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Health and Human Services Agency, Social Services Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute perpetual Agreement for Services No. 556-S1211 with Alternative Family Services, and any subsequent amendments relating to said Agreement, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, which do not affect the scope, compensation or term of said Agreement, which is retroactive to March 1, 2012 with an annual not-to-exceed amount of $100,000.
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FUNDING: Federal and State Social Services funding (55%) with required County Share of Cost (45%) met primarily with realignment resources.
Budget Summary:
Maximum Annual Cost: $100,000
Budgeted up to: $100,000
Total Funding Available $100,000
Change To Net County Cost N/A
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: No change. Emergency shelter care services, which are necessary pending Court-ordered case disposition, require a 15% to 30% County share of cost. Court-ordered foster care placement services require a 40% to 60% County share of cost. The State reimburses the County for the federal and state share of cost in a varying ratio based on an array of circumstances. A total of $4,683,984 is included in the Health and Human Services Agency's budget for provision of emergency shelter care and foster care services during Fiscal Year 2012-13. Funds for these services are budgeted annually based on projected need. The not-to-exceed annual compensation of $100,000 allows for anticipated potential usage.
Compensation: Compensation is based upon the non-negotiable State-assigned authorized rate of the group home/foster family agency providing services to the children placed at the facility. Payments to service provider are made monthly in arrears following notification that a child has been placed at the facility.
Termination: Agreement includes the County's standard Fiscal Considerations termination language as well as a provision for the County to terminate the Agreement without cause in seven (7) calendar days upon written notice.
Retroactive Term: The Agreement is retroactive to March 1, 2012 due to the placement of two children at this facility on or around this date, without prior notice to the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), following the closure of the foster family agency through which the children had originally been placed.
Background: The HHSA, Social Services Division (SSD) is responsible for the administration and provision of Child Welfare Services, which frequently involves the emergency removal of children from an unsafe situation or environment and is often followed by Court-ordered foster care placement to ensure the ongoing safety of the children. Under certain circumstances, voluntary placement of children may occur at the request of the parent(s) for a specified period of time. HHSA currently maintains contracts with no stated end term for the purchase of emergency shelter and foster care placement services with multiple group home and foster family agency vendors locally, statewide and nationally to ensure the placement of children in the most appropriate location and environment to meet the widely varied needs of each individual child who requires placement.
While usage with a given vendor may be occasional or sporadic, it is necessary to maintain a contractual arrangement with as many vendors as possible in anticipation of potential child placement needs. When placement is Court-ordered with a non-contracted vendor, every effort is made to expedite execution of an Agreement retroactive to the actual placement date. HHSA has determined that establishing contracts with group home/ foster care vendors that continue until terminated facilitates ongoing maintenance of these necessary Agreements and ensures the ongoing and immediate availability of appropriate placement options.
Reason for Recommendation:
Agreement 556-S1211 for emergency shelter care or foster care placement services is with a new California foster care agency. HHSA SSD currently has two children placed with foster families through this agency. The placement occurred in March 2012, following the transfer of all foster families from a contracted agency that was terminating its operations. There was no prior notification of the contracted agency's closure. Following notification in April 2012 of the placement through this new vendor, every effort was made to expedite the development of a contract with Alternative Family Services, Inc.
The El Dorado County Probation Department is a party to this Agreement and shall be authorized to also place children at this facility.
The maximum annual compensation amount of $100,000 specified in this Agreement represents the not-to-exceed amount that may be received by the vendor during a single fiscal year. Working in conjunction with the CAO, HHSA has established a tracking system that regularly monitors the level of expenditures for combined placement services as well as for each individual vendor. This tracking system allows HHSA to ensure that overall expenditures remain within budget while also allowing sufficient time to amend any individual agreement for which actual placement costs will exceed its annual not-to-exceed maximum compensation amount. Services will only be accessed on an "as needed" and "as requested" basis.
Human Resources has determined that the nature of services provided by this foster family agencies and group homes negates the need for its review and subsequent approval of HHSA's intent to amend its contract with this vendor.
Purchasing Agent Recommendations: The Purchasing Agent reviewed HHSA's request to enter into this Agreement and concurs that it is not necessary to conduct a competitive selection process as the services are court ordered. HHSA maintains purchase of services Agreements with multiple local, state and national vendors for the provision of emergency shelter care services for its clients to ensure that clients can be referred by their caseworker on an "as requested" basis to receive necessary services from the most appropriate and conveniently located vendor. Choice of vendor is based on the specific needs of each individual HHSA client.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
1. Purchasing Agent to execute two (2) copies of the approved Agreement 556-S1211 and return one (1) original of the Agreement to Health and Human Services Agency at 3057 Briw Road
2. Health and Human Services Agency to distribute the documents as appropriate.
Contact: Daniel Nielson, M.P.A., Director, 642-7275
Concurrences: County Counsel, Risk Management, Purchasing Agent and Human Resources.