1. No category

New Jersey Department of
Children & Families (DCF)
Bidder’s Conference – August 25, 2014
Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC)
RFP to establish County Councils for Young
Children in 20 Counties--Pregnancy to Age 8
RTT-ELC funds are issued to New Jersey by the U.S. Departments
of Education, and Health & Human Services.
NJ Department of Education is the lead RTT administrative agency.
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NJ’s Early Childhood Infrastructure

Early Learning Commission—DOE, DHS, DOH, and
DCF Commissioners

Interdepartmental Planning Group—4 departments

NJ Council for Young Children (NJCYC)—general
membership and designated committee meetings

County Councils for Young Children with
representation on NJCYC and committees

Central Intake Hubs (to expand to 21 counties)
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County Council for Young Children (CCYC)
Funding Information (RFP page 6)

RTT-ELC funding for CCYCs ~ $1.5 million

$75,000 per county/per year (i.e. 12-month period)

Project period will begin October 1, 2014. RTT-ELC
funds end December 31, 2017

Contingent on continued federal RTT-ELC grant funds

Year 3 matching funds of 15% are required.

Start-up funds up to $20,000 per county are permitted.
Detailed justification is required.
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CCYC State and Local Infrastructure
State Level: DCF Early Childhood (Lead)
 Project Director (PD) – Sharon Budka, MSW
 Three Regional Specialists
 Kate DiMemmo
 Deborah Johnson
 Brenda Tift
County Level (all 21 counties):
 Local Lead Agency - designated Project Coordinator
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County Councils for Young Children
Purpose:

Build strong partnerships with local constituents—parents/families,
providers and other community stakeholders—to improve the health,
education, safety and well-being of children, families, communities

Work together to develop mutually-established goals, and help to
implement strategies that reflect the priorities of families and
community stakeholders

Provide advice and input to improve early childhood service
coordination and systems integration—collaboration with Central
Intake, Community Health Workers, Grow NJ Kids, and more.
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Local Constituents in Early Childhood
Prenatal to Age 8 – Across Sectors

Expectant parents, mothers/fathers, grandparents & other caregivers

Health Care, Home Visiting, Early Head Start/Head Start, Family
Success Center (FSC), Community Health Workers (CHW), Parent
Linking Program, Early Intervention, Special Child Health, Special
Education, Child Care Centers, Family Child Care, Preschools,
Elementary Schools, Child Care Resource & Referral Agency
(CCR&R), School Districts, Fatherhood Support, Human Service
Advisory Council (HSAC), Public Assistance/Social Services, Child
Welfare, Family Support Organization (FSO), and more…

Other stakeholders—local government, businesses, recreational
services, libraries, civic groups, faith organizations, foundations, etc.
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CCYC Priorities and Activities
Read all priorities and service activities on pages 4-5.

Shared leadership that supports parents in leading roles

Promote active participation of parents as a voice for change
at the family, community, and state level

Outreach to engage/retain hard-to-reach parents and
caregivers—mothers/fathers, grandparents, immigrants,
migrant workers, military service members, etc.

Provide parents with orientation, ongoing mentoring, and
leadership training opportunities

Provide concrete supports to enable family participation
(e.g. childcare, transportation, light meal, etc.)
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CCYC Priorities & Activities (continued)

Promote parent/family participation over the next 3+ years
that reflects the cultural diversity of the county

Recognize, support and encourage parents as decision makers
and leaders, and create an engaging, respectful environment
that welcomes their presence and input

Inform/impact/develop local (and state) policies, services,
and/or practices to become more responsive to the needs of
families in the county (and NJ).

Contribute to development/implementation of quality
services, e.g. Grow NJ Kids quality rating system
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CCYC Services Requirements & Expectations
Refer to the RFP on pages 5 and 6.

Embrace the SF Protective Factors and Prevention Standards

Develop a viable sustainability plan to continue the
coordination of the CCYC beyond 12/31/17.

Promote positive working relationships and work
collaboratively with the local Central Intake site (currently in
15 counties)—actively promote linkages for families and
providers to early childhood services.

Once fully developed, the CCYC will function as the local
advisory board for Central Intake, CHWs, and Grow NJ Kids
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CCYC Services Requirements (continued)

Participate in a joint needs assessment, environmental
scan, and strategic planning process.

Track progress in reaching goals and performance
benchmarks--status reports & updates to: a) local CCYC
members, b) designated DCF staff, and c) the NJCYC.

Participation of CCYC Project Coordinator in statewide
Peer Learning Collaborative, to be convened by DCF

Active participation from other DCF grantees (e.g. HV,
FSCs, etc.) to invite families & attend CCYC meetings
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DCF Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Read all eligibility requirements as stated on page 7.

For-profit or not-for-profit corporation registered to conduct
business in NJ, or a local/county health department

In good standing with all State and Federal agencies related to any
existing grant or contractual relationships

May not be suspended, terminated or barred for deficiencies in
performance of any award, and all past issues must be resolved as
demonstrated by written documentation

In compliance with terms & conditions of current DCF contracts

Non-governmental entities must have a governing body that
provides oversight as is legally required
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Eligibility Requirements - continued

Demonstrate the capability to uphold all administrative and
operating standards as outlined in this document

Must comply with State Affirmative Action requirements

Must become fully operational within 45 days of contract date

Must have a viable plan to leverage matching funds in Year 3
and sustain the CCYC after RTT-ELC funds end on 12/31/17

Provide a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number –
to acquire DUNS number go to www.dnb.com

Must be fiscally viable and meet eligibility, terms and conditions
of the RFP, and DCF contracting requirements
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Closing Date & Submission (RFP page 8)




Due Thursday, September 18, 2014 – by 12:00 pm
Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals on-line
In-person or commercial carrier--submit one original signed
copy and 1 CD ROM with all documents
No faxed or e-mailed copies
Administration and Review (RFP pages 9-12)


Upon receipt, all applications are screened for conformity
with the stated RFP requirements. Applications will be
disqualified if not in compliance.
Tentative date for funding decisions is 10/1/14
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Proposal Narrative Instructions
Pages 12 to 21
IMPORTANT:
As stated on Page 13 of the RFP guidance,
a separate proposal is required
for each county
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Proposal Narrative
1. Applicant Organization (RFP page 13)
20 Points
A. Describe agency’s background, experience and
qualifications to lead this initiative.
 Agency’s history, mission and goals; and relevant
accomplishments in with DCF and/or with other state
entities—DOH, DHS, DOE
 Agency’s background/knowledge of MCH, early
childhood services, childcare/early education, family
support, child welfare, or related services
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1. Applicant Organization (continued)

Describe the governance structure and administrative,
management & organizational capacity. Note the
existence of professional advisory boards that support
operations.

Attach a current organizational chart as Appendix 3 that
shows placement of the CCYC within the agency.

Describe relevant programs/service, and include a brief
summary of performance evaluation & outcome data.
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1. Applicant Organization (continued)
B. Current Parent-Centered Activities: Describe the
participation of parents/families in your organization.
Parent Roles may include:

Parent Consumers – Parents receive agency services
(e.g. home visiting, food bank, child care, etc.).

Parent Involvement - Parents attend agency-sponsored
events and support program/organization priorities (e.g.
parents attend a monthly parent meeting).
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1. Applicant Organization (continued)

Parent Engagement - parents routinely provide
input/feedback (e.g. parents actively participate in
meetings/board in an advisory capacity) and advise on
setting program and/or organizational priorities.

Parent Organizing - parents are equal partners with agency
organizers and help set priorities with broader community.
Table 1 - Sample Format - for example (add as many rows as is needed):
Agency Program/Activity
Target Population
Parent Role
# of Parents
Health Families Program
Pregnancy to Age 3
Consumer
100 families
FSC Advisory Board
Pregnancy to Age 18 Engagement
10 parents
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1. Applicant Organization (continued)
C. Commitment to Cultural Competency & Diversity (p. 14):

Current culturally responsive services—include related
supports, such as, affiliations with natural helping networks,
language services, neighborhood/civic associations, faithbased partners, etc.

Cultural competency planning and practices reflect the
community & promote the organization’s cultural
competence/diversity—governance, policies, materials,
environment, staff recruitment, hiring, promotion, training,
board membership, and community partnerships
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Proposal Narrative
2. Community Needs Assessment (page 15)
10 Points

Provide an overview of community needs using the most
recent relevant, county-specific data

This information may be presented in narrative and/or
table format.

Include information for key cities and municipalities,
and sub-populations—age categories for parents &
children (birth to age 8), race, ethnicity, immigrant
families, migrant families, languages spoken, and other
characteristics relevant to your county/community.
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2. Community Needs Assessment (continued)
Utilize local resources* and/or the following data sources to
complete this section:
 U.S. Census: http://quickfacts.census.gov
 NJ Dept. of Health: http://www4.state.nj.us/dhssshad/query/result/birth/BirthBirthCnty/Count.html
 NJ Kids Count (2014)
http://acnj.org/downloads/2014_04_24_kidscount_statereport.pdf
*You are encouraged to draw from other recent county/local needs
assessment sources, e.g. Humans Services Advisory Council (HSAC),
that are relevant to the target population – pregnancy to age eight.
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2. Community Needs Assessment (continued)
From your agency’s perspective, and/or from your work
with parents and families:

Where are their gaps in services?

