Community Pathways Services

The Human Services Agency’s (HSA) Children and Family Services (CFS) branch implements programs that protect the welfare of children, promote permanency and stability for children and youth, and strengthen the health and well-being of families. CFS supports families in addressing the issues that contribute to child abuse, neglect, or exploitation and administers services including adoption, foster care, child care, foster youth transition support, and child protective services. When children cannot safely remain with their families, CFS works to achieve permanency through kinship care or adoption.

Community Pathways is an evidence-based prevention and early-intervention approach designed to reduce child abuse and neglect, consistent with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Through Community Pathways, families may be diverted from the traditional Child Welfare Services investigation process and instead connected with community-based organizations to complete a needs assessment and access prevention services and resources.

CFS is seeking proposals from qualified proposers to operate a Community Pathways Program on behalf of the County. If an award is made, the selected Contractor will be responsible for the following core functions:

A. Service Coordination and Case Management
Receiving self-referrals and referrals from community and County partners; conducting needs assessments; and providing service coordination, case management, referrals, and prevention services using Motivational Interviewing and other approved approaches.

B. Family First Prevention Services (FFPSA) Service Delivery and Oversight
Serving as a direct provider of approved evidence-based programs (EBPs) and/or coordinating and overseeing referrals to partner agencies delivering EBPs that qualify for FFPSA prevention services. Primary service domains include mental health services, substance use prevention and treatment, and in-home parent skill-based programs (parenting services).

As this is a new program, there is no historical contractor, rate, or client data available at this time. Program design elements, performance measures, and related data will be further developed during implementation. The County anticipates awarding one proposer a five-year agreement, tentatively beginning in July 2026.

The Community Pathways Program is designed to allow families in need of support to access services voluntarily, without involvement from the public child welfare system. Families may self-refer or be referred by community partners, consistent with a “no wrong door” philosophy. Entry points may include, but are not limited to, self-referrals; referrals from the local Differential Response provider; referrals from other County departments (e.g., Public Health, Behavioral Health); schools; Family Resource Centers; faith-based organizations; Core agencies; and other community partners.

Services delivered through Community Pathways shall be culturally and linguistically responsive, trauma-informed, and family-centered. Family voice and choice shall be central to assessment, service planning, and service delivery.

Successful implementation of Community Pathways will require the development and refinement of new operational processes. The selected Contractor must demonstrate expertise in both direct service delivery and robust administrative and fiscal oversight. A critical program requirement is ensuring that all services—whether delivered directly by the Contractor or accessed through referrals—are evidence-based and implemented with fidelity.

The Contractor must have the capacity to deliver County-approved EBPs and to coordinate with a network of partner agencies to ensure that referred services also meet evidence-based standards and support families’ access to prevention services.

An ideal provider will demonstrate the following characteristics:

• Established Community Trust: A demonstrated history of effective engagement with San Mateo County’s diverse racial, ethnic, and tribal communities, including culturally and linguistically responsive service delivery.

• Comprehensive EBP Capacity: The ability to deliver at least one County-approved EBP (e.g., Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, Motivational Interviewing, Parents as Teachers) and the capacity to propose and obtain approval for additional relevant EBPs.

• Robust Resource Network: An established network of community partners capable of providing concrete supports, including housing assistance, food security, mental health services, parenting education, alcohol and other drug services, employment services, and related supports, and the ability to effectively connect families to these resources.

Prior to the implementation of FFPSA, prevention services were often limited in scope and closely tied to formal child welfare interventions. This RFP represents a significant shift by establishing a dedicated, community-based prevention pathway. The anticipated scope of work includes a continuous flow of self-referrals and referrals from County and community partners. The Contractor must have sufficient infrastructure and capacity to manage an ongoing caseload and meet established performance measures.

While the final contract funding amount has not yet been determined, the program will be supported by a combination of federal and state funding sources, including FFPSA Title IV-E Prevention reimbursement and the FFPSA State Block Grant. CFS will work collaboratively with the Contractor to support effective management of these funding streams, including guidance on allowable activities and compliance requirements.

Relevant Program References (for informational purposes only(

San Mateo County Children and Family Services Comprehensive Prevention Plan 2023-2027: San-Mateo-County-CPP-2023-2027.pdf

San Mateo County CORE Services Agencies: Core Service Agencies - Emergency Safety Net Assistance | County of San Mateo, CA

Explore approved evidence-based practices. Explore approved evidence-based practices: The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare

California Title IV-E Prevention Plan - Review California's state plan for prevention services: California’s Five-Year State Prevention Plan

Learn more about Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) - FFPSA Part IV