ESBD_399071_1740523339354_RFP 2025-009 Child Care Services (CCS).pdf

Workforce Solutions Alamo is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Relay Texas (800) 735-2989 (TDD) or (800)735-2988 Voice.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP 2025-009

Purchase of: Management and Operation of Child Care Services (CCS)

Date of Release: February 25, 2025

RFP Submission Deadline: May 16, 2025, By 2:00PM CST

A pre-proposal conference has been scheduled for 10:00 AM CST on March 05, All questions related to this Request for Proposal must be emailed to Jennifer Ledford, Contract Manager , Jledford@wsalamo.org with copy to procurement@wsalamo.org.

mailto:Jledford@wsalamo.org mailto:procurement@wsalamo.org

Table of Contents

GENERAL INFORMATION

PART 1 – INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose of Request for Proposals (RFP)

1.2 Procurement Standards

1.3 Applicable Authorities

1.4 RFP Schedule

1.5 Issuance and Availability of RFP

1.6 Response Deadline

1.7 Open Records

1.8 Type of Contract

1.9 Contract Period

1.10 Eligible Offerors

1.11 Governing Provisions and Limitations

1.12 Administrative Requirements and Other Limitations

PART 2 – SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 Services

2.2 Fees/Charges

PART 3 – PROPOSAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 Proposal Review and Evaluation

3.2 Proposal Evaluation Criteria

PART 4 – PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A – Proposal Cover Sheet.

ATTACHMENT B – Bid Sheet

ATTACHMENT C – Certification Regarding Debarment

ATTACHMENT D – Certification Regarding Non-Discrimination & Equal Opportunity

ATTACHMENT E – Certification Texas Corporate Franchise

ATTACHMENT F - State Assessment Certification

ATTACHMENT G - Undocumented Worker Certification

ATTACHMENT H - Certificate Conflict of Interest

ATTACHMENT I - Certificate of Applicant

ATTACHMENT J – References

General Information

The Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) Board serves as the governing board for the regional workforce system, a network of service providers and contractors that bring people and jobs together. We represent the taxpayers of the 13-county Alamo region. Our membership reflects the diverse constituencies of the regional community: business, economic development, education, labor, community organizations and government.

Workforce Solutions Alamo serves Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina and Wilson counties.

Mission

Strengthen the Alamo Regional economy by growing and connecting talent pipeline to employers.

Vision

To lead the most integrated community workforce network in the nation.

Sector Base Model

It is the intent of the Workforce Solutions Alamo to collaborate with the Contractors to contribute innovative strategies in the performance of relevant products and services related to design, implementation, coordination, oversight, and reporting of activities/services to support WSA Sector Base Model.

• Targets a specific industry or cluster of occupations, developing a deep understanding of the interrelationships between business competitiveness and the workforce needs of the targeted industry.

• Intervenes through credible organization, or set of organizations, crafting workforce solutions tailored to that industry and its region.

• Supports workers in improving their range of employment-related skills, improving their ability to compete for work opportunities of higher quality.

• Meets the needs of employers, improving their ability to compete within the marketplace.

• Creates lasting change in the labor market system to the benefit of both workers and employers.

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

Workforce Solutions Alamo is soliciting proposals for the purchase of a Management and Operation of Child Care Services (CCS) throughout the Alamo Workforce Development Area (AWDA). The CCS program is a vital part of workforce services that assist eligible families to work or increase their educational abilities. The CCS program subsidizes child care for low-income families, promoting long-term self-sufficiency by enabling parents to work and/or attend workforce training or education activities. On average, more than 14,000 children are served through CCS every day in the AWDA.

It is the Board’s intent to contract with an entity that will strive to:

• Provide efficient and effective management and operation of CCS

• Provide quality customer services

• Meet or exceed performance expectations

• Maximize all available resources

• Minimize operational costs

• Improve the quality, availability, and affordability of childcare in the AWDA

The full range of services to be provided are detailed in Part 2 – Scope of Work.

1.2 Procurement Standards

This Request for Proposals (RFP) provides a uniform method for the procurement of specified goods/services, allowing for full and open competition. It contains the necessary background, requirements, technical specifications, information, and instructions for responding to the RFP. The services solicited under this RFP are procured under the competitive negotiation method of procurement, as described in the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Financial Manual for Grants and Contracts (FMGC).

1.3 Applicable Authorities

• All applicable federal statues, regulations, policies, and guidance as presently in effect and as they may become effective during the term of this Award.

• Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements and 2 C.F.R. Part 2900, Department of Labor (DOL) exceptions to 2 C.F.R. Part 200; and

• Approved Local Workforce Development Board Plan including modifications and amendments including: § 38.25 A grant applicant's obligation to provide a written assurance, and defined in § 38.4

1.4 RFP Schedule

The following schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the Board. Offerors should regularly check the WSA’s Board website (www.workforcesolutionsalamo.org) for posted updates. All updates and changes will be posted to BonFire. All times shown are Central Standard Time (CST).

