Family_Finding_and_Engagement_Services.pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

FAMILY FINDING AND ENGAGEMENT SERVICES

RFP NO. 063-2915109-WM

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/ocgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Orange RFP

Social Services Agency - Family Finding and Engagement Services, 063-2915109-WM

County of Orange

Social Services Agency

Procurement and Contract Services

500 N State College Blvd

Orange, CA

92868

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation November 14, 2025

Question Submission Deadline December 3, 2025, 4:00pm

RFP Submittal Closing December 17, 2025, 4:00pm

Interviews with the Top Ranked

Firm(s)

January 8, 2026, 9:00am

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

4:00 pm

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES and SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 6. VENDOR RESPONSES

Attachments:

A - Family Finding and Engagement Services Model Contract MA-063-26010204

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County of Orange, Social Services Agency (hereinafter referred to as “County”), is soliciting proposals from qualified firms (hereinafter referred to as “Respondents”) for Family Finding and

Engagement Services. Respondents must meet the minimum qualifications and requirements as set forth within the RFP and be capable of providing services identified in the Scope of Work herein.

The County intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Family Finding and Engagement

Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model

Contract, including Attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the Social Services Agency will be closed on the following

County holidays:

• November 27, 2025, Thanksgiving Day

• November 28, 2025, Day after Thanksgiving

• December 25, 2025, Christmas Day

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Proposals are to be uploaded via the County's Online Bidding System at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov.

Note: This is a fully electronic Request for Proposals (RFP). Respondents must submit their proposals online via County’s online bidding system. Only electronic proposals will be accepted. Facsimile and e-mail proposals will NOT be allowed. For assistance on uploading proposals via County’s online bidding system, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents carefully before submitting a Proposal for the work contemplated.

The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Proposal. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this Request for Proposals is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy

Purchasing Agent (DPA) via the County’s online bidding system under the bid page for this solicitation.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s online bidding system. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s online bidding system to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, Respondents must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received on Wednesday, December

3, 2025, before 4:00 pmVALUE as specified in the solicitation. Respondents are not to contact other County personnel with any questions or clarifications concerning this RFP.

The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this RFP. Any County response relevant to this RFP other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Proposals must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Proposal may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their proposal electronically via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Proposals must be tabbed and indexed in accordance with the information requested in the Proposal

Response Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this RFP shall be type written (12-point Times New Roman font, and single line spacing) or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Paraphrasing the RFP questions is not permitted. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information. Text located in other documents (e.g., references to "see attached" or hyperlinks) will not be evaluated or scored.

F. Proposals are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Proposal so marked. All Proposals and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 6250 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Proposals shall become the property of the County. The County reserves the right to make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Proposals should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Proposal that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Proposal. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this

Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for

Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this RFP. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Proposal rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a

Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this RFP and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Proposal in strict accordance with all requirements of this RFP and compliance must be stated in the Proposal. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the Proposal Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement

Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part

1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01 P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. County reserves the right to request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

Any Proposal may be rejected if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates from specifications in this RFP. The County reserves the right to waive, at its discretion, any procedural irregularity, immaterial defects or other improprieties which the County deems reasonably correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the Proposal. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

K. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing its Proposal in response to this RFP; b) submitting that Proposal to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s Proposal; and d) any other expenses incurred by the Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

L. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the RFP. Failure to comply with the technical features and acknowledgment of receipt of addenda are common causes for holding a

Proposal nonresponsive.

M. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Proposal in response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms (team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

N. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

O. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. To further determine eligibility for a contract award, all Respondents must provide a DUNS number. The DUNS number is a nine-digit number established and assigned by

Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. to uniquely identify entities. A non-federal entity is required to have a DUNS number in order to apply, receive, and report on a federal award. Every Respondent is required to provide a DUNS number regardless of the funding source of this solicitation. A DUNS number can be obtained free of charge from Dun and Bradstreet by telephone (866-705-5711) or online at https://www.dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html.

https://www.dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html

P. The County requires a valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) number prior to Contract

Award. The UEI is the official identifier for doing business with the U.S.

Government. A non-federal entity is required to have a UEI in order to apply, receive, and report on a federal award. Every Respondent is required to provide a

UEI regardless of the funding source of this solicitation. A Unique Entity ID can be obtained at no cost online at https://sam.gov or www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your proposal submission response.

