Title
Vote on a request to approve the Early Childhood Community Assessment and Action Plan contract between Chatham County Partnership for Children and Chatham County.
Abstract
Introduction/Background: Widely recognized is the fact that childcare and early learning services and the environment of early childhood development have been, and remain, negatively impacted resulting from the global pandemic. In keeping with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) eligibility standards, efforts to improve childcare and early learning service, broadly and within disparately impacted communities, is an enumerated objective and eligible use of ARPA funding.
Informed by community input, staff review, and Chatham County Board of Commissioners goals and priorities with respect to the use of ARPA funds allocated to the county, conducting a comprehensive study of the early childhood landscape and needs in Chatham County is a prioritized project within the county’s adopted ARPA plan.
Taking direction by the Board of Commissioners, through the adoption of the county’s ARPA plan, staff seeks to advance this project by engaging a qualified subject matter expert organization to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the early childhood landscape in Chatham County and develop an action plan with recommendations for improving early childhood care, development, and learning throughout the relevant systems present in Chatham County (the Project).
In its review, staff has found only one subject matter expert organization that can reasonably and responsibly perform to the expectations of this project. Owing to its historic, community, and institutional knowledge and engagement; past demonstrated experience; specialized accesses to the wide-ranging service providers, resources, and clients; and the unique nature of the services being sought; at its February 20, 2023, meeting, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved the Chatham County Partnership for Children as a sole source for the performance of this project.
Following the sole source approval, an agreement was drafted, following the County’s standard contract template, with Partnership for Children, which details the scope of the project and defined timeframe and deliverables. This contract is being placed before the board for approval consideration.
Discussion/Analysis: The project scope associated with this contract aligns with a priority of the ARPA plan approved by the Board of Commissioners. The Board also approved a sole source for this project with the Partnership for Children. The approval of this contract will allow this project to move forward.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: Providing high-quality education and community options for all ages and incomes that positively impact on indicators such as graduation rates and income level is a stated objective of the Comprehensive Plan. The subject project is intended to provide a comprehensive analysis of the county’s early childhood environment, and to offer recommendations for improving this environment to advance this objective.
How does this relate to ARPA: This project is specifically identified in the ARPA plan adopted by the Board of Commissioners and is an eligible ARPA expense according to federal guidelines.
Budgetary Impact: The project will have no operating budget impact, as this project is proposed to be funded through ARPA Enabled funds, which are apart from the county’s annual operating revenue. Conceivably, recommendations arising from this project, if implemented, could have an impact on the county’s annual operating budget in future years.
Recommendation: Motion to approve the Early Childhood Community Assessment and Action Plan contract between Chatham County Partnership for Children and Chatham County.