Family Centered Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Family Centered Services

FWBP-CPS-27-001

Ryan M. Roovaart

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
321 E. 12th St.,
Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-310-1129

ryan.roovaart@hhs.iowa.gov

RFP Purpose.

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit Proposals from qualified eligible Bidders to deliver Family-Centered Services (FCS) to parents, kin caregivers, and children referred for support to prevent the need for foster care or to support reintegration after foster care. The FCS design aligns with the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First), which was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act on February 9, 2018. This Act reforms the federal Child welfare financing streams, Title IV-E and Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, to provide services to families who are at risk of entering the child welfare system. Family First is philosophically built upon the principle that Children do best with Families. A core expectation under Family First is that states must employ Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs) demonstrated to effectively strengthen and preserve connections between Children and their Family.

Iowa HHS has contracted with community-based providers for the provision of FCS since 2020. Over the previous contract term, FCS providers delivered an array of services in support of both intact families and families with a child or children in Out-of-Home Care, leading to positive outcomes for families served. During that time, Iowa HHS distilled the intent of the FCS program, centered the provision of services to parents, and reconfigured the FCS contract accordingly. The restructured service array (Attachment L) and underlying payment methodologies (Section 1.3.4.3) detailed below allow for increased provider discretion and additional flexibility to meet the unique needs of each Family, while also ensuring greater provider accountability through quality indicators and performance measures.

Family-Centered Services (FCS) to be delivered under this RFP encompass Family Casework, Family Preservation Services with Child Safety Conference (CSC) Facilitation, SafeCare, Family Interactions and all additional services described in Attachment L. Motivational Interviewing shall be used as an evidence-based intervention in Family Casework and Family Preservation Services Cases.

Iowa HHS previously paid for FCS delivery via a capitation rate. In the past year, Iowa HHS reviewed the payment methodology and current program needs with a focus on maximizing IV-E drawdown and simplifying the billing/payment process. Payments for Family Centered Services to be delivered under this RFP will be based on a single monthly payment for all services. The monthly payment is based upon an anticipated monthly case load and will be evaluated quarterly. See Appendix B for more information regarding payment methodology.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Agency) intends to enter into performance-based contracts for the delivery of Family-Centered Services (FCS) in all rural and urban areas. This shall include a minimum of one Contractor per Service Area. No more than two Contractors will be selected for each Service Area. See Section 4 Evaluation of Bid Proposals for more information.

Duration of Contract.

The Agency anticipates executing a contract that will have an initial 2-year contract term with the ability to extend the contract for 4 additional 1-year terms. The Agency will have the sole discretion to extend the contract.

Bidder Eligibility Requirements.

The Agency will only consider Proposals for contract award from Bidders who are currently:

Accreditation

• Accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) for one or more of the following: services including child protective services, family preservation and stabilization services, or foster care services and affirms their commitment to maintain that accreditation during the contract period; or

• Accredited by the Joint Commission for Behavioral Health Care Services and affirms their commitment to maintain that accreditation during the contract periods;

or

• Accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Services (CARF) for child and youth services and affirms their commitment to maintain that accreditation during the contract period; or

• Agrees to apply for accreditation with any of these three organizations, if not currently accredited, within three months of executing a contract with the Agency and certifies they will receive accreditation within 21 months of the contract execution date and maintain accreditation for the remainder of the contract period.

SafeCare

• Accredited by the National SafeCare Training and Research Center; or

• Agrees to work with the National SafeCare Training and Research Center and Georgia State University to apply for accreditation within three months of executing a contract with the Agency and certifies they will receive accreditation within two years of the contract execution date and maintain accreditation for the remainder of the contract period.

Procurement Timetable

There are no exceptions to any deadlines for the Bidder; however, the Agency reserves the right to change the dates. Times provided are in Central Time.

Event	Date & Time
Agency Issues RFP Notice to Targeted Small Business Website (48 hours):	September 19, 2025
Agency Issues RFP to Bid Opportunities Website	September 22, 2025
Bidder Letter of Intent to Bid Due By	October 6, 2025 3:00 p.m.
Round 1, Bidder Written Questions Due By	October 6, 2025 3:00 p.m.
Round 1, Agency Responses to Questions Issued By	October 20, 2025
Bidders’ Conference Will Be Held on the Following Date and Time	October 27, 2025 2:00 p.m.
Round 2, Bidder Written Questions Due By	November 17, 2025 3:00 p.m.
Round 2, Agency Responses to Questions Issued By	November 24, 2025
Bidder Proposals and any Amendments to Proposals Due By	December 12, 2025 3:00 p.m.
Agency Announces Apparent Successful Bidder(s)/Notice of Intent to Award	February 12, 2026
Contract Negotiations and Execution of the Contract Completed	March 30, 2026
Anticipated Start Date for the Provision of Services	July 1, 2026

Section 1 Background and Scope of Work

1.1 Background.

Family Centered Services provides Evidence Based Interventions to Families involved in the child welfare system to address safety concerns with the goal of preventing Removal from the home or returning Children to the home as quickly as possible. Family Centered Services will encompass referrals for Family Casework, SafeCare, Family Preservation Services with Child Safety Conferences, and Family Interactions, and all additional services incorporated in Attachment L. Through partnership with the Family and collaboration with public and private agencies, Family Centered Services builds on the vision that children and families in Iowa will be safe, secure, healthy, and well in their communities. The Practice Standards for Family Centered Services Contractors ( Comm. 660 ) developed in collaboration between providers and the Agency, serve as a foundational document for performance obligations and best practices in serving Families. Family Centered Services serves as a core service and strategy towards the goals of keeping children safe and being raised by their Family of origin.

The Agency intends to align with Family First Preservation Services Act (FFPSA) and meet the following objectives:

• FCS will be available to intact families (In-Home), families with Children placed with Kin/Fictive Kin Caregivers, and families with Children placed in foster care.

• FCS will require an Evidence-Based Intervention or Interventions designed to improve parent skill training and/or address youth-driven behavior.

• FCS provision will be high quality and effective, resulting in service provision being less than 12 months.

• FCS will include Family Preservation Services designed to meet the intensity of Family need to prevent foster care placement.

• Integrated teams may be used to meet Families’ needs. Integrated teams may be comprised of Intervention Specialists certified/trained in EBI and Family Support Specialists.

• FCS provision will not be available for Children placed in group care placement for longer than 30 days.

Information about Family First is posted on the Agency website at https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/CPS .

FCS providers are leaders and partners in ensuring positive outcomes in key CFSR service domains, including:

• Children are, first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect.

• Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate.

• Children have Permanency and stability in their living situations.

• The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children.

• Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs.

• Children receive adequate services to meet their physical, educational, and mental health needs.

Family Casework is the primary service under FCS. This program encourages partnership with the Family to assess their needs, evaluate and enhance their strengths, establish plans to accomplish HHS case plan goals, and support the Family as they work through their plan. The Family Support Specialist (FSS) providing services meets regularly with the Family to assess progress and barriers to progress. The FSS partners with the Family to build a plan to overcome barriers and continue progress. Providers use Motivational Interviewing (MI) to engage families in conversation about what the Family sees as the pathway to achieving their goals and increasing the Family’s motivation to accomplish the steps necessary to meet their goals.

MI is an evidence-based counseling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. It is a practical, empathetic, and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes. Motivational Interviewing is used in Family Casework, Family Preservation Services, and Non-Agency Services.

FCS provider shall make concerted efforts to:

• Provide services to prevent children’s entry into foster care

• Assess and address risk and safety concerns in the parental home relating to the child(ren), whether the children remain In-Home or are placed out of the home

• Assess children and parents’ needs to identify the services necessary to achieve case goals and adequately address the issues relevant to the Agency’s involvement with the Family

• Involve the parents and children, as appropriate, in the case planning process regularly

• Engage the child(ren) and parents with sufficient quality and frequency to ensure the safety, Permanency, and well-being of the child(ren) and promote achievement of case goals

• Support the Family in meeting the child’s educational, physical, dental, and mental/behavioral health needs

The facilitation of Family Focused Meetings (FFM) on open Agency Child Welfare Service Cases is also provided under this RFP. FFM facilitation is included within provision of Family Casework.

