Respite_Care_Services.pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

RESPITE CARE SERVICES

RFP NO. 063-2601087-JP

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 - Respite Care Services, 063-2601087-JP

County of Orange

Social Services Agency

Procurement and Contract Services

500 North State College Blvd

Orange, CA

92868

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation November 14, 2025

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

RFP Submittal Closing December 18, 2025, 4:00pm

Interviews with Respondent(s) January 8, 2026, 9:00am

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Thursday, December 18, 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 - Respite Care Services Model Contract MA-063-26010187

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 Respite Care 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 Respite Care 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 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.

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/

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received December 4th, 2025, at 4:00 pm 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 Respondent 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.

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.

Q. County reserves the right to: a) negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s); b) withdraw this RFP in whole or part at any time without prior notice (the County makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this RFP); c) award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents; d) reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this RFP; e) make multiple awards for services; f) 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; g) negotiate and award a contract to the next highest ranked Respondent if the awarded Respondent fails to perform; and/or h) 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.

1.4 EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

Proposals deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established criteria and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each Proposal, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Proposal, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the Proposal as measured against the Proposal Scoring Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2024 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the 2024 CPM can be found at https://cpo.ocgov.com/cpm. Proposals will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

https://www.dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html https://sam.gov/I https://www.usfcr.com/ https://cpo.ocgov.com/cpm

*Please note: These minimum qualifications must be verified for the Proposal to be deemed responsive. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements: Respondent’s Proposal shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation and scoring process:

Respondent must meet the following minimum requirements listed below:

A. Complete all required sections of the RFP.

B. Complete all required Exhibits and Forms.

C. Provide all required information in response to RFP questions.

D. Certify all sections of the RFP Model Contract, including security requirements.

E. Have five (5) years consecutive, recent experience in providing services that are the same as or similar to those services being requested in the RFP.

Written Proposal Scoring: 900 points maximum

See "Proposal Scoring Criteria" section for categories and points.

*NOTE: Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model Contract provided with this solicitation may receive a score of "0" for this criterion.

Presentation/Interview Scoring: 100 points maximum

County reserves the right to conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked Respondent(s). The decision whether to conduct oral interviews/presentations rests solely with the County, and the decision of the DPA is final. Respondents shall be ready to attend the interview within five (5) calendar days of notification. Any inquiry to determine the responsibility of a Respondent to this solicitation 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 the 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.

1.5 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.

1.6 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 Respondent 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; and/or

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.

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.

1.7 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.

1.8 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.

1.9 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.

1.10 ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS

Eligible Respondents

Only private and non-profit organizations 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

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.

http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

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.

1.11 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 $250,000 per year for an estimated maximum of $750,000 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 $250,000, and the estimated amount available for each additional one-year term is $250,000. 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, John Parr at john.parr@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 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 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 the 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:

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:

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

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).

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.

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 Respite Care Services. The purpose of this program/service is to provide Resource Parents and other primary caregivers prearranged child care that supports placement stability by providing short-term periods of caregiver relief. Respite Care Services are requested for reasons such as appointments/classes, business trips/special events, medical treatments, rest, and stress reduction, and are also extends to parents in the community when children are at risk of abuse or neglect.

Respite Care is provided by County Approved Resource Parents who are trained and qualified as Respite Caregivers to meet the needs of dependent and non-dependent children ages birth to eighteen (0-18) years, and non-minor dependents ages eighteen to nineteen (18-19) years with a medical condition requiring adult supervision. Services include outreach to recruit and train County Approved Resource Parents to become Respite Caregivers, coordination with Respite Care Services by matching a referred infant, child, or adolescent with a Respite Caregiver who can meet the needs, administration of third-party billing between Respite Caregivers and Respite Care Recipients, and reporting results of service provision to SSA.

5.2 DEMOGRAPHICS

Respite Care Services are provided to approximately 130 – 220 unduplicated children annually.

Non-minor dependents ages eighteen to nineteen (18-19) years with a medical condition requiring adult supervision are also eligible for services but have not been served in the current term of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026.

FY 2021-22 FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25

Children Served

(unduplicated)

166 178 131 214

Hours of Respite

Care provided

18,025 18,240 13,113 29,081

5.3 POPULATION TO BE SERVED

Contractor shall provide services to Resource Parents and primary caregivers of Dependent Children placed in Out-of-Home Care, who need prearranged child care for short-term caregiver relief, primary caregivers from the community (e.g., high-risk parents) when children are at risk of abuse and/or neglect, and Non-Minor Dependents (NMDs) ages eighteen to nineteen (18-19) years with medical conditions or special circumstances. Dependent and non-dependent infants, children, and adolescents, ages birth to eighteen (0-18) years, meet any of the following criteria:

A. Dependent Children placed by SSA in a Resource Family Approved Home or, as approved by SSA, in a Foster Family Agency (FFA) Home.

B. Dependent Children referred by SSA’s Wraparound Program providers, including birth or adopted children in the home of the primary caregivers, at the time Respite Care Services are provided.

C. Children with Special Medical Need(s) including, but not limited to, physical disability or handicap, emotional or behavioral disorder(s), or severe health problems (i.e., therapeutic intervention and skilled nursing care during all or part of the day is required).

D. Dependent Children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation or belong to sibling sets of Dependent Children.

E. Children referred by SSA, when identified as at risk of abuse and/or neglect.

F. Children referred by their birth parents or other primary caregivers, if considered to be at risk of abuse and/or neglect.

