Hillsborough County Public Schools Student Services and Federal Programs
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve the Local Child Care Funds Contract with Hillsborough County School Readiness Coalition, Inc., Doing Business as The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (Student Services and Federal Programs Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This contract provides a portion of the required 6% match for the School Readiness Program, making it possible to draw down $11,772,316 in federal funds. These funds provide child care and early education services for children from income-eligible families. The term of this contract is October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009. This contract earmarks funds as follows: $709,339 are earmarked for the required 6% match for School Readiness child care services; $42,000 to provide care for families in crisis and for short-term care families near or below 200% of the federal poverty level; $103,000 for families providing informal kinship care, who are not eligible for traditional child care; $95,000 to meet the match requirement of the Child Care Purchasing Pool Program for children participating in family support programs funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County; $50,000 to be used as the match requirement for the Child Care Purchasing Pool for families at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and eligible for services under the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County McKinney Vento initiative, which assists homeless families; and $300,000 to provide child care services for families eligible under the McKinney Vento initiative.

ANNUAL DISTRICT GOAL(S) AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S)

Goal 5 – The District will eliminate the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

The contract total of $1,299,339, combined with the federal draw down of $11,772,316, are used only for direct services to children and will provide care for approximately 3,267 children through September 30, 2009, at an average annual rate of $4,000 per child.

EVALUATION

Each year the financial statements are audited by Hillsborough County School Readiness Coalition, as prescribed by law. This funding for Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County is provided by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. The School Readiness Program uses these funds to purchase child care in Hillsborough County. There is no district-generated revenue used for this purchase.

SUBMITTED BY: Beverly Wickson, Ed.D., Director, Early Childhood & HOST Programs

Gwendolyn L. Luney
Assistant Superintendent, Student Services and Federal Programs
(813) 272-4879
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
A 5.11
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20080916_300 * Section A Item# 5.11