RFP 2023-01 Youth Development
2023-01 | GRANT | |
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High-quality after-school programs and summer camps can increase school attendance, improve academic performance, decrease risky behaviors, prevent summer learning loss and support working families.
Youth development programs will be funded throughout Miami-Dade County, with concentration in under-served communities with high proportions of children and youth experiencing poverty. Services during the school year and summer will serve children and youth in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as young adults transitioning from foster care and youth with disabilities through age 22. Programs will be inclusive of and fully accommodate children and youth with disabilities and will also be encouraged to support other vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations who may be negatively impacted by poverty, lack of opportunity and related neighborhood and social factors.
UPDATED! YD Funding Recommendations - Click Here
UPDATED! Interview Schedules - Click Here
UPDATED! Application Debriefing Schedule CLICK HERE (This is a publicly noticed sunshine meeting, no action is required by the applicant.)
Networking, Input, and Information Session:
July 6, 2022 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. via Zoom
KEY DATES:
- Board Approval of Funding Release: July 18, 2022
- Release Request for Proposals (RFP): October 26, 2022
- Bidders' Conference & Application Training: November 4, 2022 NEW DATE
- Funding Applications Due: December 14, 2022 at 5 p.m. EST
- New 5-year Funding Cycle Begins: August 2023
ANTICIPATED TOTAL FUNDING: Approximately $60 million
To support effective communication, continuous quality improvement, modeling of service delivery, and compliance with implementation requirements, Youth Development applicants that utilize subcontractor relationships to deliver services, must operate at least one site directly, with an appropriate proportion of directly delivered services expected. A lead agency cannot fully delegate the delivery of the program to their subcontractor(s).
Resources
- YD K-12 RFP -2023-01 Addendum #1 11/8/2022
- YD Application Debriefing Schedule new 12/19/2022
- YD Funding Recommendations new 2/24/2023
- Network Input Form (Updated- Form was reopened during the Bidders conference) 11/10/2022
- Grants-How to Start an Application 10/26/2022
- Grants-Modifying Application, Basic Navigation, Adding a User 10/26/2022
- Application Training 11/4/2022
- Bidder's Conference 11/4/2022
- Bidder's Conference & Application Training PPT Slides 11/4/2022
- Child/Youth Registration Form 10/26/2022
- Budget Manual FY 22-23 10/26/2022
- Core Contract 10/26/2022
- Children with Disabilities Resource 10/26/2022
- Trust Academy Trainings 10/26/2022
- Activities Planning Map 10/26/2022
- 8 C's Chart 10/26/2022
- Parent & Youth Survey 10/26/2022
- MDC Antiviolence Initiatives 10/26/2022
- Juvenile Services Dept. Fact Sheet 10/26/2022
- Maps & Sites 10/26/2022
- YD Programmatic Resources v1 10/26/2022
Q & A
- An integral part of the program is bringing in masterclass teachers from some of the top music institutions in the USA. Are we allowed to allocate funds towards this travel? For their roundtrip flights to Miami and hotel housing under Account # 531: Travel - other than participants (i.e., staff’s travel).
- Travel (other than participants) is an allowable cost and is to be used for staff travel to conferences and/or staff travel to obtain instructor certification and/or staff travel, which is an integral part of the program. This could be worked out during contract negotiations if the grant is awarded.
- If I have operating expenses for all Elementary School, Middle School and High School. Do I need a separate line item or can it be together in one?
- The funding request breakdown must be provided by timeframes and population groups for each applicable line item.
- Special public performances are part of our curriculum and program to create real-world performance experiences for our students (for example: a July 4th concert on the beach with thousands of attendees). Is there a section in the budget where we can allocate these funds since they are more than end-of-season recognition?
- End-of-season recognition and special events may be budgeted under the Other (other) line item. Costs must be reasonable, justifiable, and directly tied to participant/parental involvement and program services.
- Is there a requirement or recommendation for matching funds? Do we need to meet a certain % in matching funds?
- This solicitation has no matching funds requirement.
- Do subcontracted agencies need to submit their own audit or that of the primary agency?
- No, only the Lead Agency must provide an audited financial statement.
- In the budget it states there is a 15% of the contract to the agency, but subcontractor costs come out of that - am i reading it correctly?
- Yes, the 15% threshold also includes administrative/indirect costs paid to subcontractors and partner agencies. Organizations with operational budgets of $100 million and more cannot exceed ten percent (10%) of The Trust’s contract amount.
- What does "Validated" mean in the Lead Agency budget?
- Validated indicates that the required fields have been updated.
- If I have 3 positions with the same titles, same salaries, different age groups and different activities, should they be entered together or separate in the staffing table?
- Positions with the same title, salary, and responsibilities can be grouped in the staffing table.
- Can I update the financial information that was entered at the start of the application? I entered the agency's 2020 audit numbers instead of the 2022 audit numbers. Can it be corrected or can I start a new application?
- Please email the Help Desk at helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org. Please include the name of your organization and the title of your application.
- Can paid internships for high school students be include in our budgets for summer?
- For the general population high school students, paid internships are not allowed in the budget.
- Are the salaries entered, as well as the other expenses in the lead agency budget, related to the first contract year? If so, how would we ensure to have enough in subsequent years to account for salary increases or other cost increases?
- The budget should reflect the annual cost of the program. The Trust monitors the cost of living environment throughout the funding cycle. If we deem that market conditions have significantly affected the performance of our programs, and all contact resources are being fully utilized, we may adjust the contract amount appropriately.
- When populating fringe benefits within the staffing table, the system requests a percentage by position then calculates the fringe amount based on the percentage entered. When we go to the Lead Agency Budget Summary to confirm the fringe benefits, they system states that we are off $7. This is due to the rounding percentages by grade levels by position. Since the fringe benefits is automatically calculated, how do we get rid of the error message to confirm the line item?
- Because this is a technical question, we ask that you submit it through our helpdesk so that we can best support you. Email your question to helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org.
- Is there a cap on how much your grant request can be in relationship to your Program Budget (ie the grant request can't exceed a certain % of your budget)?
- There is no limit to the amount of funding that can be requested from the Program Budget. The total cost is expected to be in alignment with the proposed services.
- Is there a maximum amount of funding we can request?
- There is no cap on the amount of funding requested. The total cost is expected to be in alignment with the proposed services.
- In the budget justifications there are word limits. We have multiple sites and therefore multiple calculations for space and utilities. There is not enough space to include all the formulas and narratives. Can either narrative or formulas be left out? What can be done about this?
- For application purposes, the justification of the line item is not required by site. Provide a brief description of the cost included in the line item.
- Is there a sample TCT budget template that we could use?
- Please refer to the Application Training Video and the Budget Manual located in the Resources Section of the application.
- Are the costs of a van to be used (1) to transport students to/from the program site on full day sessions and (2) to bring students home from afterschool activities, allowed? Costs include vehicle lease, fuel, maintenance and repairs, insurance.
- Participants' travel costs are to be used for direct transportation to field trips and/or transportation to and from the program and/or participant travel that is an integral part of the program. The Children's Trust reimburses mileage at the GSA rate. The standard mileage rate takes into account costs like depreciation, lease payments, fuel, repairs, maintenance, oil, insurance, and vehicle registration fees. Please refer to the Budget Manual for additional details.
- Please let us know if there is any way to upload a temporary document to begin the profile as my client did not have until she just requested to have a third party CPA prepare her financials. Waiting until the day of or before, we will not be able to apply.
- Please email the Help Desk at helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org to submit the correct Audit documents. Please indicate the name of your organization and the Title of your application. Please note that The Children's Trust will not review an application that does not have the correct audit documentation submitted.