1.4 SELECTION/AWARD PROCESS

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance and may be subject to approval(s) by the County Board of

Supervisors. In addition, County reserves the right to verify and validate any information prior to the Contract Award and during the entire term of the Contract.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments, and to reflect Respondent’s Proposal and qualifications. Terms and conditions are subject to change between the release of this RFP and implementation of the contract and may be added before the contract is finalized. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its Proposal may result in its elimination from further consideration.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the Proposal submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its proposal may result in elimination from further consideration.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent. The County reserves the right to negotiate and award a contract to the next highest ranked Respondent if the awarded Respondent fails to perform.

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the proposed Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in the Section below titled: "PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS" subsection titled: “Statement of Compliance”.

Selected Respondent may not have any outstanding debt with the County or shall be in the process of resolving outstanding debt to the County's satisfaction, prior to entering into and during the term of the resulting contract.

https://sam.gov/I https://www.usfcr.com/

1.5 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

B. Request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the proposal that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation.

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests.

J. Reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation.

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range. Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 90 days after the solicitation opening. During this period of time, Respondent shall guarantee the prices quoted in their Proposals.

County and the lowest responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to a longer deferral period.

N. If a satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, the County may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

O. Negotiate and award a contract to the next highest ranked Respondent if the awarded

Respondent fails to perform.

P. Based upon the County's needs or availability of funding at the time of selection of a contractor or during contract negotiations, to modify the scope of services and contract budget amount. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

Therefore, Proposals submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.6 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.7 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, DPA, or the agency/department deputy purchasing agent the required W-9 or W-8.

1.8 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its

Proposal. Failure to include the form as required will render the Proposal nonresponsive.

1.9 ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS

Eligible Respondents

Only private organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or public institutions of higher learning located within Orange County or with means to establish an office in Orange County with the ability to provide direct services in accordance with the scope of work detailed in this RFP are eligible to submit a proposal.

Ineligible Respondents

Individuals, governments, and organizations/agencies not listed as Eligible Respondents above or listed on either the Cumulative Sanction List or the excluded parties list, explained below, are ineligible to submit a proposal.

Respondents must not be listed on the current Cumulative Sanction List of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the Inspector General (http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/) or the System for Award Management (SAM)’s list of parties excluded from federal programs

(http://www.sam.gov/). The County is required to reject a proposal submitted by an individual or entity on either list.

It will be the responsibility of each Respondent to verify that it is not on either list prior to preparing a proposal to submit in response to this RFP. Correction of any errors found on either sanction list is the sole responsibility of the Respondent and must be made prior to the day the proposal is submitted.

All potential individuals and/or contract entities must self-disclose any pending charges or convictions for violation of criminal law and/or any sanction or disciplinary action by any federal or state law enforcement, regulatory, or licensing agency or licensing body.

During the term of a contract resulting from this RFP and in accordance with its existing provisions, if a Respondent becomes ineligible, the Respondent will be removed from any responsibility and/or involvement with County contracted obligations related to any direct and/or indirect federal or State social services programs and any other federal and State funds. Ineligible Respondent is defined as any individual or entity who is currently excluded, suspended, debarred, or otherwise ineligible to participate in the federal social services programs, or has been convicted of a criminal offense related to the provision of social services and has not been reinstated in the federal social services programs after a period of exclusion, suspension, debarment, or ineligibility.

Disqualification

The County reserves the right to disqualify any Respondent on the basis of any real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the proposal submitted or any other data available to the

County. This disqualification is at the sole discretion of the County. Any Respondent submitting a proposal herein waives any right to object to the County’s exercise of this right, now or at any future time, before any body or agency, including, but not limited to, the County of

Orange Board of Supervisors or any court.

Causes for Disqualification http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

The County, at its sole, absolute, and unfettered discretion, will determine whether a Respondent is qualified and responsible to deliver the services requested in this RFP. This determination may be based on one (1) or more of the following:

A. Evidence of collusion amongst Respondents.

B. Lack of business skills or financial resources necessary to operate this business successfully, as revealed by either financial statements or experience statement.

C. Lack of responsibility as shown by past work, references, or other factors.

D. Respondent is in arrears or in default to the County on any debt or agreement or defaults upon any obligation to the County or has failed to faithfully perform any previous agreement with County at the County’s sole determination.

E. Submission of a proposal that is late, conditional, incomplete, ambiguous, obscure or which contains alterations not called for, or irregularities of any kind, except as those determined by the County, at its sole discretion, as a minor irregularity or a defect or variation in the proposal that is immaterial or inconsequential.

