DCY-C-2627-0009R High-Quality Legal Representation for Parents
| Location: | Ohio |
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| Posted: | Sep 30, 2025 |
| Due: | Jan 26, 2026 |
| Agency: | State Government of Ohio |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
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| Solicitation No: | SRC0000033553 |
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Solicitation ID: | SRC0000033553 |
| Solicitation Name: | DCY-C-2627-0009R High-Quality Legal Representation for Parents |
| Original Begin Date: | 8/28/2025 12:00:00 AM |
| Begin Date: | 9/30/2025 12:00:00 AM |
| End Date: | 1/26/2026 1:00:00 PM |
| Inquiry End Date: | 1/14/2026 8:00:00 AM |
| Commodity: | Legal services |
| MBE Set Aside: | MBE Set Aside |
| Agency: | KID351100 Contracts DCYNHC |
| Solicitation Status: | Open for Bidding |
| Solicitation Type: | Request For Proposal (RFP) (Double Envelope) |
Solicitation General Information
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In an MBE set-aside solicitation, only those bidders/suppliers with an active MBE certification at the time the solicitation closes can submit a response
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Solicitation ID
SRC0000033553
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Solicitation Name
DCY-C-2627-0009R High-Quality Legal Representation for Parents
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RFx Type
Request For Proposal (RFP) (Double Envelope)
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Lot #
1
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Solicitation Status
Open for Bidding
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Round #
2
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MBE Set Aside
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Begin Date
9/30/2025 12:00:00 AM (ET)
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Amendment?
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End Date
1/26/2026 1:00:00 PM (ET)
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Inquiry End Date
1/14/2026 8:00:00 AM
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Summary
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for
a project to identify, develop, implement, and expand innovative strategies to enhance access to and improve the quality of legal representation for parents, children, and kinship caregivers involved in, or at risk of involvement with, Ohio’s child welfare system.
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Predecessor Contract
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Process
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Ship To
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1 Record(s)
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0 Record(s)
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Solicitation Documents
2 Record(s)
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Attachment Preview
STATE OF OHIO
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP NUMBER: DCY-C-2627-0009R
The Department of Children and Youth (DCY), is issuing the following Request for
Proposals (RFP):
DCY High-Quality Legal Representation for Parents RFP
Proposals received after the due date and time will not be evaluated.
This RFP consists of 7 sections and 8 parts, totaling 67 consecutively numbered pages. Please verify
that you have a complete copy of all documents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RFP Details
Section 1 Overview
Section 2 Procurement Authority, RFP Overview, and Schedule of Events
Section 3 Instructions to Offeror
Section 4 Requirements for Proposals
Section 5 Evaluation Process
Section 6 Evaluation Metrics
Section 7 Contract Award
Contract
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Scope of Work
Contract-Specific Terms and Conditions
RFP-Specific Terms and Conditions
Standard Terms and Conditions
Cost Proposal
Mutually Agreed Upon Changes
Required Forms
Draft Contract
State of Ohio Department of Children and Youth
DCY High Quality Legal Representation for Parents – RFP DCY-C-2627-0009R
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Section 1 - Overview
RFP DETAILS
A. Definitions in this RFP
The following definitions apply to the RFP and Contract.
Agency or DCY: Ohio Department of Children and Youth.
Contract: The contract resulting from this RFP.
Contractor: The selected Offeror.
DAS: Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
Deliverable: Any Contractor-provided products, supplies, services, or work described in the specifications
of the Contract.
Offeror: An offeror submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP.
Proposal: Competitive sealed proposals submitted by Offerors in response to this RFP.
State: State of Ohio.
Work: The scope of work described in this RFP.
Crosswalk: A process of mapping or comparing similar elements or requirements between different
systems, programs, or standards. An example includes bridging gaps between disparate systems by
identifying equivalencies by comparing program eligibility criteria, service descriptions, or accreditation
standards.
B. Term of Contract
Once awarded, the term of the Contract will be as set forth in Part 8, Draft Contract. The State may solely
renew this Contract at its discretion for a period of one month. Any further renewals will be by mutual
agreement between the Contractor and the State as set forth in Part 8. Each renewal is subject to and
contingent upon the discretionary decision of the Ohio General Assembly to appropriate funds for this
Contract in each new biennium. The State may renew all or part of this Contract subject to the satisfactory
performance of the Contractor and the needs of the Agency.