- Will start-up funds be available?
- This is a cost reimbursement method of payment contract. Provider shall submit an electronic request for payment for the expenses incurred during the contract period. The request for payment is due on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the month following the month in which expenditures were paid (exclusive of legal holidays or weekends). The Children’s Trust offers advance payment equal to 15% of the contract value. Advance requests shall be limited to governmental entities and not-for-profit corporations. Advance payment is due within 60 calendar days of receipt of the advance.
- We are still a young Foundation and we don't yet meet the requirements for an audit. We are planning one for 2023, however. We would like to apply for the grant, but we cannot provide the audit as required on pages 64-65 of the RFP. We would like to ask if you will accept a CPA letter and review of our books instead.
- Audited financial statements are required to apply for RFP #2023-01.
- We have a partnership with an organization that is providing professional services for a reduced fee. The organization is also providing volunteer tutors. Do we list as a community partner, a subcontractor, or professional services?
- If the organization is providing a paid service, they must be listed as a paid partner. The type of paid partnership will depend upon the agreement between the two organizations.
- For administrative staff that work year-round, how should they be listed in the staffing table? Does their salary still need to be broken down by school year and summer?
- For each position included in the staffing table, the funding request breakdown must be provided by timeframes (School Year and Summer).
- We have a MOU for an entity to perform our STEM component and included as an Implementation Partner. We were going to treat as professional services and include in our overall budget and not subcontractor budget. Do we have the discretion to treat them under "professional services" or "subcontractor".
- Yes, that is at the discretion of your organization.
- How can I re-do the 1st page of application with auditor information?
- The pre-application cannot be edited once it is submitted. If your organization did not upload an audit, please email the audit to the Help Desk at helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org
- what type of audit is required? Are there specific items needed. And is the audit for the last fiscal year of my business?
- Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Audits prior to year-end March 2021 will not be accepted.
- How will the cost of living be considered in the new 5-year grant cycle? (for professional services and subcontractors)
- The Trust monitors the cost of living environment throughout the funding cycle. If we deem that market conditions have significantly affected the performance of our programs, and all contact resources are being fully utilized, we may adjust the contract amount appropriately.
- How is The Children's Trust calculating the unit cost and how is this calculation related to the new enrichment component?
- Applicants should submit budgets that take into account all aspects of their programming.
- Can a subcontracted provider include the health insurance portion of a supervisor's salary in the contracted budget? For example, if a contracted supervisor (working in an enrichment program) is only covered 5% of their salary, can we also include 5% of their health insurance as part of the contract?
- Health insurance is an allowable expense. Please see the Budget Manual in the Resources section for more information. All fringe benefits must be proportionate to the salary. Subcontractor salary information, including fringe benefits, must be entered in the staffing table. If the position is paid for through a subcontractor budget, select the related subcontractor.
- It is my understanding that organizations that were previously funded by the Trust would not have to submit an audit as you will already have it on file. When entering my pre-application, it is asking me to submit an audit and the City of Miami Gardens is currently funded by the Trust.
- If the agency is a current provider and the system requests audit information, please fill out all of the Audit Financial Statement required fields and upload the most current financial audit.
- What type of document is acceptable to submit for the audit requirement?
- An acceptable audit report includes an opinion issued by an independent CPA or firm. Audit reports include vastly different formats and language depending on the organization and its operational activities. Standard audit reports typically include an opinion letter issued by the independent CPA or firm, financial schedules, note disclosures supporting the financial schedules, and any other required supplementary information. Internally generated financial reports by staff or contracted CPAs that are not independent are not allowable. Other forms of attestation reports, such as reviews, compilations, or agreed upon procedures are also not allowable. For a sample audit, please visit The Children's Trust website here: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/financial
- What if I upload the wrong fiscal documents for the audit requirement?
- Please email the Help Desk at helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org to submit the correct Audit documents. Please indicate the name of your organization and the title of your application. Please note that The Children's Trust will not review an application that does not have the correct audit documentation submitted.
- Regarding eligibility criteria, its stated "Subject to limited exceptions, eligible applicants are required to submit an annual financial statement audit as defined in the specific grant opportunity of interest to be eligible for funding from The Trust." What are the limited exceptions?
- There are no exceptions in the Youth Development RFP #2023-01.
- Good morning, We were advised by a CPA to ask if you accepted a "compilation letter" from an independent accountant. Do you have any recommendation for an individual or firm? Thank you,
- A compilation letter is not accepted. An audited financial statement is required. Please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65 for details: d. Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
- Hi, Please let us know if you accept a "compilation letter" from an independent accountant. Do you have any recommendation for an individual or firm? Thank you!
- A compilation letter is not accepted. An audited financial statement is required. Please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65 for details: d. Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
- How do I upload a document to continue the profile because my audited financials will be ready December 1 2022
- Audited financial statements must be submitted during the pre-application phase of RFP #2023-01 if your agency is new to The Children's Trust.
- I'm currently inputting the pre-application for the Youth Development Grant. My Fei/Ein #30-0859502 Entity Name Zamlus 1. Do I need to upload the W9 form? 2. I don't have a financial audit? Can I proceed without it and upload in 4-6 months?
- Audited financial statements must be submitted during the pre-application phase of RFP #2023-01 if your agency is new to The Children's Trust.
- Our 2021 audit report will be ready at the end of the month. Can we start working on the application prior to uploading the audit report?
- Audited financial statements must be submitted during the pre-application phase of RFP #2023-01 if your agency is new to The Children's Trust.
- If an agency would like to request field trip transportation with a wheelchair lift from the $500,000 program inclusion pot of money, should this be included in the budget, or is a separate request to be submitted to the Advocacy Network on Disabilities?
- This request would be submitted directly to the Advocacy Network on Disabilities to access the program inclusion funds.
- For a subcontracted provider, can 30 minutes of planning time for the enrichment session be included in the budget?
- Applicants are expected to include in their subcontractor budget all costs associated with the quality implementation of proposed program activities.
- In the RFP-2023-01-Youth-Development it states that for summer programs "Breakfast may be available for providers that arrange in advance through The Children's Trust’s designated food service provider at no cost to the program". How do we include this component in our program and the budget?
- The expectation is that programs arrange for breakfast through The Children's Trust designated food service provider, at no cost to the program. This could be reflected as a match in the Program Budget. Please refer to the Budget Manual.
- I am a new provider with no documentation of a previous budget. Am I eligible to apply without a fiscal audit?
- Audited financial statements are required in order to apply for this RFP.
- If we have two Site Directors at two different sites and they make different salaries, should they be listed separately in the staffing table with their related salaries and fringes or should they be combined with an average of their salaries and fringes?
- These should be listed separately .
- Where in the staffing table do we put the calculations for the full days of winter and Spring camps? Is it considered "school year". Hours and staff numbers of positions may be different in these camps to the after school hours and numbers of staff. How do we capture that in the staffing table?
- Winter and Spring camps should be factored into the School Year cost.
- In the staffing table, it seems that for each position there is needed a) a total salary and fringe calculation and b) a school year and summer salary and fringe calculation and c) an ES MS and HS salary and fringe calculation. Is that correct? That is three separate salary and fringe calculations!
- For each position included in the staffing table, the funding request breakdown must be provided by timeframes and population groups. Based on the salary amount and percentage entered, the system calculates the cost of the fringe benefits.
- My company is new. I am in the process of obtaining a financial audit. Is there a minimum amount of cash on hand? Or anything specific that I need to show.
- No, there is not a minimum of cash on hand required. For details regarding fiscal health and solvency, please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65.