F. Other causes, as the County deems appropriate, at its sole and absolute discretion.

The County’s determination as to whether a Respondent is qualified and responsible will be based on the information furnished by Respondent in response to this RFP, interviews with

Respondent (if applicable), as well as from other sources determined to be valid by the

County. The County reserves the right to verify and validate any information prior to awarding a contract and during the entire term of the contract. Award will not be made until after such investigations, as are deemed necessary, are made by the County regarding the experience and financial responsibility of Respondent which each Respondent agrees to permit by submitting its proposal.

1.10 ANTICIPATED TERM AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Contingent upon approval by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the County intends to award one (1) three-year contract to the responsible Respondent whose proposal is determined to be the most responsive to the requirements of this RFP. The term of the resulting contract will begin on or about July 1, 2026, and terminate on June 30, 2029. The estimated amount available for each year of the three-year contract will be $375,000 per year for an estimated maximum of

$1,125,000 for all three (3) years.

The initial three-year agreement may be renewed, subject to contractor performance and continued funding, for a two-year term, without a competitive bid process, at the sole discretion of the County.

The County reserves the right to award a one (1) year contract through this RFP, which may be renegotiated and/or renewed, subject to contractor performance and continued funding, for a two-year term without a competitive bid process, at the sole discretion of the County. In the event of a one (1) year contract award, the estimated amount available for the first year is

$375,000, and the estimated amount available for each additional one-year term is

$375,000. The amount allocated to this RFP is approximate and tentative at this time.

The funding for the contract resulting from this RFP is contingent upon the State budget; receipt of funds from and/or obligation of funds by the Federal Government to the State and from the

State to the County; and inclusion of sufficient funding for the services hereunder in the budget approved by the County’s Board of Supervisors for each fiscal year covered by said contract. If such approval, funding, or appropriations are not forthcoming, or are otherwise limited, the contract may be immediately terminated, reduced, or modified without penalty.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor.

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative.

C. The solicitation or contract number.

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent, William Mo at william.mo@ssa.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five

(5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

1. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/proposal prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. All protests related to the award of a contract, the protest must be submitted no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Intent to Award is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

Appeal Process

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the decision of the DPA, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the DPA’s decision, a written appeal to the

Office of the County Procurement Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

County of Orange Local Small Business (OCLSB) Preference and Disabled Veteran

Business Enterprise (DVBE) Preference Policies Certification Requirements

3.1 DVBE:

Effective January 1, 2021, County of Orange Board of Supervisors adopted the DVBE Preference policy.

The DVBE Preference policy supports local business opportunity, economy and the development of

County’s tax base, and in addition recognizes the service and sacrifice given by the men and women of our Armed Forces.

To be certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise by the County of Orange, a business shall meet

(A) and (B) below:

A. Must be certified as a DVBE by the State of California Department of General Services (DGS);

and, B. DGS DVBE requirements must be valid at the time of bid/proposal submittal.

To participate as a DVBE please read and follow the process outlined in COUNTY OF ORANGE

DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS in the VENDOR RESPONSES.

*NOTE: DVBE PREFERENCE IS NOT APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC WORKS OR A-E

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

3.2 DVBE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

County Of Orange Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Certification

Requirements

A. To participate as a DVBE the following requirements must be met:

1. Must be certified with DGS as a DVBE. - https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

2. Certification must be valid at the date/time solicitation is closed, and it shall remain in effect at the time of contract award. County reserves the right to verify and/or reject incomplete documents.

3. Complete and sign the Affirmation form attached herein. The signed Affirmation form is required and must be returned with the solicitation response.

B. DVBE Preference provides for the following:

https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

1. Invitation for Bid – IFB

A five percent (5%) deduction in the original bid price shall be applied to all confirmed DVBE bidders for evaluation purposes. If the lowest bidder is a certified

DVBE bidder, the contract will be awarded at the certified DVBE’s original bid price.

The maximum allowable preference deduction is $100,000.

2. Request for Proposal - RFP

An additional five percent (5%) shall be applied to the tallied cost score of each certified DVBE to obtain their final score. If the final score of any DVBE matches the final score of a non-DVBE, preference shall be given to the certified DVBE. If two or more DVBEs have the same final score, the County shall determine the contract award based on the County’s best interest.