Activity Date

Issuance of RFP February 25, 2025 https://www.twc.texas.gov/agency/financial-manual-grants-contracts https://www.twc.texas.gov/agency/financial-manual-grants-contracts https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-38/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFRc266e303d57dec5/section-38.25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-38/subpart-A/section-38.4

Pre-Submittal Conference March 05, 2025, at 10:00 AM CST see link below

RFP Questions due by March 06, 2025, by 4:00 PM CST Issue Q&A Addendum March 10, 2025

Proposals due by May 16, 2025, by 2 PM CST

Contract Start Date October 1st, 2025

Pre-Submittal Conference Link:

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 221 990 955 905 Passcode: GA6eS2c5

1.5 Issuance and Availability of RFP

This RFP is issued by the Workforce Solutions Alamo Board, under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, 100 N. Santa Rosa, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas 78207. WSA utilizes BonFire eBid Software for RFP distribution and electronic submission of proposals. To access the portal, Offerors are encouraged to register online workforcesolutionsalamo.bonfirehub.com/portal.

Questions to this RFP will be accepted in writing only. You may submit questions no later than seven days prior to the RFP deadline. All questions received will be responded to by formal addendum. The addendum will be posted on BonFire to view.

Note: All Workforce Solutions Board members, officers, staff, or authorized representatives are precluded from answering questions concerning this RFP or the procurement process. Offerors are asked to respect this condition by not asking questions or making requests for assistance, except to the authorized contact person. Violations may result in disqualification.

1.6 Response Deadline

Proposals must be submitted no later than May 16, 2025, By 2 PM CST. Offerors may provide electronic or physical submissions of proposal responses as follows:

• If Electronic: Offeror must register on BonFire to access the proposal request and to submit required documents: workforcesolutionsalamo.bonfire.com

• If Physical: Submit signed sealed proposal in an envelope to include one (1) printed original and one (1) electronic copy on USB thumb drive of the proposal and mark with RFP/RFQ solicitation Number and Title indicated on the top of the envelope, to:

Workforce Solutions Alamo Procurement Department 100 N. Santa Rosa, Suite 120 San Antonio, Texas 78207

The timely delivery of proposals is the sole responsibility of the Offeror. Workforce Solutions Alamo is not responsible for any failures and/or errors of omission. Disputes concerning late or non-delivered https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ODUzYjg4NDUtMjY4OC00ZTE3LWI1NDUtNDE0NTBhNGMzNGUx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2233ddac6d-ae28-4609-8792-5bc7d9153f37%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22bd41dab2-fa9b-4179-9acd-ef68dd89f6af%22%7d http://www.workforcesolutionsalamo.bonfirehub.com/portal https://workforcesolutionsalamo.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities proposals cannot be appealed. Any proposals or amendments received after the specified deadline will not be considered and will be deemed as late and non-responsive – NO EXCEPTIONS.

1.7 Open Records

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP/RFQ are subject to the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code, Chapter 552, and may be disclosed to the public upon request. Therefore, any confidential, privileged, or proprietary information contained within a proposal must be clearly identified by the Offeror in the proposal itself (each applicable page clearly marked). Such information will be kept confidential by Workforce Solutions Alamo to the extent permitted by State law.

1.8 Type of Contract

Workforce Solutions Alamo intends to negotiate a contract as a result of this RFP. Any contract resulting from this.

RFP/RFQ shall be contingent upon the receipt of sufficient funding from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and other sources. Negotiated contract amounts will be contingent upon funding received and available. The final contract will be subject to any changes in legislation, regulations, rules, or policies promulgated by the funding sources, including the U.S. Department of Labor and the Texas Workforce Commission. General and administrative provisions contained in this RFP will be incorporated into the resulting contract.

Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to vary or change the terms of any contract resulting from this RFP, including funding levels, scope of work, performance measures, adding other related programs or services and funding sources, and shortening or extending the contract period, as it deems necessary and in the best interests of Workforce Solutions Alamo.

1.9 Contract Period

It is the intent of WSA to award a single contract for the purchase of Child Care Services (CCS). The duration of the contract shall be for a 12-month period effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The Board may opt to extend each contract for up to four (4) one (1) year renewals upon written mutual consent of both parties. WSA reserves the right to terminate a contract at any time for convenience or based on contractor performance, matters of noncompliance or insufficient funds.

1.10 Who is eligible to Submit

All Offerors of the requested goods/services are eligible to respond to this RFP/RFQ. Small, Minority Women and Veteran-owned businesses, and Historically Underutilized Businesses are encouraged to respond to this RFP/RFQ.

Entities that are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, voluntarily excluded from participation or the receipt of funds from any federal department or agency are not eligible to respond to this RFP or receive a contract.

