The Department of Community Programs asked the Little Rock Board of Directors for $5,000,000 in annual funding for Prevention, Intervention and Treatment services, and described new steps to evaluate contractor performance using a uniform case-management system. Director Sanders Lee, Department of Community Programs, told the board the department has recorded “face to face contacts is well over 5,000” and that social media engagement is “somewhere around 14 to 15,000.”

The department said it now requires contracted programs to submit uniform needs-assessment and activity-tracking data into the Apricot case-management system so staff can measure enrollment, contact hours and academic outcomes consistently across providers. “This year is the first time that we're requiring our programs to put in academic data,” Director Sanders Lee said; the department said it expects grade and academic‑progress reporting by contract end so officials can assess whether tutoring and academic enrichment are working.

Board members pressed the department on how evaluation will affect future contracting. Director Sanders Lee said procurement and the department will strengthen request-for-proposal language, increase monitoring throughout the year and use a monitor/coach model to improve attendance and program delivery rather than terminating contracts at the end of a year. Director Phillips and Director Webb asked whether the department will adjust annual budgets for high‑performing or underperforming contractors; Sanders Lee said the department will use the collected data to inform contract decisions but that specific contracting choices will follow procurement and CYF Commission processes.

The presentation also listed program areas covered by the requested funding, including positive prevention, summer youth employment, reentry, street‑ and school‑based interventions, community violence intervention and a summer workforce institute. Department staff introduced internal managers and said the department currently has several vacancies and recent retirements to fill.

The board did not take a formal vote on the request during the presentation; members indicated interest in the evaluation approach and asked for the compiled academic outcomes in the department's final report.

The department provided data and said it will produce a final, comprehensive evaluation at the end of the contract period that will include academic measures, contact hours and needs-assessment results.