Columbus County Partnership for Children Request for Applications

The Columbus County Partnership for Children (Smart Start) is seeking applications to implement and provide services for coaching, consultation and training using the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children for the remainder of 2023-2024 fiscal year (December, 2023 – June 30, 2024). The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children helps early educators build skills for supporting nurturing and responsive caregiving, create learning environments, provide targeted social-emotional skills, and support children with challenging behaviors.

RFA Release Date:   November 6, 2023

Deadline for Applications:   2:00 PM, November 27, 2023

Deadline for Questions:   November 20, 2023

Submit Questions to: Dr. Selena Rowell Selena.rowell@columbussmartstart.org

Full application, supporting documentation, attachments and FAQ can be found at:

https://columbussmartstart.com/job-opportunities

Anticipated funding amount:   Approximately $45,000

Submit to:   Attention: Dr. Selena Rowell

Electronic Submission:   Selena.rowell@columbussmartstart.org

Mailed or Hand Delivered to:

109 W. Main St., Whiteville, NC 28472

Applications may be submitted electronically or in hard copy format no later than the time listed above. Late applications will not be accepted. Faxed applications will not be accepted.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

Columbus County Partnership for Children (Smart Start) is a comprehensive public-private initiative to help children ages birth – five years of age enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Our four (4) core target areas are: Health, Family Support Services, Literacy, and Early Care & Education. Please visit our web site at www.columbussmartstart.com for a complete listing of services.

The Columbus County Partnership for Children (hereinafter referred to as the “Local Partnership”) is soliciting applications to establish a contract through a competitive process. The purpose of this Request for Application (RFA) is to acquire the services of a qualified contractor (hereinafter referred to as the “Contractor”) to implement and provide services for coaching, consultation and training using the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children.

Purpose of the Request

The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children helps early educators build skills for supporting nurturing and responsive caregiving, create learning environments, provide targeted social-emotional skills, and support children with challenging behavior. Services that are provided using Smart Start dollars in this activity include:

• Technical assistance: Technical assistance (in the form of coaching, consultation and modeling) provided to early childhood educators working in licensed and/or G.S. 110 child care facilities serving children birth to five years old. The Technical Assistance will be focused on improving the capacity of early educators to build skills for supporting nurturing and responsive caregiving, create learning environments, provide targeted social-emotional skills, and support children with challenging behavior in child care settings.

• Training for child care providers: Training for DCDEE credit hours provided using the Pyramid Model framework

II. AVAILABLE FUNDING AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Award Term and Requirements

Funding for this project is contingent on funding availability and adherence to the requirements of the grant. Anticipated award amount is approximately $45,000. The term of any resulting award is anticipated to be for the current fiscal year, from 11/1/2023 until 06/30/2024.

The bidder must submit an annual budget (including in-kind and any cash-match) and budget narrative ending June 30th with its application.

All expenses must follow Smart Start Cost Principles

Eligibility

Contractor staff delivering services for this activity must have experience providing services to childcare centers and or providers. Teaching experience in a childcare setting is preferred.

Applications will be received from organizations and individuals with experience in delivering services to children and families.

The prospective Contractor must provide details of any pertinent judgment, criminal conviction, investigation or litigation pending against the prospective Contractor or any of its officers, directors, employees, agents or subcontractors of which the contractor has knowledge, or a statement that there is none. The Local Partnership reserves the right to reject a proposal based on this information.

Selection Process

All applications received by the required deadline will be reviewed to ensure all necessary attachments and documentation are complete and included. Applications that are incomplete, late, or submitted by non-eligible applicants will not be reviewed by the grants review committee. Nothing may be added to any application after it has been submitted, including a signed certification page. Complete applications from eligible applicants will then be forwarded to the grants review committee who will review, score and rank the applications.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

Application/Proposal

To complete the application, provide a comprehensive narrative response to the questions in the following sections:

Capacity for Addressing the Needs and Implementing the Strategy

• Provide examples of experience implementing related programs and the outcomes of those programs. It should be noted that past performance on any grants may be taken into consideration in the evaluation of your proposal.

• Describe your agency/organization’s personnel, professional knowledge of, and experience in working with the target population, especially for those personnel who will work directly with the grant activities.

• Identify qualified personnel and how they will be supervised.

• Identify how community need was assessed and how the application addresses the identified need. Include how you engaged the community in determining the need.