1.11 Governing Provisions

1. All proposals submitted to Workforce Solutions Alamo in response to this RFP will become the exclusive property of Workforce Solutions.

2. Proposal, if accepted, will become the basis for the contract scope of work.

3. The purpose of the RFP is to ensure uniform standards and information in the solicitation of proposals for requested goods/services. This RFP is not to be construed as a purchase agreement or contract or as a commitment of any kind; nor does it commit Workforce Solutions Alamo to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal or any other costs incurred prior to the execution of a formal contract unless such costs are specifically authorized in writing by Workforce Solutions Alamo.

4. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received, to cancel and/or reissue this RFP in part or its entirety.

5. This is a negotiated procurement utilizing the Request for Proposal/Bid method, and as such, the selection and award of a contract does not have to be made to the Offeror with the lowest priced, but rather to the Offeror submitting the best value proposal that satisfies Workforce Solutions Alamo and its Board requirements and is determined to be in the Board’s best interests.

6. There is no guaranteed purchase commitment. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to award a contract(s) for any services solicited in this RFP on an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Order quantity, IDIQ basis.

7. Workforce Solutions Alamo is a steward of public funds and is subject to all requirements under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and must act with reasonableness as a prudent person when making a decision with public funds.

8. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to extend, shorten, increase, or decrease any contract awarded as a result of this RFP.

9. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to waive any defect in the procurement or to correct any error(s) and/or make changes to this solicitation as it deems necessary. Workforce Solutions Alamo will provide notification of any changes to all known Offerors.

10. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to request additional information, clarification, or explanation of any aspect of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP.

11. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to negotiate the final terms of all contracts or agreements with selected Offerors. Any contract terms negotiated as a result of this RFP may be renegotiated and/or amended in order to meet the needs of Workforce Solutions Alamo.

12. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to contact any individuals, agency, employer, or grantee listed in a proposal, or to contact others who may have experience or knowledge of the Offeror’s relevant performance and/or qualifications; and to request additional information from all Offerors to this RFP.

13. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to conduct reviews of records, systems, procedures, including credit and background checks, etc. of any entity selected for a contract award. This may occur prior to, or after the award or execution of a contract. Any misrepresentation of the Offeror’s ability to perform as stated in the proposal may result in the disqualification of the Offeror or the cancellation of any contract awarded as a result of this RFP.

14. The Offeror selected for the contract award must meet the requirements of Workforce Solutions’ key control certification system to ensure the financial integrity of the entity prior to the execution of a contract. Workforce Solutions, or its designee reserves the right to conduct a pre-award review of the selected Offeror prior to the execution of a final contract.

15. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to withdraw or reduce the amount of any award or to cancel any contract resulting from this procurement if adequate funding is not available or due to legislative changes.

16. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to impose additional requirements and refinements to the terms and conditions, scope of work, performance measures, and funding amounts or sources during the contract term.

17. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to negotiate with the next highest ranked offer if unable to execute an agreement with the awarded offeror.

18. Offerors shall not engage in any activity which would restrict or eliminate competition under this procurement. Violation of this provision may cause an Offeror to be disqualified. This does not preclude joint ventures, partnerships, collaborations, or subcontracts.

19. Offerors shall not, under penalty of law, offer or provide any gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value to any board member, officer, employee, proposal evaluator, authorized agent of the Board, or elected official for the purpose of having an influencing effect on this procurement.

20. Offerors shall not attempt in any manner to advocate for lobby, or otherwise attempt to influence any board member, officer, employee, proposal evaluator, authorized agent of the Board, or elected official for purposes of having an influencing effect on this procurement.

21. No Board member, officer, employee, or authorized agent of Workforce Solutions Alamo shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Board funds if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, is involved.

22. All proposals submitted must be an original work product of the proposing entity. The copying, paraphrasing or other use of substantial portions of the work product of others and submitted hereunder as original work of the Offeror without written authorization and proper citation, is prohibited. Failure to adhere to this requirement may cause the proposal to be disqualified. All proposals and accompanying attachments will become the property of Workforce Solutions Alamo after submission and will not be returned.

23. The contents of a successful proposal may become a contractual obligation and be incorporated by reference into a contract. Offerors must intend to fulfill all the representations in their proposal. Failure of an Offeror to accept this obligation may result in the cancellation of an award or contract. No pricing error or mistake shall be available to a successful Offeror as a basis for release from the proposed services. Any damage incurred by Workforce Solutions Alamo because of a successful Offeror’s failure to contract may be recovered from the proposing entity.

24. A contract with the selected Offeror may be withheld, at the sole discretion of the Board, if an issue of contract or regulatory compliance or questioned/disallowed costs, audit or monitoring findings, or legal issues exist until such issues are resolved to the satisfaction of the Board.

25. Workforce Solutions Alamo reserves the right to deem as non-responsive or to disqualify any proposal that, in its sole discretion, does not comply with or conform to the terms, conditions, specifications, and/or requirements contained in this RFP.

