Board Approves $20.6M Head Start Grant, Hears Alarming LGBTQ Service Gaps

The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors marked its March 17 meeting with a historic first — an inaugural International Women's Day celebration spanning decades of county history — while confronting a sobering new report that found just one dedicated LGBTQIA service provider countywide, with others too afraid of federal retaliation to even be named publicly. The board also unanimously approved a $20.6 million Head Start continuation grant after the program passed its federal review with zero deficiencies.

• LGBTQ service assessment finds only one dedicated provider in Contra Costa; some organizations refuse to be publicly identified due to federal funding fears

• $20.6 million Head Start grant approved unanimously for 1,201 childcare slots across 26 centers after program hits 100% federal enrollment

• Inaugural International Women's Day celebration honors five district women leaders and features keynote by former Supervisor Sunny Wright McPeak

• Teen dating violence awareness proclaimed as El Cerrito High School students share personal stories about the YES program's impact

• Red Cross Month recognized with over 1,000 volunteers, 101 disaster responses, and 700+ smoke alarms installed locally last year

• GEMMA Project advocate urges continued Measure X funding for gender-responsive reentry services for incarcerated women

Only One Dedicated LGBTQ Provider — and Some Are Hiding

Supervisor Ken Carlson funded a $50,000 assessment by La Piana Consulting to map LGBTQIA+ services across Contra Costa County. The findings, presented to the board as an informational item, painted a stark picture of scarcity, fear, and workarounds.

Why it matters: Many LGBTQ residents already leave the county — traveling to Alameda and San Francisco — for services. The report suggests the situation may be getting worse as federal political pressure mounts.

Where things stand: The assessment surveyed 58 organizations and conducted 10 interviews, sorting providers into three tiers. At the top: a single dedicated LGBTQIA direct service provider, the Rainbow Community Center. A second tier includes general providers with specific LGBTQ programs — addressing behavioral health, HIV, and youth support. The broadest tier consists of organizations that describe themselves as "welcoming" but with inconsistent cultural competency.

The most alarming finding was that some providers in the second tier refused to be publicly identified. "There are LGBTQIA providers who provide services to the community, take pride in doing that. That is what they exist for. And they said, you may not use our name, you may not say that we provide this service," said La Piana Consulting researcher Lester Olmsted-Rose. He recommended the county increase LGBTQ training requirements for contracted service providers — an area where the board has leverage — and prepare for potential federal targeting.

Supervisor Carlson framed the work in personal terms. "In this political climate we live in, it seems to be okay to target marginalized populations within our communities. And we're quite often forgotten in conversations we have about service plans," he said. Later, he reflected on what trans youth face today: "I could not imagine being in my coming out phase in my life in this era, right now, these days, and especially as a trans youth, when really you're facing not only an attack, but a restriction of the services you can even access."

The other side: Supervisor John Gioia noted the three-tier framework may understate some organizations' commitments, pointing to Rise, which explicitly includes LGBTQ liberation in its mission. Chair Diane Burgis raised the concept of "trusted partners" — established community organizations that serve as known safe spaces — and said the county has fewer of those known entities for LGBTQ residents than for other communities. Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston shared a personal connection, describing a cousin's experience of not feeling supported in Contra Costa.

What's next: Supervisor Carlson said the work would continue through the Behavioral Health Board and the county's Equity Committee. No formal action was taken — but the report lays the groundwork for potential policy changes around contractor training requirements and service protections.

$20.6 Million Head Start Grant Approved After Clean Federal Review

The board unanimously approved a continuation grant application of up to $20.6M for Head Start and Early Head Start for fiscal year 2026-27, sustaining 1,201 childcare slots across 26 centers serving nearly 4,000 children.

Why it matters: The program reached 100% federal enrollment and logged six consecutive months of full Early Head Start enrollment — a milestone that should lead to removal of its "chronically under-enrolled" designation. The January federal monitoring visit found compliance on 9 of 11 outcomes, zero deficiencies, one strong practice designation, and two areas of concern (staffing qualifications already being addressed and a lead testing timing clarification that was not considered an actual finding).

Where things stand: The program served 3,983 children and averaged 1,867 meals per day. January attendance was 75%, primarily affected by illness. Proposed objectives for the coming year include converting six part-day classrooms into three full-day classrooms, opening two new Early Head Start classrooms pending licensing — expanding infant-toddler capacity by roughly 20% — conducting a teacher salary study, and developing mental health tracking systems for Measure X-funded services.

The grant requires a 5% non-federal match of $5,144,335. Staff reported that the federal environment remains uncertain, with ongoing lawsuits regarding DEI bans, office reductions, and citizenship requirements, though no new developments have emerged. A new Office of Head Start Director, Lisbeth Costco White, was recently appointed. On the state level, SB 792 guidance has expanded excused absence definitions ahead of hold-harmless funding ending June 30, 2026.

Decisions: The motion, by Supervisor Candace Andersen and seconded by Supervisor Scales-Preston, passed 5-0 (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0).

County's First International Women's Day Spans 50 Years of History

Chair Burgis led the board's inaugural International Women's Day celebration — a sweeping ceremony that combined historical video tributes, live performance, poetry, and personal stories to trace 50 years of women's political leadership in Contra Costa.