C. Subcontractors

If bidder is submitting subcontractors to qualify for the DVBE preference, bidder must demonstrate through the Staffing Plan that 20% of the total bid amount is allocated to the DVBE subcontractor(s).

*NOTE: DVBE PREFERENCE IS NOT APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC WORKS OR A-E

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

4.1 PHASE 1

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Form A - Organization Experience Points Based 200 (22.2% of Total)

2. Form B - Services to be Provided Points Based 400 (44.4% of Total)

3. Form C - Staffing Plan Points Based 100 (11.1% of Total)

4. Form D - Line Item Budget and Form E -

Budget Narrative - "REQUIRED BUDGET

DOCUMENTS" (EXCEL FORMS)

The County may request written clarification(s) of the line item cost at any time during this

Evaluation Process. Respondent shall submit such written clarification of its cost within the specified time period and comply with all

County instructions as set forth in the request.

Any clarification by Respondent shall be limited to clarifying the County-specified portions of its cost and shall be considered part of Respondent’s proposal, subject to evaluation by the evaluation panel.

If Respondent fails to submit clarification within the County-specified time period, the line item cost shall stand as written.

Points Based 200 (22.2% of Total)

4.2 PHASE 2

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Presentation/Interview Scoring Format: 100 points maximum:

County reserves the right to conduct, or to not conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-scored Respondent(s). The decision whether to conduct oral interviews/presentations rests solely with

County and the decision of the DPA is final.

Respondents shall be ready to attend interview within fifteen (15) calendar days of notification.

Any inquiry to determine the responsibility of a

Respondent to this RFP may be conducted.

Respondent agrees that the submission of a

Proposal is permission by Respondent for

County to verify all information contained therein. If County believes it necessary, additional information may be requested from

Respondent. The County may also send written questions and ask for written responses within five (5) business days. Failure to comply with any such request may disqualify a Respondent from further consideration. Respondents must be prepared to discuss all aspects of their proposal in detail, including technical questions.

Respondents will not be allowed to alter or amend their Proposal through the use of the presentation process.

NOTE: If interview/presentations are not conducted, the Written Proposal shall account for 900 total points of the scoring.

Points Based 100 (100% of Total)

SECTION 5. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES and SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 BACKGROUND

The County of Orange (County) Social Services Agency (SSA) is currently requesting proposals to provide Family Finding and Engagement Services (FFES). The purpose of this service is to find and engage family members and/or other supportive adults with children, youth, and young adults in foster care, with the aim of increasing their permanency options. The primary focus of

FFES is to impact factors that mitigate risk and enhance healthy development and well-being for children/youth/young adults.

FFES employ an assertive team-based approach to locating and connecting or reconnecting children, youth, and young adults, up to age twenty-one (21) years, with their family members

(including siblings) and/or other supportive adults. Various techniques and principles must be incorporated to conduct identification, search, engagement, and follow up activities to locate and connect or reconnect family members and/or other supportive adults of the children, youth, and young adults placed in out-of-home care by SSA. Activities may include, but are not limited to, case mining, telephone calls, internet searches, e-mail communications and in-person visits.

5.2 DEMOGRAPHICS

For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the County processed a total of 96 referrals, and opened 31 cases for FFES services. Clients have diverse language needs, predominantly Spanish. The table below represents the demographics of clients served throughout the period of April 2022 through June 2025.

Population served by Ethnic Background

Ethnic Background Total Number Percentage

Hispanic 72 63.2%

Non-Hispanic White 25 21.9%

Black 11 9.6%

Asian/Pacific Islander 5 4.4%

Other/Unknown 1 0.9%

TOTAL 114 100%

5.3 POPULATION TO BE SERVED

Contractor shall provide FFES to find and engage family members and/or other supportive adults with children, youth, and young adults in foster care who have non-existent or distant connections with family members or other supportive adults and who could be experiencing complex care needs as referred by County as defined below:

A. Children/youth are defined as individuals up to eighteen (18) years of age, who are dependents of the Orange County Juvenile Court, and placed in out-of-home care; and

B. Young adults are defined as individuals who are eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21) years of age, who are dependents of the Orange County Juvenile Court, and placed in out-of-home care.

The children/youth/young adults to be served shall be hereinafter referred to as “Client/Clients.”

5.4 DEFINITIONS

A. Children and Family Services (CFS): The division in the Social Services Agency (SSA) that provides services to protect children from abuse and neglect, and at-risk Families.