1.12 Administrative Requirements and Other Limitations

1. Workforce Solutions Alamo will provide any training and/or technical assistance needed by the selected contractor regarding Board policies, documents, procedures, etc. that are specific to Workforce Solutions Alamo.

2. Employees of the contractor are subject to the exclusive control and supervision of the contractor. The Contractor is solely responsible for personnel matters including hiring, discipline, termination, supervision, criminal background checks, training, evaluation, etc. for its employees.

3. Proof of insurance is not a requirement for the submission of a proposal, but the selected Offeror will be required to obtain and provide proof for all insurances specified in this RFP and provide Workforce Solutions Alamo with proper certificates or policies prior to commencing work under a contract resulting from this RFP. Workforce Solutions Alamo must be listed as an additional insured on the Certificate of Insurance. Policies must remain in full force for the duration of a contract. Any changes in insurers, coverage, deductibles, modifications, alterations, or cancellations of coverage during the term of the contract must be immediately communicated to the Board. The following insurances/bonding are required:

a. General Liability – Contractor must carry general liability insurance coverage sufficient to cover any liability that may arise from the performance of a contract resulting from this RFP.

General liability must cover bodily injury and property damage to a third party and personal injury; $500,000 each occurrence or $1,000,000 aggregate is required. A reasonable deductible is allowed, but not to exceed $5,000 per occurrence. A consultant must be able to cover the cost of any deductible.

b. Errors and Omissions – Contractor must, at its own expense, must carry “errors and omissions” insurance or the equivalent. Contract funds cannot be used to pay for Errors and Omissions insurance.

c. Motor Vehicle – if the Contractor or its employees use motor vehicles in the conduct of business under a contract resulting from this RFP, liability insurance covering bodily injury and property damage must be provided through a commercial insurance policy. Such insurance shall provide for a minimum coverage of $100,000 liability per occurrence; $300,000 aggregate liability; $100,000 property damage; personal injury protection; uninsured motorist protection, and a maximum deductible of $1000. Contractor must be able to cover the cost of any deductible.

d. Workers’ Compensation – Contractor must ensure that all employees are covered by worker’s compensation insurance. If self-insured, the contractor must warrant that it will maintain coverage sufficient to cover any liability that may arise from performance under a contract resulting from this RFP.

4. Contractor, including all its employees, must comply with all Information Technology access and user policies and requirements of the Board and/or Texas Workforce Commission.

5. Appeal Process and Procedures for Opportunity to Protest

Workforce Solutions Alamo has the authority to settle or resolve any claim of an alleged deficiency or protest. The procedures for notifying WSA of an alleged deficiency or filing a protest are listed on our website. If you fail to comply with any of these requirements, Workforce Solutions Alamo may dismiss your complaint or protest.

https://www.workforcesolutionsalamo.org/wp-content/uploads/WSA-Bid-Challenge-Procedures.pdf

PART 2 – SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 Services

The Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to coordinate and collaborate with the WSA Career Center Contractors; DFPS including CPS and Child Care Regulation

(CCR), the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), local school district teen parent coordinators, Head Start and Early Head Start grantees, public pre-kindergarten and before-and after-school programs, and other community based/faith-based organizations.

Agency shall demonstrate written evidence of past performance and business endeavors that align with the purpose, values, and vision of WSA, to provide exemplary cost-effective Staffing service solutions consistent with the requirements and specifications of the RFP.

The Awarded Contractor will perform in accordance with the Statement of Work, provisions of this contract agreement and its attachments found herein, and all Applicable Law and WSA Policies and

Procedures, attached.

1. Minimum Qualifications

The respondents to this RFP must have the following minimum qualifications. Workforce Alamo Solutions reserves the right to reject proposals which fail to include this information with the Offerors proposal submission.

a. Offeror must affirm in writing and provide evidence with their proposal submission:

To have provided similar service in scope and size within the past three years for a Non-Profit, Municipal, or Government Agency with a successful implementation.

2. Statement of Work:

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) administers the State's scholarship childcare program through federal funding received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Child Care

Development Block Grant (CCDBG). The CCDBG is a part of the Child Care and Development Fund program providing child care assistance for low-income families. The CCDBG provides grants to states, territories, tribes, and tribal organizations serving federally recognized tribes (public institutions of higher education and hospitals are not eligible applicants) for child care assistance for low-income families.

TWC determines the allocation for Child Care Services (CCS) based on federal appropriations, local needs, and in coordination with Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA), the local workforce development board, to implement the program. In turn, WSA awards contracts with local agencies to provide program services.

CCS provides child care scholarships to eligible families. In Fiscal Year 2024, the CCS program served a daily average of over 12,000 children with over 4,000 children on a waitlist to receive childcare scholarships through over 600 Alamo area CCS Providers.

