DuPage County Human Services Committee approves grants, contracts and MOU; staff report COVID case and program successes

DuPage County’s Human Services Committee approved a slate of planning-year grant appropriations and vendor contracts and agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the village of Glen Ellyn at its meeting. The committee also heard staff updates that included a contained COVID-19 case at DuPage Care Center and a voicemail from a former family self-sufficiency participant who credited the county program with helping her earn a master’s degree.

The approvals include federal housing and community-development grants and several county contracts that fund or support service delivery across DuPage County. Committee members moved each item by voice or roll call; where roll calls were recorded in the transcript, members cast unanimous “aye” votes.

Committee members approved acceptance and appropriation motions for: a DuPage Housing Authority family self‑sufficiency (FSS) program award for program year 2025 in the amount of $184,000; a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) planning number for program year 2025 in the amount of $3,744,889; an Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) for $286,741; and HOME Investment Partnerships program funds for $1,727,802. The committee also approved receipt of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care planning grant for $328,070.

The committee approved a memorandum of understanding giving DuPage County responsibility to perform any required environmental review under 24 CFR part 58 for Glen Ellyn’s community project funding grant. That motion passed by voice vote.

County staff presented and the committee approved several vendor contracts and administrative actions: a purchase order to Carevoyant Inc. for a historical access data license for long-term care software, not to exceed $55,000 for the period May 1, 2025–April 30, 2026; a contract purchase order to Yamifresh to operate beverage and snack vending machines on county campus at no cost to the county for May 5, 2025–May 4, 2026 (approved by roll call); a contract purchase order to Red Veil Technologies LLC for pharmacy department software and maintenance for up to $19,000 for May 1, 2025–April 30, 2026 (approved by roll call); and an internal transfer to create a subaccount for capital leases in the IT equipment capital lease account to support the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (transfer amount and precise subaccounting language were recorded in the meeting as described by staff).

A HUD Continuum of Care planning grant acceptance (GPN525/2026) for $328,070 was received for consideration and approved. Committee staff noted they have not yet received the formal grant agreement for that Continuum of Care award and will forward it to the county state's attorney for review when it arrives because the current draft language includes new executive-order compliance language that counsel for other agencies is also reviewing.

During discussion a committee member asked whether federal funding might be at risk of “clawback.” County staff characterized the budget numbers passed to meet the April 1 program-year deadline as planning figures and said the department expects HUD to provide final entitlement figures in mid‑May. Staff noted that HOME funds typically have a multi‑year expenditure deadline (mentioned in the meeting as seven years for HOME funds) but said the county generally spends CDBG and ESG dollars more quickly because of project timelines.

On operational updates, Shauna Berman (identified in the meeting) reported that a single positive COVID‑19 case among residents was identified over the preceding weekend; the case is contained, no units are under quarantine and the Illinois Department of Public Health inspected and cleared 3 North for occupancy. Berman said residents from the second floor will be moving to the third floor this week and reminded members of the DuPage Care Center Foundation’s annual golf outing on June 27; she said nearly 50 golfers had signed up. Mary Keating (staff) played a voicemail from a former family self‑sufficiency program participant who said, in part, “I wanted to call to say thank you for everything you have done for me,” and said the participant credited DuPage County’s Family Self‑Sufficiency program with helping her earn a master’s in social work.

Committee members were told the small human services grant application window has produced 44 applications so far, including nine received in the preceding 24 hours; staff said they will email the committee a list of applications by district, and will flag applications that appear to be incomplete before the deadline so nonprofits have a chance to correct them. Members thanked Mary Keating and Ken Connor for their work on the small grants initiative.

A committee member raised a broader federal funding concern: recent announcements about a planned reduction in Health and Human Services staff and restructuring of the Administration for Community Living. Staff said the county does not yet know how the federal personnel changes will affect distributions for programs that flow through HHS—such as LIHEAP, CSBG and weatherization—and that uncertainty will be monitored.

The committee chair noted presentations planned for the next meeting, including a potential remodeling proposal for the east wing of DuPage Care Center that is not part of the current remodel work and a discussion with Northern Illinois Food Bank about food-security planning. The meeting adjourned after unanimous voice approval of the minutes and the other listed actions.

Ending note: staff said they will circulate application lists and any incoming grant agreements to committee members and to county counsel for review as needed; the next committee meeting in two weeks is expected to include the DuPage Care Center remodeling discussion and the Northern Illinois Food Bank update.