Statewide HOMEBUILDERS(R) Program

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services is requesting proposals for a single statewide HOMEBUILDERS contractor to deliver intensive in-home family preservation and reunification services across eight OCFS districts, with proposals due July 24, 2026 and an informational meeting scheduled for June 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom.

The scope encompasses evidence-based family preservation and reunification services designed to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placement and facilitate safe reunification for families with children at imminent risk of foster care entry. The contractor must establish eight HOMEBUILDERS teams (one per district, excluding Central Office Intake), each comprising 4–5 specialists, one supervisor, one team manager, and support staff, plus three regional program managers overseeing all eight teams. Services must be delivered at full capacity and fidelity 52 weeks per year with 24/7/365 availability, including 8–10 hours per week of intensive in-home services over 4–6 weeks, family team meetings, case conferencing, and North Carolina Family Assessment Scale v.2 completion. The contractor must operate one statewide administrative office Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., conduct two site monitoring visits per year in each district, implement a Department-approved Quality Assurance Plan within 30 days of contract start, and provide concrete services up to $500 per family annually. Specialists must hold a master's or bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or related field plus two years' experience with children and families; supervisors require a master's degree plus two years' experience or a bachelor's degree plus four years as a specialist and one year of supervisory experience. All staff must complete initial HOMEBUILDERS core skills training, ECM webinar training, and client documentation training before case assignment and comply with MaineIT security policies for handling PII and PHI.

The contract runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with two optional renewal periods (October 1, 2028–September 30, 2030 and October 1, 2030–September 30, 2031) subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance. Proposals are scored on 100 points: Organization Qualifications and Experience (20 points), Proposed Services (50 points), and Cost Proposal and Budget Narrative (25 and 5 points). Mandatory performance measures include 80% program completion rates, 70% of children remaining safely in home six months post-closure, 80% family progress on goals, 80% improved safety ratings, and less than 10% dropout rates. Questions are due June 30, 2026; notice of intent to bid is due July 17, 2026.