Primary Department: Purchasing
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD
Secondary Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Jie Wu
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 230450
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 9%
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): 55.28%
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal is not 0% and is listed above
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the Purchasing Agent that the County Judge execute an amendment to an agreement with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to replace Exhibit F for accessible child care training and supports for the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity for the period of August 24, 2026 - December 31, 2026, with no increase in the total contract amount (230450), MWBE Contracted Goal: 9%, MWBE Current Participation: 55.28%.
end
Background and Discussion:
In 2024, UT Health was awarded $5,444,524 to implement Harris County Accessible Child Care Training & Supports (ACCTS), an initiative designed to strengthen the Harris County child care workforce by promoting career advancement and upskilling. ACCTS invests in upskilling, through training and credentialing, current and future educators, including directors, staff, teachers, and home-based childcare workers. To boost retention and participation, opportunities like professional credentialing, high-quality training, and scholarships are combined with fair pay and funds to support economic mobility and workforce development.
To ensure accurate spenddown of ARPA funds for this program, a cost neutral amendment is sought to reorganize the budget and revise the scope of work.
Expected Impact:
The adjusted budget will better ensure accurate spenddown of the program’s grant within the given time frame. The revision of the scope of work will optimize participant retention and mitigate structural barriers to program completion.
Alternative Options:
Commissioners Court could forgo the amendment in which case, the vendor will continue with the current budget and scope of work, likely resulting in increased participant attrition and underspending of grant funds.
County Strategic Plan Goal: Choose an item.
County Strategic Plan Objective: Choose an item.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): K1: Advance child care quality and accessibility through workforce development programming and child care slots.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: The Accessible Child Care Training Supports (ACCTS) Program, an ARPA-funded program, aims to upskill approximately 1,200 child care workers and help them complete professional development, including credentialization.
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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8/6/2024 |
18 |
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Children's Learning Institute, was awarded the contract to implement and administer the ACCTS program. |
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1/29/2026 |
157 |
The amendment concerns three primary issues: I. the $1,468,000.00 reduction to the ACCTS program budget, mandated by the Commissioners Court vote of September 24, 2025; II. the request by UT Health to lower the Key Performance Indicator for Service Line 3 from 200 to 150 qualifying beneficiaries enrolling and progressing toward specialized certifications and training III. and the necessity for enhanced operational flexibility. This budget amendment is cost-neutral, designed to fund additional contracted personnel, cover increased service fees, and eliminate spending line item barriers essential for successful program completion. Furthermore, the revised budget consolidates the proposed budgets and subcategories into a single total cost structure to facilitate implementation timelines. |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Choose an item.
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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Anticipated Court Date: 7/30/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity; Christopher Darville, Interim Director, Early Childhood Initiatives, Nancy Garcia, HC Purchasing
Attachments (if applicable): Letter, Agreement