PO27-002 DCFS Sole Source Univ of Chicago Chapin Hall Research for Older Adolescents TP

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is issuing a notice of intent to award a sole source contract to Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago for independent research services supporting multiple DCFS initiatives and federal compliance obligations. This procurement encompasses 21 distinct projects in Fiscal Year 2027, including meta-model evaluation, program evaluations (Families Together, Residential Monitoring, Early Childhood Court Team, LifeSet, and Wraparound), continuous quality improvement initiatives, administrative case reviews, youth surveys, family voice research, and data analytics. The contracted services require complex longitudinal data analysis, qualitative research through interviews and focus groups, performance monitoring, dashboard and predictive model development, literature reviews, and strategic consultation. Key deliverables include monthly and quarterly reports, biannual court filings to support B.H. consent decree obligations, interactive dashboards using Power BI and Excel, peer-reviewed publications, and strategic guidance on metrics and policy decisions. The work directly supports systemic reform priorities, federal mandates including Family First Prevention Services Act implementation and Children's Bureau compliance, and racial equity analysis throughout all evaluation activities. Chapin Hall staff must participate in monthly in-person and virtual meetings in Chicago, Illinois, and maintain ongoing collaboration with DCFS, community-based agencies, and federal stakeholders. The deadline for written comments or public hearing requests is 4:00 p.m. on May 1, 2026, with a public hearing scheduled for May 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx.

This procurement is designated as a sole source award restricted to Chapin Hall based on its unique historical role as the designated evaluator under the B.H. Amended and Revised Implementation Plan, its specialized expertise in Illinois child welfare system reform, and its unparalleled capabilities in managing complex administrative datasets since the 1980s. Chapin Hall maintains the primary DCFS administrative databases (CHILD and DCFS schemas) and serves as steward of the only national child welfare database containing decades of longitudinal data from 27 states covering approximately 3 million children, creating substantial transition costs and operational inefficiencies if another vendor were selected. The contract is court-ordered under the B.H. consent decree (B.H. v. Walker), with any changes to Chapin Hall's role requiring approval from federal district court and the Federal Children's Bureau. The estimated contract value is $5,900,000 for the term beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with no renewal options, funded entirely through State Appropriated Funds. The FY27 hourly rate for personnel costs is $160, with additional charges for travel and transcription, and the largest project allocation is Children's Behavioral Health Transformation at $1,600,000, followed by Strategic Implementation Support at $613,500. DCFS has continuously awarded sole source contracts to Chapin Hall since fiscal year 2006, with prior year values ranging from $1.9 million to $5.2 million. Written comments or public hearing requests should be submitted to Dianne Richman at the Chief Procurement Office for General Services (Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov, 217-622-1857).