Contractor's goals must align with the WSA's Strategic Plan of removing barriers to employment for skilled and educated workers with a desire to reenter the workforce. CCS program empowers working parent/guardian to choose care that best suits their family's needs, provide information to help parent/guardian make informed choices about CCS, promotes involvement by parent/guardian and family members, supports parent/guardian trying to achieve independence from public assistance; and helps increase the percentage of low-income children in high-quality child care settings through the Texas Rising Star (TRS) Program.

For BCY26, Contractor's contractual obligations to manage the CCS Program will begin October 1, 2025, and will end September 30, 2026.

Contractor will abide by the guidelines and policies set forth by both TWC and WSA to meet performance measures. Contractor will provide services to the AWDA consisting of the City of San

Antonio and the 13 counties of: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina, and Wilson.

Contractor will be required to participate in a “Rural Services Pilot” means the initial service updates designed to enhance fulfillment of the intent of Partnership Agreement Sections VII. A. to facilitate stronger integration of the rural counties to include activities including to but not limited to Rural

Workforce Councils, development of reports such as the County Allocation and Services Delivery

(CASD) Report. This effort continues to serve as the starting point for the evolution of allocation, expenditure, and performance tracking and reporting procedures county-by-county and fund-by-fund. This pilot began in FY 2024, is tentatively scheduled to be finalized in FY 2025, and will be integrated in the next 4-Year Local Plan.

Contractor will be required to participate in a “Workforce Integration Project”. The Workforce

Integration Project aims to promote collaboration between the Workforce and Child Care

Contractors and reduce silos. Bringing together multiple systems and data, WSA and its contractors aim to work seamlessly as one unified system. The BCY26 Child Care Performance Measure for Initial

Job Search Success Rate will help show how effectively the Child Care Contractor is working with the

Workforce Contractor.

The Child Care Contractor will work with the Child Care Quality Contractor to implement the

Apprenticeship and Shared Services Co-op.

Career Centers:

CCS clients may utilize the career centers in Bexar County and the 12 surrounding counties for faxing, scanning, and emailing documentation. In addition, clients may reach Contractor staff by utilizing phones in the career center resource labs.

During times of open enrollment, CCS staff may utilize the Career Centers as temporary rotating offices in which to serve rural customers. These rural visits will be scheduled beforehand, coordinated with local Career Center management, and marketed to the public through WSA’s marketing department.

Contractor will participate in Resource Fairs, Job Fairs, and Employer Meetings throughout the region to provide child care outreach and/or information.

In addition, Contractor engages in planning and execution of enhancements through the Rural

Services Pilot and the Workforce Integration Project.

Child Care Providers:

CCS clients may receive direct care services at one of the CCS provider’s locations within AWDA.

4. Work Requirements

Call Center:

Routing calls coming into the Web-Based Call Center, Cisco Finesse, is through a phone menu tree.

Callers have the options for messages in Spanish or English, and provide the caller the opportunity to choose from the following:

• Wait List

• Intake

Report on changes and Transfers

• Redeterminations

• Questions concerning the Child Care Attendance

• Questions concerning Appeals

• Questions concerning recoupments

• Provider Services

• Texas Rising Star

Contractor can monitor and track the number of calls in the queue and those currently in process through Cisco Finesse. Contractor can immediately see any need(s) for adding additional agents to the call center when call volumes are high. Agents can also utilize the Cisco Finesse feature to transfer calls directly to the on-duty Call Center Supervisor as-needed. Cisco Finesse also allows

Contractor to run historical reports on call center data, which identifies the days of the week and/or month when call volumes are high so that plans can be made to have additional agents logged into the call center during these times.

Contractor maintains child care flyers at the main office, WSA American Job Centers, Head Start, area colleges, Community Family Resource and Learning Centers, and the Family Assistance Division for emergency services. These flyers also offer advice on evaluating and selecting the right childcare provider based on individual family needs, help to determine priorities prior to the enrollment appointment, and explain how to access information from the child care regulation website.

Information is also provided on methods of assessing, identification of quality care and overview of the TRS Program. Contractor provides information to parent/guardian and the public on quality child care indicators. Families may utilize the United Way 211 system or Texas Child Care Connection for

Families to obtain a list of providers in a preferred geographic area to aid in their search.

Data:

Contractor will provide data by the 10th of every month throughout the contract year. The list of required data elements to be submitted includes but is not limited to:

• Average Children Per Day Performance Percentage

• Initial Job Search Participants

• Initial Job Search Success Rate Percentage

• Public Prekindergarten and Head Start/Early Head Start Partnership Data

• Work hours for Single and Dual Parent Households

• Activity Interruptions/3-month job search

• Children of families experiencing homelessness

*Due to the current system transition to TX3C, initial data reporting may be subject to limitations.

Once TX3C is fully implemented, and system permissions are granted, Contractor will be responsible for pulling and providing the requested data.