- Why is the budget not rated?
- The budget will not be rated as a part of the application score, however it will be utilized to determine funding amount recommendations.
- Are there specific RFP budget guidelines or only the current 2022-23 guidelines?
- Please refer to the Budget Manual FY 22-23 included in the Resource section of the grant.
- Can we submit an audit after starting the application but before the deadline? We expect ours at the end of November
- All audit requirements need to be uploaded before the submission of the application.
- How is administrative set up and tear down included in the budget?
- All administrative costs necessary to operate a program should be allocated to the Indirect Cost line item in the lead agency budget section. For more details, please refer to the Budget Manual included in the Resource section of the grant.
- The school is a daycare center and it is not a charter school. Step Up conducted their audit. Will the audit from Step Up be sufficient to meet the qualification requirements to write for the grant?
- Please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65 for details: "d. Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
- I am a school and we are interested in the grant but we don't have the audit for the two years. If we start the audit process now, would we be qualified for the grants?
- Please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65 for details: "d. Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 2. Applicant fiscal health: For new applicants, The Trust’s finance department reviews and scores the agency financial statement audit submitted with the application to assess the level of fiscal solvency, compliance and strength of internal controls."
- If a school has audit documents from Early Steps, can those audit reports be used to fulfill the audit requirements?
- Please refer to the RFP Application pdf document - Pages 64-65 for details: "c. Applicant must not be a charter school approved by any public school system in the State of Florida. d. Applicants must submit a recent, valid annual financial statement audit, conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, or already have one on file. Audited financial statements must be completed by a CPA firm that is licensed and registered to conduct business by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation."
- If an agency is proposing to work with high students must they provide Supports for Postsecondary Success activities?
- Those are possible enrichment activities. All applicants must propose 2-4 enrichment activities.
- The grant application suggests offering stipends to high school students but the language discourages stipends in the budget manual. Please provide clarification.
- Per the RFP (Page 8), special incentives such as stipends may be allowed for System involved youth.
- For a Middle school program, we entered the site table # of weeks of total school years serviced: 36; however, after saving we see Middle School year afterschool service days to be offered for MS: 36. The population and Sites summary shows the correct number. Why does it say 36 days instead of 36 weeks?
- The table displays the number of service days proposed. The calculation is the number of weeks x number of days per week.
- Are after-school program activities allowed to occur outside of the designated times (2-3 hours after dismissal)? For example a performance on a Friday or Saturday evening.
- Services must occur during the designated program times. However, special activities may be allowed. Special activities will be discussed and negotiated during contract negotiations.
- What are the supervision requirements regarding bus stops at other MDCPS school sites? I.e. if we are picking students up and dropping them off from a nearby school
- For K-5 programs, DCF requirements must be followed. All other programs should have safety measures in place including sign-in/out procedures and parental consent.
- Under "Implementation Partners", we are choosing Miami-Dade County Public Schools. However, in the "Associated Activities" drop-down menu, it only lists our program activities. It does not allow us to choose proper services that the school provides, such as space and participant referrals. It should at least have "Other" or N/A as options. Please advise.
- “Other” option is not available. Please select from one of the available activities.
- Youth Success service population is 9-12. Please remove the K-5. Thank you.
- The applicant must remove the population they do not wish to serve in the application under “Population to be served” section.
- In the activities chart, how does one describe the frequency, intensity and duration of a family event that happens twice during the school year? The only units are "times per week" or "times per month". Even if we put 1 time per month, it still will not be accurate. Should we just describe the frequency, intensity and duration in the program description and not worry that the fields wont match perfectly?
- Yes, you may enter it as "times per month" and use the total number of sessions and describe details in the description.
- I selected sports as an enrichment activity and entered the requirements under program activities. However, on the implementation partners tab, "sports" does not populate on the associate activity tab. Note: all my other activities populate on the tab. What should I do in this case?
- Please submit a ticket to Helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org and include RFP #2023-01 in the subject line of the email. Also, include a screenshot and name of the application.
- how do you define an implementation partner
- Per the RFP (page 42), Implementation partners support the implementation of proposed services, achievement of participant outcomes, and support family’s needs for additional services. Implementation partners can be paid or in-kind.
- I am trying to get a response in relation to our K-12 grant. We selected the dual grant option (K-12; SIY), but recently noticed we will not be able to satisfy the SIY. If our K-12 grant is completed but not the SIY, will it negatively impact our scores or application? Thank you in advacne and i may be contacted via email at: Rudy@TheMotivationalEdge.org The organization name is The Motivational Edge and the app number is: 10506
- Not submitting the SIY application will not affect your K-12 grant application.
- Can a summer program last for 6-weeks if that time frame includes days off for federal holidays (e.g. Juneteenth or 4th of July)? Or is there are days off then do we need to add a 7th week?
- Yes, a program can last six full weeks inclusive of any agency holidays during the six-week period. An additional week does not need to be added.
- Our program serves the same group of students from 9th to 12th+ grade. When students start in 9th grade they must have an open dependency case. But by 12th grade some students may have been adopted or reunified with family. We initially selected both K-12 and SIY. But now it feels duplicative as all students get the same programming. If we only submit a SIY application can we include participants who are no longer in foster care? If we do two applications can programming overlap?
- Based on the question above, it appears that the population continues to be in line with the SIY population. You do not need to submit a K-12 general population application unless your intent is to provide services to general HS population outside of what is mentioned in your question.
- 1. Are all students required to stay until 6PM or does our program only need to offer the option? E.g. If students prefer to leave at 3PM would that be ok? 2. We are excited/agree with the necessity to create additional transportation options for our students. What are the supervision requirements for drop-off and pick-up with bus stops?
- If the question is referring to the ES population, the program must operate until at least 6pm daily. The expectation is that participants that are in need of after-school care through 6pm are prioritized. Drop off and pick up requirements must be in line with DCF requirements.
- For a summer program, I see that the requirement is a 6-week minimum duration. Is this based on the number of days of programming or the general length? I ask because during our proposed timeframe I see that Juneteenth and 4th of July will be days off, so there wouldn't be 6 full weeks. Do we need to add an additional week to account for these days off?
- The expectation is that summer programs operate 6-11 weeks of summer camp and meet the program operation days and hours. Programs may follow their organizational policies regarding holiday observations.
- Are MOU's required for enrichment partners if we are not in a Dade County Public School?
- Per the RFP, letters of support of MOU's are required for all paid partners.
- Can there be an extension of the due date?
- Please clarify the question.
- I submitted a request for a LOS from MDCPS about a month ago . I have followed up and reached out and I haven't received it yet. How would we go about this if we received the LOS too late ?
- MDCPS is working diligently to process Letters of Support. If the documentation requesting a Letter of Support from MDCPS was received prior to the deadline, the letter will be provided via email prior to the grant submission deadline.
- We submitted our letter of support request to MDCPS on Oct 27th and still have not heard back. From my understanding of talking to others borgs applying, no one else has gotten their letters yet either. Do you have a process in place in case MDCPS doesn't provide the letters in time for the application due date?
- MDCPS is working diligently to process Letters of Support. If the documentation requesting a Letter of Support from MDCPS was received prior to the deadline, the letter will be provided via email prior to the grant submission deadline.
- Can you operate during the weekend?
- The YD K-12 RFP is intended for after-school and summer camp services. It is possible that exceptions may be made for weekend services. This would be discussed during contract negotiations.
- Do you need a DCF license for sports programming after 6 PM?
- For the ES age group, a DCF license is required for a site's operating hours.
- In case one of the sites wants to change the name and have a different tax ID number during the future grant cycle (after the program already started), what would be the process?
- Changes to sites or site names may be negotiated during contract negotiations.
- Good morning: When we (The Motivational Edge) started our application we initially selected for both the K-12 app and SIY application. Unfortunately, the SIY application is no longer a viable option for us. My question is - What happens if I do not complete the SIY application but do complete the K-12 application (#10506)? Will there be an issue with the K-12 application? Please advise. Thank you in advance for your assistance! I can be reached at: Rudy@themotivationaledge.org
- If your organization does not submit the SIY application, it will not affect the K-12 application submission.
- The organizational capacity asks for documents to be uploaded. Must they be uploaded as one document or can it be separate attachments?
- The Trust prefers that the documents are combined into one PDF document. However, the system allows applicants to upload multiple documents.
- Is the DCF required for sports programming after school at a local park? If the park is able to provide a DCF, would we be able to use it in our application since they are the site?
- For the ES population, a DCF license is required for each site.
- Where can we find a list of approved snack and meal vendors and/or requirements for alternative providers to FLIPANY?
- https://www.fdacs.gov/Food-Nutrition/Nutrition-Programs/National-School-Lunch-Program/Vendors
- I have read your definition of disability, but I am still unclear as to whether an IEP is required?
- An IEP is not required.
- Are social and emotional difficulties that impair learning considered a disability? If so, is an IEP necessary?
- Yes, refer to the Resources section for additional information on Children with Disabilities. No, an IEP is not necessary.
- If we are approved by DOH to provide snacks/meals for our students, what are the guidelines for what we can feed students and how we get reimbursed?
- Per the Budget Manual, if the program receives Department of Health subsidized funding for meals, then The Trust will not fund the cost of participant meals. It is the responsibility of the program to be approved by the Department of Health for reimbursement. For additional information, please refer to the Budget Manual.
- We have the technology to upload the TCT application (complete with logos etc) to a tablet, and then have enrollment specialist use touch screen capability to complete application and capture electronic signature from parent. Is this allowable?
- It is possible; however, such requests will be further discussed during contracting negotiations.
- Do we include job descriptions as part of the staffing section (as an attachment?
- The staffing section includes a textbox for staffing description. Uploading job descriptions is not required.
- Are sites allowed to recruit Rising K youth for summer?
- Yes.
- Good afternoon, we would like to submit two separate applications for the Youth Dev. Grant, one for K-5 and another one for Youth In School (16-21years of age). However, for the pre-application submission, we must provide a name that cannot be changed. Do we include the name for both applications here and click on "create two separate applications"? or Do we create only one application per grant with its corresponding name? Thanking you in advance for your clarification! gmusiet@cnc.org
- If you are applying for Youth Development services for grades K-12, that is one application.
- If you already have a DCF license at one site and are adding another site as part of this application, do you need to complete the DCF questionnaire and upload this for the new proposed site?
- Per the RFP, the questionnaire is required upon notification of funding award.
- Where can I find the templates or examples of the attachments A-G referenced in the Contract?
- You can find the contract attachment here: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/policies-forms. Attachment A is subject to change according to contracted services.
- Hello! We provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy which helps children with disabilities with their communication, daily living, and safety. The therapy is usually covered by insurance, but there are copay amounts and sometimes the therapy has to be private pay or self-funded. Do you have any grants or scholarships for families with children with disabilities that offer them the funds to be used toward services?
- This RFP is for Youth Development K-12. For future grant opportunities, you may sign up to receive our weekly newsletter on our website.
- Hello! I am an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company and I am interested in grant opportunities. We serve children with developmental disabilities in Miami-Dade and Broward County. We provide ABA therapy to children and their families in the home setting, school, or daycare in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Do we qualify for any programs? Currently, we only have off-site clients, but are opening a center next year.
- This RFP is for Youth Development K-12. For future grant opportunities, you may sign up to receive our weekly newsletter on our website.
- Hello! We are an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company and I am interested in grant opportunities. We serve children with developmental disabilities in Miami-Dade and Broward County. We provide ABA therapy to children and their families in the home setting, school, or daycare in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Do we qualify for any programs? Currently, we only have off-site clients, but are opening a center next year.
- This RFP is for Youth Development K-12. For future grant opportunities, you may sign up to receive our weekly newsletter on our website.
- Our school currently has the youth development grant. However, we are under an agency (an agency included our site in the cycle which will be ending in the summer). This time we will be applying directly. In the question "Agency funded for this Initiative in Last Cycle" should we be marked as funded or new?
- If your agency is not funded as the lead agency for the initiative in the last cycle you will be considered "new".
- If an application is selected for funding, will the Trust provide a breakdown of funds allocated towards each age group? Depending on age group strength, would one group get funding and another group denied? For example, would K-5 be funded and 6-8 be denied?
- It is possible for an applicant to propose multiple age-groups and only be funded for some of the proposed.
- Is there a deadline prior to the grant due date of December 14th to start and complete the preapplication so we can move to the application? Does the preapplication need approval prior to getting access to the application section? If so how long is the turnaround to get access to the application after submitting the preapplication? Also, is the pdf file under menu, named youth development 2023 the complete hard copy application of what needs to be completed online?
- 1. There is no deadline prior to December 14 to complete the pre-application. 2. The pre-application does not need prior approval to access the full application. Once submitted the full application is available. 3. The PDF contains the same content that is completed online.
- The application has a section titled Organizational Capacity as well as Organizational capacity (new Applicants only). As a current provider, do we just complete the first section and then mark the second section as "completed" without adding any information?
- If you are a current provider, you only need to complete the first section in Organizational Capacity.
- Can an agency use an MDCPS school for their afterschool program, if the school afterschool program is not funded by The Children's Trust?
- The Children's Trust allows programs to operate in M-DCPS sites. See Page 12 of the RFP.
- We are currently funded to serve Pre-K3 to age 5 for a summer CWDs inclusion camp. Is this age range still fundable as part of this solicitation?
- This solicitation for Youth Development K-12.
- Do you have to be a public charity in order to apply.
- No. Please see the eligibility requirements on our website: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/eligible-applicants
- The chart of Basic health and wellness activities on page 32 of the application lists SEW of program staff, environment and interactions. Is it a requirement to address SEW there in the activities because the exact same question is asked on pg 41 as a cross cutting strategy.
- SEW for program staff, environment and interactions is addressed through the cross-cutting strategies on Page 41 and does not need to be added as an activity.
- Our agency merged with another nonprofit this year. Although we have a history of providing Trust funded after-school programs, we now have a new name. Are we considered a new applicant?
- Please submit your question through the Help Desk at helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org and include the name of your organization.
- If we select YD:k-12 and SIY for the Application types, do we still need to submit a separate application for SIY?
- YD K-12 and SIY are two separate applications in this RFP.
- Do you have to be a public charity in order to apply?
- No. Please see the eligibility criteria on The Children's Trust website: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/eligible-applicants
- Good morning, I am Leslie-Ann Bolden with Jackson Health System and I am unable to open Addendum 1 for the Youth Development opportunity. My email is GrantOperations@jhsmiami.org. Thank you.
- Please try again or check your browser. The addendum appears to be opening. If you continue to have issues please send an email to the helpdesk@thechildrenstrust.org with a screenshot of the error.
- Can I return to MODIFY a section that I had previously Marked as Complete? I watched the video "Grants - Modifying Application, Basic navigation, Adding a User" and did not see any mention.
- Yes, you can modify the section if previously marked as completed. You will not be able to modify it once the application is submitted.
- Could you provide a list with the contact information of all the attendees for potential collaboration? Preferred information is name, agency, telephone number and email address.