FFMs are opportunities to gather with the Family and their supports to develop and discuss goals for the Family and make plans for how the Family will accomplish their goals. Each FFM brings together the Family, their supports, and professionals for additional case planning to help the Family achieve their goals and maintain forward progress. The first FFM occurs between 60-90 days of the Family Casework case opening and additional FFMs occur each six months after the first meeting.

SafeCare is an evidence-based behavioral parenting model shown to prevent and reduce Child maltreatment and improve health, development, and welfare of Children ages zero to five in at-risk families. It is a home visitation-based parent training program conducted over 18 sessions. Parents who are at-risk for neglect are taught how to have positive parent-child and parent-infant interactions, keep homes safe, and improve Child health. This program targets risk factors for Child neglect and physical abuse in which parents are taught skills in three module areas: (1) how to interact in a positive manner with their Children, to plan activities, and respond appropriately to challenging Child behaviors, (2) how to recognize hazards in the home in order to improve the home environment, and (3) how to recognize and respond to symptoms of illness and injury, in addition to keeping good health records. The goals of SafeCare include:

• Reduce future incidents of Child maltreatment.

• Increase positive parent-Child interaction.

• Improve how parents care for their Children's health.

• Enhance home safety and parent supervision.

SafeCare is an Evidence-Based Intervention available on open Agency Child Welfare Service Cases, as the SafeCare model follows a curriculum that helps parents address health and safety needs for their child, supports positive parent-child interactions, and allows for SafeCare providers to address other emerging Family needs as long as a SafeCare session occurs at least every 2 weeks. SafeCare is the preferred intervention for families eligible for Non-Agency Services. SafeCare may be referred in conjunction with Family Casework or Non-Agency Services or may be referred on its own.

For more information on SafeCare, please visit the following website: SafeCare - National SafeCare Training and Research Center .

Family Preservation Services (FPS) are short-term, intensive, home-based, crisis interventions targeted to families who have Children at Imminent Risk of Removal and placement in foster care. Family Preservation Services combine skill-based interventions and flexibility so services are available to families according to their individual needs. Providers use Motivational Interviewing as the primary Evidence Based Intervention within Family Preservation Services. The goal of Family Preservation Services is to offer Families in crisis the alternative of remaining together safely, averting out-of-home placement of Children whenever possible. Family Preservation Services function to modify the home environment and/or Family behavior so that the Child may remain safely in the parental Household or in placement with Kin/Fictive Kin Caregivers. Services are focused on assisting in crisis management, restoring the Family to an acceptable level of functioning, and gaining support within their community to remain safely together. An initial Child Safety Conference (CSC) is required within three Business Days of a referral to Family Preservation Services with a follow-up CSC facilitated within 10 calendar days from the date of the initial CSC. The decisions resulting from a CSC will direct the blend of Family Preservation Services and activities. Family Preservation Services are available during a Child Protective Services (CPS) Child Abuse Assessment or a Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) Assessment. Family Preservation Services are also available on open Agency Child Welfare Service Cases in addition to Family Casework and/or SafeCare.

Child Safety Conferences (CSC) are utilized for Children at risk of court-ordered Removal. Parents will be invited to attend a CSC to help identify collaborative solutions that allow the Children and Family to remain together. If it is not possible for the Children to remain in the home, the goal is to ensure that the Children are placed with Kin/Fictive Kin Caregivers rather than in a foster care placement. The decisions from the CSC will direct the blend of Family Preservation Services and activities. CSCs are held within three Business Days and again within 10 calendar days from the date of the initial CSC. CSCs are held in order to make key decisions on:

• The safety of the Child,

• Service and treatment needs necessary for the Child to remain with their parent or parents and/or natural supports,

• Developing a plan to prevent Removal,

• The appropriate placement of the Child if Removal is necessary,

• The Child’s access and opportunities for normalcy activities based on the reasonable and prudent parenting standard.

