DCY Substitute Provider Pool

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from offerors (Offerors) to select one qualified Offeror to identify and establish a substitute pool of care providers (“Substitute Provider Pool”) for when supervision support is needed to provide care to youth in the custody of a Children Services agency awaiting a foster home, and support for early care and education programs to remain in teacher-to-child ratio compliance.   In recent years, Ohio has seen an increase in the complexity of the needs of children and young adults requiring out-of-home care with needs that include: Youth presenting with juvenile justice system involvement; mental health diagnoses; and special needs.  Although extensive efforts are made to locate and secure safe temporary placement for these children and young adults, there are occasions where these efforts do not yield an appropriate placement and they must spend the night in a Public Children Services Agency (PCSA), or other setting, when all other placement options have been exhausted.  While the former is not ideal, the Agency, in partnership with stakeholders, has been developing supportive options to assist when placement concerns arise, and one option suggested by PCSA was the creation of a Substitute Provider Pool to assist agencies with supervision support.  Proposals must clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s capability of providing services as described in this RFP.  It is the intent of the Agency to launch  a statewide program to establish a substitute provider pool to serve two populations; children who have come to the attention of a children services agency and require out-of-home care and children who are in early care and education programs that need support to remain in teacher-to-child ration compliance. The substitute provider pool will consist of a resource list of caregivers within Ohio who can provide care to children as noted above.  The resource list of caregivers will consist of former teachers, daycare providers, college students on a social services track, current or former caseworkers, mental health professionals, probation officers, childcare professionals and/or those who have experience working with children or young adults who have developmental disabilities.  When placement and supervision limitations arise (i.e., a placement cannot be secured, and a child must stay in the agency lobby), this substitute pool could be utilized for supervision support if needed.  Additionally, when staffing shortages impact a center’s ability to operate within state required mandates, this substitute pool could be utilized to ensure a center is able to provide care and remain in compliance.  The Agency is seeking an Offeror that will implement two tracks for this program.  One for Child Care which will be implemented in the initial year of the contract.  The second track will be for children service agencies.