Teaming to Serve Exploited Children

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to define the County's minimum requirements, solicit proposals, and gain adequate information by which the County may evaluate the services offered by Proposers that fall within the scope of service as further described in this RFP.

The County of Solano, Department of Health & Social Services, Child Welfare Services (CWS) Division, hereinafter referred to as the “County,” intends to secure a contract with a qualified proposer to:

1. Coordinate and conduct Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Meetings for Solano County youth who are at risk of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or have been exploited to ensure victim-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based planning and engagement with youth and families.
2. Work alongside Child Welfare staff to provide emergency and ongoing case management for CSE-identified children and youth; and
3. Participate in community outreach and education to raise awareness of CSE issues in the community.

The County is seeking a qualified contractor to utilize a harm reduction approach when working with CSE-identified youth and children. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has identified the harm reduction approach as an evidence-informed practice. For more information on utilizing harm reduction strategies with Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth, please read All County Information Notice No. I-28-19.

The goals of the service outlined in this RFP are to provide CSE-identified children/youth and their families with support within their communities, psychoeducation, and connection to resources that can be utilized on an ongoing basis to ensure services are in place that meet the needs of the youth and families served. The County strives to become a place where human trafficking does not exist.

The County provides numerous services to residents through several departments within Solano County, including Administration, Behavioral Health, Child Welfare Services (CWS), Employment and Eligibility Services, Public Health Services, and Medical Services.

The mission of CWS is to protect children from abuse and neglect by strengthening families or finding safe, permanent homes so that they can grow into healthy productive adults. CWS includes a Hotline, 24/7 Emergency Response Services, Intensive Family Maintenance and Family Reunification Services, Permanent Placement Services, Supportive Transition Services, and Adoption Services.

California Child Welfare Services (CCWS) is a state-supervised and County-administered program. The program’s purpose is to prevent, identify, and respond to allegations of child abuse and neglect. Families in the CWS receive services that promote children remaining safely in their homes and reunify children who are temporarily removed from their homes with their families. For cases in which children are unable to reunify with their families, efforts are made to find a permanent home through adoption or guardianship.

In 2014, Senate Bill No. 855 (SB 855) amended the Welfare and Institutions Code (W&IC) Section 300 to clarify that under existing law, commercially exploited children whose parents or guardians failed or were unable to protect them may fall within the description of 300(b) and be adjudged as dependents of the juvenile court. During State Fiscal Year 2014-15, counties were able to opt into the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Program by developing interagency protocols to serve children who have been commercially sexually exploited. In addition, on September 29, 2014, the President signed Public Law 113-183, Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act to Benefit Children and Youth. This new federal law contains several provisions relating to sex-trafficked children, including a requirement that agencies develop policies and procedures for identifying, documenting, and determining appropriate services for serving youth who the State has reasonable cause to believe is, or are at risk of being, a victim of sex trafficking. The CDSS operates the Child Trafficking Response Unit (CTRU) and administers Senate Bill 855, a voluntary (opt-in) CSEC Program, and provides support to child welfare and probation agencies in all counties in California to meet federal and state requirements to screen and assess the needs of children at-risk or victims of CSEC. For more information on CSEC, please visit https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Child-Welfare-Protection/Child-Trafficking-Response.

In 2016, the County CWS opted into the CSEC Program and convened interagency partners to create a CSEC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address the needs of CSE children and youth. In the MOU a Steering Committee was formed and the ways in which the CSEC youth are to be served were outlined. A CSEC Multidisciplinary Team was formed, and representatives include CWS, Probation, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Public Health as required by law. The purpose of the MDT will be to allow the agencies participating in the MDT, in whole or in part, to share confidential information to determine how best to protect and meet the needs of the CSEC youth. Currently, MDT meetings are offered weekly following the County’s Interagency Meeting. A copy of the CSEC MOU is attached for reference.

The following CWS data provides the population of identified CSE children/youth in Solano County. In 2024, the hotline received a total of sixty-two (62) referrals regarding CSE children/youth and of those referrals, approximately thirty-two (32) were investigated either immediately or within ten (10) days.