The facilitation of CSCs on open Agency Child Welfare Service Cases during Family Preservation Services is also provided under this RFP.

Family Interactions ensure Children and their Families have regular opportunities to spend time together. Children need consistent contact with their Parents and Siblings to maintain relationships, strengthen Family bonds, and preserve connections to their community and culture.

FCS provider shall make concerted efforts to:

• Use a model that supports quality visitation that includes pre-visit preparation with caregivers, parental coaching, and post-visit debriefing with the caregiver to support parent skill building.

• Ensure that visitation between a child in foster care and his or her parent(s) and sibling(s) is of sufficient frequency and quality to promote continuity in the child’s relationships with these close Family members.

• Identify the Family’s connections to their neighborhood, community, faith, extended Family, Tribe, school, and friends through the Social Network Map so that further exploration of how these individuals support the Family can occur.

• Support and/or maintain positive relationships between the child in foster care and parent(s) or other primary caregivers from whom the child had been removed through activities other than just arranging for visitation.

Case Assignment Process for Existing Cases

The assignment of existing cases will be made based upon the Service Area in which the Family resides. A minimum of one Contractor will be selected for each Service Area. If two Contractors are assigned to a Service Area, Cases will be assigned on an alternating basis that ensures equal distribution of cases.

Prior to execution of the Family-Centered Services contracts, Agency Workers will determine which open cases will continue with services effective July 1, 2026. In making referrals on existing cases, the Agency will implement a system in accordance with the following principles:

A. If purchased services were provided by a contractor prior to June 30, 2026 that is either a Contractor or subcontractor under the Family-Centered Services contract, the case will be assigned to that same Contractor. However, if the Family or the Agency Worker believes there is an extenuating circumstance that warrants a change in Contractor, the change in Contractor will occur only if the Agency approves.

B. If purchased services were provided by a Contractor prior to June 30, 2026 that is not a Contractor under the Family-Centered Services Contract, the case will be assigned to one of the new Contractors using the rotating assignment methodology. If there is only one Contractor in the Service Area, all cases in that Service Area will be assigned to that Contractor.

C. If a Contractor provided Kinship Navigator Services prior to June 30, 2026, the Contractor may subcontract with the Recruitment, Retention, Training, and Support (RRTS) Contractor for the ongoing provision of Kinship Navigator Services.

Case Assignment Process for New Referrals

The assignment of new cases will be made based on the Service Area in which the Family resides. A minimum of one Contractor will be selected for each Service Area. If more than one Contractor is assigned to a Service Area, Cases will be assigned on an alternating basis that ensures equal distribution of cases.

Contractor caseloads are expected to vary over time, based on factors such as Case closure decisions, Contractor service duration, type of service package referred, Case complexity, and other factors.

Other Available Agency Child Welfare Services NOT included under this RFP

With prior approval from the Agency Worker and their supervisor, Children and families receiving Family-Centered Services may also be approved for the following Agency-funded Child Welfare Services and/or supports:

• Drug Testing Collections/Laboratory Services

• Legal Services for achieving Permanency

• Foster Family Care

• Child Welfare Emergency Services (CWES) or placement in shelter care

• Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP)

• Supervised Apartment Living (SAL) Services

• Protective Child Care Assistance

• Parent Partners

These additional components will be approved and purchased separately by the Agency when necessary and with prior supervisory approval, or when ordered by the Court, except for Parent Partners. Parent Partners is a voluntary support offered to families and cannot be ordered by the Court. The services and supports listed above are not part of the services expected to be provided within Family Centered Services.

1.2 RFP General Definitions.

When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFP, including attachments, the following quoted terms (and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.

“Agency” means the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

“Bid Proposal” or “Proposal” means the Bidder’s proposal submitted in response to the RFP.

“Bidder” means the entity that submits a Bid Proposal in response to this RFP.

“Deliverables” means all of the services, goods, products, work, work product, data (including data collected on behalf of the Agency), items, materials and property to be created, developed, produced, delivered, performed, or provided by or on behalf of, or made available through, the Contractor (or any agent, contractor or subcontractor of the Contractor) in connection with any contract resulting from this RFP.

“Invoice” means a Contractor’s claim for payment. At the Agency’s discretion, claims may be submitted on an original invoice from the Contractor or may be submitted on a claim form accepted by the Agency, such as a General Accounting Expenditure (GAX) form.

Definitions Specific to this RFP.

When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFP, including attachments, the following quoted terms (and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.

“Administrative Costs” means the costs that may include, but are not limited to, such categories as: salary and benefits for administrators and support staff, rent and lease payments, utilities, data collection and data processing costs, printing, communications equipment and services, and other costs necessary to support the delivery of services.

“Agency Child Welfare Service Case” means at least one Child in a Household is involved in Agency services with an Agency assigned social work case manager.

“Agency Worker” means the Agency Child welfare worker that has been assigned responsibility for a Child and Family’s Case, either to perform a CPS Child Abuse Assessment, CPS Family Assessment, or CPS CINA Assessment or assume Case management responsibility for ongoing Agency Child Welfare Service Cases.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or State holiday as specified by Iowa Code § 1C.2.

“Case” means specific service types provided to Families upon Agency referral. Cases include specific eligibility depending on the type of service:

For Family Casework, “Case” means:

• the Children who are victims of abuse and meet the Agency’s criteria for opening ongoing services, or Children who are subject to a court order based on Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) proceedings; and

• any whole, half, or step siblings of these Children who reside in the same Household at the time of service referral or move into the Household during the service delivery period, or are in placement under the care and supervision of the Agency; and

• the parents, stepparents, adoptive parents, or Kin/Fictive Kin Caregivers of the Children.

For SafeCare, “Case” means

• the parents and Children ages zero to five in at-Risk Families.

For Family Preservation Services, “Case” means:

• intact Families or Kin/Fictive Kin Caregivers who have Children at Imminent Risk of Removal and placement in foster care as assessed by the Agency Worker and completion of the Agency Family Risk assessment.

For Family Interactions, “Case” means:

• Children in out-of-home placement, placed in the care of a Non-Custodial Parent, Family foster care, formal or informal Kinship Care, or when the court orders supervised interactions for a Non-Custodial Parent and has an open Agency Case.

“Casework Activities” means activities that aid Families in achieving case plan goals. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Teaching and coaching a parent on new discipline skills for their child;

• Providing feedback to a parent who is demonstrating new skills;

• Discussing developmentally appropriate behaviors based on a child’s age;

• Partnering with the parent to develop a household routine and supporting them in practicing the routine;

• Discussing household budgeting with a parent and supporting them in setting up a budget;

• Teaching self-care skills and discussing how they are/are not working;

• Assisting the Family with making the home safe for the children and developing a tidying/cleaning plan;

• Coaching a parent through making calls to community organizations that can help meet the needs of families;

• Taking parents to shop for groceries/essentials and working on budgeting or managing the children’s behaviors while shopping;

• Taking parents to an initial mental health evaluation or substance use evaluation and supporting them in completing paperwork for themselves or their children;

• Assisting parents with selecting appropriate baby-proofing items that meet the Family’s home environment needs;

• Attending IEP meetings and assisting parents with understanding/advocating for their children; and

• Going with parents to a community service agency and assisting in advocacy for supports/services that help meet the needs of the Family.

Non-examples of Casework Activities include (e.g. these activities do not constitute a Casework Contact):

• Driving a parent to drug testing and back home;

• Driving a parent to therapy/treatment and dropping them off;

• Transporting parents to a Family Interaction;

• Attending court hearings;

• Making phone calls to connect the Family with community supports outside of a home visit; or

• Directing a Family to complete tasks without providing guidance, support, or assistance in planning out steps needed to complete the task.

