Attachment I: SCDSS Children and Youth in Foster Care Bill of Ri.pdf

This document is a Bill of Rights attachment from the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) related to a Qualified Residential Treatment Program contract opportunity. The attachment outlines the rights and protections guaranteed to children and youth in foster care who are placed in residential treatment facilities. The document establishes foundational standards for how service providers must treat vulnerable youth in their care, including protections against abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill of rights covers children and youth across all residential treatment settings funded or regulated by SCDSS, ensuring consistent application of rights protections regardless of facility type or funding source. No specific contract term, response dates, due dates, site visits, or bidders' meetings are identified within this attachment, as it functions as a regulatory standards document rather than a solicitation with specific procurement timelines.

The Bill of Rights serves as a mandatory compliance framework and quality standard that qualified residential treatment program vendors must implement and maintain throughout the contract period. Pricing, set-asides, incumbent information, and specific funding amounts are not addressed in this attachment. Instead, the document establishes the baseline operational and ethical requirements that any organization bidding on or holding a SCDSS Qualified Residential Treatment Program contract must meet, making adherence to these rights protections a non-negotiable condition of contract award and ongoing performance. This attachment is designed to be incorporated into all related procurement documents and service agreements to ensure consistent protection of children and youth in SCDSS custody.