B. Child Family Team (CFT) meetings: A meeting of a group of individuals convened by

SSA, who are engaged through a variety of team-based processes to identify the strengths and needs of the child/youth and his or her family to help achieve positive outcomes for safety, permanency, and well-being.

C. Family Finding and Engagement Services (FFES): A collection of strategies that help locate and engage family members and fictive kin (also known as a nonrelative extended family member, or NREFM) for children who enter foster care, aim to find relatives and other important adults who can provide permanent homes for children and youth, or caring, lifelong support networks that can provide relational permanence if relatives are unable to care for children in their homes.

D. Fictive Kin: A nonrelative extended family member, which is defined as an adult caregiver who has an established familial relationship with a relative of the child or a familial or mentoring relationship with the child.

E. Relational Permanency: Lifelong connections to caring adults, including at least one adult who will provide a permanent, parent-like connection for that youth.

F. Youth: A dependent or ward of the Orange County Juvenile Court, birth through age 21, who is placed in out-of-home care and a party to the referral made for FFES

5.5 GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND OUTCOME OBJECTIVES

The primary goals of FFES are to:

A. Increase family connections for Clients in care;

B. Increase connections and placements with relatives and NREFM when Clients first enter out-of-home care, and to increase legal and relational permanency for Clients who have been in out-of-home care for a longer time;

C. Increase the success of identifying and engaging relatives and other supportive adults to support Clients during and after reunification, and support permanency in cases where reunification cannot occur; and

D. Reduce the length of stay in foster care.

The outcome objectives are as follows:

A. For at least 90% of referrals, at least three identified connections are located, contacted, and have initiated engagement with the youth/young adult (e.g., exchanged emails or phone calls) within 60 days of referral.

B. At least 75% of youth referred will attend at least two-family or supportive adult engagement meetings, visitations, or activities within the first 90 days of referral.

C. At least 75% of youth will report an increased sense of belonging and connectedness to supportive adults, measured via the Youth Connections Scale, which may be modified if deemed appropriate by the County.

For the purposes of measuring and attaining outcomes and goals, Contractor shall implement the following in providing FFES services:

A. Contractor must complete the following steps to initiate connection within 30 days of receipt of any referral:

1. Receive, date stamp, and provide initial review of all referrals sent by SSA.

2. Contact a social worker associated to the case to acknowledge receipt of the referral and to coordinate initiation of services.

3. Create a case file unique to each Client, ensuring that those who are part of a sibling set can be easily identified. Each sibling should have a separate case file.

4. Initiate comprehensive family finding and engagement strategies and techniques to achieve the goals referenced in this scope of work.

B. Contractor shall integrate client surveys into the FFES program.

1. Contractor shall administer a survey utilizing the Youth Connections Scale during the termination of the referral.

2. Contractor shall submit surveys to County within 15 calendar days of service termination and /or upon request of County.

3. County shall retain the right to change the survey and survey methodology during the contract term.

5.6 WORKLOAD STANDARDS

A. Contractor agrees to the following:

1. Siblings referred [two or more Clients] will be counted as one Client, if they have the same parents.

B. Contractor's workload standards with respect to this Scope of Work are as follows:

1. Provide FFES for up to 60 Clients referred by County for each fiscal year of the term of this Contract.

2. With concurrence of County, close referral once new family members/supportive adults have been engaged and there is a stable plan to sustain relationship with Client.

If County deems appropriate, County may unilaterally close a referral.

3. Contractor and County may mutually agree in writing to modify workload standards as set forth in this Paragraph and as authorized by County, without reducing the level of service to be provided by Contractor.

5.7 HOURS OF OPERATION

A. Contractor shall provide services during hours that are responsive to the needs of the population(s) to be served as determined by County. At a minimum, Contractor shall provide services Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except County holidays as established by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. However, Contractor is encouraged to provide the contracted services on holidays, whenever possible.

B. Contractor’s holiday schedule shall not exceed County’s holiday schedule which is as follows: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Lincoln’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Native American Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day and Christmas

Day. Contractor shall obtain prior written approval from County for any closure outside of County’s holiday schedule and the hours listed in this Scope of Work. Any unauthorized closure shall be deemed a material breach of this Contract and shall not be reimbursed.

