RFR: Child Care Resource and Referral Services RFR Number – 2013 EEC CCRRS 003 August

FY2013 CCRR Posting RFR Posting Available Comm-PASS at Available on EEC’s website at under Funding Opportunities Responders are responsible checking EEC’s website for updates to the RFR 2

FY2013 CCRR Time Line Due Date RFR Release DateAugust 9, 2012 Intent to BidAugust 17, 2012 by 4:00 PM Boston Bidder’s ConferencesAugust 21, 2012, 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM Springfield Bidder’s ConferencesAugust 22, 2012, 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM Written Questions DueAugust 24, 2012 by 4:00 PM Responses Posted (estimated)August 31, 2012 Proposals DueSeptember 19, 2012 by 4:00 PM Evaluation PeriodSeptember 24 – 28, 2012 Notification of Awards (estimated)October 1, 2012 Contract Start DateJanuary 1,

4 CCRR FUNCTION CHART

CCRR Function Description Recognizing that the demand for family and provider services fluctuate throughout the year, CCRR staff must be cross-trained in order to deliver these various services. 5

Family Focused Services Consultation & Referral Services Typical referrals: Complete intake and provide referrals from NACCRRAware database for child and/or out of school time care based on family preferences Provide outstanding customer service (available in traditional and non-traditional hours, use active listening, set expectations, help develop action plan, provide timely referrals and message returns) Provide services in languages spoken by families in service area Provide referrals through mixed delivery methods (phone, , fax, online, smart phone app, in person, mail) Conduct follow up call 6

Enhanced Referrals: Complete intake for hard-to-serve/high risk/specialized needs families for child and/or out of school time care based on family preferences ECIS consent form used to obtain permission from family for CCRR staff to discuss needs of family with providers and check for availability Provide outstanding customer service (available in traditional and non-traditional hours, use active listening, set expectations, help develop action plan, provide timely referrals and message returns) Provide services in languages spoken by families in service area Provide referrals through mixed delivery methods (phone, , fax, in person, mail) Provide special assistance such as in person appointments Conduct check in calls and follow up calls 7

Voucher referrals: Link with families by phone at DTA office, and/or at CCRR office and complete intake Inform families on voucher process details Complete process for Enhanced referrals Mass 2-1-1: Follow through with families referred by Mass for Regular and Enhanced Referral services Connect with Mass on regular basis 8

II. Family Focused Services Provide parent education on topics to include: Types of care Licensing Quality care indicators QRIS Cost of care and financial assistance 9

II. Family Focused Services (continued) Provide resource and educational materials with referrals to include: Cover letter with disclaimer Checklist for program evaluation Quality indicators per QRIS EEC licensing information Other pertinent resources 10

II. Family Focused Services (continued) Link families to resources: Share information and link families to CFCE Provide information on other agencies and organizations that serve families Coordinate with CFCE: Convene regular meetings with each CFCEs in service area Create partnership plan with CFCEs Obtain family resource information from CFCEs as necessary Provide data to CFCE as needed 11

Family Focused Services (continued) Know the families and communities in service area: Conduct service area family needs assessment Connect with community leaders, public officials and stakeholders Review census data in cities and towns served Create plan for delivering services and materials in languages prevalent in service area 12

II. Family Focused Services (continued) Data Collection, Tracking and Reporting Complete parent intakes using all NACCRRAware fields Conduct family satisfaction surveys Generate reports (e.g. family data, demand for child care, type of care used) 13

Training & Technical Assistance Training: Conduct training needs assessment of providers in service area Conduct trainings to focus on licensing, health and safety, voucher orientation Provide trainings in groups Provide trainings in languages spoken by providers in service area Provide trainings through varied methods Link providers to EPS for QRIS and other coursework training Post EPS trainings on website 14 III. Provider Development and Engagement

Technical assistance: Provide assistance through varied methods including in person, , online Provide assistance to focus on: start up orientation, licensing, health and safety, voucher orientation, and other topics as needed Provide assistance at CCRR and at providers’ sites Promote high quality early education and care initiatives Coordinate with EPS: Create partnership plan with EPSs Provide data to EPS as needed Convene regular meetings with EPS in service area 15 III. Provider Development and Engagement (continued)

