Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP)

Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP)

Board Meeting Minutes

October 17, 2014

“Subject to Board Approval”

Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP) is the Early Childhood Iowa Board and the Decategorization Board for Woodbury County. The minutes document the transactions of the Board in their fulfillment of these roles and where possible, the minutes reflect the actions of the Board specific to their respective roles.

Present: Michael Billings, George Boykin, Audra Cole, Charlene Ellis, Chris Hall, Mike McTaggart, Gary Niles, Cindi Prather, Dewey Sloan, Barbara Small, Mike Stiles, Kristie VerMulm McManamy, Rev. Patrick Walsh

Absent: Tom Bouska, Rhonda Capron, Jody Graham, Roger Hess, Linda Krei, Karen Mackey,

Dr. Harold Post

Staff: Matt Ohman, Erin Binneboese, Nancy Keairns, Kim Jenkins

Absent: Cheryl Engle, Tyler Zellmer

Guests: Vic Jaras, Jenna Meyer, Tyler Nelson, Diana DeAnda

Board Education – Vic Jaras – Iowa Dept. of Education’s 21st Century Learning Centers & Jenna Meyer – Beyond the Bell

The goals of the 21st Century grant program for afterschool programming is to focus on the needs of children along with the development of local and regional partnerships. Also, improving on state evaluations and providing more communication through websites. The grant application itself has decreased from 120 pages to 45. Programs are being paid in a timelier manner. Budget meetings with the grantees have been added and a site monitoring tool has been developed, along with comprehensive monitoring visits to include 4 meetings with stakeholders.

In 2013 Iowa was one of six sites to add children to the 21st Century after school programs and receive additional funding. In 2014 60% of children in Iowa attended more than 30 days compared to the national average of 50% attendance.

The process in applying for the 21st Century grant is as follows:

RFA comes out in September allowing 3 months for programs to write their grant proposals. In February-March awarded grants will be announced. April-May contracts will be written with programs starting June.

Jenna Meyer, Beyond the Bell Director, provided their mission statement which reads:

At Beyond the Bell, we believe in helping children and families reach their full potential by providing a safe place to play, creating a quality learning environment, and promoting growth. She also provided a detailed 2013-14 evaluation which included reporting 469 students were served in the summer program and 1,721 students during the school year which is an increase from the previous year of 1,686 students.

Visit Beyond the Bell website at: www.beyondthebell.us.com

For more state grant and reporting information go to: www.educateiowa.gov.

Dewey Sloan (left 12:40)

1. Call to Order Cindi Prather

2. Action Items

A. Consensus Agenda Cindi Prather

· SHIP Board Minutes – 9/12/14

· Committee Reports:

o Dcat Com. Minutes – 9/23/14

o Exec. Com. Minutes – 9/12/14

o Finance Com. Minutes – 10/13/14

o Personnel Com. Minutes – 10/1/14

o Woodbury ECI Minutes – 10/2/14

· SHIP Reports:

o SHIP – Book of Business

o SHIP – Dcat Book of Business

o SHIP – Monthly Bank Activity – Sep. 14

Kristie VerMulm McManamy motioned to approve the Consensus Agenda.

Rev. Patrick Walsh 2nd Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

B. DCAT Recommendations Erin Binneboese

Woodbury County DCAT Committee Recommendations

· DCAT1 12-004: Sioux City Community School District, Liaison Services. Amending contract to blend funding streams. Woodbury County DCAT to fund $312,852 and CJJP (Criminal Juvenile Justice Planning) to fund $27,148. Combining the two funding streams SCCSD will receive $340,000 for Liaison Services in FY15.

· DCAT1 12-010: SHIP, Mental Health LPHA. Adding $5,000 to the contract due to the need for increased services. New contract total will be at $95,000.

Kristie VerMulm McManamy 2nd

Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

C. ECI Recommendations Matt Ohman

Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP)

Woodbury Early Childhood Iowa

Committee Recommendations

October 17, 2014

Mid Sioux Opportunity Contract Termination

Mid-Sioux Opportunity was awarded a contract for FY15 increase services in Ida and Woodbury counties through hiring a third Child Care Consultant for FY15. As per the contract agreement, this position would utilize ECI funding for a current Child Care Consultant’s salary as long as 3 Child Care Consultants were on staff. As of September 30, 2014, Mid-Sioux only had a third consultant on staff for 2 of these weeks. Discussion was held with the Director from Mid-Sioux and from this clarification of funding, Mid-Sioux has decided to terminate this contract due to their conflict of the difficulty to adhere to these requirements. Attached is the letter requesting termination from Mid-Sioux’s executive director.

