Foster Support

The Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Children, Aging and Community Services, Division of Child Welfare is requesting proposals for comprehensive support services to foster families and non-certified kinship caregivers across Colorado, with proposals due July 28, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time and a public opening at 1:15 p.m. via Google Meet.

The scope encompasses mental health resources delivered by licensed professionals, caregiver support and education including parenting support and legal navigation assistance, and hard goods distribution (beds, cribs, car seats, clothing) to support placement stabilization. Vendors must establish documented processes for connecting caregivers to mental health professionals, providing crisis management and mentorship, obtaining and delivering hard goods, and monthly reporting capabilities. The Colorado Department of Human Services currently serves approximately 2,500 certified foster or kinship foster care homes and over 500 non-certified kinship caregivers.

The maximum award is $300,000 per year. The initial contract term runs September 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (capped at $250,000), with potential for four additional one-year renewal terms extending through June 30, 2031. Vendors must submit detailed line-item budgets directly correlating to proposed scope using either the Department's budget template or their own. This solicitation may result in single or multiple awards.

Vendors must be registered in CORE, registered to do business in Colorado, and registered with SAM.gov before contract execution. Background checks are required for vendors with direct contact with vulnerable persons. Proposals must comply with the OCACS Nondiscrimination Policy, accessibility requirements under Colorado law and WCAG Level AA standards, and CDHS standard contract terms including comprehensive insurance requirements (general liability minimum $1,000,000, professional liability, crime insurance, and protected information liability). Contractors handling Protected Health Information must execute a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement with mandatory annual third-party security assessments and breach response insurance.

Questions are due July 6, 2026, with responses posted July 14. There is no pre-bid conference. Proposals must not exceed 15 pages and remain firm for 180 calendar days from award.