DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
FY 2019 Child Care Services Program
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes budgetary, grant, and associated contract related actions for the City’s FY 2019 Child Care Services (CCS) Program, including:
a) acceptance of grant award from Workforce Solutions Alamo in the amount of $67,951,695.00 for the period of October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019;
b) a total program budget of $71,506,743.00 including an in-kind match of up to $3,554,048.00 and $1,000.00 from program income, and a personnel complement of 63 positions; and
c) approval for the Director of the Department of Human Services to execute any and all documents related to acceptance of this grant, to include acceptance of additional grant funds, if awarded, and in-kind funds as available in the City’s budget, in amounts up to 20%.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
For over 27 years, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has managed the CCS program in Bexar and 12 rural counties comprising the Alamo Workforce Development Areas. The program provides subsidized childcare for families meeting income and other qualification requirements. In FY 2018, the CCS program has served an average of 10,386 children on a daily basis with over 4,640 children on a waitlist to receive subsidized childcare.
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) administers the State’s subsidized childcare program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Child Care Development Block Grant. TWC determines the allocation for childcare services based on federal appropriations, local needs, and contracts with Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA), the local workforce development board, to implement the program. Through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, WSA awards contracts with local agencies to provide program services.
ISSUE:
This ordinance authorizes acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $67,951,695.00 for the period of October 1, 2018-September 30, 2019 with a total program budget of $71,506,743.00. The total budget includes program income of $1,000.00 and up to $3,554,048.00 of in-kind match funds from the City of San Antonio General Fund, which support early childhood and after school delegate agency contracts.
Awarded funding will provide operational costs including a personnel complement of 63 positions and direct child care subsidy payments to 577 child care vendors. Currently, benefits are primarily provided to children of families enrolled in the WSA Workforce Choices Program (Choices) and those referred from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, Child Protective Services (CPS) system. Additionally, children are enrolled for a minimum of 12 months to ensure continuity of care for vulnerable children.
Additional funding of $15.1 million awarded for FY 2019 will allow DHS to serve low-income working families outside of the Choices and CPS programs, including children who are homeless. In FY 2019, the program will serve an additional 1,900 children for a total of approximately 13,000 children daily.
The Proposed FY 2019 personnel complement reflects two additional positions over the FY 2018 Budget, the additional positions are added at the request of WSA to provide technical assistance to child care vendors to achieve and maintain the Texas Rising Start Designation.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should authority to accept funding not be approved, WSA would award funding to another agency to provide child care services to the Alamo Workforce Board Area. Such an action may delay the provision of services to the community and may negatively impact currently enrolled children and families.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $67,951,695.00 for the period of October 1, 2018-September 30, 2019. Required program match includes up to $3,554,048.00 of in-kind matching funds comprised of City of San Antonio funding and $1,000.00 from program income. Contractual funding will be allocated from this award and the grant will also support a personnel complement of 63 City positions in the Department of Human Services.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing budgetary, grant and contract related items for the FY 2019 CCS Program. Continuation of program operations will ensure uninterrupted services to the community.