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Head Start officials warn county kitchen must vacate by Sept. 30; board approves continuation grant and budget revision
Summary
Contra Costa Employment & Human Services reported the central Head Start kitchen must be vacated by Sept. 30, 2025. Staff proposed options (purchase/renovate sites, procure external meal services) and sought board approval for a budget revision and the Head Start continuation grant; the board approved both items and requested staff pursue procurement and labor discussions.
County Employment & Human Services Director Marla Stewart told the board on March 25 that the county’s central Head Start kitchen—used for more than 30 years to prepare meals for county Head Start centers—must be vacated before Sept. 30, 2025 because the facility site has been allocated for a new mental health rehabilitation center by Contra Costa Health.
EHSD reported it has searched for replacement sites since 2018 and identified potential Richmond locations; public‑works conceptual estimates for renovation ranged from roughly $3.2 million to $4–5 million. EHSD also said federal Office of Head Start (OHS) funding is unlikely to cover a full county kitchen renovation and that available federal program improvement funds and carryover requests have been previously reprioritized. Given the timing, EHSD is initiating a procurement to contract for meal preparation and delivery that must begin no later than Sept. 1 to ensure children continue to receive required meals. The transition could affect 8 FTEs; staff are exploring options to retain workers or include EHSD staff in vendor plans.
Board members asked about labor implications and whether contracting would be temporary; staff confirmed procurement and labor‑union discussions are ongoing and that any contracts would come back for board approval. The board approved a requested budget revision to shift funds between Early Head Start and Head Start to align salaries and the annual Head Start continuation grant application (application deadline April 1). The FY2025 continuation application totals $25,721,677 (including required non‑federal match) and would sustain Head Start slots through June 30, 2026.
What’s next: Staff will proceed with procurement planning for meal services, continue negotiations with labor, submit the grant renewal by April 1, and return regular quarterly monitoring reports to the board. The board asked for continued updates on potential federal funding shifts.