5.4 DEFINITIONS

A. Dependent Child: An infant, child, or adolescent, who is under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, or in the care of a county child welfare agency or probation department.

B. Foster Family Agency Approved Foster Home (FFA Home): A home approved by a private, non-profit California Department of Social Services licensed Foster Family Agency (FFA) for placement of a Dependent Child.

C. Non-Minor Dependent (NMD): Dependent Child who has attained the age of eighteen

(18) years while in foster care and is younger than twenty-one (21) years.

D. Non-Relative Extended Family Member (NREFM): Any adult who is not a family member, but who has an established familial or mentoring relationship with the child.

E. Out-of-Home Care: A temporary placement for a Dependent Child such as a Resource Family Approved Home or FFA Home.

F. Resource Family Approved Home: An individual or couple that SSA determines to have successfully met the application and assessment criteria necessary for providing care for a Dependent Child or NMD.

G. Resource Parent: A recruited home, relative, NREFM, or Legal Guardian that SSA determines to have successfully met the application and assessment criteria necessary for providing care for a Dependent Child or NMD.

H. Respite Recipient: The Resource Parent(s) or other primary caregiver(s) of Dependent Children and NMDs who need a short-term period of caregiver relief. Resource Parent(s) or other primary caregivers of children who may be at risk of abuse or neglect may also be Respite Recipients.

I. Respite Care Services: Prearranged child care available for a minimum of one (1) hour up to a maximum of fourteen (14) days per respite request, not to exceed five hundred and four (504) hours per year, per child.

J. Respite Caregiver: A Resource Parent that is trained and qualified to meet the needs of a child served through the Respite Care Services program.

K. Special Medical: A category designated to any medical condition that can rapidly deteriorate and result in permanent injury or death, or one that requires prescribed medical equipment or specialized in-home health care.

L. Wraparound Program: A family-centered, strength-based, needs-driven program designed to provide intensive, coordinated and highly individualized interventions and support services to facilitate and support children’s ability to remain in a safe and stable home.

5.5 OUTCOME OBJECTIVES

A. Contractor will Review and assess one hundred percent (100%) of referrals for services and follow up with the assigned Social Worker within three (3) business days from the initial referral date.

B. Contractor will participate in a minimum of one (1) monthly outreach and recruitment effort to secure additional County-approved Resource Parents as Respite Caregivers.

C. Within two (2) business days from the end of each Respite Care Session, Contractor will send a qualitative evaluation survey link over text and email to the Respite Requestor for one hundred percent (100%) of completed Respite Care Sessions.

D. Contractor will follow up with one hundred percent (100%) of Respite Requestor survey attempts by phone call within four (4) business days from the initial text and email. Respite Requestor will have the option to complete the survey with Contractor over the phone and the Contractor will complete the survey on the Respite Requestor’s behalf. Contractor will make a second follow up attempt over by phone call five (5) business days from the initial text and email if the first follow up is unsuccessful.

5.6 WORKLOAD STANDARDS

A. Contractor’s workload standards with respect to this Scope of Work are coordination of services up to a maximum of five hundred and four (504) annual hours, per referred child or NMD.

B. Contractor and County may mutually agree in writing to modify workload standards 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 ADMINISTRATOR. 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

ADMINISTRATOR for any closure outside of COUNTY’s holiday schedule and the hours listed in Subparagraph 5.1 of this Attachment A. Any unauthorized closure shall be deemed a material breach of this Contract, pursuant to Paragraph 20, and shall not be reimbursed.

5.8 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Contractor shall:

1. Provide services that are family-centered, family-friendly, and culturally responsive to the population served.

2. Provide qualified bilingual staff, who are proficient in English and the specific language in which services will be provided (e.g., Spanish or another threshold language as determined by County).

3. Utilize qualified bilingual staff, as needed. In addition to required bilingual language skills, a qualified staff must have the ability to accurately translate terms associated with mental illness and psychotropic medications.

4. Provide in-kind donations (e.g., toys, games, gifts for birthdays and holidays, and food items, etc.) to Respite Recipients and Respite Caregivers to facilitate implementation of services.

5. Attend and participate in meetings at facilities and/or other community locations, as requested and scheduled by County.

6. Complete trainings presented or sponsored by Contractor, as requested by County.

7. Appear and testify at Juvenile Court hearings, when requested by SSA.

8. Comply with Health and Safety (H&S) Code Sections 1530.7 and 118948 and CCR, Title 22, Division 6, Chapter 9.5, Article 3, Section 89374(a)(1), which precludes anyone from smoking inside a motor vehicle. H&S Code Section 1530.7 extends the health and safety protection specifically to foster children by providing that person who are licensed, certified, or approved to provide residential care in a foster family home, certified family home, or Resource Family Approved Home shall not smoke or permit any other person to smoke inside the home, or on the outdoor grounds when the child/NMD is present. In addition, a person licensed, certified, or approved to provide residential foster care shall not smoke in any motor vehicle regularly used to transport the child/NMD.

5.9 SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

Contractor shall provide the following services:

A. Outreach and Recruitment

1. Participate in monthly outreach and recruitment efforts to secure additional Resource Parents as Respite Caregivers. These efforts shall include, but not limited to:

a. Attending SSA meetings where newly approved Resource Parents are presented at community resource fairs, Resource Parent trainings, etc.; and

b. Presenting at SSA events such as Children and Family Services (CFS) Resource Family Approval parent forums and support group meetings, family-focused events, etc.

2. Provide incentives (e.g., planners, pens,…