WSA will continue to monitor data needs and reporting capabilities post-TX3C implementation. If additional changes or updates are required to align with evolving data requirements, WSA will amend the contract language accordingly.

Provider Services:

As of February 1, 2025, there are a total of 589 child care providers (Military, Licensed Centers, and

Licensed and Registered Homes) within the AWDA, 305 of which are designated TRS providers.

Additionally, WSA also has agreements with 13 Relative providers. CCS provider staff ensures policies and procedures outlined in provider agreements are adhered to, technical assistance (TA) is provided as needed, and corrective action is pursued when necessary. Providers are responsible for collecting

Parent Share of Cost (PSOC) for families. Providers are also responsible for timely reporting to the

Contractor when parents fail to pay their PSOC. CCS provider staff is also responsible for annually collecting published rates from providers and calculating and entering rates and agreements into

Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C).

When applicable, Contractor will participate in the procurement, management, and tracking of Child

Care Provider Contract Agreements, also known as Contracted Slots.

Contractor will maintain a list of active Public Prekindergarten and Head Start/Early Head Start

Partnerships. Direct referrals will be utilized when slots are available at the partnership site and funding is available. Data will be shared with WSA on the number of Public Prekindergarten and

Head Start/Early Head Start Partnerships and the number direct referrals that were authorized during the month.

Contractor receives requests from parents/guardians about inclusion assistance for their child(ren) with disabilities. Contractor coordinates with the Quality Improvement Activities (QIA) Contractor on such requests. Contractor is responsible for entering the inclusion rate in TX3C, if recommended by the QIA Contractor and must be approved by WSA. Contractor will notify WSA, the QIA Contractor and the parent/guardian when the anniversary date of the inclusion rate automation, or the anniversary date of adaptive equipment received, or when the child(ren) receiving care approaches the 13th birthday is approaching. Parent/guardian(s) must resubmit the request and documentation annually for the inclusion rate to continue.

Clients may access a web-based, interactive map to local CCS providers at:

www.workforcesolutionsalamo.org

Client Services:

To be eligible, all At-Risk parent(s)/guardian(s) are required to participate in a combination of training, education, or employment activities for an average of 25-hours per week for a single parent/guardian family or an average of 50-hours per week for a two (2) parent/guardian family. The minimum hour requirement may be reduced if a parent's/guardian's documented medical disability or need to care for a physically or mentally disabled family member prevents the parent/guardian from meeting the required hours per week. Initial Job Search is also available for qualifying parents who do not have a job at eligibility determination.

For parent/guardian attending an educational program, the following will apply to meet the eligibility’s weekly activity hours:

• Each credit hour of postsecondary education counts as three (3) hours of education activity per week; and

• Each credit hour of a condensed postsecondary education course counts as six (6) education activity hours per week.

Once children are determined eligible, they are provided CCS for a 12-month period. If a parent/guardian experiences a permanent loss of work, training, or education participation, three

(3) months of continued care must be provided. By the end of the three (3) months of continued care, parent/guardian must continue to participate in any of the activities at any level to continue care throughout the remainder of the 12-month eligibility period. The contractor will refer parent(s)/guardian(s) experiencing a permanent loss of work, training, or education participation to one of the American Jobs Center to receive assistance with job search.

Within a 12-month eligibility period, care may be discontinued only if any of the following occur:

• Family income exceeds 85 percent of state median income (SMI), taking into consideration irregular fluctuations in income

• Three months of continuing care has been provided to a family in which the parents have experienced a non-temporary cessation in work, education, or training and have not resumed work, education, or training within the three months

• Three months of initial care was provided to a family experiencing homelessness, but eligibility could not be verified by the end of the three months

• Eligibility was determined based on fraud

• An out-of-state move

• Failure to pay the parent share of cost (intentional program violation)

• Accruing excessive unexplained absences (more than 40)

• Failure to meet activity requirements during the initial three-month job search period.

Children of families experiencing homelessness as defined by the McKinney Vento Act are eligible for care for an initial three (3) month period after which redetermination occurs. Three months of initial care is provided regardless of parent/guardian level of activity or citizenship/immigration status.

Only homeless status is verified at initial determination. If the family is determined to be eligible at the end of the three (3) months initial period, care will continue for an additional nine (9) months until redetermination.

Data will be shared with WSA on a monthly basis and as requested. Please see the Data section.

