval of this request will allow DCFS to extend 25 Family Support Agency Agreements and one MOU with the Department of Parks and Recreation for the continuation of Family Support Program Services for two years. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) provided the DCFS Director written approval to extend the Agreements for two additional years (Attachment 2).
The total amount of funding available to the agencies for the extension period is $6,647,540. Funding for the program is included in the Department’s FY 2000-2001 budget.
The cost of the Family Support Program is reimbursed by 75% Federal funds and 25% State funds. There is no net County cost.
1. On May 2, 1995, your Board approved a Five-Year Plan for Family Preservation and Support in Los Angeles County, which provided a 75%-25% funding split between the Federal Family Preservation and Family Support Programs, respectively. The Agreements with the 26 community-based agencies were individually executed by your Board during a six-week period from July to September, 1997. A Memorandum of Understanding was executed with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
2. On June 30, 1998, your Board approved Form Amendment Number One to the Family Support Program Agreement for a one-time 11.03% increase of FFY 1998 funding, totaling $545,136, and authorized the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services to execute the Amendment with each of the 26 community-based Family Support agencies and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
3. On May 11, 1999, your Board approved a Form Amendment to increase the annual contract sum in Year Three for each of the Family Support Program agencies and the Department of Parks and Recreation by 16.05%. The maximum total contract sum increased from $5,181,383 to $6,076,508.
4. On June 15, 1999, your Board approved the Los Angeles County Three-Year Plan under the Family Preservation and Support Program and requested that the Commission for Children and Families and the Director of Children and Family Services continue their leadership responsibilities in overseeing the Plan. The request was a joint recommendation by DCFS and the Commission for Children and Families.
5. On September 21, 1999, your Board approved, and authorized the Interim Director of the Department of Children and Family Services, to extend the Family Support Program Agreements from October 1, 1999 through September 30, 2000. The cost of $6,076,508 is Federal and State revenue with no net County cost. The extension was to allow the Department sufficient time to prepare and complete a solicitation process before September 30, 2000. However, due to the Department’s revised direction, an RFP was not completed during this extension period. Rather, the Department requested approval from the State to extend the current Agreements.
6. On February 1, 2000, the Director of DCFS executed an Amendment to allow advances in funding, similar to those provided in prior years, to those contractors who requested them.
7. On May 16, 2000, your Board approved form amendments for 25 agencies and one MOU with the Department of Parks and Recreation increasing the total funding of all agreements and the MOU for Federal Fiscal Year 1999-2000 by $583,218.
8. The Agreement with one of the original community-based agencies, Behavioral Science Mental Health Center, Inc. was terminated on December 9, 1999, based on Section 29.0, Termination For Convenience.
The current request to approve a two-year extension of the Agreements marks a decision to preserve the current Family Support Program infrastructure.
The Form Amendments (Attachment 3) and MOU (Attachment 4) are to be executed only upon review and approval of each agency’s submitted statement of work and corresponding budget by County Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer, and the Auditor-Controller. The Exhibits to the Agreement will be amended in each of the agencies’ Form Amendments, as required, to include two additional years of substantially similar services.
The Chief Administrative Office and County Counsel have reviewed this Board Letter. County Counsel has approved the attached Form Amendment and MOU as to form.
On September 1, 2000, CDSS granted DCFS approval to extend the current Family Support Agreements for two additional year based upon CDSS regulation 23-050.18, which permits negotiation of a agreement without bidding. The late receipt of the State’s approval contributed to the delay in submitting this request to your Board.
The extension of the Agreements and the MOU will permit the contracted agencies and the Department of Parks and Recreation to continue the provision of quality services to DCFS’ children and their families. Without the continuation of Family Support services, the current Family Support infrastructure will be dismantled, leaving children and families without critical support.
Upon approval by the Board of Supervisors, it is requested that the Executive Officer-Clerk of the Board send a copy of the adopted Board letter and Form Amendment to: Department of Children and Family Services, Contract Management Services, 425 Shatto Place, Room 205, Attention: Irma Cobos, Interim Assistant Division Chief; and a copy to County Counsel.
Respectfully submitted,
ANITA M. BOCK
Director
AMB:RR
Enclosures
c: Chief Administrative Officer
County Counsel
Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors
