Title IV-E Specialized Training Services

The County of Tuolumne, through its Health and Human Services Agency, Department of Social Services (DSS), hereinafter referred to as the “County,” is requesting proposals from qualified Title IV-E eligible educational institutions interested in providing specialized training services to assist resource families, service providers, and DSS staff to improve the quality of care for children and youth in foster care.

The County intends to award one contract to a successful applicant to this RFP.

The 1994 Amendments to the Social Security Act authorize the Children’s Bureau to review state child and family services programs to ensure compliance with the requirements in Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act. This includes systematic monitoring of the Title IV-E Foster Care Program, which provides funds to Title IV-E agencies to assist with the costs of foster care maintenance for eligible children, administrative expenses to manage the program, and training for staff, foster parents, and certain private agency staff.

DSS oversees the County’s child’s protective service functions, including the child abuse hotline and investigations, family maintenance and reunification, and permanent placement operations. Specialized training is provided for foster parents, resource families, FFAs, County staff, and other Title IV-E eligible agencies working with children and youth in foster care and is essential to improving outcomes for the children and families served. DSS is seeking applications from qualified educational institutions to provide Title IV-E Foster Care Training Program and related services to agency staff who work with youth in foster care and resource families in Tuolumne County.

The source of funding for these services will be Federal Title IV-E. Payment for all services provided in accordance with provisions under this grant shall be contingent upon the availability of funding. The County shall not be required to purchase any definite amount of services, nor does the County guarantee any minimum amount of funding or service level. The selected applicant entering into an agreement with the County must commit to fulfilling the reporting and 100% match requirements that correspond with the applicable federal Title IV-E grant funding for the agreement. In the event the selected applicant fails to fulfill these requirements, County will either reduce the budget accordingly and/or terminate the contract.

Available funding may vary for reasons including those outside of County and applicant control. Therefore, County may require applicant/vendor to adjust its budget. As a County Welfare Department, DSS is subject to various fiscal documentation and other reporting requirements (e.g. time studying, enhanced invoicing, and caseload information), to demonstrate the State, Federal, and other funds it receives are used for their intended purpose.