TO PROVIDE PREVENTIVE VISITATION SERVICES

ERIE COUNTY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
TO PROVIDE
PREVENTIVE VISITATION SERVICES
RFP # 2026-031VF
Erie County Department of Social Services
EDWARD A. RATH COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING
95 FRANKLIN STREET
BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14202

COUNTY OF ERIE, NEW YORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ("RFP") # 2026-031VF
TO PROVIDE PREVENTIVE VISITATION SERVICES
Contents
I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
II. FUNDING AND BUDGET ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
III. PROPOSAL TIMEFRAMES ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
V. SCOPE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REQUIRED .......................................................................................................... 7
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
HISTORY AND CONTEXT.................................................................................................................................................................... 7
SCOPE OF WORK.................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
CLINICAL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:....................................................................................................... 9
COMPENSATION..................................................................................................................................................................................10
VENDOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS........................................................................................................................10
PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND DATA COLLECTION ........................................................................................................10
VI. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS............................................................................................................................................................11
UNDERSTANDINGS ................................................................................................................................................................................11
EVALUATION .............................................................................................................................................................................................12
EVALUATION PROCESS .......................................................................................................................................................................12
CONTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................................................12
INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE...............................................................................................................................................13
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS................................................................................................................................................13
NON-COLLUSION.....................................................................................................................................................................................14
CONFLICT OF INTEREST......................................................................................................................................................................14
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS ...................................................................................................................................................................14
CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................................................................14
EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF PROPOSALS .............................................................................................................................................15
ERIE COUNTY EQUAL PAY CERTIFICATION .....................................................................................................................................16
GUIDELINES FOR STANDARD INSURANCE PROVISIONS REQUIRED ....................................................................................17
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................................................................18
RFP APPENDIX A: Proposal to Provide Service ...................................................................................................................................20
SCHEDULE A .................................................................................................................................................................................................24
RFP APPENDIX B: Fiscal ............................................................................................................................................................................25
RFP APPENDIX C: Supplemental Information .......................................................................................................................................32

I. INTRODUCTION
The County of Erie, New York (the "County") is currently seeking proposals from qualified agencies
("Proposer") interested in providing Preventive Visitation Services for Erie County Department of Social
Services (ECDSS). ECDSS utilizes a Solutions Focused Principles-Trauma Informed Care system of care
framework into its practices and procedures. Proposers interested in providing this service are invited to
respond to this request.
In responding to this RFP, Proposers must follow the prescribed format as outlined. By so doing, each
Proposer will be providing the ECDSS comparable data, and thus, be assured fair and objective treatment
in the ECDSS review and evaluation process. It is the ECDSS' intent to select the Proposer that provides
the best solution for the ECDSS' needs.
The County reserves the right to amend this RFP, reject any or all of the proposals, or any part thereof,
submitted in response to this RFP, and reserves the right to waive any irregularities or informalities, if such
action is deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to request
additional information from any Proposer, and to award negotiated contracts to one or more Proposers.
This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the County to pay any costs incurred in
connection with any proposal or to procure or contract with any firm.
The County will only contract with firms that do not discriminate against employees or applicants for
employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual
orientation, citizenship status or any other status protected by New York State and Federal laws.
II. FUNDING AND BUDGET
A total of $1,530,000 is potentially available for the requested Preventive Visitation Services for 2027.
The award is subject to annual contract renewal, contingent upon the Proposer's successful performance
of project objectives and the continued need and desire for such services as articulated by Erie County
DSS. Initial award and renewals are subject to inclusion of funding in the County Executive
Recommended Budget and as adopted by the Erie County Legislature, as well as, contingent upon
availability of New York State funds appropriated for this purpose. All contract appropriations are subject to
Legislative approval.
Future awards will be dependent on available funds and subject to the demonstrated fiscal and
programmatic stability of the applicant agency, as well as their meeting all of the Erie County Department
of Social Services requirements. More than one provider may be selected for funding for 2027.
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III. PROPOSAL TIMEFRAMES
The following schedule is for informational purposes only. The County reserves the right to amend this
schedule at any time.
Issue RFP: April 20, 2026
RFP Informational Meeting: May 6, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. via Webex
Join from the meeting link
https://erie.webex.com/erie/j.php?MTID=m1df7f494944e8548c0499b206c55e032
Join by meeting number
Meeting number (access code): 2488 187 8748
Meeting password: wAgBVYX8q64
Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only)
+1716-858-2250,,24881878748## United States Toll (Buffalo)
+1-415-655-0003,,24881878748## United States Toll
Join by phone
+1 716-858-2250 United States Toll (Buffalo)
+1-415-655-0003 United States Toll
Global call-in numbers
Join from a video system or application
Dial 24881878748@webex.com
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
Register for the Informational Meeting
by contacting: Carrie.Godfrey@erie.gov by May 5, 2026.
