Specifications include, but are not limited to: The State of Kansas is issuing this Request for Proposal to obtain competitive responses from vendors to provide a Child Care Market Analysis and Narrow Cost Analysis; A. Consulting with partners 1. Prior to conducting the market rate survey, the lead agency and this bidder will consult with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, local child care program administrators, child care resource and referral agencies, organizations representing caregivers, teachers and directors, and others, such as Tribal leadership, as appropriate meeting all of the requirements in the 45 CFR 98.45 pertaining to the market rate study and narrow cost analysis. This bidder will plan and facilitate all consultation completed and include this information and actions taken based on the feedback in the final report. Any potential additional provider survey questions will be reviewed in coordination with these groups and previously gathered survey results may be obtained through cooperation with these groups and used to inform the results and needs. B. Childcare provider types: 1. Determine the number of regulated providers by type and county 2. Determine provider rates charged to the private sector by type of provider, county and age group of child. (a). Current age groupings used are based on child care provider feedback from the most recent Market Rate survey completed in March 2021. For Licensed Homes, they are 0-17 months, 18-35 months, 36-59 months and 60 months and older. For Child Care Centers, they are 0-11 months, 12-35 months, 36-59 months and 60 months and older. C. Kansas county rate groupings: 1. Determine the accuracy of current rate groupings of Kansas counties by hourly rate and type of childcare providers. (a). Bidder may determine based on survey results the most appropriate way to convert the reported rates into hourly rates, but this calculation must be included in detail in the final report with explanation on how it was determined.
