Board hears report on student mental‑health program funding and reviews childcare reimbursement oversight

The board heard two linked fiscal and program oversight items: a countywide student mental‑health initiative whose funding is ending and an in‑depth briefing on the childcare reimbursement program and compliance safeguards.

Superintendent (referred to as Bean in public remarks) described Student Advocates for Mental Health, a prevention and peer‑advocacy initiative focused on suicide prevention and student wellness that has partnered with 97 schools in 23 districts and trained more than 5,900 student leaders between 2020 and 2025. He said the program’s current funding ends in June and that staff will pursue options to continue it.

Trustees then asked detailed questions about the county’s childcare reimbursement program (fund 12). Renee (OCDE staff) said the County Office is a subcontractor to the Children’s Home Society (the lead agency) for state childcare reimbursements. She said the department currently administers a large program with contractual capacity up to $109,000,000 and reported last‑year reimbursements of roughly $60,000,000. The department runs monthly verification (timesheets and eligibility documentation), and Renee said OCDE has formed a compliance and audit unit of four staff who review claims and support audits; they have found and pursued fraud cases when discovered.

Board members asked for a deeper briefing; several trustees requested the program lead (Dean) present safeguards and controls to the board in a future meeting.

What happens next: staff said they will look for continued funding for the mental‑health program and agreed to present a childcare‑program compliance briefing at a future meeting. Trustees emphasized the program’s importance and the need for ongoing oversight of large reimbursement flows.