Proposals Due: May 20, 2026 by 4:00 p.m.
Selection Made by: October 2026
Contract Signed: Following all necessary County approvals.
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IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use of elaborate promotional
materials beyond what is sufficient to provide a complete, accurate and reliable presentation.
2. Your proposal must be comprised of 3 sections:
Appendix A
* Proposal to Provide Service
* Signed Schedule A
* For agencies not currently contracted with ECDSS to provide the requested service:
References and data from similar work
Appendix B
* Signed Fiscal Form
* Budget Forms
Appendix C
* Most recent Audit report prepared by an independent CPA
* Most recent Management Letter
* Listing of Officers and Board of Directors
Failure to follow the prescribed format for responses may result in disqualification.
3. Proposals MUST be signed using the attached Schedule A: Proposer Certification. Unsigned
proposals will be rejected.
4. Submission of the proposals shall be uploaded as three separate documents (Appendix A, B and C) to:
OnBase Unity Form. You will receive an email confirming if it has been submitted.
If unable to upload the proposal, a printed submission may be submitted to: Erie County Department of
Social Services, Attn: Carrie Godfrey, 95 Franklin Street Room 804, Buffalo, NY 14202. Note: must be
on 8.5x11 paper, one-sided and no staples.
5. All proposals must be submitted on or before May 20, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Regardless of cause,
proposals received after the above date and time will not be considered. Requests for extension will
not be granted. The County is under no obligation to return proposals.
6. Requests for clarification of this RFP must be written and submitted to Carrie Godfrey at the above
address, or at Carrie.Godfrey@erie.gov no later than 4:00 pm on May 5, 2026. A list of questions and
answers will be posted on the County website by May 11, 2026, if applicable. No communication of
any kind will be binding against the county, except for the formal written responses to any request for
clarification.
7. Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation to the County to clarify or elaborate on the
written proposal. Those Proposers will be notified to arrange specific times.
8. No proposal will be accepted from nor any agreement awarded to any Proposer that is in arrears upon
any debt or in default of any obligation owed to the County. Additionally, no agreement will be awarded
to any Proposer that has failed to satisfactorily perform pursuant to any prior agreement with the
County.
9. Information on the Standard Insurance Provisions required of agencies selected as a contractor of this
service is included in this RFP. This document is for informational purposes only and is not to be
submitted by the Proposer for the purposes of this RFP.
10. All potential contract-holders with Erie County shall agree to comply with Executive Order 13 (2014),
and the Agency shall make such records available, upon request, to the County's Division of Equal
Employment Opportunity for review. (A copy of Executive Order 13 is available here: Executive Order
13). All contract holders will be required to sign the Erie County Equal Pay Certification (attached). The
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County shall have the right, upon reasonable notice and at reasonable times, to inspect the books and
records of the Agency, its offices and facilities, for the purpose of verifying information supplied in the
Erie County Equal Pay Certification and for any other purpose reasonably related to confirming the
Agency's compliance with Erie County Executive Order No. 13 (2014). Violation of the provisions of
Executive Order 13 (2014), which is attached hereto and made a part hereto and made a part hereof,
can constitute grounds for the immediate termination of a contract, and may constitute grounds for
determining that a bidder is not qualified to participate in future county contracts.
11. All potential contract-holders with Erie County shall agree that administrative costs may not exceed
15% of the requested funds.
12. Certified Minority Business Enterprise/ Women's Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) proposers shall
include the Erie County MBE/WBE Certification letter with their proposal.
13. A business that is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) under the New York
State Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act shall include the letter indicating their company is
51% or more veteran-owned with their proposal.
14. All proposers must disclose the name, title, and department of any employee or officer who is or was an
employee or officer of Erie County within the 12 months immediately prior to the proposal.
15. If requested, proposers must provide a list of at least three references from community partners and
collaborators or an individual with knowledge of and experience with the specific services being offered.
16. All proposers must provide a list of all prime contractors and subcontractors that their agency does
business with related to the service in this RFP.
17. All proposers must include the name of their Language Access Coordinator. A copy of your Language
Access Policy is required at contracting. (Executive Order 13166) Guidance at www.lep.gov
18. All proposers must include the name of their Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator. A copy
of a written ADA policy is required at contracting. (Title II - 28 CFR 35) Guidance at www.ada.gov
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V. SCOPE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REQUIRED
INTRODUCTION
Erie County Department of Social Services is an outcomes-based organization. All contracted services are
required to support the Department's mission to engage people in need and provide a broad range of
efficient and effective assistance and services with community partners to facilitate a brighter future for
the people of Erie County. As a trauma-informed agency, ECDSS recognizes the impact of trauma and
incorporates principles of collaboration, safety, trustworthiness, empowerment, and choice throughout its
services to promote resilience and healing. ECDSS also seeks to embrace and respect individual's
differences and cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment to encourage all individuals with unique
characteristics to contribute to their full potential. Any proposer chosen to partner with ECDSS in service
provision must demonstrate their alignment with these principles in their overall project design, and in all
aspects of its implementation.