Resource Development Analyze supply and demand for child and out of school time care in service area by city and town Recruit new providers based on service area needs including providers to take families using vouchers Conduct presentations with local business organizations Conduct select visits to new and existing providers in service area Provide education and consultation to informal care providers in service area 16 III. Provider Services (continued)

Data Collection, Tracking & Reporting Maintain and update provider database, completing all fields in NACCRRAware Track training and technical assistance given to providers Generate reports on a variety of data collected Conduct exit interviews with providers Conduct provider satisfaction surveys 17 III. Provider Development and Engagement (continued)

Staffing and Internal Control Employ staff and provide materials that reflect the diversity and linguistic needs of families and providers in areas served. Ensure that staff is knowledgeable about EEC’s licensing and subsidy regulations and policies Have sound written financial policies and procedures in place 18 General Management

Quality Assurance Achieve NACCRA Quality Assurance within two years of submission to NACCRA or awaiting final visit by 12/31/14. Data Management Possess technical capacity and IT support to carry out agency functions, provide online services, produce reports and gather feedback. 19 General Management

Hours and Operations Maintain full day and full year services excluding state and federal holidays. Maintain at least one administrative office, convenient to the population that you serve, in every regions that you propose to serve. 20 General Management

Appendix A: Narrative Questions to be answered by respondents Appendix B: Evaluation of Responses Appendix C: Required Specifications Appendix D: List of Cities and Towns in each EEC Region Appendix E - 1: Demographic Information regarding Cities and Towns in Massachusetts Appendix E - 2: FY13 CCRR Funding Formula Narrative Appendix F: Allocation of Funding: Estimated Amounts by City/Town Appendix G: EEC Providers/System Reimbursement Rates Appendix H: Contracting Fiscal Status Appendix I: New Contractor Fiscal & Administrative Review Appendix J: CCRR Function Chart and Description of Function Reference Materials: National Data Set CCRR Data Summary 21 Additional Information

FY2013 CCRR: Late Submissions In general, applications received after the deadline will NOT be reviewed or considered for funding. EEC reserves the right to review and/or fund a proposals submitted after the deadline where an emergency situation caused or contributed to the late submission. EEC shall have the right to specify the amount of time for submission of such additional information/ revisions. EEC shall have the right to disqualify proposals where such information and/or revisions are not submitted within the timeframe specified by EEC. 22

Proposals will be evaluated based on the rating criteria in Appendix B of the RFR. In determining contract awards, EEC will consider a number of relevant factors, including but not limited to each proposers score, adequate geographic coverage, contracting history, and best value. EEC reserves the right to alter the amount of funding available or awarded to a contractor based on the proposal score. EEC reserves the right to interview and/or negotiate with proposers as part of the evaluation process. 23 FY2013 CCRR: Evaluation of Proposals

The Child Share Financial Assistance (CCFA) system will have improved process and end user benefits 24 Streamlined The web based application ensures ease of connectivity and support Applies consistent rules and practices with this system versus fragmented business rules Ensure workflow and application rules comply with current regulations CCR&Rs, CPs, and EEC staff will have positive impact from improvements in IT Applications Built in online help functions to improve end user productivity Ability to upload documents into the application will assist in workflow, organization and tracking of information Integration with Licensing Manager, PQ Registry, QRIS and KinderWait

Improvements for CCRRAs Central data source reduces IT costs and eliminates the need for replication – multiple instances of families and providers. PRISM(Person Resolution Information SysteM) a robust mechanism that uniquely identifies Individuals entered into the system Common Subsidy Management and Intake business rules will exist for EEC Financial Assistance Fully electronic/online attendance and billing submissions. Better data quality and reporting capability. Children that are already in CCFA or in KinderWait do not need to be re-entered during eligibility 25 There are ten separate CCRRA databases. The data must be transferred to EEC daily. Families who move to a different region are re-entered in the new CCRRA database. Voucher Subsidy Management business rules are not the same as those for Contracts. Manual paper billing process. Thousands of Requests for Reimbursement are mailed to providers and returned for CCRA data entry. CCIMSCCFA