“Casework Contact” means contact such as Family Casework, SafeCare or other necessary Family supportive activities. A Casework Contact shall, at a minimum, be 45 minutes in length and include interventions and assessment of parent/Child interactions for danger and Risk as well as engaging the Family in Casework Activities. Attendance at court hearings does not constitute a Casework Contact unless Casework Activities take place for a minimum of 45 minutes before or after the court hearing.

• For Family Preservation Services, a Casework Contact shall be 60 minutes in length.

“CHEA” means Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

“Child”, “Children,” or “Youth” means a person or persons who meets the definition of a Child in Iowa Code § 234.1(2).

“Child Abuse” means one or more of the categories of Child Abuse defined in Iowa Code § 232.68.

“Child Abuse Assessment” means an assessment process by which the Agency responds to all accepted reports of Child abuse which allege Child Abuse as defined in Iowa Code section 232.68(2) “a” (1) through (3) and (5) through (10); or which allege Child Abuse as defined in Iowa Code section 232.68(2) “a” (4) that also allege imminent danger, death, or injury to a Child. A Child Abuse Assessment results in a disposition and a determination of whether a Case meets the definition of Child Abuse and a determination of whether criteria for placement on the registry are met.

“Child’s Home of Origin” means the primary Household from which the Child was residing prior to Removal (i.e. parents, caretaker, and guardian).

“Child in Need of Assistance (CINA)” means a Child adjudicated by juvenile court to be a Child in Need of Assistance pursuant to Iowa Code § 232.2.

“Child Protective Services (CPS) Child Abuse Assessment Summary” means the report form completed by the Agency Worker that documents information obtained during the Child Abuse Assessment process.

“Child Protective Services (CPS) CINA Assessment Summary” means the report form completed by the Agency Worker that documents information obtained during the CINA Assessment process.

“Child Protective Services (CPS) Family Assessment Summary” means the report completed by the Agency’s Child Protective Worker that documents information obtained during the Family Assessment process.

“Child Protection Worker (CPW)” means the Agency worker assigned to complete the child abuse Assessment, CINA assessment, or Family Assessment which may result in referrals to Family Centered Services.

“Child Safety Conferences” or “CSC” means a conference facilitated by the Contractor for Children at Imminent Risk of Removal and placement in foster care. CSCs are held within three Business Days from the date of referral and again 10 calendar days from the date of the initial CSC, unless this date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or State holiday.

“Child Vulnerability” means the degree that a Child cannot on the Child’s own avoid, negate, or minimize the impact of Present or Impending Danger.

“Cost Report” means a report submitted by the Contractor on an Agency-approved form that allows the Agency to determine allowable costs for each service across various Agency programs.

“Concrete Supports” means assistance in obtaining provisions such as clothing, food, furniture, and other items that address basic needs of the Child(ren).

“Contractor(s)” means the organization that has executed a Contract with the Agency to provide Family-Centered Services as a result of this Solicitation. This term refers to the organization that is named as the responsible party in the Contract and whose authorized representative has signed the Contract.

“Contract Manager” means the Agency person or persons accountable to the Contract Owner, acting under the direction and guidance of the Contract Owner for a specific RFP and Contract.

“Contract Owner” means the Agency administrative official who has the authority to make decisions related to the Contract on behalf of the Agency.

“Evidence-Based Interventions” or “EBIs” means practices or programs that have peer-reviewed, documented empirical evidence of effectiveness. EBIs use a continuum of integrated policies, strategies, activities, and services whose effectiveness has been proven or informed by research and evaluation.

“Face-to-Face Contact” or “F-F” means contact between the assigned Contractor staff and the Family in person or by videoconferencing. Videoconferencing will be on a limited basis in appropriate circumstances with prior Agency approval.

• For Family Focused Meetings, “Face-to-Face” means the Contractor, HHS worker, and Family meet in person. Additional attendees may attend via videoconferencing if they are unable to attend in person.

“Facilitator” means an approved person who organizes, prepares for, conducts, and reports on all activities involved in a Family Focused Meeting or Post Removal Conference. This includes, but is not limited to, contacting all attendees invited to participate, coordinating a date, time, and location for the meeting, and ensuring all attendees have access to transportation to the meeting.