It is the recommendation from the ECI Committee to accept this termination of this contract. These unused funds, totaling approximately $40,500, will be placed back into the Early Childhood funding stream and the ECI Committee will discuss and determine how these unused funds will best be utilized for FY15.

Audra Cole 2nd Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

Family Support Professional Development RFP

After FY14 carryover funds were finalized, there was approximately $10,000 remaining in the Family Support funding stream that could be disbursed. It was the decision of the ECI Committee to release a RFP for Professional Development to all of the Family Support agencies, in which they could apply for PD reimbursement for trainings needed to continue accreditation of the program. The ECI Committee reviewed two applications, from Siouxland District Health Department and Crittenton Center, which both requested funds for required KEMP training for their family support workers. In reviewing the requests, it was determined that both proposals could be fulfilled through this ECI RFP and then utilizing MIECHV funding for any dollars not covered by this ECI funding opportunity.

It is the recommendation from the ECI Committee to accept both proposals from Siouxland District Health Department and Crittenton Center to fund the training costs for KEMP training for all requested family support workers, with the understanding that any funds exceeding the $10,000 available to be covered by MIECHV funding.

George Boykin 2nd Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

D. Mileage reimbursement proposal Matt Ohman

The Personnel Committee reviewed the business expenses section of the handbook and the P&P Manual, and recommended that mileage reimbursement rate be changed from the State rate to the Federal rate. The following is a report that was run by SHIP staff to determine how much is typically spent on mileage reimbursement:

SHIP mileage report 1/1/14 – 6/30/14 (not including Sky Ranch, already at .56)

.39 cents rate

66,559 miles traveled in this period

$26,022.58 paid out at this rate.
IF SHIP had been reimbursing at the higher rate during this period:

.56 cents rate

66,559 miles traveled

$37,273.57 paid out

------

$11,250.99 difference

Effect on grants:

Beyond the Bell

Funder (21st Century): local decision

2015 current grant budget: $3,810 from grants

2015 grant budget if increased: $5,313.99

Outcome of change: any overage in “mileage” line item can be charged to “professional development” line item.

Non-grant schools charge mileage to the fee pool, which has much unencumbered funds

BOOST

Funder (DOL): local decision – must follow policies & procedures

Outcome of change: have 3 months of funding to spend down anyways, plenty of budget available

DCAT

Funder (DHS): must follow state rates, regardless of available budget

ECI

Funder (Department of Management): local decision

2015 current grant budget: $2,400

2015 grant budget if increased: $3,446.15

Outcome of change: any increase can be covered by ECI admin funds; ECI Director is not traveling as much this year, so not all of the travel budget will likely be used. Can be charged to “supply” line item as well

MIECHV

Funder (IDPH): local decision

2015 current grant budget: $1,000

2015 grant budget if increased: $1,000

Outcome of change: 7 months into the year, much of this budget has not been utilized; subcontractors may use this line item or may use their own current budgets.

Language in the handbook and P&P manual (which will be approved by the Board at a future meeting) would reflect that SHIP’s organizational reimbursement rate would move to the Federal rate, but all programs must first check with supervisors, as all programs must first adhere to grant rates. (For example, DCAT must stay at the state rate).

SHIP Personnel Committee motioned to approve the mileage proposal.

Mike Stiles 2nd Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

E. Meal reimbursement proposal Matt Ohman

The Personnel Committee reviewed the business expenses section of the handbook and the P&P Manual, and recommended that meal reimbursement rate be changed from the State rate to the Federal rate, and be on a per-day diem rather than a per meal diem. Employees will get ¾ the Federal rate on days of travel, and full Federal rate on days in which they are at a conference all day and night.

SHIP Personnel Committee motioned to approve the meal proposal.

