Children's Trust adopts program quality rules, tightens indirect-cost reporting and extends legal-services funding

The Escambia Children's Trust on Thursday approved a set of policy changes aimed at strengthening program oversight, revised how grantees must document indirect costs and authorized a short extension for a legal-services contract to finish active cases.

The board unanimously approved Resolution 2613 to establish a Program Quality Assurance and Continuous Performance Improvement framework that staff said will use a seven-area evaluation (including staffing, health and safety, curriculum and fiscal compliance) and quarterly site visits to score and monitor grantees. The policy authorizes pre-award risk assessments and program improvement protocols for providers whose scores indicate intervention is needed.

"This is a prescribed protocol'that allows us to have consistent expectations and ongoing conversations with our providers," said Deborah, the staff member who presented the quality-assurance proposal.

The board then took up changes to the trust's policy manual that define and require documentation for indirect costs. United Way of West Florida's finance director, Tammy Hodto, told the board the proposed documentation requirement would create large monthly paperwork burdens for nonprofits and divert staff time and contract funds away from programming.

"Requiring us to submit documents for indirect cost is requiring more time from myself and my accounting specialist, which is going to use more funds from our contract and is taken away from programming," Hodto said.

Staff and several board members said the change is intended to increase transparency about how taxpayer-supported grant funds are spent; the policy preserves an administrative/indirect cap (up to 15%) while adding clearer definitions and recordkeeping expectations. After discussion about possible burdens on smaller providers, the board voted to adopt Resolution 2616 to add the indirect-cost subsection.

The board also approved a motion to authorize the executive director to extend the current funding agreement with Legal Services of North Florida through June 30 so attorneys can complete representation for enrolled children (Resolution 2617). Legal Services representatives had earlier said they are withdrawing a separate expansion request because of financial uncertainty and low participation in the proposed program; the withdrawal will stand as information while the short extension passed.

Other votes included Resolution 2614 to terminate and deobligate remaining funds from CMBB Visions Unlimited's expansion grant and two budget reallocations for the Boys & Girls Club (a $17,000 internal reallocation and a $1,200 reallocation to purchase iPads for attendance tracking). The board approved an amendment to the policy manual (Resolution 2615) clarifying discretionary authority in awarding funds.

Board members said they expect implementation details and provider training to follow, and signaled willingness to revisit the indirect-cost rules if compliance creates undue hardship for smaller organizations.

The meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m.