- The updated networking form will be posted on our website on November 9, 2022.
- Good Afternoon, Is it permissible to submit two programmatically different proposals from our organization for the Youth Development Program? We reviewed the RFP and see a question about submitting two applications for the separate tracks but not two applications to the same track. Any insight will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Staycie Gabelus sgabelus@barry.edu
- Please clarify what you mean by tracks.
- 300-word answers per program/age group? Or total? For example, 300 words for elementary school and 300 words for high school? Or 300 combined for both age groups?
- It will depend on the application section. Some sections are specific to the question by age-group. There are other questions that the text box should be used to describe both within the word limits.
- Are we allowed to provide multiple camps in one location?
- Please clarify what you mean by multiple camps.
- If we choose to submit 2 applications, One SIY and one K-12 but later want to pull the SIY application, only applying for K-12 is that possible? are there any penalties for that?
- No, there are no penalties for only submitting the application for one of the application types.
- May we categorize - a child who completed grade 5 prior to the start of summer camp and has not yet started grade 6 - within the K-5 category?
- Yes.
- Is the Letter of Support from Miami-Dade County Public Schools required when a summer camp program is located at a Miami-Dade County Charter School site that is owned and operated by the charter school?
- Per the RFP, (page 12), programs operating within Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) locations must obtain a letter of support (LOS) using the process outlined in the RFP.
- Hello. We are a new non-profit organization. Might we still be eligible to apply for grants with Childrens Trust or do we need a certain number of years in service?
- The criteria for eligible applicants can be found here: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/eligible-applicants
- If an agency is considering an MDCPS location for their master's site, the MDCPS in question is currently running an afterschool program that is not funded by The Children's Trust. Can the agency use that MDCPS site as a master site to house their after-school program?
- Please clarify what you mean by master site.
- We are expecting "programs to be fully enrolled with high attendance rates". How are you defining high attendance? Are there consequences for not meeting "high attendance rates" or "full enrollment"?
- The expectation is that the programs maintain slots filled as funded throughout the timeframe they serve. Per the RFP (page 61), the Trust establishes regular program performance metrics. Data is reviewed periodically and used for continuous learning and quality improvement and for contracting renewal.
- If we were a fiscal agent for a government agency and have existing partnerships and now want to apply as a direct provider, would we be able to successfully secure a grant with TCT?
- All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to apply.
- Is there a way to confirm that Children's Trust has a copy of our 2021 Audited Financial Statements on file? If not, as a current provider, should we submit now or with the application?
- If you are a current provider and the most current Audited Financial Statements are not on file, the system will prompt you to upload the required documentation.
- Do I use one application to apply for different sites for two different programs one for middle school and one for K-5. Same organization, different sites and different programs? Or do we use two different applications?
- For the standard K-12 application, it is only one application where multiple sites can be included.
- Which selection do we make in the Pre-Application if we are going to have 3 different programs for youth- multi site MS 6-8 program, multi site program for HS 9-12, and a specialized youth development program for system-involved and/or disconnected youth
- If you are proposing the standard K-12 and System involved youth, you must select the option that states "Create two separate applications..".
- If we are proposing for two separate target populations (e.g. K-5 and High School), each section in page 9 to 10 would have a 300 word limit or is the 300 word limit to discuss both?
- It will depend on the section on pages 9-10. Some are specific to the question by age-group, such as past experience questions. There are other questions that the text box should be used to describe both within the word limits.
- My question is based on the statement made by Trust staff in the Bidder's Conference that more than the 30 ES children minimum requirement for group size per site should be in increments of 15 ES children. Can we then assume that for MS and HS youth over the minimum of 20 each enrolled per site, the additional number of youth served should be in increments of 10 MS and HS youth?
- Per the RFP, if the applicant wishes to propose more than the minimum group size at a site, the proposed numbers must be in increments based on the maximum child-to-staff ratios noted.
- I would like to add my name to the network input form - is it still possible?
- The Networking Form will be opened for additional entries following the Bidders' Conference and Application Training.
- RFP Youth Development required documents to submit with application
- Please clarify the question.
- The majority of the children we serve are blind or visually impaired. Currently we have a YAS/STAR contract funding summer camp for k-5th grade. And YEN contract for summer camps for 6-12th grades. Do we submit one RFP #2023-01 that covers both contracts/programs or do we submit two separate responses (one for the current YAS/STAR program and one for the current YEN program)?
- The current YAS and YEN (Youth Development K-5 and 6-12) funding cycle programs are contracted through July 2023. This RFP is for the new funding cycle for youth development. Youth Development RFP #2023-01 covers afterschool and summer programming for age ranges from kindergarten through 12th grade, including special populations.
- Can MS and HS have winter and spring break services?
- Yes. Winter and Spring Break services are considered Full Days and may be offered in addition to the required school year services.
- Please explain the difference between Professional Services and Subcontractor
- Both Professional Services and Subcontractors are considered Paid Partners. Professional services include the services of independent contractors, consultants, instructors and other professionals or entities engaged to provide distinct services to participants and/or provide program evaluation services. Subcontractor is defined as an independent agency or entity that has entered into an agreement with a Trust-funded provider to perform and oversee some components or subset of sites on behalf of that provider. It is required for subcontractors to have their own budget within the application
- Are there any required individual outcomes for MS and HS or only the group SEL PQA?
- In addition to the SEL PQA, required outcomes for MS and HS include Parent and Youth-report of program impact and satisfaction. Applicants can propose additional optional outcomes related to enrichment program areas and/or service population’s strengths and challenges.
- Is there a place or need to upload resumes of key staff?
- This RFP does not require uploads of resumes.
- What monitoring requirements are there for Subcontractors?
- Lead agencies and subcontractors are held to same contract metrics expectations.
- We have separate people working on the narrative and the budget. In the staffing section, is it possible for one person to enter the staffing narrative and "save" while later the budget person enters the salary and fringe? OR must each position be complete and saved before moving on?
- The position cannot be saved if the salary, fringe and narrative fields are not complete.
- Is the contract start date 8/1/23 or 8/15/23?
- The contract start date is 8/15/2023.
- When are DCF licenses required?
- DCF licenses are required for K-5 sites at the time of contract execution.
- We currently have YAS Funding, which funds After-School and Summer Camp programs. Is the Youth Development Grant taking over for that now or will there be another solicitation for YAS funding?
- The current YAS (Youth Development K-5) funding cycle programs are contracted through July 2023. This RFP is for the new funding cycle for youth development. Youth Development RFP #2023-01 covers afterschool and summer programming for age ranges from kindergarten through 12th grade, including special populations.
- I need to change the title of the application that I created. How can I do that?
- The title of the application cannot be changed. As indicated in the pre-application instructions: "The title of the application is used to identify the application in the system. This title will carry over to your full application and cannot be changed once the application is created. Enter with care."
- Is High school completion supports a requirement if we do not anticipate having students who are: significantly behind, at-risk for dropping out, or no longer in school (e.g., algebra tutoring, course recovery, GED prep) during the school year and summer?
- This is a required activity and should be included in your proposal. Once students are enrolled in your program and you assess that there are no students that are in need of this support, you may discuss modifying the activity with Trust staff.
- Are you required to provide High School Completion Supports, if you only serve high school students during the summer?
- Yes, High school completion supports are required for the summer and the school-year.
- Are we able to offer High School completion Support for the summer only?
- High school completion supports are required for the summer and the school-year.
- Should enrichment activities led by subcontractors be included in the Activities section?
- All enrichment activities should be included in the Activities section of the grant.
- For providers of Summer Only services to HS students, are providers required to measure the outcome of the support offered to participants in need?
- Applicants are allowed to propose additional outcomes other than the required outcome measures included in the RFP.
- When referring to 2-4 Enrichment Program Activities (i.e., arts & culture; enhanced health and wellness, sports, etc.), are we selecting two-four activities listed under the major heading (e.g., Sports - soccer, football, other team sports, swimming or Arts & Culture: is visual arts, music, dance, theater, etc.).
- You may select multiple activities from the major heading.
- Can a SIY program continue to serve a participant who was dependent when the program started but no longer has an open dependency case?
- Yes
- For summer programs, are students allowed to leave before the 6:00 end time and still count towards attendance? We predict that high school students may opt out of the late afternoon enrichment programs and want to ensure they still count towards our attendance goals
- The expectation for HS summer programs is 6-8 hours/day. Program design including frequency, duration and hours of operation should be in line with population needs. The expectation is participants attend the full duration of the program day.
- Enrichment activities selected are sport (soccer), music, stem and art. We have 4 components and the physical component comes 2 times a week. For the remaining 3 days of the week, can we include outside teacher-led games and sports or does the soccer program need to train our staff with the soccer curriculum to complete the remaining days with physical activities?
- The question is based on program design that will be reviewed with your application. Applicants must ensure that the program design is in line with the requirements set forth in the RFP around timeframe, frequency and duration.
- -Do we need to reserve 15% of our program positions for students with disabilities or does the final program roster have to reflect 15% students with disabilities? What happens if we do not have that many students who identify as "students with disabilities" apply? -Will the DLI curriculum be provided?
- The requirement is that 15 percent of available slots must be children with disabilities. Programs must strategize and make it part of their marketing, outreach, and requirement efforts to recruit children with disabilities. Per the RFP, program metrics related to including children with disabilities will consider the number and percentage of participants reporting living with a disability and the level of accommodations needs. Resources for DLI are available through Trust Academy.
- As an arts enrichment program, I read in one of your responses that enrichment partners count as part of the ratio: Can an enrichment program and the afterschool provider staff have a ratio of 1:25 during the time the enrichment program is being offered? Or does it still have to be a 1:15 ratio regardless of two staff in the room during that time?
- For ES, the ratio is a maximum of 1:15. A program staff must be present if the enrichment partner is a professional service individual.
- Do you need a DCF license for sports programming after 6 pm? It will be a K-12 site.
- Per the RFP, all sites that serve youth in K-5 require a DCF license.
- Our City has met with potential implementation partners and received proposals; however, our procurement ordinance would require a bid process and commission approval to enter into a MOU or even name a particular partner in our proposal. Can we discuss the organizations that we are considering and the qualifications of the ideal candidate? Will you accept copies of the proposal and an explanation?
- Per the RFP, all paid partners require a formal LOS or MOU. Additionally, “To support effective communication, continuous quality improvement, modeling of service delivery, and compliance with implementation requirements, Youth Development applicants that utilize subcontractor relationships to deliver services, must directly operate at least one site, with an appropriate proportion of directly delivered services expected. A lead agency cannot fully delegate the delivery of the program to subcontractor(s).”
- Our STEM activity meets all areas. Is there an option to select STEM and it be considered one activity?
- You may select “STEM-Other”.
- Hello, if we are only focusing on summer camps do we need to include Academic Success Support? If so, does a diction/foreign language class count towards this? Our singers learn French and Italian for their performances.
- Per the RFP, Academic supports is optional in the summer. Academic Success Supports activities are intended to support youth succeed academically.
- Is Enrichment program times such as SPARK (led by instructors), Art & Culture and Financial Literacy for ES counted towards the 75% programming time?
- Yes.
- Is Reading Explorers considered part of The Trust Academy and therefore should NOT be listed as an implementation partner?
- Correct.
- I am entering Implementation partners. I have a referral source partner but there is no way to link that partner to referrals. The only options are to select from the drop down of activities. Is there a way to write "other" and write in "referral source"?
- “Other” option is not available. Please select from one of the available activities.
- Sites who want meals/snacks during afterschool time can use FLIPANY instead of working directly with the Department of Health? In the Questions it says ONLY Dept of Health can be used.
- Correct.
- Iam a new applicant and need clarification on the Organizational Capacity for new applicants only. I currently run an after school program in my child care facility, I have funding from the ELC please clarify if I add the ELC School Readiness funding as my funding source since this is currently my only funding source other than private pay students. Also what documentation do I upload? is it only my ELC contract.
- You may add the ELC funding to the section and the contract for documentation.
- Are subcontracted enrichment programs required to attend Trust Academy training like afterschool providers?
- Yes.
- For tranportation services, is there any specific documents the trust requires from the bus company other than license and insurance?
- Requirements for transporting children include, a current inspection, valid Florida driver's license or Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), a valid vehicle registration. Insurance requirements can be found in the core contract (see resources).
- I am entering implementation partners. There is no option to select a partner's support who is a great referral source. The only options are selecting the related activities. The solicitation mentions referral sources are important. Is there a way to include our referral sources as partners?
- “Other” option is not available. Please select from one of the available activities.
- We are offering reading circles where students can choose books. Do we need to be concerned about banned books? If so, where would we find a list of those?
- The Children's Trust does not ban books.
- We are interested in applying for the Youth Development Grant. Our application says "pending". How can we know if there is anything missing?
- It will say “pending” until the application is submitted. All sections must be marked as completed.
- If our site is not DOH approved, is receiving snacks/meals from Flipany the only choice for providing snacks/meals, or can we purchase food on our own to feed our youth snacks/meals and get reimbursed by the trust if we include this in our budget?
- The Trust will not pay for meals/ snacks; they must be approved by DOH or use the Trust funded snack/dinner provider. Very few exceptions apply.
- Do all partners have to provide a letter of support. I have an organization that provides in-kind type of services, but they don't necessarily give our Letters of Support, for instance the NBA foundation. Am I able to list them as a partner? Or is it required that ALL partners have to provide a letter of support?
- A formal MOU or LOS is required for any paid partner.
- What are the requirements for feeding our youth our own snacks/dinner if we no longer want to use the Trust funded snack/dinner provider?
- The Trust will not pay for snacks; they must be approved by DOH or use the Trust funded snack/dinner provider. Very few exceptions apply.
- The RFP is calling for intentional, age appropriate design for high quality, engaging activities and structured planned programming for at least 75% of operational hours. Will TCT direct service staff time for planning be allowed in terms of the schedule, and reimbursable hours worked? If a program has 2.5 hours of planning time embedded within the staffing plan and schedule a week will that be allowed? Also,will planning time for our enrichment partners with our direct service staff be allowed?
- Yes. The duration of time may be discussed and negotiated during contracting.
- Can Enrichment Partners have groups of 1:25? Specifically the TCT ratio is 1:15 and 1:25 for outdoor instruction, ES. If the Enrichment is a sports enrichment can the ratio for the enrichment period allow for 1:25 children? Can an enrichment such as STEM be allowed for a group size of 20 children?
- For ES, the maximum ratio is always 1:15.
- We are excited for the attention to SEW in the new RFP. Will TCT cover costs associated with direct service staff time for teambuilding, SEW, staff wellness efforts, although this time will not be spent in providing direct services?
- SEW activities and training will be provided through the Trust’s Trust Academy partners. Any additional efforts will be reviewed and subject to approval during contracting negotiations.
- We are excited for the attention to SEW in the new RFP. Will TCT cover costs associated with direct service staff time for teambuilding, SEW, staff wellness efforts, although this time will not be spent in providing direct services?