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from qualified community agencies (NYS Social Services
Law - SOS 371 subdivision 10) that are able to provide preventive visitation services, in accordance with
applicable Federal and State requirements (18 CRR-NY 423) for:
* families with children in out-of-home placements in need of supervision and intervention for the
purpose of enabling a child who has been placed in foster care to return to his or her family at an
earlier time than would otherwise be possible or reducing the likelihood that a child who has been
discharged from foster care will return to foster care.
* children placed with relatives or kin when child(ren) are at risk of placement in foster care.
This service is based on the principle that safe, meaningful, frequent, flexible (available weekends and
evenings) and appropriate visitation is key to the successful reunification and permanency of children and
families in the child welfare system. It allows for continuity in the family once it has become fragmented,
due to neglect or abuse issues. It provides parents involved in reunification efforts and/or litigation, a way to
continue having contact with their children, as well as assistance in improving parenting skills. Services
should be offered in the most natural and least restrictive setting possible based on the family dynamics,
service plan, and court order including but not limited to the parent or relative's home, the community, an
agency or ECDSS. In addition, service providers should include a feedback component directly to the
parents in order to facilitate family engagement, communication, and development of their parenting skills.
It can also provide a safe and therapeutic setting for visits between parents or relatives and their children,
to support the individual goals of reunification or termination of parental rights.
The program serves children and families with the following criteria:
* Families with children from infancy through 18 years of age
* Residence in Erie County
* Families who are involved in protective services, placement, and/or preventive services, as
determined by ECDSS.
* Families referred from ECDSS, requiring visitation services across a continuum of high, medium, or
low supervision and therapeutic intervention.
The expected implementation date is January 1, 2027.
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
There are currently four providers delivering a continuum of visitation services designed to provide families
with a range of oversight and settings. There is a great need and currently waiting lists.
Preventive service programs must be in alignment with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).
See OCFS Family First Readiness.
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SCOPE OF WORK
Preventive services for this population are designed for families who are either required to participate in
services as a result of a CPS investigation and subsequent family court involvement or families who agree
to receive services based upon significant risk factors for child abuse/neglect as determined by our Child
Welfare staff. Delivery of services must be documents in CONNECTIONS, the Statewide Automated Child
Welfare computer system, as applicable (18 CRR-NY 428).
The objective of visitation services is to:
i. Provide positive experiences for the child to assist with the overall family and foster care well-being
and functioning.
ii. Provide parent or relative and child with skills needed to reunite or reach another permanent living
arrangement, by interacting with each other in supervised and guided interactions in a variety of
settings, thus promoting child safety and permanency.
iii. Provide visitation between parents or relatives and children in placement, promoting bonding and
positive attachments, parenting skills building, and through staff intervention and education,
guidance in practicing positive parental roles so that families can be safely reunited in a timely
manner.
iv. Provide all visitation services designed to meet the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) goals of
safety, permanency, and child and family well-being.
v. Provide services to all referred families regardless of the circumstances that brought the child(ren)
into care.
vi. Provide services including, but not limited to, a regular and consistent schedule of visits between
parent or relative and child in a continuum of supervised visits, from high-need, secured settings to
a progressively lessened level of supervision, and ultimately to unsupervised visits in the family
home, leading to placement discharge. The service allows parents to maintain continuity and to
strengthen or form positive relationships with their children and solidify relationships between
siblings who do not reside in the same home.
vii. Assist the parent or relative with ongoing training opportunities, care coordination and community
and online resources, regarding problem- solving, stress reduction, effective parenting, behavior
modification, access to medical and/or mental health resources, and access to visitation, including
providing transportation.
viii. Facilitate healthy interactions among the child's support network; i.e. father and mother of child,
siblings, step-parent, foster parent, grandparents, etc.
ix. Involve all foster parents and kin caretakers in the arrangement and access to visits between child
and family.
x. Advise the foster parents of the parenting goals so they can provide support to the children who are
in their foster home in an effort to reinforce the goals.
xi. Provide visitation services to a complete family unit, accommodating large sibling groups during
visitations.
xii. Ensure safe and secure visitation when a parent has a known history of hostile behavior.
xiii. Assist the family in identifying volunteers or support resources.
xiv. Encourage commitment from foster parents toward the visitation process including but not limited to
healthy communication between the foster parents and parent or relative, picture sharing of the
youth (when allowed), assisting with transportation, and flexibility around visitation.