Priority Groups:

The Contractor will ensure that priority for CCS follows the guidelines of TWC and WSA. TWC Rules require prioritizing funds among the following groups:

The first priority group includes:

• Choices

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Applicants

• Children of parent/guardian eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T)

• At-Risk child care for former Choice’s child care recipients whose TANF benefits were denied or voluntarily ended within the last 12 months due to employment, timing out of benefits, or an earnings increase

The second priority group is enrolled subject to the availability of funds, and includes, in the order of priority:

• Child Protective Services

• Children of a qualified veteran or spouse

• Children of Youth in Foster Care

• Children experiencing homelessness

• Children of deployed military parents are unable to enroll on military funded child care assistance programs

• Children of Teen Parents

• Children with Disabilities

The third priority group includes the following as adopted by WSA:

• Children in Rural Counties will be a local priority until at least the relative allocation percentage provided by WSA based on the Rural Services Pilot County-By-County of children receiving

Discretionary funded child care scholarships do so from the Rural Counties. When all TWC priority groups have been served, customers from rural counties will have priority until the percentage of rural children in discretionary care is met.

• WIOA participants

• Siblings of a child already receiving care

• Families enrolled in Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships

• JBSA military members, civilians, and associated Contractors.

• Children dually enrolled in a recognized partnership site.

Rural Counties include all Alamo local workforce development area counties except Bexar County.

Direct Child Care Referrals for Recognized Partnerships

• Subject to the availability of funds, and availability of scholarship slots at a partnership site, children dually enrolled in a recognized partnership are exempt from the waitlist. A recognized partnership is defined in TWC Rule 809.22.

• If funding is limited or the number of direct referrals exceeds the number of available scholarship slots at a partnership site, eligible children will be added to the waitlist as a local priority.

Child Care Contractor remains committed to working with staff that oversee the other contracts that are offered by WSA in order to foster the process of obtaining child care. These programs include

WIOA, SNAP, CHOICES, TANF, etc.

Rural Outreach and Performance Management

This outreach plan aims to promote continuing communication between the Contractor and rural customers, providers, potential customers and providers, and professional organizations and groups to serve as a conduit to reach clients who may benefit from CCS.

Goals:

1. Recruit new rural CCS providers

2. Maintain communications with current CCS providers

3. Inform potential customers of CCS services

4. Broadcast user-friendly channels of communication for rural customers

Tactics:

• Focus on child-serving and family assistance organizations, low-income establishments, community service agencies, and employment agencies

• Characterize our customer demographics

Priorities for Outreach and Communication:

• Target Numbers

• Increase number of providers through service and perceived value

• Customer retention

• Dedicated CCS rural staff

Strategic exploration of partnerships including, but not limited to, the following:

• Child Care providers and Child Care Regulations

• School district social workers and teen coordinators

• Employment agencies

• Family Services

• HHSC Offices

• SA Food Bank

• Local colleges and universities

Visibility:

• Roadshows

• Flyers, posters and/or brochures

• Low-income establishments

• Employment agencies

• Family Services

• HHSC Offices/WIC

• Workforce Centers

• Job and Health Fairs

• Technology

• Employ email strategically - Annual Provider Agreements, reminder re: school age care, distribution of waitlist applications and intake packets to providers

• Online fillable forms

• WSA Provider Map

• Fax/scan/e-mail capabilities from American Job Center locations

• Contractor shall perform outreach for underserved areas and geographic areas.

• Contractor shall engage with WSA staff in the planning and execution of outreach enhancements through the Rural Services Pilot.

• Contractor shall purchase WSA Board-approved branded shirts to utilize at events.

Fraud:

CCS parent/guardian are informed of eligibility requirements including work, training, education, income reporting and family size. CCS provider staff ensures policies and procedures outlined in provider agreements are adhered to. If client or provider fraud is alleged, fact-finding will be conducted by the CCS Fraud Investigator to substantiate or dispel the allegations. If the Investigator and WSA validate the findings, WSA will move the case forward for Warrant Hold.

Appeals:

When an adverse action is taken against a parent/guardian or provider, the parent/guardian or provider has the right to appeal the decision. Contractor staff is responsible for informing parent/guardian of:

• Right to appeal adverse actions

• Steps to request an appeal.

• Timeframes to request to appeal an adverse action.

Contractor staff will also attempt Informal Resolutions with the parent/guardian to negotiate resolutions to disagreements that led to the denial or discontinuation of care. Informal resolutions are conducted as soon as possible after a complaint, or an appeal is received. Any agreement resulting from the informal resolution process should be reached and communicated to all involved parties within 15 calendar days of the original filing date of the complaint/appeal. If an agreement cannot be reached, a supervisor will approve, and Contractor staff will communicate with WSA to move the appeal forward.

Quality Assurance:

Contractors benefit from multi-level monitoring and audit reviews. Reviews include: TWC, the City of San Antonio, Independent Single Audit, and WSA. At minimum, WSA will conduct yearly compliance reviews of program and fiscal components but may implement additional reviews as needed. Any findings of non-compliance or insufficient documentation require corrective action.

Contractor developed a specialized Quality Assurance Team to conduct high level reviews of case file transactions to ensure accuracy during eligibility (re)determination. The contractor ensures all performance measures and quality standards are met as required.

Use of TWC & WSA Technology Programs:

Contractor utilizes Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C), TWC Mainframe, TIERS, Cognito Forms, and

Cabinet as designated by TWC and WSA policies and procedures.