Why it matters: The event established a new annual tradition and connected the county's past — its first woman supervisor, Nancy Fadden, elected in 1976 — to the present generation of leaders.

Former Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak delivered the keynote, recounting the founding of a National Women's Political Caucus chapter in 1973, the struggle to establish the Commission on the Status of Women (initially defeated 1-4 by the board), her own election, and a comparable worth policy that added $14 million to women's pay. Videos honored Flora Irene Hurley, the county's first woman county recorder in 1924, and two Rosie the Riveters — including 103-year-old Beatrice Aiello.

Chair Burgis set the tone early, reflecting on how recently basic financial rights were extended to women. "I was thinking about how the fact that I think it was four days after my ninth birthday, women were allowed to have their own bank accounts and credit," she said.

Five district honorees were recognized: Pat Durham (District 1), Kathy Shiverton (District 2), Kathy McRoberts (District 4), Nancy Parent (District 5), and Janet Frazier and Debbie Toth (District 3).

Supervisor Gioia honored Pat Durham for her decades of leadership in El Cerrito: "The longest standing Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in this county is one that Pat was involved with helping found in El Cerrito decades ago."

Supervisor Andersen praised Kathy Chiverton's quiet service across the YMCA, Discovery Counseling, San Ramon Diversity Coalition, and Family Justice Center: "Kathy is someone who serves quietly. She's not seeking recognition. I think she's smart enough not to run for public office in a nice way, but she's someone who serves in such a way with great grace and dignity."

Supervisor Scales-Preston honored Nancy Parent, recounting how Parent pushed her into public life: "Nancy Parent was one of those women who asked me to run, as well as Merle Kraft and Curly B. Jackson, who are very close to Nancy. And she did not allow me to say no." Parent shattered a glass ceiling as Pittsburgh's first female mayor.

Shawna Polk, chair of the Commission for Women and Girls, presented the commission's annual activities, and Aisha Williams from the National Council of Negro Women Alameda Section discussed the chapter's growth from 3 to 13 members. The event also featured DVC student Ellie Ramos performing live and a poetry reading by former Brentwood poet laureate Gianna Baldazo.

Youth Speak Out on Teen Dating Violence

The board proclaimed March as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, anchored by presentations from the YES program — a 12-week support group run by Stand for Families Free of Violence at five high schools — and personal testimony from Youth Against Violence leaders.

Why it matters: The YES program served 250+ students in support groups and reached more than 1,100 youth through awareness campaigns. Board members pointed to social media and technology as accelerants making the problem harder for parents to detect.

Danny Mendoza, a senior at El Cerrito High School and YAV member, gave a moving personal account of how the program helped him through a difficult year. Melody Sassance, division manager of the Alliance to End Abuse, and Maura Willow, YES program coordinator, described the program's coalition-building, data collection, and prevention work. Kenya Young read the proclamation, which noted 227 youth educated and eight staff presentations.

Supervisor Scales-Preston highlighted how technology has changed the landscape of abuse: "In our digital age of dating violence, it has moved beyond where now everything is controlled by this device. But your parents don't really know what's going on through your devices."

Supervisor Andersen emphasized the power of peer influence, telling the YAV students: "We as adults can talk and talk and talk, but we'll have far less influence than you as you're out talking to your peers, your fellow high school students."

Multiple supervisors called for expanding the YES program to East County, including Pittsburgh.

Red Cross Month: 101 Disasters, 1,000+ Volunteers

The board proclaimed March as Red Cross Month, recognizing over 1,000 local volunteers who responded to 101 disasters, installed more than 700 smoke alarms through the Sound the Alarm initiative, trained 400+ students in preparedness, and supported 500+ blood drives.

Supervisor Gioia shared a deeply personal connection: "When my son was at Kaiser Oakland for two months last year, during a period there, he was getting daily transfusions of blood from the Red Cross." He also praised the organization's rapid response to an El Cerrito apartment fire that displaced 25 Tibetan and Nepali families.

Chair Burgis thanked Red Cross volunteers for showing up during the worst moments: "A lot of these folks are showing up on the day that is probably one of the hardest that people have had to experience in their lives."

Supervisor Carlson expressed gratitude for Red Cross support of first responders, including canteen truck services during late-night operations. Supervisor Scales-Preston thanked local volunteers who respond to calls at 3 a.m.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar: All 138 items (C1–C138) approved unanimously, 5-0; motion by Supervisor Scales-Preston, second by Supervisor Carlson. No items pulled.

• Anza expedition anniversary: National Park Service staff presented on the 250th anniversary of the 1775-1776 Juan Bautista de Anza expedition through the East Bay. Six new auto tour signs were recently installed on county roads. A public symposium is planned for April 11 at Los Medanos College.

• GEMMA Project public comment: Cynthia Sanchez Diaz, a bilingual care coordinator with the GEMMA Project, urged continued Measure X Innovation funding for gender-responsive reentry services for justice-involved women. She noted women are the fastest-growing population in the criminal legal system — a 750% increase since 1980 — and that 80% are primary caregivers. The GEMMA Project builds relationships with women inside West County Detention Facility and coordinates care during reentry.

• Closed session: The board held a closed session with no reportable actions.