Chester County Department of Community Development Request for Proposals for PY 2018 TANF Youth Development Program

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1 Chester County Department of Community Development Request for Proposals for PY 2018 TANF Youth Development Program Background The Chester County Department of Community Development (DCD) is the entity designated by the Chester County Workforce Development Board (WDB) and the Board of Chester County Commissioners to provide staff support to the WDB and act as the administrative entity and the fiscal agent for the operation of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Programs in the Chester County local workforce area. It is the mission of the Chester County Council for the Workforce of Tomorrow (CWT) to facilitate a workforce development system designed to provide youth with access to opportunities for educational enrichment, career exploration, and career development. The CWT supports youth during the dynamic transition from adolescence to adulthood through the provision of services offering academic, career, and post-secondary preparation, including leadership training. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, administered by the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), is intended to augment and expand youth workforce development funds and activities supported by the PA Department of Labor and Industry and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Since 2000, the PA Department of Human Services has provided funding support from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program to support Workforce Development Boards and their Youth Councils to augment WIOA funding and to extend the availability of high-quality youth development activities to more low-income youth. These investments, which are administered by the PA Department of Labor and Industry, have been viewed as prevention strategies that enable WDB s and Youth Councils to engage people in households up to 235% of poverty in programs and services that promote academic achievement and readiness for college and careers. Research show that teens in TANF families have: lower academic performance, higher risk of behavioral challenges, and increased rates of substance abuse. Past studies have shown that there is a lack of proper resources to guide and prepare them for the real world. TANF youth programming must ensure that youth in TANF households have access to high-quality programming and experiences provided through the TANF youth development allocation, which better prepares them to meet the needs of employers. There are many industries that are booming and in high demand today. The local Workforce Development Board will support and work with local educational agencies and community based organizations to establish a comprehensive program for economically disadvantaged, in-school youth who are at risk for dropping out. That program will be designed to provide opportunities to participate in tutoring, study skills training, or instruction leading to secondary school completion. Such programs should include but are not limited to: 1. Tutoring, study skills training and instruction leading to the completion of secondary schooling including dropout prevention strategies; 2. alternative secondary school services; 3. summer employment opportunities directly linked to academic and occupational learning; 4. paid and unpaid work experiences including internships and job shadowing; 5. occupational skill training; 6. leadership development opportunities; 7. supportive services;

2 8. adult mentoring for a duration of at least twelve months, that may occur during and after program participation; 9. follow up services for not less than twelve months after the participants completes the program and; 10. comprehensive guidance and counseling, including drug and alcohol counseling and referral to counseling as appropriate to meet the needs of the participant. WDB goals for youth include expanding youth awareness of future career opportunities: Provide and advise career and technical schools regarding local and regional industry data to assist in obtaining relevant equipment and adjusting curriculum. Support local schools and organizations providing services to youth by making available information relevant to local business and careers. Link education and business to better organize the workforce pipeline for graduates seeking jobs. Specifically, the proposed project should: Provide career and labor market awareness and direction to TANF eligible youth including career ladders and lattices. All curriculum and activities must be geared toward the benchmarks outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education s Career Education and Work Standards Assist eligible youth in overcoming factors that place them at risk of dropping out of school before graduation or completion of their current grade. RFP Announcement Under the direction of the Chester County Workforce Development Board and the Council for the Workforce of Tomorrow, the DCD is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced academic, employment, and training service providers who are interested in delivering contracted TANF youth development services to eligible youth of Chester County during Program Year 2018 (7/1/18-6/30/19). Application Workshop: Thursday, September 20 th, 3:00pm at the Chester County Government Services Center, 601 Westtown Road, Room 149, West Chester, PA Please respond to Tracey Dougherty at tdougherty@chesco.org to register. Submission Format: DCD will use an electronic submission format, available on DCD s website at Applicants are encouraged to study the information about DCD's priorities and objectives for funding prior to starting the application process. DCD staff will be available for technical assistance. Due date: Applications are due by 12:00 noon on Friday, October 5, Length of Contract: All program operations will be expected to commence as soon as possible after award and complete no later than June 30, Attachments: Applicants are required to download, complete, and submit the Budget Forms, Proof of Insurance, and Recent Audit or Financial Statements. Attachments can be accessed at and also on the last page of the electronic application form. Applications will not be accepted by the electronic system without the required attachments.

