Specifications include, but are not limited to: Alameda County’s Maternal, Paternal, Child, Adolescent Health’s (MPCAH) unit seeks to contract an Infant Development Specialist Consultant to provide direct client services in the home and/or at community-based locations to children 0-3 years with, or at high risk for, developmental disabilities. The selected bidder shall provide any needed developmental screenings and assessments as required by the program, and relationship based, family centered developmental interventions for the priority population. The home visiting model of care has been shown to be an effective method of supporting families, particularly as part of a comprehensive and coordinated system of services. With over 17,300 annual births in Alameda County of which 4,500 are born to women on Medi-Cal, providing family support services to this population is critical to improve outcomes for young children and their families. During Fiscal Year 2021-2022 ACPHD served 2,844 clients and provided 17,600 encounters through its MPCAH Home Visiting programs. This collective of Home Visiting programs, referred to internally as the Home Visiting System of Care, aims to address and enhance the physical and socio-emotional health and self-sufficiency of pregnant people, mothers, fathers, caregivers and families with young children in our county. The following themes are at the foundation of the Home Visiting System of Care: Strengthening Families: A focus on identifying and building upon strengths and assets through every interaction we have with families and communities. A Life Course Perspective: Emerging research documents the important role early life events play in shaping an individual’s health trajectory, as well as the interplay of risk and protective factors – such as socioeconomic status, toxic environmental exposures, health behaviors, stress, and nutrition – which influence health throughout one’s lifetime.