ECDSS will refer families who may be receiving protective, placement, and/or preventive services to
develop and practice healthy interactions with their children with the goals of reunification, permanency,
and child safety. The contracted agency is required to:
* Make direct (face to face) contact with a referred family (preventive services) within two (2)
business days of receipt of referral and determine that preventive services would enhance the
safety of children. For non-preventive cases, contact must be initiated within 24-48 hours.
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* Provide a consistent means of assessing the quality of the visit to be shared with the ECDSS case
manager no later than 5 days following the visit(s).
These are considered essential components of the service delivery system and funds for the project will be
tied directly to the Proposer's ability to meet these standards.
CLINICAL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:
* Adhere to documentation standards as set forth by Federal and State regulation, as well as ECDSS
policies, including timely documentation.
* Provide services producing measurable, positive outcomes for children, families, and communities.
They must be evidence and outcome-based services. Resources of evidence and outcome-based
services can be found at OCFS Effective Practices and California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse
for Child Welfare.
* Provide written recommendations, based on the facilitator's expertise and their supervision of
visitation, for court reports on whether unsupervised access would pose a risk for the family and
why.
* Use culturally sensitive practices, trauma-informed principles, and solution focused techniques
when working with ECDSS clients, incorporating the five principles of collaboration, safety,
trustworthiness, empowerment, and choice throughout services to promote resilience and healing.
Resources:
o Trauma-Informed Care Resources Guide
o How to Implement Trauma-informed Care to Build Resilience to Childhood Trauma
* Promote equitable opportunities for the underserved and foster a supportive environment for all,
regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, physical abilities, neurodivergence,
socioeconomic class, etc.
* Provide culturally appropriate services to individuals with special needs, i.e. disabilities, language
and cultural barriers, etc., including language translation services, which can be included in
budgeted direct operating costs.
* Provide the family with transportation services when needed. Agencies should make every attempt
to remove potential barriers to the goal of visitation between child and family members.
* Provide timely, available, and flexible hours of operation that do not compromise attendance at
school or work in which families can access the service in a variety of settings (at agency, in the
community, at home, etc.), including services during weekends and evening hours.
* Provide diverse locations for visitation.
* Facilitate progression of services to a less restrictive level of visitation within six months of service
commencement.
* Facilitate parenting time in settings that encourage the most natural interaction between family
members while minimizing any risk that may exist to the child.
* Provide a consistent means of assessing the quality of the visit to be shared with the ECDSS case
manager no later than 5 days following the visit(s).
* Prepare reports to be shared in Family Court regarding parent goals and progress toward such.
* Manage and retain a skilled and appropriately educated workforce.
* Conduct a criminal history check for all prospective employees/volunteers as a condition of
employment and at minimum yearly subsequently.
* Verify the credentials and licensing of staff and employees as contained in county, state, and
federal requirements.
* Maintain regular communication with ECDSS in a timely manner.
* Abide by Federal and State confidentiality statutes and regulations.
* Retain case files in accordance with Federal, State and Local laws and regulations.
* Provide staff training and internal quality assurance audits on a regular basis (Program area should
specify if there is a mandated amount.)
* Manage funds from a government funding source and maintain billing systems.
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* Submit required data and abide by designated documentation regulations in a timely manner, as
instructed by County in order to claim reimbursement for services.
COMPENSATION
* Unit of service: billable unit (hours or equivalent) i.e. face to face time with person/family served and
collaterals, time spent in documentation of services, telephone calls, case conferences about the
person served, and travel time to and from clinical activities as supported by progress notes
recorded in CONNECTIONS.
* Funding source: Social Security Act Title XX and Federal Title IV-E
* Reimbursement method: fee for service
VENDOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
* Trained in Solution Focused principles and Trauma Informed Care.
* Demonstrate knowledge, experience and understanding of the needs, risks, challenges and
opportunities faced by the target population, as well as demonstrate experience in effectively
implementing programs that promote positive client outcomes.
* Demonstrated experience working with the child welfare population is preferred
* Must have experience collaborating with multi-systems to get families' needs met
PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND DATA COLLECTION
It is understood that although several factors may relate to a defined outcome, ECDSS requires that
indicators for identified goals be included in the design of the service. The Erie County Department of
Social Services has identified the following goals as being consistent with this Request for Proposals:
* Establish a Quality Improvement Plan
* Initiate Data Collection
* Evaluate Data
* Develop and Implement a Process Improvement Plan
Data and benchmarks to be tracked by vendor:
* Number of families and children served.
* Timeliness of agency response to receipt of the referral.
* Parental participation in scheduled weekly services and reasons for cancellations.
* Participation by parents or relatives in Parenting Skill Building Services or Training, as per needs
assessment.
* Agency satisfaction survey results regarding visitation services.
* Progression of participating parents or relatives to a less restrictive level of visitation in the familial
home or community and time frames related.
* Children discharged to a parent or relative from placement within twelve months of the service
initiation.
* Location of visits.
* Provide weekly updates to ECDSS on open capacity available.
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