FY27-003 cwppg sole source TP

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking to award a sole source contract (FY27-003 CWPPG SOLE SOURCE TP, Bidbuy No. 27-418DCFS-PROCU-B-51262) to the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group for consultant services supporting child welfare reform initiatives from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. This procurement encompasses four primary service areas: Division of Quality Assurance training and coaching on case review practices and interviewer skills; Agency Performance Monitoring and Execution support for Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM) including coaching on rating tools and feedback mechanisms; technical assistance to the Office of Research and Child Well-Being for equity-centered strength-focused approaches; and Behavioral Health Executive Support and WIRL program consultation focused on reducing maltreatment in care and increasing permanency exits. Key deliverables include training courses, coaching sessions, consultation and planning meetings, learning labs, case record reviews, weekly coaching for supervisors and workers, and project management activities. The consultant will work across immersion sites implementing the Core Practice Model and Quality Service Reviews (QSR) training and certification, serving DCFS Senior Leadership, Legal, the Division of Quality Assurance, the Office of Professional Development, and Immersion Site Directors. Consultant rates are established at $1,200 per day or $150 per hour, with travel expenses calculated at $1,000 per airline trip, $68 federal meal per diem, $175 federal lodging per day, and $80 daily ground transportation. The public hearing on the sole source procurement method is scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx, with written comments or public hearing requests due by 4:00 p.m. on April 17, 2026, to Dianne Richman at Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov or 217-622-1857; the hearing will be cancelled if no interested party submits comments or requests attendance.

This is a sole source procurement with no set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational eligibility; however, the contract is designated exclusively for the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group based on a September 28, 2016 court order in the B.H. v. Marc D. Smith federal case requiring DCFS to retain this vendor for assistance with development and implementation of Illinois's Core Practice Model. The sole source justification is rooted in the vendor's institutional knowledge of Illinois operations, the significant disruption and delays that would result from transferring services mid-implementation of the statewide Core Practice Model expansion, and DCFS's substantial investment in integrating the vendor's proprietary CFTM model into its Quality Improvement processes and staffing. This represents the ninth sole source contract and one small purchase with this vendor since 2016, indicating an established relationship supporting ongoing court-ordered child welfare reforms outlined in the Amended and Revised DCFS B.H. Implementation Plan, which addresses systemic reforms for children and youth with psychological, behavioral, or emotional challenges. The total contract value is $599,600.00, allocated as follows: Division of Quality Assurance at $105,000.00, Agency Performance Monitoring and Execution at $125,000.00, Office of Research and Child Well-Being at $3,600.00, Behavioral Health Executive Support and WIRL at $295,000.00, and travel expenses at $71,000.00. Funding is derived from state appropriated funds, and the State Purchasing Officer approved the sole source on April 7, 2026; DCFS notes that failure to approve this sole source would violate the B.H. Consent Decree and subject the Department to federal legal action and potential reduction in federal Title IV-E and Title IV-B reimbursement.