Through this RFA process, DCYF will award one contract per catchment area and as part of their proposal, the Contractor should identify: Goal 1. Ensure all licensed and unlicensed caregivers have access to the appropriate level of support services needed to provide quality care to the children and youth placed in their home. • Objective: Access to resources at time of placement. • Objective: Reduce the impact of systemic racial inequity. • Objective: Parity in resource support for licensed and unlicensed caregivers. • Objective: Ensure a continuous array of placement supports. • Objective: Increase caregiver satisfaction and retention rates. • Objective: Reduce barriers to placement with kinship caregivers who now have support. • Objective: Decrease in exceptional cost payments. Goal 2. Improve DCYF’s ability to support caregivers with opportunities to expand their knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience that best aligns with the needs of the children and youth. • Objective: Give caregivers the ability to develop skills to care for the child over time as the child’s needs change. • Objective: Develop caregiver skills to be able to care for children with higher needs. • Objective: Increase placement stability and reduce the number of placement episodes. Scope of work for Phase II of the Caregiver Supports Contract will be to provide placement supports to all licensed and unlicensed caregivers based on the new 1-7 caregiver support levels model and execute procurement for the Caregiver Supports Contract and roll out placement supports for all caregivers for the remaining six catchment areas. Even though caregiver supports participation is not mandatory for caregivers, Contractors still need to demonstrate due diligence in routine outreach and engagement efforts.
