Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Services

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) issued Request for Proposals (RFP QAAA 2026000215) on May 8, 2026, seeking qualified organizations to provide Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) services statewide. This procurement targets county departments of human or social services, private non-profit community organizations, and tribal nations with expertise in social, human, family, or family support services. The contract will begin October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with renewal options for up to four additional one-year periods not to exceed five years total. Eligible applicants must provide comprehensive, evidence-based family support services across four core service areas: family support services, family preservation services, family reunification services, and adoption/post-permanency support services, utilizing approved curricula and models rated as Well-Supported, Supported, Promising, or Emerging from clearinghouses including the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse and Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Deliverables include biannual attendance at PSSF grantee meetings and Strengthening Families Conferences, completion of required evidence-based model training within six months of onboarding, monthly participation in CDEC meetings, monthly invoice submissions, semi-annual or quarterly reports as requested, real-time data entry into the CDEC Salesforce system within ten days of service completion, and participation in site visits by the PSSF Program Manager. Key performance outcomes include contacting referred families within three business days of referral, developing Family Service Plans within fourteen days of assessment, achieving at least 70 percent completion of structured parenting program sessions, conducting monthly case reviews, documenting "warm handoffs" for at least 80 percent of families requiring specialized services, and conducting at least two documented community outreach activities per quarter. All staff must complete fingerprint-based criminal background checks, annual mandated reporter training through the Colorado Child Welfare Training System, and adhere to the Colorado Family Support Assessment 2.0 (CFSA 2.0) as the primary assessment tool. The proposal submission deadline is June 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time via BidNet Direct, with a public bid opening on June 4, 2026; a pre-proposal conference is scheduled for May 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. via Google Meet, and inquiries are due by May 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with answers posted by May 21, 2026.

This procurement does not restrict awards to specific organizational set-asides or disadvantaged enterprise categories, though it requires all awarded organizations to register with the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Colorado Office of the Comptroller Registry (CORE). No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. All awarded vendors must integrate their operations with the state's CDEC Salesforce Database, entering all PSSF service data within ten days of service completion, and must comply with system mandatory field requirements and data entry protocols established in Exhibit J. Funding is available in four tiers based on geographic scope and organizational capacity: Tier 1 ($25,000-$50,000) for small agencies serving small counties, Tier 2 ($50,001-$120,000) for mid-size agencies, Tier 3 ($120,001-$200,000) for large agencies or multi-county service areas, and Tier 4 (up to $250,000) for statewide proposals serving at least 50 percent of Colorado counties. All awarded organizations must provide a 30 percent match commitment calculated as total budget equals grant award divided by 0.70, with match funds limited to in-kind resources only and federal funds ineligible as match. Organizations must allocate a minimum 20 percent of funds to each of the four service areas, and those requesting Tier 3 or higher funding must dedicate at least 25 percent of resources to family reunification services and/or adoption/post-permanency support services. Unallowable costs include facility purchase or construction, medical or health care services, employee incentives, gift cards, food for meetings, membership dues, residential treatment, childcare slots, and inherently religious activities, though up to 15 percent of the total award may be allocated as flexible funding for emergency assistance and essential household items. The State anticipates making multiple awards with minimum awards at $25,000 and maximum awards at $250,000.