Study of Certified & Licensed Childcare Programs

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts is soliciting proposals for a comprehensive study of certified and licensed childcare programs in Kentucky under RFP 2700000079, with proposals due October 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM Eastern Time.

The scope is a statutory mandate from 2026 House Joint Resolution 50 requiring evaluation of Kentucky statutes, administrative regulations, and agency policies governing childcare licensing and certification. The contractor must identify regulatory barriers, compare Kentucky requirements to peer states and national standards, analyze federal law impacts, conduct statewide surveys and focus groups with childcare providers, educators, state and local officials, parents, and public-policy experts, and deliver recommendations on local regulatory barriers (zoning ordinances, land-use policies, permitting fees). The study explicitly excludes child-to-teacher ratios and maximum group sizes from scope. The contractor must engage routinely with the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council, provide quarterly updates, and guarantee participant anonymity across diverse provider regions, ratings, programming types, and service populations.

The initial contract term runs November 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with an optional one-year renewal subject to approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee. Deliverables include a draft report by September 1, 2027, a revised draft to the Advisory Council by November 1, 2027, and a final report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2027. Cost proposal pricing is based on hourly rates and total engagement hours; the Commonwealth reserves the right to negotiate fair and reasonable compensation and request Best and Final Offers. The contractor may request up to two progress payments, each not exceeding one-third of the total contract amount, with 10 percent of progress billings plus one-third held until satisfactory completion. Liquidated damages are 2 percent of the total contract amount per day for delays beyond September 1, 2027, capped at the contract amount.

Evaluation allocates 1,200 maximum points to technical proposal, 200 points to cost, and 100 points to optional oral presentations. Professional liability insurance equal to the contract price and commercial general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate are required.