INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE

Transcription

1 SCHOOL READINESS COALITION OF SARASOTA COUNTY, INC. Management of School Readiness Program Services INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE Fiscal Year 2005

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 3 SECTION 2: ITN PROCESS 7 SECTION 3: MINIMUM PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL (SR1) 3.2 CORE SERVICES (SR2) 3.3 PROVIDER ASSISTANCE (SR3) 3.4 SCREENING SERVICES (SR4) 3.5 INFANT AND TODDLER SERVICES (SR5) SECTION 4: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS 23 SECTION 5: GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS 27 SECTION 6: FINANCIAL SPECIFICATIONS 32 SECTION 7: APPENDICES 34 2

3 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 STATEMENT OF NEED. A. BACKGROUND. In 1999, the Florida Legislature enacted Florida Statute , the School Readiness Act that created the Florida Partnership for School Readiness. The intent of this legislation is to provide an avenue for each county to adopt and maintain a coordinated system of School Readiness programs to help to ensure that every child is ready to learn by entrance to Kindergarten. The School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc., a non-profit organization, was created to fulfill the intent of this legislation at the local level. The Coalition s governing board consists of 25 members of the local community, including nine Private Sector members. B. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. The goal of the School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. is to increase the quality and availability of early education opportunities for every child in the county. To this effect, the Coalition is working toward establishing a system of care that emphasizes the coordination of programmatic, administrative and fiscal standards across all School Readiness programs. The objective is to integrate program funding and services to achieve maximum efficiency, accountability and effectiveness. The Coalition encourages collaboration with all other local programs and agencies that provide services to children. The School Readiness Program shall be developmentally appropriate, research-based, involve parents as their child s first teacher, serve as a preventative measure for children at risk of future school failure, enhance the educational readiness of eligible children, and support family education. 1.2 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. A. SEAMLESS DELIVERY SYSTEM. The purpose of the School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. is to provide innovative School Readiness programs and services for children birth to age twelve, with priority given to services for children birth to age five. The focus in this Invitation to Negotiate is to offer a quality seamless service delivery system for all School Readiness services in Sarasota County. B. VENDOR UNDERSTANDING. The Vendor shall demonstrate an understanding of early education needs and resources in Sarasota County, including but not limited to the needs of children at-risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, the working poor, and low-income families. The Coalition will provide direction on the priority of service provision for the various populations. The Vendor shall demonstrate the ability to meet the needs of all families in an effective and timely manner. C. IDENTIFICATION OF FIVE DISTINCT SERVICE GROUPINGS. This Invitation to Negotiate is designed to segregate and highlight five primary and distinct service groupings of contract requirements. This has been done to enhance and encourage a maximum participation of vendors, to ensure accountability and a high quality of services, and to facilitate the determination of most effective cost for key sections of the overall School Readiness program. D. FLEXIBILITY TO REPLY. Vendors can respond to any one of the five areas, a combination of more than one area, or all five areas together. The School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. will coordinate, monitor, and evaluate performance of these functions to ensure that the end result is a seamless system of quality services for Sarasota families and children. E. COALITION RESERVATION. Since this is an Invitation to Negotiate, the Coalition reserves the right, at all times during the negotiation process, up until the time of actual contract award to: a. Negotiate with more than one vendor for each service grouping b. Terminate negotiations with any potential vendor c. Decide to directly provide any of the five distinct service groupings rather than contract for those services. 1.3 TERM OF CONTRACT RESULTING FROM THIS INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE. A. SERVICE GROUPINGS. The School Readiness Coalition may contract for all or for parts of the services described herein: (SR 1) Child Care Resource and Referral (SR 2) Core Services (SR3) Provider Assistance (SR4) Screening Services 3

