RFP 6236 RESOURCE PARENT AND CARE PROVIDER TRAINING

Project Description: 1.1 Introduction/Purpose
The County of Ventura (hereinafter referred to as County) invites your organization to submit a written proposal to provide training to resource parents and other care providers of children and youth involved in the child welfare system throughout Ventura County. Proposals shall be due no later than 3:00 p.m. on January 21, 2026 for the furnishing of “Resource Parent and Care Provider Training” services in accordance with the attached Terms and Conditions, Instructions to Offerors which by this reference are made a part hereof.
Offerors shall be skilled and regularly engaged in the general class or type of work called for in the solicitation documents. Qualified offerors include those with experience in planning, organizing and providing mandatory training to a diverse group of participants. Knowledge of child welfare practices is required.
One qualified vendor will be selected from this RFP.
1.2 Background
Children and Family Services (CFS) is a division of the County of Ventura Human Services Agency (HSA). The mission of CFS is to protect children by strengthening families. CFS’ three priorities are preventing family separations, safely reuniting families as fast as possible, and ensuring children and youth who cannot safely return home have lifelong and unconditional family connections.
It is important that training participants understand the CFS mission and priorities and be reminded of their role in supporting family reunification and creating lifelong connections. Further, those working in these training programs should be familiar with the County’s We Believe statements, the Quality Parenting Initiative, and the Written Directives that inform the Resource Family Approval process.
The purpose of this Resource Parent and Care Provider Training program is to provide required training for the Resource Family Approval Program (RFA) as defined by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The Resource Parent and Care Provider Training program includes required pre-approval training of mandated curriculum (also called Pre-Service Training) for prospective resource parents, as well as additional and ongoing training sessions to meet the unique needs of resource parents and other caregivers. These trainings are a critical step in preparing caregivers from all backgrounds to keep children and youth safe, and to support children and families in ways that meet their specific needs with strategies that are trauma-informed and supported through best practices.
The selected vendor will be expected to:
• Deliver Pre-Service Training (PST) to individuals interested in becoming a resource parent. The PST curriculum has been developed by County and is in alignment with the CDSS program policies and mandates. (An estimation of 250 individuals will be trained during the program year.)
• Offer interactive, engaging, cost-effective, ongoing training sessions for resource parents and other care providers with training topics that are relevant and responsive to resource parents’ needs. (An estimation of 15-25 training courses may be needed during the program year.)
• Schedule and ensure resource parents obtain initial CPR/First Aid certification within the timeframe specified by CDSS, as well as recertification of CPR/First Aid every two years. (An estimation of 500 individuals will need initial or recertification of CPR/First Aid during the program year.)
• Develop and implement a process to regularly assess the training needs of resource parents, including identifying specific topics in which resource parents need further education and support after their initial state-mandated training.
• Offer classes that meet the language and scheduling needs of the resource parents and caregivers.
Definitions
• Care Providers – for the purpose of this program, defined as adoptive parents, legal guardians, Short-Term Residential Treatment Program (STRTP) staff, child/respite care providers, CFS staff, and other professionals working with families in the child welfare system.
• Lived experience – for the purpose of this program, refers to someone who has been a relative caregiver, a resource parent, a birth parent who successfully navigated the child welfare system, a former foster youth (18 years of age or older), or someone who has cared for children in the child welfare system or has a familiarity with the child welfare system (i.e., a current or former social worker.) CFS values the perspective and unique insight of those with lived experience and believes their contributions to a program make it stronger and potentially more impactful for participants.
• Resource Parent – someone who provides temporary or long-term care for children within the child welfare system who cannot live with their biological parent(s).
• Community resource home – a resource parent who is a member of the broader community and has no pre-existing connection to the children in their care.
• Relative home/relative caregiver – a resource parent who is related to, or a non-related extended family member of, the child in their care. (Roughly half of the approximately 600 children in care in Ventura County are placed with relatives or extended family members.)
• RFA Approved – someone who has completed the Resource Family Approval process as set by CDSS.
Strong administrative skills are required for this program to ensure participants attend the mandatory training and obtain the required certifications within the CDSS specified timeframes, while also maintaining detailed and accurate records to ensure the program’s success.
The Resource Parent and Care Provider Training program must comply with the terms and conditions of Title IV (Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act, Part E Training (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance). The selected contractor will coordinate their service delivery with CFS.
1.3 Pre-proposal Conference
A NON Mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held via Zoom. Meeting details are: Topic: Pre-Proposal Conference – RFP 6236 Resource Parent and Care Provider Training Time: December 3rd, 2025, at 10:00 am Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 810 8815 5776 Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81088155776 .
Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is optional, but is highly encouraged.
The purpose of this meeting is to clarify requirements and answer vendor questions. In order to provide comprehensive answers and minimize response time, Offerors are asked to submit questions in writing prior to this conference. Pre-proposal questions should be submitted to the Buyer under the “Messages” tab of the solicitation online at: https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login .
1.4 Action Dates Procurement will work with dept to establish these dates.
The following is an outline of the anticipated schedule for the proposal review and contract award.
Issue Request for Proposal (RFP) November 14, 2025
Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference December 3, 2025
Last day for questions January 14, 2026
Proposals Due January 21, 2026
Evaluation-award February 16, 2026
Start Work July 1, 2026
1.5 Questions Regarding RFP
All questions concerning this Proposal may be directed to Jose Becerra, Buyer, under “Messages” tab of the solicitation online at: https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login .