“Via its Head Start grants, Maricopa County Human Services Department is seeking to contract with qualified Center Based Child Care Center Providers. Children to be served under this solicitation are Early Head Start eligible children ages 0-2, with the option to demonstrate capacity to serve Head Start eligible children ages 3-5, and pre-school aged children in areas identified as high need, excluding the City of Phoenix Arizona (Targeted communities include: Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Avondale, Surprise, Peoria, and Buckeye). Providers shall establish Head Start programs with full-day (10 hours per day Monday – Friday) year-round (minimum of 48 weeks per year) in their facilities.
The Head Start program is a comprehensive child development program for low income children zero-five years of age. The program services support and promote children’s physical, cognitive, language, and social/emotional development. Partnerships with Child Care Center providers will bring together the strengths of the Head Start program and Child Care Center services (Early Head Start/Head Start/Child Care Services Project “the Project” ) through layered program activities will ensure quality full day/full year care and education. This program option is designed for working families, or families engaged in school or job training. The Head Start services are divided into 2 separate service delivery groups, Early Head Start (EHS) for children ages zero (0) to two (2) and Head Start (HS) for children ages three (3) to five (5).
Service delivery areas are limited to the following:
- 0-2 years old: Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Avondale, Surprise, Peoria, and Buckeye
- 3-5 years old: Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe
Each submission to provide the identified services must indicate the service area and list the address where services will be provided.
Head Start provides young children with an array of services, including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services which recognizes the critical opportunities of Head Start programs to positively impact children and families in the early years and beyond. Quality services have been the keystone for Head Start across its history. These principles continue to be both a guide and inspiration for quality Head Start services. They are designed to nurture healthy attachments between parent and child (and between child and teacher), emphasize a strengths-based, relationship-centered approach to services, and encompass the full range of a family’s needs.
The Project will provide high-quality, comprehensive, and continuous early care and education that support parents’ efforts to fulfill their parental roles; and help parents move towards self-sufficiency and positively affect child outcomes. The contracted Child Care Center provider(s) shall be required to enroll and maintain a minimum of 25% of the EHS funded slots with children receiving child care subsidies. There is no requirement for child care subsidies for HS slots. Participation in CACFP is a requirement of contractors serving either EHS or HS children. Maricopa County Human Services Department will determine the number of enrollment opportunities and the number of Child Care Center providers at the time of contract award.
Maricopa County Human Services will provide all families with opportunities to submit eligibility applications for program services. Determine family eligibility, enrollment and child transitions. Family support services that include family assessment, referrals to resources based on needs identified. High quality health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and that will support each child’s growth and school readiness. Maricopa County Human Services will monitor fiscal practices including invoices and supporting financial documents submitted for reimbursement and payroll records for the purpose of ensuring that staff working in HS/EHS classrooms is provided competitive wages. Monitoring of education services includes: proper child/teach ratios, teacher lesson plans, teacher child assessments, teacher-child interactions, classroom environment and caregiving routines.
Contracts awarded through this solicitation shall be for a twelve initial (12) month period. The County may, at its option, and with the agreement of the Contractor, renew the term of the Contract for additional terms up to a maximum of three (3) additional one-year terms, (or at the County’s sole discretion, extend the contract on a month-to-month bases for a maximum of six (6) months after expiration). The County shall notify the Contractor in writing of its intent to extend the Contract term at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to the expiration of the original contract term, or any additional term thereafter.
The County reserves the right to add additional contractors, at the County’s sole discretion, in cases where the currently listed contractors are of an insufficient number or skill-set to satisfy the County’s needs or to ensure adequate competition on any project or task order work.”
Excerpted from Maricopa County Solicitation 171223-RFP Child Care Services for Head Start Children Ages 0 to 5 Years