Statewide Adopt. , Kin, Foster, and Resource Fam Recruit Svcs

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services is requesting proposals for statewide Adoption, Kinship, Foster, and Resource Family Recruitment Services under RFP 202606102, with proposals due July 24, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. via the Vendor Self Service System and questions due July 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The Department anticipates making one award.

The scope encompasses comprehensive recruitment services including development and implementation of a statewide diligent recruitment plan within 90 calendar days of contract start, quarterly recruitment events across five marketing domains (businesses, schools, community, places of worship, and media), maintenance of the "A Family for ME" website with a Heart Gallery, child/youth-specific and adoption-focused recruitment services, and a 24/7/365 toll-free information line. Facility operations are required Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with flexible scheduling. The contractor must load child and adoptive family information into the Department-approved Adoption Matching Software within 60 calendar days and complete child biographies in AdoptUSKids within seven calendar days of referral.

Performance targets include 300 prospective resource families attending informational sessions annually (75 per quarter), 200 completed applications from prospective resource families annually, and 90 percent completion of identified quarterly diligent recruitment plan activities. Staffing must include sufficient Resource Family/Parent Recruitment Coordinators to support these volumes and Adoption and Generalized Recruitment Coordinators serving a maximum of 100 children annually. All staff must comply with background check requirements and MaineIT security policies.

The initial contract period runs October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2028, with two optional renewals through September 30, 2031. Evaluation uses a 100-point scale: 25 points for Organization Qualifications and Experience, 40 points for Proposed Services, and 35 points for Cost Proposal, with costs scored mathematically awarding 35 points to the lowest bid. Bidders submit cost proposals on the prescribed form; no best and final offer process will be conducted. The Department reserves the right to reject all proposals or negotiate with the highest-ranked bidder. Appeals are available under Maine Revised Statutes 5 M.R.S.A. 1825-E within 15 calendar days of award notification.