PUBLIC NOTICE
                                                                     SOQ 24-004
 
Early Childcare Education 6 weeks to 35 months
 
The Parish of Jefferson, authorized by Resolution No.143502, is hereby soliciting a Statement of Qualifications (General Professional Services Questionnaire) from persons or firms interested and qualified as defined by the Department of Health and Human Services for participation in Jefferson Community Actions’ Early Head Start Birth to Five Program. The public purpose of the Project is to identify licensed early childhood providers to provide education, parent involvement, and nutrition services for infants and toddlers 6 weeks -35 months under the Early Head Start Birth to Five Grant.  Persons or firms deemed qualified for this work shall be eligible for award of early childcare services throughout the Parish until March 01, 2029.
                       
                    Deadline for Submissions: 3:30 p.m., April 4, 2024
 
Scope of Services
Early Childhood Providers submitting under this SOQ must be familiar with the Head Start Program Performance Standards located at https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/policy/45-cfr-chap-xiii (the “Standards”) and must be familiar with the Head Start Act 42 U.S.C. 9801 et seq. (the “Act”).
Submitters must be able to provide childcare services, defined as full day, full year education, parent involvement and nutrition services for 6 weeks -35 months for 10 hours per day, five (5) days per week, twelve (12) months per year with the exception of the following holidays when the center is closed: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Memorial Day,  Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day;
Submitters must participate in Self-Assessment interviewing process and serve on Self-Assessment Team and Participate in Community Assessment;
Submitters must utilize Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers, and must use Teaching Strategies Gold assessments and ongoing progress;
Submitters must participate in JeffCAP Head Start Birth-to-Five Professional Development and training to ensure all staff has the required training hours as deemed by Head Start Performance Standards, Head Start Act and Louisiana Department of Education Division;
Submitters must collaborate with JeffCAP Head Start Birth-to-Five Program to expand, develop and implement Head Start Birth-to-Five services;
Submitters must conduct monthly Parent Committee meetings to ensure parent involvement is achieved and any concerns are voiced and addressed;
Submitters must ensure that parents/guardians with children enrolled will participate in Parent Orientation and the Head Start Parent Partnership Workshop and elect representatives for JeffCAP Head Start B-5 Policy Council from the Parent Committee;
Submitters must ensure that enrollees will participate in the Transition and Screening Process. The health screening MUST be conducted (vision, hearing and behavior) within 45 days of entry into program;  
Submitters must complete developmental screenings and ongoing assessment for all participants for the purpose of planning appropriate activities for the children. Also, they will develop individual lesson plans using Teaching Strategies Gold online system on a weekly basis that include individualization for the children enrolled. The teaching staff with Head Start participants will conduct home visits before children enter the center and as scheduled on the JeffCAP Head Start B-5 calendar. Teaching staff will conduct parent conferences and provide parent with documentation related to their child’s progress;
Submitters must ensure JeffCAP Head Start B-5 Child Outcomes will be implemented in each classroom;
Submitters must participate in all JeffCAP Head Start Birth-to-Five program activities such as Open House, Parent Orientation, School Readiness Fairs, Grandparents’ Day, Health Fairs, etc.;
Submitters must maintain class size in compliance with the Standards Section 1302.21. An Early Head Start class that serves children under 36 months old must have two teachers with no more than eight children. Each teacher must be assigned consistent, primary responsibility for no more than four children to promote continuity of care for individual children. A program must minimize teacher changes throughout a child’s enrollment, whenever possible, and consider mixed age group classes to support continuity of care, see the Standards Section 1302.21 (2). The number of children assigned to each classroom cannot exceed the mandated square footage required per child;
Submitters are required to ensure each classroom will have two paid teaching staff per room at all times;
Submitters are expected to be in full compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards within 90 days of the contract date;
Submitters must adhere to reports and recommendations provided based upon observations and findings;
Submitters must keep and maintain adequate, legible, genuine, current, and complete records of services rendered under the terms of this agreement and to make available all such records, which at a minimum, shall consist of, but are not limited to, the following categories and/or documents:

Enrollment records that include verification of family income and other verification required for determining eligibility for Head Start funding. Such verification must meet the criteria required by the administration for Children and Families and JeffCAP Head Start Birth-to-Five;
Records documenting screening, on-going assessments and educational services for pre-school children.

