1661-25-R-RFQF-00004-V01

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is conducting a comprehensive Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a Continuum of Care (CoC) network for congregate care and child placing agency services. The procurement seeks vendors to operate multiple service types including Intake and Assessment Centers, Qualified Residential Treatment Programs, Specialized Group Care for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking, Supervised Independent Living, Teen Maternity Homes, Therapeutic Foster Homes, Therapeutic Group Homes, and Traditional Foster Homes. Vendors must be prepared to provide 24-hour care, conduct comprehensive assessments, maintain specific staffing ratios, and implement trauma-informed care practices such as Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI). The RFP requires providers to be licensed by MDCPS, with some services also requiring certification from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. Proposals are due January 29, 2025, by 12:00 PM CST, with a recommended Letter of Intent due December 31, 2024, and questions due December 27, 2024. Performance will be evaluated through bi-annual scorecards measuring 19 metrics across Safety, Permanency, and Well-Being categories, with providers expected to maintain 100% compliance and develop corrective action plans for metrics below 80%.

The RFP does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Providers must interface with MDCPS's new Child Welfare Information System ("Pathways") launching in 2025, either through integrated data exchange or direct system access. The contract will be a firm-fixed-price agreement with compensation based on per diem rates established by MDCPS for each placement type, with potential annual price adjustments up to 5% or the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), whichever is less. Multiple awards are anticipated, with an initial contract term from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028, and an optional two-year renewal period not extending past March 31, 2030. Vendors must maintain workers' compensation insurance, comprehensive general liability insurance, and employee dishonesty/fidelity bond insurance with MDCPS listed as an additional insured. While specific total contract values are not disclosed, the scope suggests a significant investment in child welfare services across Mississippi, with providers expected to serve approximately 1,500 children across different age groups and service types.