4 (SR5) Infant and Toddler Services B. TIME PERIOD OPTIONS. The Coalition will be entering into a contract(s) for a period of one (1) year, with subsequent renewal periods up to two (2) additional years subject to: (i) satisfactory performance evaluations by the Coalition, (ii) availability of funding as determined by the Coalition, and (iii) changes in programmatic or service related needs as determined at the sole discretion of the Coalition. The Contract may also be affected by any changes in statute or rule that may arise during the contract period. 1.4 DEFINITIONS. A. ADVANCE PAYMENT A payment situation whereby, under certain circumstances, it is possible to make a portion of the contract funds available to the Contractor prior to the delivery of services or expenditure of funds by the Contractor. Advance payment may by used only when authorized by the State s Appropriations Act or expressly authorized by other law. Advances may be made only to not-forprofit corporations or governmental agencies. B. AGES AND STAGES QUESTIONNAIRE (ASQ) The Level I instrument used to developmentally screen children up to five years of age. C. AT-RISK CHILDREN Children who have been determined to be at-risk of abuse and neglect and who are clients of the Family Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and Family Services. D. CHILD CARE CENTER A facility that provides child care for more than five children unrelated to the operator outside the home. Typically child care centers in Sarasota are fully licensed by the County Department of Health, but faith-based centers are exempt from Florida licensing statutes. E. CHILD CARE PROVIDER A child care center, family child care home, or an informal designated individual that provides direct services to children enrolled in the School Readiness Program. F. CHILD CARE PURCHASING POOL Purchasing Pool funds are used to provide subsidies to lowincome working parents who are eligible for subsidized child care with a 50% dollar cash match from employers, local government and other contributors. Allowable expenditures are limited to the purchase of child care slots. Low-income families are eligible up to 200% of the federal poverty level. G. CHILD CARE EXECUTIVE PARTNERSHIP (CCEP) BOARD The state-level agency that administers a purchasing pool to encourage private businesses to provide child care for their eligible employees by matching the contributions of employers. Local government entities are also allowed to participate, but are lower in priority for funding than private businesses. H. CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL (CCR&R) Title of the seamless system to address the child care needs of community parents regardless of income. Information on available early education and child care settings are provided by the local CCR&R agency, as well as information on quality services that various other community agencies offer. I. CENTRAL AGENCY The historical term used for a primary contractor that helps local Coalitions deliver School Readiness Program services to local children, families, and child care providers. J. COALITION The School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. K. CONTRACT MANAGER The Coalition s Executive Director, responsible for the successful implementation and execution of all contracts for School Readiness Program services in Sarasota County. The contract manager enforces performance of the contract terms and conditions and serves as the primary liaison between the Coalition and the Contractor. L. CONTRACTOR A business under contract to provide services to the Coalition. M. COST REIMBURSEMENT A method of payment used to reimburse the Contractor for actual expenditures incurred in accordance with a line item budget. 4

5 N. DIRECT COSTS Payments made to child care providers by the Contractor, otherwise known as slot dollars. O. ENHANCED FIELD SYSTEM (EFS) The data management system used by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness and the Coalition to track operations and expenditures. P. FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME (FCCH) A licensed facility that regularly provides child care for a small number of children (usually between 4 and 10, depending on the ages of the children) in a home. Each facility must include children from at least two unrelated families. This type of facility is also known as a Family Day Care Home. Q. FISCAL YEAR An accounting period of twelve months. For Florida state-level government operations, it runs from July 1 st through the following June 30 th. R. FPSR Florida Partnership for School Readiness, administratively housed in the Agency for Workforce Innovation, is the agency responsible for executing the School Readiness Program throughout the state of Florida, and the one which allocates funding to the Coalition. S. GOLD SEAL PROJECT A Sarasota County project that ties together several local funding streams, including County government Grants-In-Aid, United Way, the School Readiness Coalition, and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, to assist child care providers progress through the national accreditation process and earn the designation as a Gold Seal provider. Once designated, Gold Seal providers can earn rates up to 20% in excess of the currently allowable child care reimbursement rates for non-gold Seal providers. T. INCOME ELIGIBLE FAMILIES Families whose income does not exceed 150% of Federal Poverty Level guidelines at the time of eligibility determination. This term is also referred to as Low Income. U. INDIVIDUALIZED EARLY CARE PLAN (IECP) A plan that addresses each child s individual developmental needs as determined by the Contractor based on the results of screening. The plan s components include, but are not limited to strengths and weaknesses related to developmental growth; developmental goals and objectives; and activity implementation plans for teachers and families. V. INVOICE A standardized form used by the Service Provider to request payment from the Coalition. W. INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE (ITN) A multi-step process of ranking proposals and then negotiating with one, some, or all vendors based on the ITN. By incorporating negotiations into the process, vendor proposals may be clarified and modified to better meet Coalition needs and to provide innovative services. X. LOCAL MATCH A contribution from a local source used to match available state dollars for specific programs. Each Coalition is responsible for raising a 6% match to receive state School Readiness funding for Billing Group 8 (working poor) clients. Coalitions are also responsible for raising local funds to bring in CCEP funding and augment the basic slot dollar budget. CCEP matching funds are available on a dollar for dollar basis. Y. NON-DIRECT COSTS Management, administrative, and quality-related costs of contractors and the Coalition incurred in the delivery of the services included in this Invitation To Negotiate. Z. PARENT FEE The parent s co-payment for child care services. This is based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) taking into account family size and household income. The fee is set in a schedule adopted by each Coalition and updated annually as the FPL guidelines are published. AA. PREVAILING MARKET RATE The 75 th percentile of the market rate as determined by an annual market rate survey accomplished by each area s CCR&R contractor and reported to the Florida Children s Forum. The survey reflects what child care providers in the community are charging the general public in order to provide guidance for establishing child care rates to be paid by the state. BB. REGIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT/WELFARE TRANSITION PROGRAM BOARD Workforce Florida, Inc. was created by the Florida legislature to provide welfare transition services through regional workforce development/welfare transition program boards. Such boards have assumed the responsibilities for work requirement activities associated with the Temporary Assistance for Needy 5

6 Families (TANF) Program. Such activities and child care service referrals were formerly done through local Welfare Transition Coalitions and staff. CC. RELATIVE CAREGIVER PROGRAM Child care provided for children who have been adjudicated dependent, have an approved home study, and either have been placed by the court with the relative under protective supervision, or the relative has been granted temporary custody by the court. The child shall be a recipient of the cash payment as part of the Relative Caregiver Program basis. DD. RESPITE CHILD CARE Care provided to alleviate a crisis. A crisis is defined as an acute situation which places children at risk due to parental emergency, need for respite, lack of resources, special needs of the child, or extenuating circumstances beyond the family s control requiring short term assistance to increase family stability and decrease risk potential. The family shall be a TANF recipient to receive respite services. The maximum benefit period is thirty days per child in a state fiscal year. EE. SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM A system of services that provides early education and care for children of eligible families, ages These services include education, protection, enrichment, and supervision of a child, for a period of less than twenty-four hours per day on a regular basis, in accordance with the child s individual needs. These services are also referred to in cost terms as Direct Services. FF. SEALED REPLY The term used per Section 287(3)(a) F.S. that pertains to vendor proposals submitted in response to competitive procurements that utilize the Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) process. GG. SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN Children, as defined in Chapter , F.S., who are currently applicants or clients of the School Readiness child care program and who have been determined by the Contractor and/or the Coalition to meet eligibility criteria due to their individual physical or mental developmental delays. HH. TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) The federal economic assistance program to families administered under the Department of Children and Families, Economic Self-Sufficient Program. This program is authorized under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act. II. TRANSITIONAL CHILD CARE (TCC) Child care for TANF families when their income rises past 150% of the FPL. They are considered eligible to continue receiving School Readiness child care services until the family income exceeds 200 % of the FPL. JJ. VENDOR An business not currently under contract to provide services to the Coalition. KK. VOUCHER/CERTIFICATE The documents necessary for the Contractor to authorize and verify payments to child care providers who are legally providing child care. LL. WELFARE TRANSITION Program which was implemented statewide October 1, 1996, in accordance with Chapter 414, F.S., and which provides eligible clients with temporary cash assistance. The Welfare Transition program merged with Workforce Florida, Inc. on July 1, 2000 in a public-private partnership for workforce development welfare transition program. 6

7 SECTION 2: ITN PROCESS 2.1 CONTACT PERSON. This ITN is issued by the School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. The contact person listed below is the sole point of contact for this ITN: Janet Kahn Executive Director School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL (941) LIMITATIONS ON CONTACTING SCHOOL READINESS COALITION PERSONNEL. Vendors are prohibited from contacting Coalition staff or Board members regarding this solicitation other than the contact person identified in this document. Any violation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor. 2.3 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND DEADLINES ACTIVITY DATE TIME ADDRESS* Public Notice of Procurement 12/05/03 N/A Invitation to Negotiate Released 12/05/03 9:00 am Notice of Intent to Submit a Sealed Reply to the Coalition no later than Vendors Conference 01/13/04 9:00 am All written inquiries to be received by 01/16/04 5:00 pm Coalition s response to inquiries 01/20/04 5:00 pm Vendor Sealed Replies shall be received by the Coalition by Official opening of Sealed Replies 02/04/04 9:00 am Evaluation Team begins process 02/04/04 Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Coalition website Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL and 12/29/03 5:00 pm 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL or via sarasotaschoolreadiness@comcast.net Official responses will be posted on website in addition to delivery via US Postal service or via 02/03/04 5:00 pm 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL :00 am Evaluation Team completes process 02/18/04 9:00 am Coalition Board review and approval of Procurement Committee recommendations Posting of Notice of Intent to Negotiate 02/18/04 8:30 am 02/19/04 9:00 am Initiation of Negotiations 02/24/04 9:00 am Approval of Contract(s) by School Readiness Coalition Board Effective Date of Contract 07/01/04 04/21/04 8:30 am 1960 Landings Blvd, Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room A-B, Brown Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Official results will be posted on the website and at 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL Landings Blvd, Room A-B, Brown Awning Bldg, Sarasota, FL * Locations subject to change. Notification of any changes will be made to all interested parties as well as posted on the website at 7

8 2.4 NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUBMIT A SEALED REPLY. Any interested vendor must submit a Notice of Intent to Submit a Sealed Reply form (Appendix A) to 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL Information regarding any addenda to the ITN and copies of written Coalition responses to questions resulting in clarifications or addenda to the ITN, will only be sent to those vendors who submit a written Notice of Intent to Submit a Sealed Reply via mail services or hand-delivery to the above address. 2.5 VENDORS CONFERENCE. The Coalition encourages all vendors who submit a written Notice of Intent to Submit a Sealed Reply to attend the Vendors Conference. Attendance at the Conference, however, is not a pre-requisite for acceptance of Sealed Replies from individuals or firms. Certified Minority Business Enterprises are also encouraged to participate in any conferences, pre-solicitation, or pre-bid meetings, which are scheduled. The Vendors Conference will be held on 13 January 2004, 9:00 am, at: 1960 Landings Blvd Room 101, Blue Awning Bldg Sarasota, FL INQUIRIES. All subsequent inquiries requesting clarification regarding this ITN shall be made in writing, to the identified contact person in Section 2.1 of this application by 5:00 pm 16 January Copies of responses to all inquiries which require clarifications and/or addenda to the ITN, will be made available by 5:00 p.m. 20 January 2004, on the website at and at 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, Responses to all questions will be mailed to all vendors who submitted a written Notice of Intent to Submit a Sealed Reply. 2.7 ACCEPTANCE OF SEALED REPLIES. All completed Sealed Replies shall be received by the Coalition no later than 3 February 2004 at 5:00 p.m. at 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL Any Sealed Reply submitted shall remain a valid offer for at least 120 days after the submission date. No changes, modifications or additions to the Sealed Replies submitted will be accepted by or binding on the Coalition after the deadline for submitting Sealed Replies has passed. The Coalition reserves the right to reject any and all Sealed Replies or to waive minor irregularities when to do so would be in the best interest of the Coalition. A minor irregularity is defined as a variation from the ITN terms and conditions that does not affect the price of the Sealed Reply, or does not give the Vendor an advantage or benefit not enjoyed by other prospective vendors, or does not adversely impact the interest of the Coalition. SEALED REPLIES NOT RECEIVED AT EITHER THE SPECIFIED PLACE, OR BY THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME, WILL BE REJECTED AND RETURNED UNOPENED TO THE VENDOR BY THE COALITION. 2.8 NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE. The Coalition will post a list of qualified vendors with whom it will seek to negotiate on 19 February 2004 at 9:00 a. m. at 4727 Elder Berry Drive, Sarasota, FL 34241, and on the website at The list will remain posted for 72 hours. 2.9 PROTEST OR DISPUTES. Any person who is adversely affected by the Coalition's decision concerning a procurement solicitation or Contract award and who wants to protest such decision shall file a protest in compliance with Section (3), Florida Statutes, and Rule 60A-1.006(6), Florida Administrative Code. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section (3), Florida Statutes, shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. Any vendor who desires to file a formal protest to this ITN, shall accompany that protest with a bond payable to the Coalition in an amount equal to one percent of the Coalition estimate of the total volume of the Contract or $5,000, whichever is less, which bond shall be conditioned upon the payments of all costs which may be adjudged against the Vendor in the administrative hearing in which the action is brought, and in any subsequent appellate court proceeding. In lieu of a bond, the Coalition may accept a cashier's check or a money order in the amount of the bond. Failure to file the proper bond at the time of filing the formal protest will result in a denial of the protest. 8

9 2.10 PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS. A. WHO TO NEGOTIATE WITH FIRST. After completion of the scoring process described in Section 7.1, the Coalition will determine whether there are vendors that meet the minimum requirements deemed necessary by the Coalition for conducting negotiations. Assuming that such minimum requirements have been met, the Coalition will negotiate with one or more of the highest scoring vendors, as posted, within seven (7) days following the protest period. Negotiations shall continue to the satisfaction of the Coalition or, if the Coalition determines a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached, the Coalition may initiate negotiations with one or more of the next highest-ranked vendors. B. NEGOTIATIONS WITH ADDITIONAL VENDORS. The Coalition reserves the right, at all times during the negotiation process, to negotiate with one or more vendors at the same time, but is under no obligation to do so. During the course of negotiations, the Coalition may determine that a particular service grouping or set of service groupings is better met by a vendor who is actually proposing to a different service grouping. In that case, the Coalition reserves the right to negotiate with such a vendor with respect to such service grouping or set of service groupings if deemed in the best interests of the Coalition. C. IF NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL. With respect to any of the services that are a part of this ITN, in the event that (i) the Coalition determines that no vendor has met the minimum requirements in order to initiate negotiations or (ii) a contract cannot be negotiated with any of the ranked vendors who respond to the ITN, the Coalition shall have the right to issue a new ITN or other process to seek qualified applicants, to provide the services itself, or to use another process (for example, sole source contracting) in order to have the service(s) provided. A representative of the negotiating vendor who is authorized to make decisions shall be present at all scheduled negotiation sessions. 9

10 SECTION 3: MINIMUM PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS 3.0 GENERAL STATEMENT. The Coalition is seeking a Contractor(s) to manage School Readiness Program services that will enhance the Coalition s goal of providing high quality and innovative early education and child care programs, primarily for children ages birth to five, but also for school-age children when funding permits. Each service activity should endeavor to improve a child s potential for future success in education and life, while recognizing the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs of the individual child. In addition, the Coalition reserves the right to decide to directly provide any of the following service groupings, rather than to contract them out, depending on the response to the ITN and subsequent negotiations with vendors, up until the time of actual contract award. A. SERVICE GROUPINGS. The Coalition intends to pursue contract(s) for services in five distinct service groupings. The services are School Readiness 1 (SR1) through School Readiness 5 (SR5). Vendors can propose to one grouping, any combination of service groupings, or to all of the five. The Coalition will subsequently closely coordinate, monitor, and evaluate daily performance of these functions through its Staff. Innovation and/or collaboration among agencies is strongly encouraged throughout the process. School Readiness 1. Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) is currently funded and contracted through the Florida Children s Forum, and may continue to be for FY2005. However, the Coalition has the right (and the responsibility) to choose which agency provides these services in Sarasota County. Basically, this program is responsible for providing quality referral and information for child care and early childhood education services to all families, without regard to socio-economic status. This effort includes maintaining the database of all licensed child care providers in Sarasota County. School Readiness 2. Core Services includes the basic suite of services historically provided by Community Child Care Coordinating (4C) Agencies/Central Agencies to all counties in Florida - eligibility determination of families for program participation, placement of children with providers per parental choice, monthly payment of child care providers, continuous management of the Direct Services budget (Utilization), responsibility for raising the Working Poor cash match, working with the Coalition in the recruitment of businesses and others to participate in the Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) Program, and a variety of family support services. School Readiness 3. Provider Assistance consists of an extensive program of support services that are offered directly to child care providers. The purpose of this program is to increase the quality and availability of early childhood care and education in Sarasota County. This function will include a wide range of technical assistance and training for providers, both centers and family homes, private and faith-based, accredited and non-accredited, and small and large. Regular assessments and evaluations of child care provider programs, with the goal of assisting providers in working toward improving quality and taking measurable steps toward accreditation, will also be offered. School Readiness 4. Screening Services includes age-appropriate developmental assessments on all School Readiness children 0-5. When intervention is determined to be appropriate, referrals will be made to programs such as EIP, FDLRS, or the Coalition s own Therapy Project. This service grouping also includes ensuring that annual vision and hearing screenings are conducted, along with annual pre-test and post-test assessments to determine progress made for all School Readiness children 0-5. School Readiness 5. Infant and Toddler Services include quality improvement activities and other supportive services that target providers who serve Infants and Toddlers. Innovative ideas are solicited that would help improve program quality, raise awareness of the need to increase capacity of providers for service to Infant and Toddler age children, assist providers to better understand infant mental health issues, early identification of infants with special needs, and efforts to actively involve parents, a critical component for effective care and development of Infants and Toddlers. 3.1 CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL (SR1) A. PROGRAMMATIC AUTHORITY (SR1). Authority for the Child Care Resource and Referral function is found in Sections and F.S. 10

11 B. SCOPE OF SERVICE (SR1). These programmatic services shall include: 1. Identification of existing public and private child care and early childhood education services, and the development of a resource file of those services. 2. Establishment of a referral process which responds to parental needs for information, and which is provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. 3. Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential providers of child care services per Section (4) F.S. 4. Assistance to families and employers in applying for various sources of subsidy including, but not limited to, child care, Head Start, Project Independence, private scholarships, and the Federal Dependent Care Tax Credit. 5. Provision of information regarding available community resources to families, and assistance with securing referrals for any community-based needs that the family may have. 6. Collaboration with County Licensing on issues of common interest. 7. Participate in community awareness activities regarding child care issues. C. MAJOR PROGRAM GOALS (SR1). 1. Implementation of an efficient, customer-friendly information and referral system that addresses the child care needs of parents, providers, and employers in Sarasota County. 2. Provision of technical assistance to new providers to help them get started, and to existing providers on how to improve their operations. 3. Assistance to families and employers on how to apply for child care related subsidies. 4. Education of families regarding available community resources and assistance to families with referrals for any community-based needs. 5. Help raise community awareness regarding the importance of quality child care. D. TASK LIST (SR1). The Contractor shall: 1. Provide information and assistance to all Sarasota County families without regard to income 2. Provide child care consumer information in the family's primary language; be culturally sensitive to all families; and offer services via telephone and at walk-in locations. 3. Establish and maintain a number of telephone lines adequate to meet the needs of the public. CCR&R services will be clearly listed and identified in local yellow pages telephone directories in both North and South Sarasota County areas. A system for the receipt of faxes and must also be established and maintained. 4. Provide referrals to the following child care services: a. Licensed and licensed-exempt child care centers b. Licensed or licensed-exempt/informal family child care homes c. Head Start programs d. Faith-based child care programs e. School-age programs 5. Provide telephone or in-person counseling to families that addresses, at a minimum, an explanation of available child care options, current child care openings, public assistance, tax credits and other financial aid, quality indicators, guidance on selecting child care settings, practical tips for a child care search, referrals and follow-up for health or other services, and other issues that the parent/customer may wish to discuss. Emphasis will be placed on parental choice for all services. 6. Provide families referral packets containing at least summary printouts of requested child care referrals (between 2 and 5 referrals, based on availability), licensing and child care resource and referral contact information, checklist(s) for selecting quality child care, and related community service referrals and information. 7. Conduct quarterly follow-up with randomly selected families (minimum of 20% who used CCR&R services), to determine if their needs were met and if they were satisfied with the services received. 8. Train the CCR&R parent services staff to deal with crisis situations/calls and with special needs issues. They will, as appropriate, make referrals to other community resources for services. 9. Provide written information regarding the CCR&R database to all new child care centers and homebased providers upon entry into the system, and at least annually thereafter, regarding relevant policies, procedures, training requirements, and the need for providers to submit updated information to the CCR&R database as occurring. 10. Conduct training/technical assistance sessions for providers, including information to new providers on how to get started with their business, and to existing providers on how to maximize their ability to serve children and parents in their community. 11

12 11. Assist families and employers in applying for various sources of subsidy including, but not limited to, School Readiness Program vouchers, CCEP Program, Head Start, private scholarships, and the federal dependent care tax credit. 12. Provide families with information regarding available community resources and assist with referrals for any community-based needs that families may have. 13. Make every effort to provide information for families in Spanish or Ukranian, as well as English, when requested by the family. 14. Collaborate with County Licensing on issues of common interest. 15. Collaborate with the Coalition on community awareness projects. E. PROFESSIONAL STAFF (SR1). The Contractor shall: 1. Be adequately staffed (as specified in the application and as later negotiated with the School Readiness Coalition) to provide all services required. Adequate staffing shall include the capability to cover the temporary absence of any member of the Contractor s team at any time. The Contractor shall also furnish job descriptions of all staff including salary ranges and minimum education requirements. 2. Maintain sufficient staff to deliver the agreed upon services as reflected in the Contractor's proposal. Staffing levels must include telephone counseling staff available to receive incoming consumer calls during specified hours. 3. Furnish the Coalition with an organizational chart listing positions, lines of authority, and an explanation of how the program relates to the entire agency operation. F. SERVICE TIMES (SR1). Child Care Resource and Referral counseling services must be available three days per week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., once per week from 7:00 am to 6:00 p.m., and once per week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. All calls must be answered by the third ring and/or retrieved during normal business hours. A message system must be used as backup only and to receive calls during non-business hours. All calls must be retrieved from the message system and answered within 24 hours (one working day) of the time the call was made. G. OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS (Performance Measures) (SR1). The Contractor shall be required to meet the following performance standards annually, whether services are performed directly or performed by a subcontractor: 1. One hundred percent (100%) of telephone calls to CCR&R are answered by the third ring and are not placed on hold for more than 2 minutes without being given the option to continue to hold or to schedule a call-back. 2. **When asked, more than eighty-five percent (85%) of CCR&R parent customers can list 1-3 items that constitute quality in child care. 3. One hundred percent (100%) of CCR&R parent and provider customers will receive services within one (1) working day of initial contact with CCR&R. 4. One hundred percent (100%) of parents requesting child care referrals will receive a minimum of 2-5 written referrals to match their needs (provider referral data will be verified at least quarterly). 5. Ninety-five percent (95%) of parents will indicate satisfaction with the services on surveys conducted by the Contractor. **The ranges given are performance targets and will be formally established in the negotiation and contracting process. 3.2 CORE SERVICES (SR2) A. PROGRAMMATIC AUTHORITY (SR2). 1. Authority for the Florida Partnership for School Readiness and for local School Readiness Coalitions is provided in Section F.S. 2. Authority for TANF services and Workforce Development services is provided in applicable parts of Part A, Title IV of the Social Security Act, 45 CFR Part 260, and Sections (1), , and F.S. 3. Authority and standards for child care services is provided in Sections , and F.S., Rule 60BB-4.100, 60BB-4.200, 60BB , 60BB-4.300, 65C-20, 21, and 22 FAC, and the Child Care Development Block Grant 45 CFR Part 98 and Computer Related Crimes are covered by Chapter 815, Florida Statutes. 5. Authority for processing requests for payments from child care providers is provided in Section , F.S. and Chapter 3A-24, FAC. 12

13 B. SCOPE OF SERVICE (SR2). The Contractor shall deliver a comprehensive suite of services that will enable families and providers to participate in the School Readiness Program. This program is designed to enhance the cognitive, social, and physical development of children as they strive to achieve the performance standards and outcome measures as specified by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness (FPSR). The program shall provide approximately 1300 children with early education and child care services on a monthly basis, and shall include. 1. Determination of eligibility of families and children for School Readiness services. 2. Survey of families during eligibility screening process for other social service needs or information regarding available community services to assist with general child development or School Readiness issues. 3. Provision of printed materials related to family needs identified during the survey process. 4. Enrollment of children via the Simplified Point of Entry (SPE) and the Unified Wait List System (UWL) systems for School Readiness services. 5. Placement of children with providers per parental choice. 6. Information provided to parents regarding their responsibilities as the child s first teacher. 7. Reimbursement of child care providers monthly via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). 8. Recording, tracking, and reporting of service program data by funding category, provider type, and demographic variables using the state s EFS System to manage the rate of Direct Services utilization. 9. Acquisition and management of the local match requirement. 10. In collaboration with the Coalition, enrollment of business partners into, and management of the execution of, the Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) Program. 11. Collaboration with County Licensing on issues of common interest. C. MAJOR PROGRAM GOALS (SR2). 1. Determination/redetermination of the eligibility of all School Readiness families and children for initial/continued enrollment in the program. 2. Determination of family social service needs and dissemination of information and referral to other community agencies as appropriate. 3. Effective utilization of the SPE and the UWL to facilitate full parental choice across the continuum of School Readiness services and programs. 4. Prompt and responsive placement of children with providers per parental choice. 5. Education of parents regarding their responsibilities as the child s first teacher. 6. Effective and responsive customer service relations with all area child care providers. 7. Development, maintenance, and documentation of an efficient payment reimbursement system to process monthly child care payments to providers according to requirements set out in subcontract and voucher agreements. 8. Tight management of monthly Utilization data to ensure continued proper allocation of School Readiness funds within 1% of threshold as established by FPSR, without exceeding the budget. 9. Acquisition of the mandated local cash match amount as determined by FPSR. 10. In collaboration with the Coalition, increased participation of local businesses in the CCEP Program. D. TASK LIST (SR2). 1. Eligibility Determination and Redetermination. a. The Contractor shall provide timely, convenient, quality eligibility determination/redetermination services to families seeking scholarship assistance for child care in all geographic areas of Sarasota County b. The Contractor shall provide such services in the client s primary language whenever possible. c. The Contractor shall process the applications of families applying for assistance according to the guidelines, mandates and priority for service established by the following statutes and by the Coalition: 1) The Contractor must be able to communicate and work effectively with Department of Children and Families and Workforce Development Board case managers, and shall determine eligibility of potential School Readiness children and families according to guidelines established by CCDF, TANF, Section F.S. and Rules 60BB-4.100, 60BB-4.200, 60BB , and 60BB of the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). 2) Coalition priorities for School Readiness Services in Sarasota County are as follows: Priority I First Priority for child care shall be given to children ages 0-12 of participants in the TANF program as determined by the Agency for Workforce Development, to At-Risk 13

14 children ages 3-5 not already enrolled in public school (Rilya Wilson Act) as determined by the Department of Children and Families, to At-Risk children ages 0-2 as determined by the Department of Children and Families, and to School-Age At- Risk children (ages 5-12), again as determined by the Department of Children and Families. Referrals for the families in this priority group are required Priority II Second priority for participation in the School Readiness program shall be given to those children under the age of kindergarten eligibility who meet one or more of the criteria listed in Section (6), F.S., including the following: o Children of working families as defined by Rule Chapter 60BB-4, F.A.C., whose household income is below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level upon entry in the program. o Children of families eligible for Transitional Child Care and the Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) Program whose household income does not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Workforce Development Board staff will authorize Welfare Transition and Transitional Child Care o Special needs children, ages 13 years through 17, who are in need of care due to disability, and where such care is needed for the parent to accept or continue employment or participate in other work activities. Priority III o School-age children who are enrolled in kindergarten through twelve (12) years of age that meet one of the eligibility priorities of Section (6), F.S. not already mentioned above. 3) Participation in the School Readiness program shall be authorized for children 0-12 years old who meet one or more of the following criteria: Children who are at-risk of abuse and neglect. Children of working families whose household income is below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children of families participating in the Child Care Executive Partnership Program if the household income does not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children of families eligible for Transitional Child Care until the household income exceeds 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children of families eligible for Temporary Cash Assistance (TANF) until the household income exceeds 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children whose families are TANF eligible and are participating in the respite child care program. School-Age children between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen (17) years, who meet special needs criteria. Other eligibility criteria as established by applicable Florida Statutes, Rules and Coalition Authority. d. The Contractor shall notify those persons applying for services of their right to a review in cases of a determination of ineligibility for services or for termination, suspension, or reduction in services. The Contractor shall develop a procedure for reviewing the cases of families who request this action. e. The Contractor shall work with the Coalition's Executive Director to resolve cases of disputes regarding childcare eligibility. The Coalition Executive Director will make the final determination. f. Distribution and utilization of Contractor funding for childcare services among priority levels is a joint responsibility between the Contractor and the Coalition. However final determination rests with the Coalition. The Contractor must agree to follow the Coalition's directives regarding prioritization of clients. g. Eligibility staff shall be co-located and work as part of a team with staff from other agencies where possible. h. The Contractor must manage resources to serve At-Risk and Welfare Transition families as priority populations within mandated timeframes. Of particular concern are children under five years of age. i. The Contractor shall survey families during the eligibility screening process regarding their needs and provide materials related to those needs, and refer those families to other available community agencies as appropriate. 14

15 j. The Contractor shall educate parents to reinforce the importance of their role as the child s first teacher. k. The Contractor shall meet the School Readiness needs of specialty populations of families and children in culturally relevant ways. When appropriate, this shall include engagement of key community agencies or groups that have particular expertise and/or services available to work within those cultures. Collaboration among agencies is vital to the success of meeting the needs of the whole community. 2. Enrollment In Quality Child Care Services. The Contractor shall: a. Meet the needs of families with children in care and ensure continuity of care from entry to exit for all children referred. b. Track children served by funding stream, from entry until exit from services, and closely monitor utilization of Contract funds c. Utilize the SPE for families applying for School Readiness programs. d. Develop and administer fair and efficient wait list procedures, and collaborate as needed to achieve a Unified Wait List with Head Start, Even Start, and HIPPY program staff. e. Provide timely services to priority families, and convenient, quality care to all families, including explanation of fees required by participation in the School Readiness Program, and the authority of providers to levy certain other reasonable fees. f. Inform parents that they also have the option of choosing providers who do not accept School Readiness vouchers as payment in full for their services. In these cases, parents are liable for the additional costs to the provider. g. Provide support and assistance to parents who have emergency child care needs, and administer funds to pay for approved emergency child care services. h. Ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, children determined to be at risk of abuse or neglect are placed in licensed centers or homes that meet requirements outlined by the Coalition. i. Ensure that all providers sign an Early Child Care Agreement Form approved by the Coalition prior to placement of School Readiness children in their sites. 3. Customer Service to Child Care Providers. The Contractor shall achieve and maintain effective and responsible customer service relations with all child care providers. The Contractor shall: a. Ensure effective and ongoing communication with providers related to placement of children at their site, including timely and accurate processing of all paperwork and required forms, as well as any changes made in care level or conditions. b. Implement effective and ongoing communication with providers regarding issues of importance to them, including news of Coalition programs and operations, as well as state and national developments that may also impact them. c. Distribute and effectively manage the Early Child Care Agreement Form approved by the Coalition, including helping providers to understand the form s terms and conditions, and ensuring that all providers who care for School Readiness children have signed the current form and that it is on file. 4. Monthly Payment Of Child Care Provider Invoices. The Contractor shall: a. Clearly communicate to the child care provider the established Parent Fee, and any changes to the School Readiness Program that may occur, in a timely manner. b. Work with providers to ensure that families have a $0 balance in Parent Fees prior to being authorized to transfer their voucher to another child care provider. c. Make payments to child care providers by the 15 th of each month who submitted properly completed invoices by the 3 rd working day of the month. d. Ensure that an EFT system is utilized for monthly payments to child care providers who have that capability. e. Use the state-mandated EFS system to track and report services by funding category, provider type, and demographic variables. f. Conduct post attendance monitoring and any necessary follow-up to ensure the accuracy of payments and the appropriate use of public funds. 5. Acquisition And Management Of The FPSR Local Match Requirement. The Contractor shall: a. Secure local matching funds, in compliance with annual proviso language, to allow full payment of provider invoices for working poor and migrant families. The state allocation for child care services is contingent upon the local match share being met on an annual basis. 15