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Head Start update: enrollment and attendance shortfalls, new meal vendor rollout and assessment results
Summary
County officials reported Head Start enrollment below federal corrective‑action targets, a phased launch of a vended meal contract with Urban Organics via Ordo, and mixed school‑readiness assessment results; the board accepted the monthly update unanimously.
Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department leaders told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 16 that Head Start enrollment and attendance remain concerns while the department moves to implement a new vended meal contract and address developmental‑assessment gaps.
Marla Stewart, director of Employment and Human Services, said the county is on a six‑month enrollment corrective action plan that requires 97% enrollment in funded slots; July enrollment dipped to 89% and the department reported 138 vacant slots it is actively recruiting to fill. The department ran multiple recruitment efforts over the summer, including mailed flyers to CalFresh and CalWORKs recipients, outreach at community events and grocery stores, and additional phone and web outreach; calls to the enrollment line rose from 377 in July to 625 in August. The department warned it may not meet the September enrollment target and could face further corrective requirements or loss of slots if enrollment requirements are not met.
Stewart reported that the county piloted a vended meal service with Ordo (meals prepared by Urban Organics in Lafayette) and expanded pilots in late August and early September, with a full launch scheduled in the week after the meeting. The meals vendor holds a current county health clearance and meets state and federal child‑nutrition standards; staff said the transition plan included overlap with existing kitchen staff and staged pilots to refine logistics.
On developmental assessments, staff reported that infants and toddlers exceeded program goals across measured domains. Preschool and pre‑K children showed strong growth year‑to‑year but fell slightly short of year‑end targets on several domains, including English‑language development for pre‑K children. Stewart attributed shortfalls to rolling enrollment (many children enrolled only months before year‑end), higher proportions of children awaiting mental‑health or disability services, and a large influx of new teachers who need additional training on assessment administration; the department said it will provide more training and add materials to classrooms.
The policy council approved an application for supplemental Office of Head Start nutrition funding; if awarded, Stewart said the county would receive $428,550 to upgrade appliances, provide food‑pantry supplies at centers, and offer family nutrition supports. Staff also reported two state childcare funding allocations (for alternative payment programs and provider administrative supports) included on the consent calendar.
Monitoring results for July showed generally high compliance across routine checks, though weekly facility inspections identified alarm/lock problems in roughly 10% of inspections (three centers) and facility staff were addressing repairs. There were no reportable incidents in July; one licensing citation from a partner agency was corrected before the due date.
Supervisors accepted the report unanimously and thanked staff for detailed recruitment and program improvement work; they asked for continued updates on enrollment, the meal rollout and assessment improvement measures.
