Therapeutic Foster Care Services

The contract focuses on delivering Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) services as part of California's ongoing efforts to improve mental health care for foster children and youth. It builds on previous reforms mandated by the 2011 Katie A. v. Bontà settlement and the 2015 Continuum of Care Reform (AB 403), which aimed to reduce group home placements and the length of time foster children spend there. The TFC model provides intensive, trauma-informed, and highly coordinated care for children and youth with complex emotional and behavioral needs, with specially trained foster parents playing a central role under the supervision of licensed clinicians from Foster Family Agencies (FFAs). These services are funded through Medi-Cal’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program, ensuring access to comprehensive, preventive care for individuals under 21. This solicitation, issued by the California Behavioral Health Department, is aimed at selecting providers qualified to deliver these specialized foster care services. The proposal must be submitted by April 17, 2026, and the contract will be managed out of Tuolumne County, California. Primary points of contact for this solicitation are Abraham McDonald, Senior Staff Services Analyst, and Liz Peterson, Deputy County Administrator. The initiative represents a continuation of systemic reform efforts to better meet the mental health needs of foster youth through coordinated and trauma-informed foster care services within California’s public health framework.