Family Time & Transportation (Rapid City)

The South Dakota Department of Social Services, Division of Child Protection Services, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure supervised family time and transportation services for Pennington County in Rapid City, South Dakota. The procurement seeks a qualified provider to deliver two primary services: supervised family visitation services in a child and family-friendly facility that accommodates multiple simultaneous sessions with audio/visual recording capabilities and ADA compliance, and flexible transportation services including vehicles with appropriate child safety restraints. During State Fiscal Year 2025, the current vendor supervised approximately 1,360 family visits serving an average of 30 families per month, with transportation services covering approximately 1,100 visitations or appointments involving 11,730 miles traveled monthly. Key qualifications include completion of criminal background checks and Central Registry checks for all staff, comprehensive training in child development and family dynamics, strict maintenance of client confidentiality, and commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, professional liability insurance of $1,000,000, and business automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 per accident. The RFP requires non-binding Letters of Intent by March 5, 2026, with proposals due by April 2, 2026, via Secured File Transfer Protocol. The State anticipates an award decision and contract negotiation by April 29, 2026. Inquiries concerning the RFP must be emailed to Kirsten Blachford at Kirsten.Blachford@state.sd.us with subject line "RFP19494 Inquiries" before the deadline, and all inquiries and responses will be posted on the state's e-procurement system and DSS website.

The RFP document does not indicate specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that may respond, nor does it identify disadvantaged enterprise requirements. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is specified in the available documentation. The contract will be issued for one year ending May 31, 2027, with the option for renewal for up to three additional one-year contracts at the State's discretion based on performance and continued fund availability. Cost proposals must include comprehensive pricing covering hourly rates for supervised family time and transportation services, personnel costs with benefits, operating costs, equipment costs for vehicles and supplies, and other expenses such as recruitment advertising, with all costs included in monthly billing that details individual cases, mileage, transportation time, and supervision hours. Contracts are subject to continued availability of appropriated funds and may be terminated with 30 days' written notice or immediately for breach of terms. Oral presentations may be required at the offeror's expense. The specific budget range or award value is not disclosed in the available RFP documentation.