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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES July 20, 2020 2 2. COVID-19 Updates Nancy Coston updated the Board about plans to staff the agency and see clients as more people start to come back to the agency and many of the state interview waivers expire. With schools choosing remote options there are more issues for both staff and clients coming into the Fall. DSS received CARES money for social work services and mass feeding. DSS also received $66,000 for staff costs that need to be used by December. The current plan is to hire temporary staff to supplement the work of protective social work staff. Human Resources has had discussions about over-staffing areas of DSS to compensate for COVID staffing problems. 3. Child Care Policy Changes Tina Clark updated the Board on the current operations of the child care subsidy unit. Currently there’s no waiting list for parents to receive child care. Within the last two months about 50 families have contacted DSS for child care services and more than half of those families have been approved for child care vouchers. As a result of the COVID pandemic, parent fees have been waived for child care subsidy parents for the last four months and child care recertifications were extended through 2021 for families that were due to recertify during the months of April-June. During the Stay at Home order, the Division of Child Development & Early Education (DCDEE) implemented the Emergency Child Care Program which provided payments to child care providers that remained open to serve children of essential workers. Orange County had about 25 child care providers that remained opened in April and May. As of June 1st, most Child Care providers in Orange County reopened. Providers currently are not operating at full capacity. DCDEE has received federal funds from the CARES Act which has allowed additional payments to child care providers to help offset any funding shortages during the pandemic. Child Care providers received staff bonus for April and May and are currently receiving operational grants in addition to their regular subsidized monthly payment. So far, Orange County child care providers have received over $700,000 for staff bonuses and operational grants. There has been no guidance from DCDEE in regard to child care centers assisting with school age care for children of working parents when school reopens. Working parents are concerned about how they will manage online learning when they have to be at work. All counties have also been asked to update their waiting list policies. The state has asked all counties to include siblings in the wording of the policy. Orange County has always done this in practice but has not had it included in the written policy. The policy now includes a statement to indicate that siblings can be served on an active child care case when a waiting list has been implemented. The Social Services Board needs to approve any changes made to the Child Care Subsidy Waiting List Policy. Tamara Dempsey-Tanner moved that the Board approve the Child Care Subsidy Waiting List policy change as presented. Jamezetta Bedford seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. 4. Board Member Vacancy Tamara Dempsey-Tanner stated that she would like a review of applicants by the entire Board to make a decision about the addition of a new Board Member.