Title:
Title
City Council COVID-19 Response: CARES Act Framework and Funding Priorities; Establish Sac Childcare Learning and Student Support Program
End
FileID
File ID: 2020-00914
Location
Location: Citywide
End
Recommendation:
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution: 1) establishing the Sac Childcare Learning and Student Support Program; and 2) establishing a $1.46 million budget for the CARES Act Program (G02610100) from the Youth Enrichment Program in the Federal CARES Act Fund (Fund 2704).
FileName
Contact: Monica Blanco, Interim Youth Division Manager, (916) 808-6308; Mario Lara, Director, (916) 808-1041, Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment.
Body
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Coronavirus Relief Fund Programs
3-Resolution
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: On May 26, 2020, the City Council committed $2.25 million in the Youth Enrichment Program from the CARES Relief Act Fund to assist youth impacted by COVID-19. Many young people in our community have experienced difficulty in shifting from conventional learning in a classroom setting to a virtual platform. On June 30, 2020, the council approved establishing the Summer Learning Initiative program with three school districts and the County Office of Education to provide intervention programs to address learning loss and improve social emotional learning. However, the actual amount expended for the program was significantly less due to a reduction in scope of the Sacramento City Unified School District and Natomas Unified School District programs as a result of amending Public Health Orders.
Education experts are stating COVID-19 related extended departure from in-classroom learning is having an enormous negative impact, particularly for vulnerable students. Fall learning opportunities and interventions that mitigate COVID-19 related learning loss and address students’ social emotional learning are an immediate and urgent need. If left unaddressed, these impacts will increase academic achievement gaps, social isolation, and overall educational inequity citywide. The Summer Learning Initiative program ends on August 31, 2020.
Under the Public Health Officer Order, all of the school districts within Sacramento County will continue distance learning through fall. Distance learning lacks in-person instruction and routines that students need to succeed, particularly vulnerable youth. Vulnerable youth will need continued support to address achievement gaps caused by distance learning, and parents need childcare in order to return to work. Also, if schools are not open, then the City’s 4th R childcare program cannot operate on school campuses. Please note, if school districts allow licensed childcare operations back onto their campuses, the City’s 4th R program is prepared to resume fee-based programming at school sites. The 4th R program is a previously budgeted program, so it is not eligible for Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF).
The Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment Department (YPCE) desires to address the COVID-19 impacts on students by adding an extended learning model called the Sac Childcare Learning and Student Support (CLASS) program, which will be offered at the City’s community centers. Funding the program with CRF would allow for a free Sac CLASS program. The program would offer an all-day structured academic support and academic enrichment program for vulnerable children who are struggling with on-line learning. A key component is supporting children who need Wi-Fi access, additional academic support, and childcare while their parents or guardians work outside the home. YPCE has been offering free childcare for essential workers at some community center sites since March, as well as day camps this summer under COVID-19 restrictions. The Sac CLASS program would expand the childcare offerings and incorporate the youth educational support services provided by the Summer Learning Initiative program though the fall semester.
The program will include an on-site certificated multi-subject teacher to support student online learning and offer physical activity, social and emotional learning, STEAM, and academic enrichment activities. Sac CLASS will seek to contract with certificated substitute teachers to support student learning for 4 hours per day and there would be one teacher located at each center. These teachers would be able to re-teach or reinforce lessons for students that need additional instruction, and assist students with completing lessons and homework received from school teachers. Operations would run Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM through 6:00 PM and offered at community centers that provide Wi-Fi access; these facilities will be closed to the public while Sac CLASS is operating. Sac CLASS will target vulnerable children and families; low-income, English language learners, students with disabilities who are disproportionately experiencing learning loss due to out of classroom time. The program would run under the current childcare waiver provided by Community Care Licensing under the Department of Social Services. CRF funding would support operational costs such as labor, academic and enrichment supplies and manipulatives, and equipment that supports a healthy learning environment.
The target start date of the program is October 5, 2020 and the program would end by December 18, 2020 to meet CRF funding requirements and in time for the school district’s normally scheduled holiday break. Sac CLASS will be implemented on a progressive roll-out basis at multiple community center locations across the city and in coordination with school districts to target the most vulnerable youth. The goal of Sac CLASS is to serve approximately 200 vulnerable youth at YPCE operated community centers and facilities throughout the city. This program is scalable if other agencies (for example, school districts and libraries) are able to offer up additional locations. The ability to achieve the goal of serving 200 plus vulnerable youth will be dependent on staffing and allocation of CARES Act funding. Expanding the program to school sites and libraries may require additional CARES Act funding.
