1661-26-R-RFQF-00001

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is seeking qualified vendors to join its Continuum of Care (CoC) network through a comprehensive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Congregate Care and Child Placing Agency Services. The procurement encompasses multiple service categories including Qualified Residential Treatment Programs, Therapeutic Foster Homes, Traditional Group Homes, Intake and Assessment Centers, Teen Maternity Homes, Supervised Independent Living, and other youth placement services. Vendors must be licensed by MDCPS within 120 days of contract award, with a maximum capacity of ten beds per facility and stringent staffing requirements, including maintaining a minimum staff-to-youth ratio. The evaluation process will be conducted in three steps: determining responsive and responsible offerors, a technical and management evaluation on a 100-point scale (with 33 points for methodology, 32 points for management qualifications, and 35 points for cost), and negotiation with top-ranked offerors. Key submission deadlines include questions due by November 12, 2025, a recommended Letter of Intent by November 19, 2025, and final qualifications due by December 2, 2025, at 12:00 PM Central Standard Time. Providers must implement trauma-informed care practices, including Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) training, and will be evaluated bi-annually using a 19-metric scorecard measuring Safety, Permanency, and Well-Being.

The RFQ encourages participation from new and emerging vendors, with no specific set-aside designations mentioned. Providers must demonstrate financial stability through three years of audited financial statements and maintain specific insurance requirements, including $1,000,000 in workers' compensation and general liability insurance, and a $100,000 fidelity bond. Vendors must be registered or commit to registering with the Mississippi Secretary of State within five business days of award notification. The total estimated contract amount is $12,221,397.20 for the initial two-year period, with an option for a two-year renewal extending potentially to March 31, 2030. Providers will be required to interface with MDCPS's new Pathways child welfare information system by 2025, either through integrated data exchange or direct system access. Compensation is structured as firm-fixed-price contracts with predetermined per diem rates, with price adjustments limited to the lesser of 5% or the annual Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers. All contract terms remain subject to approval by the Public Procurement Review Board (PPRB) if required.