• Explain how resources in the community will or have been leveraged to support this work.

• Describe plans for ensuring personnel will be linguistically and culturally competent to work with the target population.

Program Description

• Describe the proposed program.

• What evidence do you have to demonstrate that the program is evidence based/evidence informed?

• If there is a need to adapt an evidence-based approach, explain the adaptations and provide the justification for why they are being proposed.

• Describe how the program approach aligns and builds on the early childhood system in North Carolina.

• Identify and describe the target population to be served

o Population demographics

o Target service numbers

o How the population will be identified, recruited, and retained in the program.

• Describe the initial and ongoing professional development opportunities that will be provided to existing and/or new staff, including the content & how it will be provided.

• Describe any anticipated barriers to implementation and your plans to overcome those barriers.

• List the anticipated collaboration partners and how each of these collaborations is important to the successful promotion of the Smart Start network and implementation of the program.

Implementation Plan

• Provide a proposed timeline for implementation of your program.

• Include a brief narrative describing the steps necessary to operationalize the proposed program, including any required components for model fidelity or to meet program requirements.

• Describe the evaluation plan for assessing program effectiveness.

• Describe how you will document ongoing community collaboration and plans for sustainability upon conclusion of grant funding.

Budget and Budget Narrative

Submit a budget (including in-kind and any cash match) and budget narrative as part of this application.

IV. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Application/Proposal Format

Applications must include the following components to be considered complete and responsive for funding. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed or scored:

• Signed Cover Letter

• Narrative Response to Scope of Work

• Budget and Budget Narrative

• Most Recent audited financial statement

• 501[c][3] determination letter (if applicable)

Basic Format:

• The proposal should be typed, double-spaced on 8 ½” x 11” white paper.

• Page limit of the narrative is 4 double-spaced pages (front and back)

• Electronic submissions should be sent as attachments in pdf format.

• In addition, hard copies should be submitted and should include 1 original and 7 copies

Technical Assistance

• A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List will be posted and maintained during the RFA period. To post a question, forward your question to Selena.rowell@columbussmartstart.org. The FAQ List will be posted to the website and updated periodically.

• All questions must be submitted in writing by the deadline listed for questions, and responses will be posted in writing on the FAQ List. The FAQ List will be updated periodically, and a final version will be posted on November 21, 2023. No questions will be responded to verbally. It is strongly recommended that applicants review the FAQ List regularly prior to submission of the final application.

Application Deadline

All applications must be received by 2:00 PM on November 27, 2023.

• Late and/or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.

• Signed, emailed or scanned electronic copies sent to the named person on the application cover sheet are acceptable. Faxed copies are not accepted.

• For applicants without scanning capability, an original and 7 copies with required signatures must be mailed or hand-delivered and received in the CCPC office by 2:00 PM on the application due date of November 27, 2023.

Submit applications by November 27, 2023 at 2:00 PM to:

Selena Rowell, Executive Director

Columbus County Partnership for Children

109 W. Main St.

Whiteville, NC 28472

910-4994-4548

Selena.rowell@columbussmartstart.org

Additional Requirements Upon Selection

Upon selection, the Local Partnership will contact the Contractor to obtain information and documentation required for preparation of the contract to include the following:

• Name; title; telephone and fax numbers; and mailing address, including street address and zip code, of the contract administrator.

• If a nonprofit entity, a copy of the Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)3 determination letter received from the IRS.

• No Overdue Taxes Certification.

• Board of Directors list (if a 501(c)3).

• Bylaws (if a 501(c)3).

• Proof of insurance that may include, but not be limited to, the following:

o Workers’ compensation;

o General business liability;

o Professional liability;

o Fidelity bonding (e.g., employee crime or dishonesty);

o Automobile (owned, hired or non-owned).

• Completed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-9.

• Most recent audit report and/or financial statements.

• The Local Partnership will not contract with any prospective Contractor that fails to provide all required information and documentation. After all required information and documentation has been submitted, the Local Partnership will prepare the contract, notify the selected Contractor and submit the contract for signature. A template of the Contract that the selected Contractor will be required to sign is available upon request.

• The Contract must be executed prior to the start of work and incurring any expenses.

• If all proposals are rejected, prospective Contractors will be notified promptly by the Local Partnership.

See "Downloads for Inclusive Childcare - Additional Documents below.

FAQ List Coming Soon