- SEW activities and trainings will be provided through the Trust’s Trust Academy partners. Any additional efforts will be reviewed and subject to approval during contracting negotiations.
- Our program serves high school students and foster youth age 18-21. Do we have to have a minimum of 20 for the high school group and a separate minimum of 20 for the former foster youth group? Or could we have 20 that includes both? If we can include both, how do we reflect that in the form because it has them as two different categories.
- The combined groups of HS and FC will meet a minimum of 20 slots. The system will allow you to enter a number less than 20 for each group. You are able to enter 10 for each group.
- If proposing a program that will serve the general population (with inclusion of CWD) and another program that is specialized (only serving CWD with greater needs), should the activities for the specialized program be described separately (meaning one activity for general and one for specialized) or should both descriptions be part of one activity?
- If the enrichment activity for the specialized program is different it should be listed separately. For the required activities such as homework assistance, the description can be included for both populations.
- Can a subcontracted enrichment program (including student community engagement) have costs for an evening or Saturday community event covered? The funding needed is only for staff and transportation costs.
- Depending on the alignment with the program activity, this is possible.
- Can providers include lesson planning time for afterschool staff in addition to the time they are working with the afterschool students?
- Yes.
- For HS activities does academic support success have to be included in every meeting day?
- Per the RFP page 36, academic supports should be provided at least once per week in addition to homework support. HS also has a requirement for HS graduation completion supports.
- I understand that the activities must be entered by age group. Is there a preference to enter ES activities for all after school activities first and then all activities for summer OR enter each single activity for after school and summer before entering the next activity?
- It is strongly advised to enter proposed activities first by age group and within age group by timeframe.
- I understand that this is a 5-year plan. Do we submit a budget for 5 year plan or do we submit a yearly budget every year for 5 years?
- The budget should reflect the annual budget for the program. It is used for the 5-year funding cycle.
- The Lead Agency Budget Summary was populated with information from the Staffing Table. When we tried to validate it, the system did not give the option for a justification of the salaries. However, the budget manual specifically asks for Budget Justification "The frequency of payment for payroll (i.e. weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly etc.), employment status (i.e. FT/PT) must be included in the justification." Should we state the said justification in the Staffing table?
- The information for frequency of payroll is expected at time of contracting. Employment status is entered in the staffing table.
- When I attended the Youth Dev webinar in June, I filled out a list stating Common Threads would be interested in partnering on the Youth Development grant, and have since received some group emails from others sharing information about their services for possible partnership. We would love to send out an email to the group. Is there an email list that we can access for this?
- The Network form is available in the resources section.
- Family Engagement and SEW activities are several times a year. The "frequency unit" drop-down only allows weekly or monthly. How do you indicate another time frame?
- Select the total number throughout the year it occurs monthly and describe in the description.
- Our STEM component covers all 4 "subsections". In our Program Activities Entry do we select "STEM -Other" and describe the overlapping subsections?
- If your program design meets all activity areas, you can.
- Are subcontracted enrichment programs expected to provide a parent involvement component as an additional service from the work done with the children?
- Family engagement and connection is a requirement. The lead agency must ensure the requirement is met whether it is the subcontractor or the lead agency that provides the activity.
- When you select an Enrichment do you have to provide activities under that Enrichment category. For example if we select Arts and Culture-can we select a combination of disciplines instead of doing all 6 areas?
- Per the RFP, Programs must include 2-4 enrichment activities. The activities must be described by timeframe and age-group. Arts and Culture is the Area the activities fall under, you do not need to select each activity under a specific area.
- It is stated that summer programs have at least one off-site field trip during the program unless strong support exists for an on-site field trip. My question is whether visiting various sites at the University of Miami (Otto G. Richter library: Math, Modern Languages, and Digital Scholars’ Laboratories; Lowe Art Museum)would be acceptable as an on-site location in lieu of an off-site one. Would this be sufficient support for an on-site field trip or must we go off-site?
- The assessment of appropriate field trips is done through contracting based on factors such as program design and population.
- Hi, Can an organization apply to serve another organization who is currently being funded by the trust and will be applying separately this year? Thank you
- Please clarify the question.
- It is stated that summer programs have at least one off-site field trip unless strong support exists for an on-site field trip. My question is whether visiting various sites at the University of Miami (Otto G. Richter library: Math, Modern Languages, and Digital Scholars’ Laboratories; Lowe Art Museum; Herbert Wellness Center) would be acceptable as an on-site location in lieu of an off-site one. Would this be sufficient support for an on-site field trip or must we go off-site?
- The assessment of appropriate field trips is done through contracting based on factors such as program design and population.
- Because of limited space in our building, we want to offer a MS program at dismissal time to 5:30 and a HS program in the evening 6-8:30 Is that allowed?
- Per the RFP, HS: 2 or more days/week from dismissal for 2-3 hours. Later hours (beyond 6 p.m.) may be proposed for children and youth interested in evening programming.
- We serve K-5 with most of our students being K-2. My question is about this section of the RFP: Recruitment and enrollment: Recruitment of new participants must be ongoing throughout the school year and summer, since some natural attrition (i.e., program drop-outs) is common over time. Some successful programs recruit more than their contracted slots to account for this. DCF requirements are 15-1; can we have a "floating" assistant teacher to accommodate the 2-3 over?
- The K-5 ratio set by the Trust is 1:15 as a maximum number of students per teacher, applicants may propose a lower ratio.
- For the DLI requirement: If proposing a specialized program for CWD where most kids cannot be tested with the ORF or MAZE, how do we determine which subset of children receive DLI?
- The DLI is a required activity for K-5. At this time, you do not need to identify the number of youth. Alternate assessments may be negotiated with the Trust should your application be funded.
- We have 3 sites that all serve MS students. Each one will have Academic Success supports but it will look different at each site (in time and frequency and activity) How do I differentiate that when completing the program activity table? do I enter Acadmic Success supports 3 different times? How will you know which site we are talking about for each entry?
- The activity should be entered one per age-group. In the description you may detail the variations per site.
- Please confirm that the organizational chart that we need to upload is for the proposed afterschool and summer camp program for which we are seeking funding and not for the organization at large?
- Per the RFP on Page 49, “upload a current organizational chart for the proposed program to illustrate the proposed staffing plan.”
- Please clarify this statement from the RFP HS: 2 or more days/week from dismissal for 2-3 hours Later hours (beyond 6 p.m.) may be proposed for children and youth interested in evening programming. Therefore, will a HS program be permitted to be evening times only 6-8:30 pm, 2 days per week?
- Programs must begin services at dismissal from school and operate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- How detailed should the Sample Schedule be for the week of activities? does it just show the weekly outline of what is done each week or specific activities that could be taught within the schedule for that sample week?
- Per the RFP, page 41, the sample schedule should include a full week of activities and should reflect what is proposed in the activities table.
- Each site we are proposing, 3 sites, will have both a HS program and a MS program. Each program will look different, across site and age group. For the section that asks for Sample Schedule for the After-school Program Do we need a sample schedule for each proposed site and each proposed grade level at each site since they will each be different? Or just include one sample HS and one sample MS?
- Per the RFP, page 41, a sample schedule must be included by age-group and reflect what is being proposed in the activities table.
- if our site is proposing a HS program with 20 youth and a MS program with 20 youth. MS will meet 3 days (T, W, TH) and HS will meet 1 (M) day PLUS on Friday Evening we have a shared program for all the middle and all of the high school students. Some of the activities are done together and some are separated Middle and high school. Can the Friday night program count as an additional service day for each of the different programs? So MS would have 4 days and HS would have 2.