Identify a few key priorities for the work of the
CCYC—in health, child care, special needs, education,
family strengthening/family support, family assetbuilding, child welfare, etc.
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Proposal Narrative
3. Program Approach (RFP page 15-17)
40 Points
A. Council Structure & Development / Staffing & Oversight

Describe CCYC structure, implementation & staffing plan, i.e. FTEs
& qualifications of staff, consultants, volunteers. Attach resumes of
Project Manager and CCYC Coordinator (if known) as Appendix 2.

How will lead agency facilitate a supportive climate for success of
the CCYC and Project Coordinator?

Describe the process for management and supervision that will
support project coordination and day-to-day responsibilities.

Revise job description on page 28 of RFP. Insert it as Appendix 1.

One-page timeline with key steps for start-up and implementation.
Insert this as Appendix 4 in your application.
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3. Program Approach (continued)
B. Mobilizing for Parent Involvement & Shared Leadership

Based on Needs Assessment data (Section 2), how will you recruit
& engage parents for community action and parent leadership?

Identify the number of parents/caregivers you will recruit in Yr 1
implementation, and rationale for how you will reach this number.

Strategic use of supports/incentives for parent participation—
stipends, transportation, child care, refreshments, meals, etc.

How will the project recognize the contributions of parents?

Describe how the CCYC will meet the needs of various and
diverse cultures within the target community.
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3. Program Approach (continued)
C. Partners to Support Parent Involvement/Shared Leadership

How will you facilitate the commitment of community partners to
promote parent involvement & leadership

Identify a plan to work collaboratively with local Central Intake
and, if applicable, Community Health Worker lead agencies; and
ensure coordination/collaboration within the local system of care.

Describe your plan to develop and maintain effective relationships
with community-based programs across early childhood sectors to
facilitate active participation and shared leadership in CCYC
workgroups and key activities.

Attach Letters of Commitment/MOUs—include these as Appendix 7.
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3. Program Approach (continued)
D. Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Support

Identify your plans for supplemental trainings for the CCYC-staff, parents, community agency partners, and volunteers.

Note: CCYCs to receive TTA from DCF staff & other partners:





Project Planning and Development--Environmental Scan, Strategic Plan,
Logic Model, and Evaluation/CQI Plan
Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework / Parent Cafés
Parent Advocacy and Leadership
Additional TTA as needed for related projects RTT-ELC, ECCS, LAUNCH
Describe additional training/technical assistance needs that may
be needed to support successful implementation of the CCYC.
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3. Program Approach (continued)
E. Protective Factors / Standards for Prevention Programs

Design and implementation of the CCYC must align with and
incorporate the Strengthening Families Protective Factors
Framework & the NJ Standards for Prevention

SF Protective Factors (Center for the Study of Social Policy) --

Standards for Prevention–NJ Task Force on Child Abuse &
Neglect (2003 version)
http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/the-basics/protective-factors
http://www.nj.gov/dcf/documents/about/commissions/njtfcan/StandardsPrevention.pdf

Complete Exhibit C (page 26 of the RFP) and include it in
your proposal as Appendix 6
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Appendix 21
Sexual Abuse Safe-Child Standards
RFP Page 17 -- DCF endorses the and the Sexual Abuse SafeChild Standards, developed by the NJ Partnership to Prevent
Child Sexual Abuse and the Enough Abuse Campaign as a
preventative tool for organizations working with children to
minimize the risks of the occurrence of child sexual abuse.
http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/SafeChildStandards.pdf
Attach as Appendix 21, a brief description (maximum of 2 pages
double spaced) of how your agency operations support and/or
mirror these standards.
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Proposal Narrative
4. Data, CQI & Evaluation (RFP page 18)
10 Points

Reflecting on the program priorities/services outlined in the RFP
(pages 2-6), identify at least five preliminary core objectives
for your proposed CCYC.

SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely

Be sure to specify the measures and timeframe for each objective.

How will you monitor your progress in achieving program
objectives, and ensure continuous quality improvement (CQI).

Note: Awardees will be required to participate in DCF’s data
collection, evaluation and CQI process for RTT-ELC.
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Proposal Narrative
5. Budget (RFP pages 18-19)
10 Points
Applicants must provide a feasible & cost efficient budget that
supports program activities & outcomes, and includes:

Budget Spreadsheet: One-page 12-month operating
budget (RFP Exhibit D-page 24) four columns: 1) Total
costs for each line; 2) DCF grant funds requested; 3) Funds
from Other Sources, if any; and 4) Start-up Funds, if
requested. Attach the spreadsheet as Appendix 5.

