Approve Amendment #0003 to Contract LK820 with the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families (Student Services and Federal Programs Division)

The original two-year cost reimbursement contract (October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2009) provides childcare services for refugee families resettling in Hillsborough County. Refugee clients are referred for service by local resettlement agencies under contract to the Department of Children and Families. Amendment #0003 provides for an increase of $865,000 in the level of funding for the second year (October 2008 through September 2009) from the original $750,000 to $1,615,000, because of an unexpected increase in the number of refugee children requiring child care services.

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

Amendment #0003 increases funding by $865,000, providing a total of $1,615,000, for the second year of the contract. Of the total, $1,520,418 are to be used for direct childcare services for approximately 342 children of refugee families with $94,582 covering the costs of program implementation. These federal funds are channeled to the District through the Department of Children and Families, Florida Office of Refugee Services.

This contract, and any amendments made a part thereof, are audited by the Department of Children and Families, Florida Office of Refugee Services during the performance of said contract. Funding for the Florida Office of Refugee Services is provided through federal and state dollars, which flows to the Early Childhood School Readiness Programs to purchase childcare in Hillsborough County for refugee children. There is no district-generated revenue used for this purchase.