Bright Start Personnel and Service Delivery

The South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Home Visiting (OHV), is seeking proposals from partner agencies to support staffing and service delivery. OHV funding includes federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) funds, which support the implementation of evidence-based home visiting models that meet the effectiveness criteria established through the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) review and the statutory requirements set by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). OHV currently implements the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) model through the Bright Start program to deliver evidence-based home visiting services to eligible pregnant women across South Dakota. Selected agencies will be responsible for employing, supervising, and providing oversight of key Bright Start personnel, including a Team Lead, Nurse Home Visitors (NHVs), a Community Health Worker, Program Assistants/Referral Specialists, and a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Specialist. Agencies will collaborate closely with the Bright Start team, including the Office Administrator, Epidemiologist, Nurse Managers, Team Leads, NHVs, and referral and administrative staff. While NFP is the evidence-based model currently utilized by OHV, MIECHV-funded programs must remain responsive to federal requirements and evolving evidence. Therefore, the State reserves the right to modify or transition to a different evidence-based home visiting model in the future if program, funding, or federal guidance necessitates such a change. Agencies should indicate their willingness and capacity to adapt to potential future model changes, if required.
Background: The South Dakota Department of Health's Bright Start Home Visiting Program is dedicated to improving pregnancy outcomes, strengthening child health and development, and supporting early childhood systems across the state. For more than 25 years, Bright Start has delivered comprehensive support to eligible families through the NFP model. Bright Start provides voluntary home visits conducted by trained registered nurses who offer guidance on maternal and child healthcare, parenting skills, child development, and connections to community resources. Throughout their visits, nurses also conduct screenings and make referrals for maternal and child health services to ensure families receive timely, appropriate care. The program enrolls expectant mothers who meet income requirements and connects them with a personal nurse from early pregnancy until the child's second birthday. By offering consistent, relationship-based support in the family's home or another comfortable location, Bright Start equips parents with the tools they need to foster healthy development and build strong, confident beginnings for their children.
Offerors may email inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Inquiries must be emailed to Carrie Churchill at carrie.churchill@state.sd.us with the subject line "RFP #27-0904004-004".
The State will to respond to offeror's inquiries (if required) via e-mail. In addition, all inquiries and the State's response will be posted on the state's e-procurement system. Offerors may not rely on any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter any specification or other term or condition of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.