5.8 SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

Contractor shall provide the following services:

A. Contractor shall establish or re-establish a relationship between Client and one or more adults with a known connection. Services to include, but not limited to, review of case files; interviews with Client and family members/other supportive adults; telephone calls;

internet searches; e-mail communications; in-person visits; engagement strategies; and individualized FFES plans will be designed to increase the rate of family reunification, kinship placements, and overall connections for Clients while in care.

B. Contractor shall implement family-centered, family-friendly, collaborative, linguistically, and culturally responsive services.

C. Contractor shall implement family finding and engagement practices through a trauma informed lens, as described by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

(https://www.nctsn.org/).

https://www.nctsn.org/)

D. Contractor shall maintain regular communication with County and each Client’s social worker, at least monthly, throughout the period of search for family members/supportive adults and engagement activities with those family members/supportive adults.

E. Contractor shall collaborate with Client’s social worker to identify other resources or services to support Client’s positive reunification and/or relational permanency outcomes.

F. Contractor shall attend meetings, as requested by County, as they relate to FFES.

G. Contractor shall deliver services in the home of the Client, homes of family members and other supportive adults, or at other mutually agreed upon sites including virtually through interactive video conferencing technology and phone calls.

H. Where authorized by law, Contractor shall conduct, at no cost to County, a clearance on the following public websites of the names and dates of birth for all family members and/or other supportive adults who will have direct, interactive contact with Clients served through this Agreement: U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender

Website (www.nsopw.gov), Megan’s Law Sex Offender Registry

(www.meganslaw.ca.gov) (or equivalent in other state), and County Superior Court

Criminal and Traffic Case system in which the individual resides (e.g., Orange County

Superior Court of California Criminal and Traffic Cases - http://www.occourts.org/).

I. Contractor shall obtain appropriate consent to contact Client’s therapist to consult on the best approach to initiate meeting new family members/supportive adults, and conduct consultation with the therapist.

J. Contractor shall deliver FFES in Orange County, other California counties, other states throughout the country, and other countries as needed, to find and engage family members and other supportive adults related to the Client.

K. Contractor and County may mutually agree in writing to modify services to be provided as set forth in this Paragraph and as authorized by County, without reducing the level of service to be provided by Contractor.

5.9 FACILITIES

Administrative services under this Contract shall be provided at:

[CONTRACTOR’s Name]

[Street Address]

[City, State, Zip Code]

Contractor’s facilities shall be safe, clean, and maintained in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, building codes, statutes, and orders, as they now exist or may be subsequently amended.

https://www.nsopw.gov/ https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ http://www.occourts.org/)

Contractor and County may mutually agree in writing as to the facility(ies) and location(s) where services shall be provided without changing County’s maximum obligation.

5.10 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Contractor shall prepare and submit to County written reports, including, but not limited to:

A. Monthly Aggregate Outcomes and Statistical Report

1. Contractor shall prepare and submit to County a monthly outcomes report, in a format approved by the County, by the tenth (10th) calendar day of the month for the preceding month’s services.

2. The report will include, but not be limited to, a listing of the names of all active cases;

the number of referrals received; the number of new cases opened; the number of active cases, in each stage of the FFES process, on the last day of the month; the number of cases closed; a breakdown by age group to delineate Clients; the number of Clients for whom connections were established in that month; the average length of time invested to achieve connections; progress regarding outcome objectives; and other information as requested by County.

B. Individual Client Status Report

1. Contractor shall prepare and submit a monthly status report to each Client’s assigned social worker, in a format approved by County, by the tenth (10th) calendar day of the month for the preceding month’s services.

2. The report will include, but not be limited to, a summary that documents Contractor’s diligence in responding to the referral, as well as the outcomes achieved.

3. The summary will include a list of all family members and/or other supportive adults identified, located and/or contacted. This listing will be in a written and/or visual format, and will include the relationship and engagement status of each of the contacts/connections.

4. The report will include plans for FFES to be provided in the following month.

C. Youth Informed Connections Plan

1. Participating youth will have a written, youth-informed Connections Plan within 180 days of referral, identifying at least three adults committed to ongoing engagement support plan. If services cease for a client within 180 days of referral, the Connections

Plan will not be required to be submitted, but the final report must still be submitted and include all available information that would have otherwise been in the

Connections Plan.

2. This report shall be submitted on a form that is approved by County. County may revise the form at their sole discretion.

D. Intensive Relative Search and Engagement Final Report

1. Upon closure of services for each Client, Contractor shall prepare and submit a final report which will include, but not be limited to:

a.…