YPCE will be responsible for the overall operations of Sac CLASS. The program would follow all state and local public health orders with implemented safety protocols such as social distancing, frequent hand washing and sanitation, temperature checks, and small groups of no more than 1:10 ratio. YPCE has COVID-19 mitigation protocols in place and procedures addressing potential exposures of staff and participants, including contact tracing. YPCE childcare staff have received online and in-person COVID-19 safety training through TargetSolutions to ensure safety of YPCE staff and participants. With public health orders directing school and public building closures, YPCE has unused space and displaced staff that can be used for childcare and academic support for students. YPCE has specialized and trained staff to run licensed childcare for children age five and up.
Below is a detailed chart summarizing the differences between this Sac CLASS proposal and the established 4th R childcare program. Sac CLASS would not be supplanting any currently established programs or any fee-based programs.
|
Comparison Chart |
|
Program Overview |
The 4th “R” |
Sac CLASS |
|
Model |
• Recreation Centered |
• Academic Support & Enrichment Centered |
|
Goals |
• Promotes Healthy Development |
• Mitigate Learning Loss & Social Isolation • Hands-on Support with Distance Learning |
|
Staffing |
• Coordinator • Developer • Rec Aides |
• Multisubject Credentialed Teachers • Coordinator • Developer • Rec Aides |
|
Schedule |
• Before & After School (½ day for Kinders) |
• All-Day (7am-6pm) |
|
License Operation |
• Fully Licensed Childcare by CDSS |
• Childcare License Waiver due to COVID by CDSS* |
|
Cost to Family |
• Fee-based |
• No-Fee (Free) |
|
Target Population |
• Youth in grades K-6 |
• Vulnerable Youth in grades K-6 |
|
Locations |
• Contracted School Sites |
• Community Centers |
|
Experience |
• 34 Years of Operation |
• New, Responding to COVID |
|
*On March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency (“Proclamation”) in response to a rising number of cases of COVID-19 in California. The Proclamation permits the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to waive any provisions of the Health and Safety Code (HSC), Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), accompanying regulations, interim licensing standards, or other written policies or procedures with respect to the use, licensing, or approval of licensed facilities. Pursuant to the Governor’s Proclamation, CDSS is announcing a statewide waiver. The waiver will help ensure that childcare services are available for working families in need while schools are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. An employer that needs to immediately provide temporary employer sponsored child care as defined in Health and Safety Code section 1596.771 as a result of the spread of COVID-19, may do so using this waiver, provided all terms and conditions below are met. cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-licensing |
Policy Considerations: The City has been impacted by the global pandemic. Establishing programs and budgets that include federal CARES Act funding is consistent with City Council action relative to state and federal grant awards. The recommendation is consistent with CRF funding guidelines in response to COVID-19 related impacts with delivery of program and expenses incurred within the covered period ending December 30, 2020.
Economic Impacts: CARES Act funds and other eligible federal and state grants will assist the City in providing economic relief to residents and business that have been impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, CARES Act spending will support and advance inclusive economic growth, improve the health of neighborhoods and support people, places, and actions that promote overall economic recovery and impacts immediately and well beyond this pandemic.
Environmental Considerations: This report concerns administrative activities and
governmental fiscal activities that do not constitute a “project” as defined by the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(2) and 15378(b)(4) and are
not subject to the provisions of CEQA (CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3)).
Sustainability: Not Applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: The CRF funding request for Sac CLASS was brought to the Ad-Hoc Sacramento Youth Commission Committee on July 31, 2020 for review to assist with defining the program needs and operations.
Rationale for Recommendation: The recommended action provides programming that will assist in mitigating COVID-19 related learning loss and address students’ social emotional learning for vulnerable youth from K-6 grade. Education experts nation-wide are stating that the COVID-19 related extended departure from in-classroom learning will have an enormous
negative impact on students. Sac CLASS provides programming targeted at vulnerable youth to address potential academic achievement gaps, social isolation, and overall educational inequity.
Financial Considerations: On April 21, 2020, the City received $89.6 million from CRF to address impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is $1.46 million remaining from the $2.25 million allocation for the Youth Enrichment Programs in the CARES Act Program (G02610100). The recommended reallocation of $1.46 million will allow for Sac CLASS operations from October 5, 2020 through December 18, 2020. Excluding the funding recommended in this report and other CRF reports included in this agenda, the City Council has approved a little over $68.7 million for programs and projects.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not Applicable.