3 Addressing the Chester County Workforce Development Board s Multi-Year Local Plan All proposals must align with the goals and strategies outlined in the WIOA Multi-Year Local Area Plan, found here. Changes in Guidance for TANF Youth Programs Providers should note that the TANF Youth Development Program Guidance is being revised by the State and is currently in draft form. Once guidelines have been finalized, providers must be willing to modify their proposal to meet any changes. Proposed changes may include: Eligibility and referral process Data entry requirements Performance measures TANF Youth Development Program RFP 1) Participants may require referral from the County Assistance Office. Proposals will explain and identify how they will engage with referrals, as well as the procedures they will implement for targeting additional TANF youth for participation in programs. Projects are encouraged to develop cooperative arrangements with the County Assistance Office and subsidized housing developments that will support recruitment and enrollment efforts. Providers must describe the mechanisms they will utilize that enable youth in TANF families to receive priority consideration for program enrollment. 2) Proposals will describe how high-quality academic and workforce development programming will be offered to participating youth. Proposals should describe the type of programming to be offered to TANF youth. Programming that includes career awareness activities that are tied to the Industry Clusters and Chester County s High Priority Occupations are encouraged. Providers will be required to have such activities in place that provide insight on these occupations for youth including background information on career education requirements, career earnings and annual job openings. 3) Proposals may include programming that involves: Job Readiness Career Awareness and use of the PA Career Guide Paid and unpaid work experience Internships/Job Shadowing/Apprenticeships Programming tied to PA s Academic Standards for Career Education and Work Skill training Summer work experience Other eligible services 4) Proposals that identify leveraged resources and have programming in place that provides eligible services will be given priority.

4 Outcomes to be achieved may include, but are not limited to: Describe the percentage of youth participating in the program who will: Make an explicit connection to academic enrichment o Youth remain connected to school o Youth maintain grades to advance to next level o Youth participate in advanced training, college, or career post high school Make an explicit connection to workforce activities o Career exploration activities o Shadowing or internship experiences o Paid or unpaid work experience o Presentations from Industry experts to youth Youth Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for the Youth Development program an individual must be between the ages of AND A TANF CLIENT: Individual is either receiving TANF as a head of household or as a minor member of another TANF grant. OR FAMILY WORKS (FW) ELIGIBLE: Individual who is not receiving TANF or is receiving SNAP/MA benefits only and whose family s gross countable earned income does not exceed 235 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG). NOTE: The funding awarded for the TANF Youth Development Program may only be used for the target population described above. Any additional youth served by the program who do not meet the requirements outlined above or detailed in the final guidance, may not be served using this funding. Requirements and Restrictions for TANF Youth Program RFP Data Entry Requirements for Youth Program Providers The successful provider(s) must register with and must data enter information on the Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS). The successful provider must also ensure that each program participant is registered in the PACareerLink system (part of CWDS) and that all information is promptly and correctly data entered. It is expected that a state-sponsored training will be held regarding CWDS data entry requirements for TANF Youth Development Program providers. Staff from the selected provider(s) must be made available to attend that training. County Requirements: 1. Reports and Monitoring: As a recipient of public funds, all successful applicants who sign a contract with DCD will be required to fully comply with ongoing reporting and monitoring requirements. Depending on the activity funded, for sub-recipients, this requirement could entail completion of detailed monthly or quarterly reports on all clients served, monthly or quarterly invoicing, and programmatic and fiscal monitoring. 2. Participant registration and eligibility: All youth served through the TANF award must fully complete an application and provide eligibility documentation required by DCD. 3. Certifications and Reservations: Provision of services specified in this RFP requires substantive knowledge and understanding of the applicable rules and regulations. Recipients of federal, state, or local funding must certify compliance with applicable funding regulations and adhere

5 to applicable definitions described in the Application Instructions & Guidelines ( Additional certifications may be required depending on the specific program. 4. Proposal Rejections: The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP and to negotiate separately with competing applicants. The County reserves the right to waive any and all technical requirements and informalities, as it deems necessary. No costs associated with the preparation or submittal of this application is reimbursable. Selection and Evaluation Criteria for TANF Youth Development Program Proposals will be reviewed, scored and evaluated through an Evaluation Team. The Evaluation Team will make recommendations to the Chester County Council for the Workforce of Tomorrow, who will present their recommendations to the Chester County Workforce Development Board (WDB), and then to the Chester County Commissioners for final funding decisions. Please be advised that the level of youth funding available is limited. All funding is contingent upon the availability of state and federal funds and also upon the continued authorization for DHS TANF Youth activities in Chester County.