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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) in partnership with County Probation Department (Probation), is recommending the Board:
1) Make findings that the provision of software as a service to streamline and facilitate the foster care home approval process provided by Binti, Inc., (Binti) is in the public's best interest and that there are specialty skills, qualifications, and equipment not expressly identified in County classifications involved in the performance of the work in accordance with El Dorado County Ordinance Code, Chapter 3.13.030(B);
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Amendment I to Agreement for Services 7191 with Binti to retroactively change the effective date of the perpetual term of the agreement from April 20, 2023, to February 12, 2023, with no change to the not to exceed amount of $60,140.93 for the initial three-year term;
3) Approve and authorize the HHSA Director and Chief Probation Officer to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 7716 for the retroactive term of February 12, 2023, to February 11, 2026, in the amount of $30,070.46;
4) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute further documents relating to Agreement 7191, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, including amendments which do not increase the maximum dollar amount beyond the Purchasing Agent authority;
5) Authorize the HHSA Director to execute further documents relating to MOU 7716, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, including amendments which do not increase the maximum dollar amount; and
6) Authorize the HHSA Director to execute programmatic, administrative, and fiscal documents relating to Agreement 7191 and MOU 7716.
FUNDING: 21% Federal Title IV-E, 46% State General Fund Allocation, and 33% County Realignment.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The Resource Family Approval (RFA) Program was expanded through California Senate Bill 1013 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2012). This statute requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), in consultation with county child welfare agencies, including juvenile probation, foster parent associations, and other interested community parties to implement a unified, family-friendly and child-centered RFA process.
On January 1, 2017, the RFA program was implemented statewide, which created a new foster caregiver approval process that replaced multiple processes that existed for licensing foster parents and relatives. There was no existing statewide case management system that allowed child welfare jurisdictions to facilitate foster care and adoptions and supportive services.
Subsequently, on February 13, 2017, under Agreement 264-S170, HHSA began contracting with Binti for their software as a service (SaaS) platform to help streamline and facilitate the foster care home approval process within Child Welfare Services. On February 13, 2020, to ensure continued system services, HHSA entered into renewal Agreement 4558 with Binti, for a three (3) year term, effective February 13, 2020, through February 12, 2023.
The SaaS software provided by Binti is used by both HHSA and Probation to facilitate the systematic processes for resource family approval, allowing prospective caregivers to upload their documents, track progress towards foster resource family approval, etc. This system allows the County to shorten the time it takes for families to get approved as resource parents for foster youth.
Thereafter, HHSA and Probation entered into MOU 4761 to formalize the shared usage and cost-sharing of the Binti platform, which expired on February 12, 2023. In error, this MOU was entered into FENIX (the County’s financial system) as a Probation MOU, which did not give HHSA access to see that it was expiring. This data error led to a delay in HHSA starting the renewal process.
Consequently, HHSA and Probation are recommending the Board approve of the renewal MOU 7716 between HHSA and Probation to be retroactive to the effective date of February 12, 2023, to ensure continuity of shared use and expenses. Through said MOU 4761, Probation has been sharing access and has been responsible for a portion of the expense for this software since 2020. Probation is requesting to retroactively have use of the Binti contract due to their programmatic need to use the software.
Unexpected processing delays led to the renewal of Binti Agreement 7191 not being fully executed until April 20, 2023, despite the fact that the prior Agreement 4558 expired on February 12, 2023. Due to the services being vital to HHSA Child Welfare Services and Probation operations, Binti continued to provide services while the new agreement was in development. In order for Binti to bill for the services it provided during the gap of contracted services, Amendment I to Agreement 7191 is necessary, therefore, HHSA also recommends the Board approve the term of the First Amendment to Agreement 7191 to be effective retroactively to February 12, 2023.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve these recommendations, HHSA will be unable to pay for the services provided by Binti while the new amendment to agreement 7191 was in development, which may jeopardize HHSA’s relationship with Binti, and Probation would be unable to share the cost of the contract or use the software.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
09/21/21, 21-1321, CDSS Agmt 21-5012 F-5870
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel, Human Resources, Information Technologies, Procurement and Contracts, and Risk Management.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no General Fund cost associated with this Agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on one (1) original Amendment I to Agreement for Services 7191.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency