Request for Proposals – Foster Care and Adoption Recruiter Services
MEDINA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MEDINA COUNTY
JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Foster Care and Adoption Recruiter Services
PROPOSAL REQUEST
The Medina County Board of Commissioners and Medina County Job and Family Services are seeking proposals for Recruitment Services for the Foster Care and Adoption Programs for the children services division of Medina County Job and Family Services. Services will be reimbursed by available PCSA federal, state and local funding sources. Sealed proposals will be received by Medina County Job and Family Services located at 232 Northland Drive, Medina, Ohio 44256 until 10:00 a.m. Ohio time, Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
FORMAT
All proposals should be typed in at least 12 pt font, on numbered 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch pages, with one (1) original and one (1) copy submitted. Costs for developing the proposals are solely the responsibility of the bidders. No reimbursement will be authorized or paid for such costs.
Proposals will be opened immediately following as provided by law. All proposals to be submitted in a sealed envelope marked, “MCJFS-Recruitment Services” by the date and time specified. The Medina County Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. All awards are contingent upon successful contract negotiation. A respondent may not be recommended for funding, regardless of the merits of the proposal submitted, if they have a history of contract non-compliance with the Medina County Commissioners or Medina County Job and Family Services (MCJFS), and/or poor past or current contract performance.
BIDDER CONFERENCE
A bidder conference will be held Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. at Medina County Job and Family Services at 232 Northland Drive, Medina, Ohio 44256. Please call 330-661-0830 for directions, if required. Directions are also available on our website: www.mcjfs.us
CONTRACT TIME FRAME
Contract time frame will be from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
Rollover for second year
Programs and services can be continued without the necessity of a Request for Proposal process pursuant to the general procurement policy, and if MCJFS and the Medina County Commissioners:
- Determine the continued need for the program/services for a second year
- Assess the first program year’s performance as satisfactory
- Determine there are sufficient funds
- Determine it is cost beneficial to continue an existing program and service contract
- The continuance is subject to successful contract and budget negotiations
PROPOSAL DETAILS
Pre-Award Survey
Organizations and individuals with which the Medina County Commissioners have not previously contracted with and which are selected through a competitive request for proposal process will be subject to a pre-award survey to assure they have:
- A satisfactory record of integrity, business ethics and fiscal accountability, and
- The necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and
- Adequate financial resources or the ability to obtain them.
Withdrawals or Corrections
A submitted proposal may be withdrawn prior to the proposal due date. A written request to withdraw the proposal must be submitted to Cheryl Scheck, Medina County Job and Family Services, 232 Northland Drive, Medina, OH 44256. Mistakes discovered before the proposal deadline may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received by MCJFS no later than 24 hours before the proposal deadline. No corrections shall be made after the proposal opening.
Public Records
Applicants are advised that most documents in the possession of MCJFS are considered public records and subject to disclosure under the law.
Accessibility of Facilities and Services
Program facilities and services must be in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act.
Grievance Procedure
All funded programs will be required to have a written grievance procedure for both program participants and staff.
Location of Services
Services will be provided at MCJFS or a location agreed upon with MCJFS and the bidder.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this request is to provide recruitment services for the Foster Care/Adoption programs for the children services division of Medina County Job and Family Services. Recruitment is necessary to increase the number of appropriate licensed and approved foster homes that may transition to adoptive parents for children needing placement.
Proposals should be focused on the following:
- Recruitment-includes any outreach, education and support activities that Medina County Job and Family Services utilizes to help appropriate families become foster/adoptive parents. Successful recruitment begins with the first exchange with families through to licensure/approval and ultimately placement.
a. Indicate experience with recruitment of families.
b. Indicate any accreditations and/or licensing you have that would qualify you to conduct recruitment activities. - Outreach and Education– Includes efforts to educate the community about the need for foster parents in Medina County.
a. Indicate experience with community outreach efforts through a variety of methods combining personal contact, mass media, speaking engagements and use of social media.
b. Indicate experience with documentation including measurable goals, objectives and outcomes.
c. Indicate experience in utilizing foster/adoptive parents in support of outreach efforts. - Support-Includes liaison activities between the agency staff, foster parents, media, and the community.
a. Indicate experience in coordinating services amongst a variety of entities, serving as a contact person. This can include serving as clearing point for all recruitment materials and activities. - Assist in the coordination of activities to support the foster care program (e.g. RUMO, Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner, Summer and Fall Picnics and Events). Please indicate experience in coordinating activities and events. in the coordination of activities to support the foster care program (e.g. RUMO, Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner, Summer and Fall Picnics and Events). Please indicate experience in coordinating activities and events.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Narrative
Proposals must include a narrative of the program elements as well as a detailed budget substantiating the proposed cost of meeting the anticipated program outcomes. The program narrative should include an overview of how services will be delivered, a statement regarding staff recruitment and qualifications, of record keeping standards, coordination of supervision, and follow through and evaluation.
Also, the qualifications of staff need to be included. The qualifications can include, but are not limited to, educational background, child welfare and legal experience, and licensure.
Budget
Budgets must outline personnel costs (including fringe and administrative support costs), operational expenses (including space and utilities), equipment expenses (note: equipment purchases as part of this project revert back to MCJFS upon completion of this project), and miscellaneous expenses as anticipated. Travel costs can’t exceed the current state allowable rates and these rates can be found at the following website:
Memos | Office of Budget and Management (ohio.gov).
Budgets should be reduced to a unit rate of service and annual total budget can’t exceed $34,000.00.
Technical Assistance
Proposals should further include a billing plan per service component which delineates how the budget will be condensed to a unit or billable rate (i.e., hourly, component, or actual expense as incurred). Cheryl Scheck (330) 661-0830 is available to assist potential bidders on the development and construction of this figure.
Payroll Deductions
The successful bidder must agree to accept full responsibility for payment of all unemployment compensation, contributions or reimbursements, insurance premiums, workers compensation premiums, all income tax deductions, social security deductions and all other employee taxes and payroll accounting required for all employees.
Liability Insurance
The successful bidder will need to maintain comprehensive liability insurance and agree to hold the Medina County Commissioners and MCJFS harmless from all liabilities or claims caused or resulting from the bidder’s obligation for activities in their proposal.
Record Retention
Records for each funding period are to be retained for 3 years after the submission of the final expenditure report. However, records shall be retained beyond the prescribed period if any litigation or audit is begun or if a claim is instituted involving the grant or agreement covered by the records. In these instances, records shall be retained until the litigation audit, or claim has been finally resolved. In the event that such records may not be retained by the organization under contract, all records must be turned over to MCJFS.
Inspections
The Medina County Commissioners, MCJFS, and any other authorized representatives have the right of timely and reasonable access to any books, documents, paper computer records, or other records that are pertinent to the award, in order to conduct audits and examinations, and to make excerpts, transcripts, and photo copies of such documents. This right also includes timely and reasonable access to personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be reviewed initially by a panel of MCJFS staff and recommendations submitted to the Medina County Board of Commissioners for approval to enter into contract negotiations. The final contract will also be submitted to the Medina County Board of County Commissioners for approval prior to implementation. Recommendations will be based on compliance with proposal requirements, cost of services to be delivered, staff qualifications, and prior history of the contractor with contractual agreements.
SERVICE DELIVERY
Contractors must assure MCJFS that services are already available or can be developed and ready for referrals within 30 days of the contract initiation.
Bidder will work closely with MCJFS staff to determine geographically what areas in the county that recruitment services are needed. The bidder will be responsible for scheduling services and reviewing results with appropriate MCJFS staff. Bidder will also be responsible for maintaining proper case documentation for future case reviews.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS
The financial management system of each contractor who receives an award shall provide federally required records and reports that are uniform in definition, accessible to authorized federal, state and local staff, and verifiable for monitoring, reporting, audit, program management, and evaluation purposes.
The financial system shall provide fiscal control and accounting procedures that are:
- In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. It shall include:
a) Information pertaining to the awards, obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures and income
b) Effective internal controls to safeguard assets and assure their proper use
c) A comparison of actual expenditures with budgeted amounts
d) Source documentation to support accounting records
e) Proper charging of cost and cost allocations - Be sufficient to:
a) Permit preparation of required reports
b) Permit the tracing of funds to a level of expenditure adequate to establish that funds have not been used in violation of applicable restrictions
c) Permit the tracing of program income, potential stand-in costs and other funds
Cost Principles and Allowable Costs
Providers must adhere to all requirements in 2 CFR 200.
There are certain costs, which are either allowable or unallowable and there are certain prohibited activities. 2 CFR 200 are the current regulations and allowable and unallowable costs are in Subpart E – Cost Principles 200.400 to 200.475 and can be found at:
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl
Listed on the next page, but not limited to, are some of the allowable or unallowable costs found in 2 CFR 200.
Allowable Costs
To be allowable costs must meet the following general criteria:
- Be necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient performance and administration of Federal awards
- Be allocable to Federal awards under the provisions of 2 CFR 200
- Be authorized or not prohibited under State or local laws or regulations
- Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles, Federal laws, terms and conditions of the Federal award, or other governing regulations as to types or amounts of cost items
- Be consistent with policies, regulations, and procedures that apply uniformly to both Federal awards and other activities of the governmental unit
- Be accorded consistent treatment. A cost may not be assigned to a federal award as a direct cost if any other cost incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances has been allocated to the Federal award as an indirect cost.
- Except as otherwise provided for in this CFR, be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
- Not be included as a cost or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other Federal award in either the current or a prior period, except as specifically provided by Federal law or regulation
- Be adequately documented
Allowable costs – Continued
Personnel and non-personnel costs directly related to providing services to participants. Generally, such costs are:
- Salaries, fringe benefits, equipment, supplies, space, staff training, costs related to providing direct services
- Books, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used by or for participants
- Equipment and materials used in providing training to participants
- Classroom space and utility costs
Unallowable costs
The following are some of the unallowable costs:
1) Unallowed advertising and public relations costs as defined in 2 CFR 200
2) Alcoholic beverages
3) Entertainment Expenses
4) Bad debts
5) Personnel compensation which are unallowable
- Contributions and donations
- Legal expenses for prosecution of claims against the Federal Government
- Entertainment
- Fund Raising
- General Government expense
- Interest
- Lobbying
Funds must not be spent on construction or purchase of facilities or buildings except with certain exceptions. Funds cannot be spent on the following:
- Expenses prohibited under any other Federal, State or local law or regulation
- Foreign travel
Bid Proposal Cover Page
Individual, Agency or Organization Submitting Proposal
Name: ______________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip Code: __________________________________________________
Check One:
Sole Proprietor
For-profit organization
Not-for-profit organization
Government organization
Proposal contact person___________________________________________________
Contact person’s telephone number_________________________________________
Contact person’s email address_____________________________________________
Federal Employee I.D. number, if applicable__________________________________
Workers Compensation Account number, if applicable_________________________
Proposed amount of funds requested________________________________________
Included:
Budget
Qualification of staff
Documentation of Insurance
Narrative
__________________________________
Authorized Signature Date
____________________________________________________________________
Typed Name and Job Title
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORITY
I (We) the ____________________________________________ (1) the governing authority for
_____________________________________________________ (2) do hereby certify that
_____________________________________________________ (3) is duly authorized to enter
into an agreement or agreements, submit proposals/bids, negotiate proposals, sign contracts or modify contracts and terminate contracts in connection with the Medina County Commissioners/Job and Family Services.
Duly executed this ______________(day) of __________________________(month), 20___.
By:___________________________________________________
(A general power of attorney or certificate of authority or similar document may be submitted in lieu of this certificate)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fill in the governing body for your organization (Board of Directors, Board of Trustee, etc.)
Fill in the name of your organization
Fill in name of person signing agreement