George Boykins 2nd Motion carried

Number of Voting SHIP Board Members Yes 11 No 0

Chris Hall and Rev. Patrick Walsh (left 1:05)

3. Discussion Item

a) BOOST grant extension Matt Ohman

The BOOST grant has been given a six month extension ending in June 2015.

The program may not take any new referrals after 12/31/14, the extension period will be used to focus on current enrolled participants and improving other outcomes.

b) Corrective Action Plan Matt Ohman

DOL had asked SHIP to write a corrective action plan due to SHIP’s 2013 Audit findings. Melissa Willer and Matt sent some information to DOL, including a copy of the Segregation of Duties Policy, and all findings were satisified.

Early Childhood Iowa Updates

October 2014

ECI Listening Post 2014

On September 30th, Early Childhood Iowa held a listening post conversation in Des Moines, which include area ECI Directors, stakeholders and others interested in the ECI Initiative. This conversation was facilitated to discuss the history of ECI, how people feel about its current state, and where the initiative could go in the future. In group breakdowns, these participants focused on 6 areas of need for ECI as it moves forward. Those areas included were to focus on the purpose of ECI to nail down better funding opportunities, revisiting the design of ECI and how it can better partner with other agencies at the state level to produce better outcomes, increasing funding back to where they were in 2008 to maximize return on investment, building a better state and local driven public awareness program and allowing better professional development for the ECI state team as well as local ECI Directors.

These thoughts were gathered and will be shared with all ECI Directors and ECI stakeholders to start a broad conversation about how ECI can better suit its needs as the program moves forward. The topics discussed in this meeting will be brought up during the winter regional meetings for ECI Directors as well.

ECI Stakeholders Alliance

In September’s ECI Stakeholders Alliance meeting, the group focused on statewide indicators to be used for ECI funding purposes. The main areas of Healthy Children, Children Ready to Succeed in School, Secure & Nurturing Early Learning Environments, Safe & Nurturing Families and Safe & Supportive Communities were all covered. Each section was presented with current indicators and then asked the group for proposed changes as well as wish list for future indicators that would best help ECI areas determine what information could help lead to the best funding opportunities.

These proposed indicator changes will be presented to all ECI Directors for review and will then be presented to the ECI State board in the winter of 2014/15. With the update up these indicators, ECI Directors can use this information to better build their community plan and strengthen their funded programs for the best outcomes.

c) Director’s Report Matt Ohman

Director’s Report – October 2014

Mission Statement: SHIP provides leadership in response to identified community needs and collaboratively provides for the delivery of health, human services, education, and public safety in Siouxland.

BOOST: With the BOOST grant scheduled to end 12/31 of this year, we prepared a no-cost grant extension request for the Department of Labor. Our proposal asked for an additional 9 months. DOL responded that they would grant up to 6 months, with the stipulation that no new participants are enrolled in the program during the extension period. The six-month extension will be used to work with existing participants and increasing our other outcomes, including retention, participants certified, participants trained and participants placed in jobs. We will continue to look for other funding opportunities to sustain the program at after 6/30/15.

Dakota County Connections: Tyler, Kim and I joined the Dakota County Connections Board for an hour-long call with Nebraska Children & Families Foundation’s “fund board” on October 8th, including representatives from NCFF, Nebraska DHHS, and other private funders of 3 of the 4 grants that we receive from NCFF. We reviewed the annual report for FY2014 and received a lot of compliments on our work in the community. NCFF funds several other community collaborations like DCC across Nebraska, but some of the comments were that DCC is one of the “most progressive” and is considered a “shining star” for the work done with children and families.

ECI / MIECHV Coordinated Intake: On September 30th, SHIP hosted a community meeting on Coordinated Intake for early childhood family support programs. Tamika Fisher, the Director of Operation: Threshold, a family support program operating in Blackhawk County, spoke about the system Blackhawk has had in place for the last 20 years. Representatives from Crittenton Center, Siouxland District Health, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Community Action Agency, Northwest AEA, Jackson Recovery Centers, Mary Treglia Community House and Western Iowa Tech / Job Training Partners were in attendance. IDPH (Iowa Department of Public Health) will be releasing an RFP for funding in November that SHIP will be applying for. We have also set aside some ECI funds to help fund a coordinated intake initiative yet this Fiscal Year. More information about this initiative will be presented to the Board at future meetings.