C. Purpose and Background
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for a project to identify, develop, implement, and expand
innovative strategies to enhance access to and improve the quality of legal representation for parents,
children, and kinship caregivers involved in, or at risk of involvement with, Ohio’s child welfare system.
On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau revised
the Child Welfare Policy Manual, allowing state Title IV-E agencies to receive federal reimbursement for
administrative costs associated with providing independent legal representation. This policy applies to legal
representation for children who are candidates for Title IV-E foster care or are currently in foster care, as
well as their parents. Additionally, the policy covers representation for tribal members, kinship caregivers,
and related administrative costs, including those for paralegals, investigators, and support staff.
State of Ohio Department of Children and Youth
DCY High Quality Legal Representation for Parents – RFP DCY-C-2627-0009R
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Under this policy, federal reimbursement is provided based on a state’s proportion of foster children eligible
for Title IV-E, rather than covering all associated costs.
D. Scope of Work Overview
An overview of the Work is provided below. The scope of work and requirements are provided in greater
detail within Part 1, Scope of Work.
DCY is seeking Proposals from Offerors to implement and oversee statewide strategies aimed at improving
access to, and the quality of, legal representation for parents, children, and kinship caregivers involved in,
or at risk of becoming involved in, the child welfare system.
The selected Offeror(s) must identify, design, and execute innovative strategies that address key barriers
and promote meaningful improvements in legal representation. The scope of work will include, but is not
limited to:
1. Training Development and Delivery: Identify and/or create and deliver comprehensive training
programs for attorneys to enhance knowledge and skills in child welfare law.
2. Recruitment and Retention: Develop strategies to attract and retain qualified legal
representatives committed to serving families in the child welfare system.
3. Grants for Pilot Program Expansion: Administer grants to support the expansion or
implementation of pilot programs aimed at improving legal representation.
4. Scholarship Opportunities: Facilitate scholarships to support professional development and
further education for legal representatives.
5. Assessment of Barriers: Conduct assessments to identify challenges affecting legal
representation and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.
6. Innovative Strategies: Implement innovative strategies aligned with the goals of improving legal
representation for parents and children.
E. Objectives
The Agency has the following objectives that it expects this Work to fulfill, and it will be the Contractor’s
obligation to ensure that the personnel the Contractor provides are qualified to perform their portions of the
Work:
1. Increase child welfare law-specific training and resources for child welfare attorneys.
2. Increase support for existing or new strategies to improve the quality of legal representation for
parents, children, and kinship caregivers.
3. Increase recruitment and retention of child welfare attorneys.
4. Identify and reduce barriers that impede the delivery of high-quality legal representation. for
parents, children, and kinship caregivers in Ohio.
5. Maximize the drawdown of Title IV-E reimbursement for legal representation.
6. Collaborate with necessary stakeholders to assess Contractor-administered grant effectiveness
and impact on improving the quality of legal representation through evaluation of above project
objectives.
State of Ohio Department of Children and Youth
DCY High Quality Legal Representation for Parents – RFP DCY-C-2627-0009R
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Section 2 – Procurement Authority, RFP Overview, and Schedule of Events
A. Procurement Authority and RFP Overview
This is a request for competitive sealed proposals under Section 125.071 of the Ohio Revised Code (R.C.)
and Section 123:5-1-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). The State of Ohio, through the Department
of Children and Youth is soliciting Proposals for this High-Quality Legal Representation for Parents RFP.
If a suitable Proposal is made by an Offeror in response to this RFP, DCY may enter into the Contract. The
Contractor will perform all or part of the Work as specified in the Contract. This RFP provides details on
what is required to submit a Proposal for the Work, how the State will evaluate the Proposals, and what will
be required of the Contractor in performing the Work.
B. Schedule of Events
The schedule of events for the RFP process and Work is provided in the solicitation general information
section in OhioBuys for this RFP. The State may change this schedule at any time. If the State changes
the schedule before the Proposal due date, it will post an amendment to this RFP in the OhioBuys public
portal. Offerors must not contact Agency staff or DAS (except as provided in this RFP) until the Contract
award is announced.
There are references in this RFP to the Proposal due date. Unless it is clearly stated to the contrary, any
such reference means the date and time that the Proposals are due.
Proposals received after 1:00 p.m. on the Proposal due date will not be evaluated. Any failure to meet a
deadline or any objection to the dates for performance of the Work may result in the State refusing to
consider a Proposal.
State of Ohio Department of Children and Youth
DCY High Quality Legal Representation for Parents – RFP DCY-C-2627-0009R
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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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