To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: 19-706-6 (CFS) Stipends to Foster and Birth Parents for Trainings, Workshops and Focus Groups
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Auditor-Controller, or designee, to pay stipends in an amount not to exceed $150 per Resource Family or birth parent for the successful completion of child welfare trainings as approved by the Employment and Human Services Department for a total combined payment amount not to exceed $25,000 for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
75% Federal, 17.5% State and 7.5% County; of which 50% is budgeted in FY 25-26 and 50% will be budgeted in FY 26-27.
BACKGROUND:
The Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) supports and convenes trainings, meetings, workshops, and focus groups to meet mandated and discretionary training requirements for Resource Families and birth parents. EHSD often includes in their funding application provisions for reasonable stipends to be paid to program participants, in order to encourage participation. The involvement of program participants is critical in designing and modifying effective programs.
The Board of Supervisors has approved prior staff reports supporting stipend payments for this program on July 12, 2011 (C.97), November 5, 2013 (C.79), December 8, 2015 (C.48), May 23, 2017 (C.64), March 12, 2019 (C.57), April 20, 2021 (C.94), and May 16, 2023 (C.41).
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval of stipends for the attendance to workshops, training, and focus groups, Resource Families and birth parents may be precluded from attendance and interaction in the ongoing system of change and development of services.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
These stipends support three of Contra Costa County's community outcomes of the Children's Report Card", (2) "Children and Youth Healthy ...
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