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 ...
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