Submitters must adhere to the Fiscal and Non-Federal Share: Ensure that all expenditures and In-Kind items related to reimbursement requests and Non-Federal Share are acceptable and allowable in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, And Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and ensure that the Non-Federal Share obligation is met as required, which is 25% of the total Federal reimbursement received;
Submitters shall be required to meet with JeffCAP Head Start B-5 Administrators, at least quarterly or as deemed necessary to address program problems, concerns, or issues;
Submitters must ensure that participants with disabilities will receive services through the Jeff CAP HS B-5 Education/ Disabilities Content Area and Louisiana Department of Education Early Steps and Child Search program;
Submitters must provide proof that operation is in good standing under Type III License from Louisiana Department of Education Licensing Division (must submit copy of current License);
Submitters must provide evidence that Early Head Start teachers have a minimum of Child Development Associates (CDA) upon hire. CDA’s that are in areas other than Infants and Toddlers requires 120 hours of Infant & Toddlers training within 8 months of being hired or an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, in accordance with the Act Section 648A;
Submitters must provide proof that they are registered participants of the Jefferson Parish Early Childhood Collaborative;
Submitters must provide documentation that the learning center is in compliance with all licensing laws, regulations and minimum standards have State Fire Marshal and Office of Public Health clearance and approval;
Submitters must provide proof that they have obtained the Quality Star rating of 4 - 5 stars from the Early Childhood Care and Education Network;
Submitters must provide proof that their Performances Profile must have a score of Proficient or higher from the Early Childhood Care and Education Network;
Submitters cannot have any current deficiencies from State Licensing; 
Submitters must provide evidence of Child Care Civil Background Checks (CCCBCS) clearance on all staff;
Submitters must provide proof of academic approval from the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE);
Submitters must provide proof of the required insurance as set forth in the Standard Insurance Requirements attached herein as Attachment A. In addition to the Standard Requirements, all proposals must include proof of sexual abuse and molestation coverage of $100,000 per occurrence/$300,000 annual aggregate. These coverages must be maintained for the entire life of any resulting contract; and
Submitters must provide a narrative summary to describing the history of providing high -quality services, familiar with CLASS standards, understanding of evidence-based curricula, understanding of appropriate requirements to care for toddlers, evidence of providing professional development to staff; and
Submitters must submit a signed copy of the Jefferson Parish Statements of Qualification General Professional Service Questionnaire.
Submitters must ensure that all staff, and all students approved by the Program to provide services are subject to satisfactory child care civil criminal background checks, annual tuberculosis (TB) screenings, and satisfactory completions of physical examinations by his or her own medical doctor once every three years, the results of which will be provided to and retained by the Program.
Submitters must provide a financial profile for the last three (3) years of the firm’s overall financial health. For example, your size, profitability, growth sources, return on investment, credit profile and transaction history. 
The following evaluation criteria, listed in order of importance, are used to evaluate each firm submitting a Statement of Qualifications:
Professional training and experience - 35 points
Scope of Services – 20 points
Responsiveness to the SOQ – 10 points
Innovative Concepts – 10 points
Financial Profile – 10 points
The nature, quantity, and value of parish work previously performed and presently being performed by the person and/or firm submitting, - 10 points
Past and current professional accomplishments, for which references from clients or former clients and information gathered by inspection of current or recent projects may be considered - 5 points 
The person or firm submitting a Statement of Qualification (General Professional Services Questionnaire) must identify all subcontractors who will assist in providing professional services for the project, in the professional services questionnaire. Each subcontractor shall be required to submit a (General Professional Services Questionnaire) and all documents and information included in the questionnaire.  (Refer to Jefferson Parish Code Ordinance, Section 2-928)
All persons or firms (including subcontractors) must submit a Statement of Qualifications (General Professional Services Questionnaire) by the deadline. The latest professional services questionnaire may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department at (504) 364-2678 or via the Jefferson Parish website at www.jeffparish.net.  This questionnaire can be accessed by hovering over “Business and Development” on the website and clicking on the Professional Services Questionnaires option under “Doing Business in Jefferson Parish”.
Submissions will only be accepted electronically via Jefferson Parish’s e-Procurement site, Central Bidding at www.centralauctionhouse.com or www.jeffparishbids.net.  Registration is required and free for Jefferson Parish vendors by accessing the following link: www.centralauctionhouse.com/registration.php.
 
No submittals will be accepted after the deadline.
Affidavits are not required to be submitted with the Statement of Qualifications, but shall be submitted prior to contract approval.
Disputes/protests relating to the decisions by the evaluation committee or by the Jefferson Parish Council shall be brought before the 24th Judicial Court.
 
ADV: The New Orleans Advocate:  March 13, & 20, 2024

Additional Notes/Requirements

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