“Family” or “Families” means the person or persons comprising the Household where the alleged victim of Child Abuse resides.

“Family Assessment” means an Assessment process by which the Agency responds to all accepted reports of Child Abuse that allege Child Abuse as defined in Iowa Code section 232.68(2)"a"(4), but do not allege imminent danger, death, or injury to a Child. A Family Assessment does not include a determination of whether a Case meets the definition of Child Abuse and does not include a determination of whether criteria for placement on the registry are met.

“Family Casework” means a family-centered model of child welfare practice involving engagement, ongoing assessment, case planning, and direct services to Families which assists Families in building the skills necessary to provide a permanent, safe, and stable environment for the Children. Direct services include any interventions to ameliorate barriers/deficits which would otherwise result in Removal or delay reunification.

“Family Support Specialist” or “FSS” means the individual primarily responsible for Family Casework and Family Preservation Services. The FSS is responsible for providing general service delivery and Motivational Interviewing.

“Family Case Plan” means the official record of the Agency’s involvement with the Family. This document is created and maintained by the Agency case worker.

“Family-Centered Services” or “FCS” means the services and supports provided under this Contract.

“Family Focused Meeting” or “FFM” means a gathering of Family members, friends, formal and informal supports, with the assistance of the meeting Facilitator, to draw on past successes of the Family in problem solving and work in partnership with the Family to enhance the safety of Children. Motivational Interviewing, family engagement and relapse prevention strategies will be utilized in the facilitation of the meeting.

“Family Focused Meeting Summary” or “FFM Summary” means a collaborative plan between the Family system and the Child welfare system developed with the Family during an FFM that identifies the Family’s strengths, goals, and objectives developed during the meeting. The FFM Facilitator will write the document and provide copies to the Family and Agency.

“Family Functional Assessment” means activities designed to assess and evaluate the strengths and needs of the Child(ren) and/or their Family related to the safety, Permanency, and well-being of the Child(ren). These activities are intended to assess Child and Family strengths/needs, Protective Capacities, and general functioning of the Child(ren) and/or Family at specific points in time. Interventions should then be implemented and referrals made to other resources that may be useful in improving the functioning of the Child(ren) and Family. The focus is on assessing Children within the context of their Family, neighborhood, community, and environment. Family Functional Assessments are completed by the Contractor and shall include a determination of whether substance abuse, domestic violence, and/or mental health issues are concerns directly impacting the Child(ren) and Family’s safety, Risks, and Protective Capacities.

“Family Interaction” means the philosophy to maintain relationships with siblings, parents, Family, and other individuals and to reduce the sense of abandonment and loss that Children experience at placement.

“Family Interaction Plan” means the Agency plan guiding Family Interactions that encourages progressive increase in a parent’s responsibility and premised on Case goals and on an assessment of a Family functioning and safety concerns for the Children.

“Fictive Kin” means an individual who is unrelated by either birth or marriage but who has an emotionally significant relationship with another individual who would take on the characteristics of a Family relationship.

“Household” means parents and their Children living in the same residence with at least one of the Children being the subject of a Child Abuse Assessment, Family Assessment, or CINA Assessment.

“Immediate Threat” means conditions that, if no response were made, would be more likely than not to result in sexual abuse, injury, or death to a Child. (Iowa Administrative Code 441 IAC-175.21)

“Impending Danger” means a foreseeable state of danger in which Family behaviors, attitudes, motives, emotions, or the Child’s physical environment poses a threat of maltreatment.

“In-Home” means residing in one's home.

“Intervention Specialist” or “IS” means an individual responsible for providing Evidence Based Interventions, specifically SafeCare.

“Kin” means one’s Family and relations.

“Kinship Care” means the care of Children by Kin or Fictive Kin. Kin are the preferred resource for Children who must be removed from their birth parents because it maintains the Children’s connections with their Families.

“Motivational Interviewing” means an evidence-based method of interacting with clients designed to promote behavior change and improve physiological, psychological, and lifestyle outcomes which target Child safety and well-being, improved protective capacities for parents, and reduce risk of future maltreatment.

