PO24-003 DCFS Sole Source Univ of Chicago Chapin Hall Research for Older Adolescents TP

The state and local contracting opportunity describes a sole source contract award by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. The contract is for research, reporting, training, data collection, and analysis services to support DCFS's efforts to improve safety, permanence, intact services, and well-being for youth in care. Chapin Hall has provided these services to DCFS since 2006, and the current contract is valued at $4,635,737 for the term of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 with no renewal options. The justification for the sole source award cites Chapin Hall's unique qualifications, including their established longitudinal data and database, as well as the significant disruption and cost that would be incurred by transitioning to a new provider. The services are critical to DCFS's compliance with the B.H. Consent Decree and other legal and program requirements. The hearing on this sole source award will be canceled unless an interested party submits written comments or requests a public hearing by March 24, 2023.

This sole source contract is not subject to any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. Chapin Hall is the incumbent vendor, and DCFS has spent over $20 million on these programs in the last five years. The pricing for the sole source contract has been reviewed and determined to be fair and reasonable given Chapin Hall's unique qualifications and the Department's history with the vendor.