To: Board of Supervisors
From: Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Report Title: Interagency Agreement with the Contra Costa County Office of Education
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Probation Officer, or designee, to execute an interagency agreement with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, in an amount not to exceed $731,085 for one-on-one academic support services for justice-involved youth or at-risk of involvement, for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This interagency agreement is 100% funded by State Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA).
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) is a public agency that provides educational programs and support services to students and school districts throughout the County, including youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Justice-involved youth and those at risk of involvement need individualized support to address educational barriers, remain engaged in school, and prepare for college and employment.
The Contra Costa County Probation Department partners with CCCOE to provide one-on-one academic support and educational case management services to youth ages 14 through 17 attending schools throughout Contra Costa County, including participants in Briones Youth Academy and the Community Success Pathway program. These services help youth identify educational needs, establish academic goals, and overcome barriers to educational success.
Under the proposed interagency agreement, CCCOE will provide 3.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Case Managers and a 0.60 FTE Supervisor. Case Managers will be primarily school based, serving youth in the Antioch, Liberty, Mt. Diablo, Pittsburg, and West Contra Costa school districts. Services will include academic counseling, school enrollment assistance, educational advocacy, transcript reviews, college and career planning, and connections to workforce development programs. Case Managers will coordinate with Probation, schools, and parents or guardians to address each youth's educational needs and goals. The program also includes performance-based incentives for youth who achieve verified educational and employment milestones.
The program provides performance-based incentives in the form of gift cards to youth who achieve verified educational and employment milestones. This interagency agreement allocates $1,800 for youth incentives, funded by the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA). Target and Walmart gift cards will be available in denominations of $10, $25, $50, and $100. The exact quantity of gift cards cannot be determined in advance because issuance depends on participants’ achievement of verified milestones.
Renewal of these services is intended to improve school engagement and high school completion, expand access to further education and employment, and reduce juvenile justice involvement. CCCOE will provide quarterly reports documenting the number of youth served, services provided, and educational and employment outcomes to assist the Probation Department in monitoring program effectiveness.
By helping youth achieve their educational and career goals, this interagency agreement will continue supporting positive youth development, safer communities, and a stronger local workforce.
Due to the iterative nature of the negotiations, finalizing the contract and securing the necessary internal approvals unfortunately took somewhat longer than initially anticipated.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without this interagency agreement, the one-on-one academic support service will not be available to the justice-involved youth attending schools in Contra Costa County.