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Agenda Item
ASR
Control 25-000483 |
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MEETING
DATE: |
04/14/26 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board
of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors district(s): |
All
Districts |
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SUBMITTING Agency/Department: |
Social
Services Agency (Approved) |
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Department contact person(s): |
An
Tran (714) 541-7708 |
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James
Cho (714) 541-7711 |
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Subject: Approve Contract for Respite Care
Services
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ceo CONCUR |
County Counsel Review |
Clerk of the Board |
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Concur |
Approved
Agreement to Form |
Consent
Calendar |
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3
Votes Board Majority |
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Budgeted: N/A |
Current Year
Cost: N/A |
Annual Cost: FY 2026-27 $280,000 |
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Staffing Impact: |
No |
# of Positions: |
Sole Source: No |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
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Prior Board Action: 8/26/2025 #29; 1/9/2024 #24; 5/24/2016
#81 |
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RECOMMENDED
ACTION(S):
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1. |
Authorize the County Procurement Officer
or Deputized designee to execute Contract with New Alternatives, Inc. for
Respite Care Services, for the term of July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029, in an
amount not to exceed $840,000, renewable for one additional two-year term. |
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2. |
Pursuant to Contract Policy Manual
Section 3.3-113, authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized
designee to exercise a contingency contract cost increase, not to exceed a
total of 10 percent of the Contract amount for the first year of the Contract,
for the entire term of the Contract, including renewals, and within the scope
of work set forth in the Contract. The use of this contingency contract cost
increase is subject to approval requirements established by the County
Procurement Officer. |
SUMMARY:
Approval of the Contract with New
Alternatives, Inc. for Respite Care Services will support caregivers by
offering short-term periods of caregiver relief provided by County-approved
resource parents to support placement and improve family stability.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:
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Board
Date |
Contract
or Amendment Number |
Term |
Maximum
Obligation |
Board
Action |
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5/24/2016 |
Contract |
7/1/2016- 6/30/2021 |
$827,045 |
Approved Contract |
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1/9/2024 |
One |
7/1/2024 - 6/30/2026 |
$465,000 |
Renew Agreement Contract for 2-Years |
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8/26/2025 |
Two |
7/1/2021 - 6/30/2026 |
$75,000 |
Increase Agreement Contract Amount |
Respite Care Services provide
short-term periods of caregiver relief to those providing foster care. Through
County-approved resource parents, Respite may be given to caregivers for
various reasons, such as attending appointments, classes, business trips,
special events, medical treatments, or to allow for rest and stress reduction.
Services are available to all caregivers for foster youth up to age 18, as well
as to non-minor dependents, ages 18 and 19, who have medical conditions
requiring adult supervision. New Alternatives, Inc. (NAI) is required to always
have someone on-call to respond to Respite requests from foster family
agencies, resource family approved homes, adoptive parents, relative
caregivers, non-relative extended family members, and high-risk parents.
Request For
Proposal (RFP)
On November 14, 2025, the Social
Services Agency (SSA) released an RFP via the County’s online bidding system to
solicit proposals from interested parties to provide Respite Care Services. NAI
submitted the sole proposal. In accordance with Contract Policy Manual (CPM)
Section 4.3-108 (1), the standard evaluation process was waived, and review was
completed and the proposal deemed responsive by the Deputy Purchasing Agent and
a Human Services Manager from Children and Family Services. In accordance with
CPM Section 4.3-109 (1), the County Procurement Office waived proponent
interviews.
The Disabled Veteran Business
Enterprise (DVBE) Preference Policy was applicable and incorporated into this
solicitation. No DVBE qualified proposals were submitted.
SSA staff have conducted due
diligence on the Contractor. Reference checks were satisfactory and completed
with Strengthening Communities, Straight from the Heart, Family Support
Network, and two current Respite Care Providers.
An analysis was completed to verify
the contract provides County with people specially trained, experienced, expert
and competent to perform the special services in accordance with the law.
Outcomes
Outcomes for Contract term of July 1,
2021, through June 30, 2026, are as follows:
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Outcome
Objectives |
FY
21-22 |
FY
22-23 |
FY
23-24 |
FY
24-25 |
FY
25-26* |
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Contractor shall review and assess 100%
of referrals for services. |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
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Contractor shall participate in a
minimum of 12 outreach and recruitment efforts per year to secure additional
County Approved Resource Parents as Respite Caregivers. |
35 |
15 |
23 |
13 |
6 |
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Contractor shall provide status of
Respite Care request to each Respite Recipient within three business days
from the initial referral. |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
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Contractor shall complete qualitative
evaluation surveys and document survey results with a minimum of 75% of
Respite Care Recipients upon completion of Respite Care Services Session. |
65%** |
47%** |
38%** |
82% |
82% |
* Data for July 1, 2025, through December
31, 2025.
** Response rates were low at the
beginning of the contract term due to Respite Recipients not mailing back the
surveys after multiple attempts to communicate. SSA has been working with the
Contractor since 2023 to implement strategies such as providing a QR code for
an online survey, informing requestor and Senior Social Worker of the
requirement during the respite arrangements and most recently, verbally
gathering survey responses over the phone to improve the response rate.
Collecting responses by phone has been implemented as a best practice.
The following are the proposed
Contract's Outcome Objectives:
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1. |
Contractor will review and assess 100
percent of referrals for services and follow up with the assigned social
worker within three business days from the initial referral date. |
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2. |
Contractor will participate in a minimum
of one monthly outreach and recruitment effort to secure additional
County-approved resource parents as respite caregivers. |
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3. |
Within two business days from the end of
each Respite Care Session, Contractor will send a qualitative evaluation
survey link over text and email to the respite requestor for 100 percent of
completed Respite Care Sessions. |
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4. |
Contractor will follow up with 100
percent of respite requestor survey attempts by phone calls within four
business days from the initial text and email. Respite requestor will have
the option to complete the survey with Contractor over the phone, and the
Contractor will complete the survey on the respite requestor’s behalf.
Contractor will make a second follow up attempt by phone call five business
days from the initial text and email if the first follow up is unsuccessful. |
SSA now requests the Board’s approval of
the Contract with NAI for Respite Care Services, for the term of July 1, 2026,
to June 30, 2029, in an amount not to exceed $840,000, renewable for one
additional two-year term.
Subcontract
This
Contract, due to the nature of the services, could require the addition of
subcontractors. To add subcontractor(s) to the Contract, the Contractor must
seek express consent from SSA. Should the addition of a subcontractor impact
the scope of work and Contract amount, SSA will bring the item back to the
Board for approval. See Attachment B for Contract Summary Form.
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
Appropriations for this Contract
will be included in the Budget Control 063, Social Services Agency FY 2026-27
Budget and will be included in the budgeting process for future years.
This Contract is funded one percent
Federal, 98 percent State and one percent County. Federal and State dollars
comprise Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment (CAPIT), Child
Welfare Services, and Flexible Family Supports and Home-Based Foster Care.
County General Funds will be used towards the required match to access Federal
and State funding.
Contingency of
Funds
The proposed Contract includes provisions
that the Contract is contingent upon the availability of funds and inclusion of
sufficient funds in the budget approved by the Board for each fiscal year the
Contract remains in effect or operation. In the event such funding is
terminated or reduced, the County may terminate the Contract, reduce the
County’s maximum obligation or modify the Contract, without penalty.
STAFFING
IMPACT:
N/A
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment
A – MA-063-26010187 with NAI
Attachment B – Contract Summary Form