Note: WSA is currently experiencing extreme challenges with the TX3C system. These issues are significantly impacting our ability to effectively serve families and administer child care services. Please see additional information under Barriers.

Fiscal Management:

DHS's fiscal management team manages and reports the Contractor expenditures and budgets and separately accounts for program revenues and expenditures. The system identifies all revenue and expenditures by major classifications and meets required reporting deadlines to WSA.

The fiscal management team creates the Monthly Cost Summary and Variance Report detailing actual year-to-date expenditures, projected expenditures for the current billing month, and submits information in accordance with required timeframes. Fiscal data is obtained from Contractor's accounting system, the Semi-Monthly Direct Care Forecast Report, and TX3C reports. The contractor enters the information obtained from these sources into the Cost Summary Report templates. The reports are then reviewed by fiscal and program management staff for accuracy and approved by the Fiscal Manager before submission to WSA. The report is submitted to WSA by the 10th working day of the following month. Monthly costs summaries and invoices are filed in Cabinet.

Policies and Procedures:

Contractors operate within well-defined written policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are posted on the internal shared network drive and are accessible to all Contractor and

WSA staff. Policies and procedures reference the WSA policy index, as well as TWC rules. If there is a change to the content, affected chapters are updated on the shared network drive and Contractor staff is informed within 10 calendar days. Additionally, the change is circulated to Contractor staff to ensure implementation.

Contractor staff receives comprehensive training on the directives of WSA, TWC rules, Child Care

Guide, TWC Policy Letters-Technical Assistance Bulletins, Texas Administrative Code, and the CCS procedures to ensure that all processes comply.

Contractor shall upload new or updated policies to WSA’s QA TEAMS portal within three days of creation or update.

Inventory:

Contractor complies with the current procurement and inventory requirements published by WSA.

The contractor follows TWC's Financial Manual of Grants and Contracts and WSA policies and procedures for inventory acquisition and control. A staff member from the CCS Leadership Team is assigned as the Property Officer. A Property Notification Form, which documents the location of the property, a description of the property, and Purchase Order (PO), tag, serial, and model numbers, is completed whenever property is purchased, transferred, stolen, or rendered inoperable. All

Property Notification Forms must be submitted to WSA's assigned Property Management staff. As changes are made, the entire inventory is reviewed to ensure all entries are accurate. Equipment and materials procured through WSA for the Contractor remain the sole property of WSA.

Equal Opportunity Protection:

In accordance with Chapter 823 - "Integrated Complaints, Hearings, and Appeals" of the Texas

Administrative Code, the Contractor documents and tracks all complaints received from parent/guardian or providers on a complaint log. The log notes the date the complaint was received, the staff member who received the complaint, the name, address, phone number and complaint number of the person filing, a brief description of the complaint, the person the complaint was referred to, and the date of the referral and the final disposition of the complaint with date.

Documentation related to the complaint and its resolution is included in the case file or provider file and comments are entered into the TWIST data system. In addition, every parent/guardian receives an Orientation to Complaint Form upon enrollment. These forms are used to record complaints related to Equal Opportunity protection.

5. Barriers

The number of children served is limited by the budget amount allotted to WSA, the attrition rate of children in care, provider availability and various factors outside of the Contractor's control. Through weekly reviews of the Forecast tool, leadership will monitor children in care and use of funds to act, when necessary to ensure performance measures are met. CCS Provider Services Staff utilize every avenue to market and acquire new CCS providers, particularly providers located in rural counties.

Bidders are hereby notified that Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) transitioned to a new child care management system for enrollment, family intake, provider payments, and related functions on

January 13, 2025. This transition replaced the previous system, (TWIST).

While this new system was intended to offer improved efficiency, enhanced data collection, prospective payments and more, the transition has presented extreme challenges. WSA acknowledges that the implementation has encountered significant issues that are severely impacting our ability to effectively serve families and administer child care services. These issues may substantially affect certain aspects of the services requested in this RFP.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Alamo Local Workforce Development Area are committed to providing ongoing guidance and support to WSA and its partners as we collectively work through these challenges and optimize the new system. However, the current state of the system presents significant concerns regarding the viability of performance measures.

To illustrate the severity of the current system issues, the following examples are provided:

• Waitlist Transition: Families on the waitlist have not transitioned over as expected, creating a significant backlog and hindering access to crucial child care support.

• Suspension Issues: Children placed on suspension have "disappeared" from the system, creating confusion and potentially impacting required reporting and follow-up procedures.

• Payment Processing: Payments are not able to be processed timely, impacting both providers and families and creating administrative burdens.

• System Functionality: Key system components are not functioning as originally planned, limiting the intended functionality and efficiency of the system.

WSA encourages bidders to ask questions regarding the new system during the RFP Q&A period. We will make every effort to provide transparent and up-to-date information.