Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification. Specifications include, but are not limited to: 2.1 Purpose: The purpose of this contract is to partner with an organization to utilize funds made available through the Children’s Bureau Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), and American Rescue Plan (ARP) to provide prevention services and supports to fathers to increase their involvement in the care and support of their children in order to prevent contact with the Department of Child Safety. 2.2 Background: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.3 million children, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. Consequently, there is a father factor in nearly all social ills facing America today. Research has found that fathers’ involvement and positive interactions with their children are important for their children’s health, self-esteem, social skills, and educational attainment. Multiple studies have found an increased risk of child abuse and neglect for children living without a biological father. Other studies have found positive links between father involvement and their children’s graduation from high school, social-emotional adjustment during childhood, and mental health in adulthood.