“Non-Agency Services Case” means nobody in the Household is involved with an Agency assigned social work Case manager. Case management and decision-making responsibility is assigned to the Contractor.

“Non-Custodial Parent” means a parent who does not have physical custody of his or her minor Child.

“No Reject, No Eject” means that the Contractor shall accept and serve all Cases referred to FCS by the Agency.

“Out-of-Home Care” means that the Agency has placement and care responsibility of the Child.

“Permanency” means a Child has a safe, stable custodial environment in which to grow up, a life-long relationship with a nurturing caregiver, and is able to explore and retain significant connections to Family members to the greatest extent possible.

“Post Removal Conference” means a meeting between the Parents, Agency, Contractor, and placement caregiver to discuss the Child’s needs, Parents’ next steps, and the Family Interaction Plan following the court-ordered Removal of a Child from their home. A trained Facilitator from the Contractor’s organization will lead the meeting.

“Practice Standards” means a document that includes expectations around core service delivery requirements under the FCS Contract. This document clarifies performance obligations and provides best practice guidance for provider staff.

“Protective Capacities” means Family strengths or resources that reduce, control, and/or prevent Threats of Maltreatment.

“Quality Assurance” means the procedures established and activities undertaken by Contractor for FCS to ensure that service is delivered in accordance with requirements established by the Agency and to improve the quality of services to achieve safety, Permanency, and well-being.

“Referral and Authorization for Child Welfare Services, Form #470-3055” or “3055” means the authorization for service provision provided to the Contractor by the Agency.

“Removal” means the placement of a Child from the setting in which they were living by order of the Court or Voluntary Placement Agreement.

“Risk” means the probability or likelihood that a Child in the future will experience maltreatment.

“SafeCare” means an evidence-based training curriculum for parents who are at-Risk or have been reported for Child maltreatment. Parents receive weekly home visits from the Contractor to improve skills in several areas, including home safety, health care, and parent-Child interaction.

“Safety Constructs” means elements to explore in assessing safety that include Threats of Maltreatment, Child Vulnerability, and caretaker’s Protective Capacities.

“Safety Plan” means a specific, formal, concrete strategy developed by the Agency and Family for controlling Threats of Maltreatment or harm or supplementing Protective Capacities. The plan is designed to manage the foreseeable dangers in the least restrictive manner to allow child protective services interventions to proceed.

“Service Area” means the 99 counties grouped together by the Agency to provide for improved, localized administration of programs.

“Service Area Manager” or “SAM” means the Agency official responsible for managing the Agency’s programs, operations, and Child welfare budget within one of the Agency Service Areas.

“Service Contract Specialist” means the Agency worker assigned to provide review and oversight for an Agency Contract with a Contractor.

“Social Network Map” means a tool completed by the Contractor with the Family to assess the support and function of a Family’s social network and is utilized to help identify the Family’s formal and informal support systems.

“Staffing Report” means a Contractor-submitted report that outlines allocation of Contractor direct staff and supervisors throughout the Service Area and identifies specific case load sizes for staff.

“Support Worker” means the person assigned by the Contractor to provide assistance and support to the Family Support Specialist providing FCS to achieve identified Family goals for safety, Permanency, and well-being as specified in the service plan. The Support Worker may provide assistance by scheduling appointments and meetings, providing transportation assistance, supervising Family Interactions and sibling interactions, escorting parents and adults in the Case, advocating for Children and Families, and conduct telephone contacts with parents and adults in the Case.

“Threats of Maltreatment” means the aggravating factors that combine to produce a potentially dangerous situation.

1.3 Scope of Work.

1.3.1 Deliverables.

The Bidder shall provide the following:

The Bidder shall provide services as directed by the Agency, including but not limited to the following:

1) Transition and Implementation.

The Bidder shall:

A. Hire staff in accordance with the staff qualifications as set forth in Attachment L: Technical Response Document, Bidder Scope of Work Obligations for General Family-Centered Services Delivery.

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