Notice of Intent to Release a Request for Proposal for Help Me Grow Alachua

The Children’s Trust of Alachua County is intending to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) on September 14, 2021 for Help Me Grow Alachua in Alachua County, contingent upon Board approval (see more at Help Me Grow Florida). The Help Me Grow system promotes cross-sector collaboration to build an efficient and effective early childhood continuum of care. Help Me Grow strengthens the grid by maintaining a current directory of available services and connecting service providers to each other to create an interconnected system. Help Me Grow is designed so all children have the best possible start in life by providing free developmental and behavioral screenings. The Children’s Trust of Alachua County will also be adding a literacy assessment component and service linkage to this RFP. Research shows that proficiency in reading by the end of third grade enables students to shift from learning to read to reading to learn and to master the more complex subject matter they encounter in the fourth grade curriculum (see more at Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign). Most students who fail to reach this critical milestone falter in the later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma.  Families benefit as Help Me Grow listens to them, links them to services, and provides ongoing support. Help Me Grow is available to all children, including those whose families may have concerns or simply want to learn more about their child’s development.

Help Me Grow is not a stand-alone program, but rather a system model that utilizes and builds on existing resources in order to develop and enhance a comprehensive approach to early childhood system-building in any given community. Successful implementation of the Help Me Grow model requires communities to identify existing resources, think creatively about how to make the most of existing opportunities, and build a coalition to work collaboratively toward a shared agenda. The information below includes a proposed scope of services and a proposed timeline.

Proposed Scope of Services:

• Target Population
• Programming Activities
• Service Location
• Partners and Service Linkage
• Staffing
• Continuous Learning and Quality Supports
• Data Collection
• Deliverables
• Performance Measures

Estimated Funding Allocation for Help Me Grow Alachua:
$220,000.00 for FY22

Proposed Timeline:
The dates in the following dates are only estimates and are provided to illustrate the current expectations for timing of actions related to the RFP.

Release solicitation
September 14, 2021

Bidders’ conference 
October 1, 2021

Application due date
November 15, 2021 by 5 PM ET

Application review and debriefing
November 16, 2021 – December 3, 2021

Funding recommendations and resolution provided to the Board
December 6, 2021

Board meeting
December 13, 2021

Contracting
December 14, 2021 to January 3, 2022

Contract begins
January 3, 2022

Please note that the CTAC will not entertain questions regarding this RFP until it is approved by the Board. To learn more about this funding opportunity, all interested providers should plan to attend or call into the Children’s Trust Board meeting scheduled for September 13, 2021 and attend the Bidder’s Conference on October 1, 2021.