Budget Narrative (Section 5 of the Proposal Narrative),
clearly describe & itemize program costs in each budget
category for an initial 12-month period.
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5. Budget (continued)

General & Administrative (G&A) up to 10% of the
program’s direct costs. If your agency’s G&A costs exceed
this rate, the applicant must provide this overage as an inkind contribution, and explain this in the budget narrative.

One-Time Start-Up Budget: Start-up funds are
permitted. If requesting Start-up Funds, add a 4th
column to the 1-page worksheet (attach as Appendix 6)

If selected as a grantee, you will then be required to
complete the full DCF Annex B multi-page form.
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Proposal Narrative
6. Leveraging & Sustainability (RFP page 19)
5 Points

Leveraging: Identify total amount & source of any additional
financial resources to be committed to the proposed project.

Matching funds are not required in Years 1 and 2, but additional
consideration will be given to proposals that identify specific
leveraged in-kind and/or cash resources.

In Year 3, awardees will be required to provide a 15% match,
therefore applicants will need to address this in your proposal.

Sustainability: Describe ideas & concrete plans to ensure that the
CCYC remains an active community resource beyond 12/31/17.

Include Letters of Commitment or MOUs, especially to
document any cash match. Attach these in Appendix 7.
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Proposal Narrative – Special Note
7. Completeness (RFP page 19)
5 Points
Please Note: Page 19 of the RFP
7) Completeness of the Application
No narrative is expected. This is to notify you
that proposals will be reviewed for
completeness and a 5-point deduction will be
take for incomplete applications.
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Organizing the Application (page 20-21)
Proposal Authorization Cover Sheet (no page number)
Table of Contents (Page 1)
Part I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Proposal Narrative (25-page maximum)
Applicant Organization
Community Needs Assessment
Program Approach
Data Collection, CQI and Evaluation
Budget Narrative
Leveraging and Sustainability Plan
Completeness (no narrative required)
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Organizing the Application (continued)
Part II. Appendices (do NOT count toward 25-page limit)
1. Job description for Key Personnel
2. Resumes - Program Manager & Key Staff, as appropriate
3. Organizational chart–show placement of the CCYC
4. Proposed Program Implementation Timeline (one-page limit)
5. One-page Operational Budget, including Start-Up Budget, if
applicable (use the template format in RFP Exhibit D)
6. Protective Factors/Standards for Prevention (Exhibit C)
7. Letters of Commitment, Agreement/MOUs; and All Other
Supporting Documents
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Organizing the Application (continued)
8. Current List of Lead Agency Board of Directors
9. Statement of Assurances*
10. Certification Regarding Debarment*
11. Chapter 51 Certification Regarding Political Contributions**
12. Source Disclosure Certification**
13. Ownership Disclosure-Certification and Disclosure Forms**
14. IRS Determination Letter regarding charitable contribution or
non-profit status (if applicable)
15. Copies of applicable licenses/licensure status, if appropriate
16. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number—acquire at
http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711
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Organizing the Application (continued)
17. Copies of audits/reviews completed or in-process by any State
entities from 2013, with corrective action plan, if applicable
18. Current Form 990 for non-profits
19. Current Single Audit Report for non-profits/ Current Audited
Financial Statements for for-profit entities
20. Signed Standard Language Document*
21. Safe-Child Standards - description of your agency’s
implementation of the standards (maximum of 2 pages)
PLEASE REFER BACK TO THE FULL RFP (page 21) FOR
INFORMATION ON ALL ITEMS MARKED WITH
ASTERISKS (* and **)
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REMINDER: Format Requirements
Proposal Narrative Format (RFP page 12-13)
 Spacing:
Double-spaced
 Page Limit: 25 pages (excludes Cover Page & Appendices)
 Font Size:
Size 12, easily readable font style
 Margins:
1 inch top & bottom -- 1½ inch on left & right
For the Entire Document:
 Page Numbers: On ALL pages, starting with the Table of
Contents, through the Proposal Narrative and Appendices
 Binding: For paper submissions, use one binder clip to
assemble all pages the original proposal. Do not staple or use
other types of binding.
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REMINDER: Submission Timetable
Application Forms: http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/providers/notices/
Proposals must be received by: Thursday, 9/18/14 - 12:00 PM
On-line submission (RFP pages 8-9) to DCF is preferred !!
 Training TODAY for online submission
 Also available online at www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/notices/
OR, submit by Mail/Commercial Carrier or In-Person (pages 7-8)
One (1) original and 1 CD-ROM with all documents--deliver to:
Catherine Schafer, Director of Grants Management, A&R
NJ Department of Children and Families
50 East State Street, 3rd Floor, Trenton, NJ 08625-0717
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RFP Questions & Technical Assistance
Please ask your questions
NOW!!
Q & A Period Ends Today
GOOD LUCK!!
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