- The additional day must meet the requirements set forth in the RFP. Based on the scenario mentioned above, it is not clear if the HS population is required to attend Friday evenings, but for it to count as a service day, the HS population must attend the Friday sessions to meet the expectation of a minimum of two days per week. Regarding activities, the same activities can be done for HS and MS but must be entered separately for each age group.
- Our organization is applying for funding to run programming at MDCPS school sites during the school year and summer on our campus; Our organization has been approached by a community agency that is also applying for TCT funding (youth development) to request running their programs on our campus site during the school year and engage with our organization as "professional Services" for art and theater etc. Is this acceptable? Or is this a conflict since our organization is applying for funding?
- Based on the described, serving as a professional service if the agency provides such services does not appear to be a conflict. It is at the discretion of both agencies to enter into the appropriate agreements.
- Our current program services participants ages 15-22. If our new contract goes according to grade and not age, would we be able to accommodate students in middle school that are 15 or over? What if we have students that are in 9th grade but not yet 15 years of age? Please advise.
- If the youth is in a MS grade, they should be considered MS. If the youth is in a HS grade, they should considered HS.
- Can we charge a nominal fee for after school or summer services with a sliding fee scale or waived completely for families in need?. If so can you give any guidance about what is a reasonable amount?
- The Trust does not provide guidance for fee amounts. However, expects for services to be accessible to the children/youth that are in need of services and amounts should consider the families and be in alignment with funding request. All fees collected are expected to be a match for the program.
- If we apply to serve children in grades 3-5 and 6-8 at an MDCPS school site during the school year, do we also need to serve the same grade level of children during the summer?
- Per the RFP, you can propose different age-groups to serve for each time frame.
- If we apply to serve children in grades 3-5 and 6-8 at an MDCPS K-8 Center school site during the school year, does our organization need to have a DCF license?
- All ES K-5 sites require a DCF license for the school year.
- We are considering applying for MS afterschool slots (we are a CBO and have our own program sites, not in schools). Are we able to split the 20 slots and serve 10 MS students at each program site? This is based on parent feedback and expressed needs. Particularly for families/ households with students in elementary and middle school.
- Per the RFP, the minimum group size per site for MS is 20.
- Can an agency apply for two age groups in one application with different program enhancement areas? Thank you!
- Yes.
- Does a subcontracted enrichment program staff count as part of the ratios when serving a provider for just an hour of programming?
- Yes, a subcontracted enrichment program staff could count as part of the ratio during the duration of the activity they are providing.
- Question about the Activity Table entries : I have 4 sites that have identical programming. Each site delivers 3 dance classes/day broken down by ages 5/6 7/8 and 9-11. Each class is 60 minutes long. Do I indicate 180 minutes of class per day or should I do an activity entry for each age group? Do I need to repeat for each of the 4 sites?
- If frequency and duration are the same per activity, the activity can be entered one time for the age groups listed in the question (K-5).
- If our HS program offers career and vocation exploration and we offer students incentives- community service hours or paying them through our online token award system for "working" in our youth center with building maintenance, helping with elementary program, social media/marketing, etc does this have to be take place during program hours? or can we have our 2 HS hours program days/times and offer the students additional flexible hours to "work" at our site outside of the 2 scheduled days?
- For the General HS population, this RFP does not allow for workforce placement. Hours accrued during a work placement do not count toward programming time.
- We have been funded for a summer-only program for the past 5 years. However, we want to apply to keep the summer program but also add a school-year program as well. Will the added school year program jeopardize our application for renewal of the summer-only program?
- This RFP is for both school and summer YD programming. If you are currently funded for summer-only, this is the application for the next funding cycle if you wish to apply. You must make sure you select both time frames in the application to apply for both.
- If I have 4 sites that have identical programming, do I need to add each site per activity into the activity table? Also, if each site group is broken by age into 3 groups, do I need to have an entry for each age group? IE Dance is delivered for 60 minutes to each age group at 4 sites. That is 720 minutes a day!
- The activity does not have to be entered multiple times for the same age group if the programming is the same. Please clarify what you mean by age group; ES, MS, HS.
- If a site serves youth in grades 6-12, do they need to have a minimum of 20 middle and 20 high school youth? Can there be 40 total for the site regardless of grade (6-12)?
- Per the RFP, each site must meet the minimum group size by age group.
- For a SIY program, what are the requirements for programming? are they expected to follow HS requirements - enroll 20 students (fill 20 slots) all year at one site, meeting 2 days per week? do they have to choose 2-4 enrichment areas and academic success?
- Per the RFP page 12, programs serving children and youth with disabilities or system-involved youth may propose lower child-to-staff ratios and group sizes, based upon the specific needs of the population to be served. SIY operation and program participation expectations are the HS requirements.
- Do afterschool programs serving only high school youth have to include high school completion supports, or is this just one area of enrichment that can be chosen within the academic/basic health and wellness supports?
- High school completion supports is a required activity for HS.
- For SIY program, could they have 2 sites (one north, one south) and fill 20 slots but only meet once per week at each site?
- For SIY, the requirement is meeting a minimum of 2 days per week.
- We operate a workforce development program for high school-aged youth in an emergency shelter setting that also serves young adults (male) ages 18-23 that reside in our young adult dorm. Are we allowed to include the young adult population (up to age 23) in our program?
- For the system involved youth population, participants though age 21 may be served. Please see page 7 of the RFP for specific details of youth transitioning from the foster care system.
- We operate a 120-hour workforce development (soft and hard job skills training) program for high school students residing in an emergency shelter. The program takes place in the shelter setting and pays minimum wage with bonuses/incentives for accomplishing specific goals. Are we allowed to request reimbursement for the wage/incentives as a Trust-funded expense?
- For the system involved youth population, incentives are allowable and detailed in page 8 of the RFP. However, wages are not allowable.
- Is the 50/50 split of "instructional & thinking" / "experiential & doing" only for Enrichment Activities OR also for the required Academic Success Support and Basic Health and Wellness too?
- We encourage varied approaches to learning for all activities, but the 50/50 split is for the enrichment activities.
- As per the Youth Development RFP, the “expected duration for a youth participant in high school is 9 weeks or more (at least one school year grading period.)” With that said, we would like to serve 100 high school youth, broken up into three different cohorts for a period of 12 weeks each throughout the school year. This will be in compliance with the program running for 36 weeks, and each participant’s expected duration will be in excess of the 9 weeks required in the RFP. Please confirm.
- Per the RFP, sites must be in operation for 36 weeks for the HS population and HS expected duration for Child/Youth Participation is 9 weeks or more. If you propose 100 youth/slots, you must serve 100 at all times.
- Is Language Arts considered an enrichment activity? Being that we are essentially teaching the majority of our participants English due to ESOL or poor English skills.
- No, the described would fall under academic supports.
- Are snacks and meals counted in the 75% of planned programming time?
- No, snacks and meals do not count for planned programming time.
- If operating a summer program for children residing in an emergency shelter and we operate two shelters, can we serve 30 K-5 children total or must it be 30 per shelter?
- The minimum number of children per site in K-5 is 30.
- If we were to conduct our high school program in cohorts, how would we report slots and operating weeks when filling out the Youth Development application? For example, 100 participants spread across three 12-week cohorts.
- Through this RFP the Trust is funding slots, if your agency proposes to serve 100 slots, the expectation is that 100 slots are filled for 36 weeks.
- For high school programming, would student internships or paid work experience be considered a component of the program?
- Job placement is an activity for system-involved youth only.
- If we are applying for multiple programs, can we budget for a full-time staff to oversee the coordination of all the programs?
- Yes.
- For high school participants, can we incorporate job placement as an activity?
- Job placement is an activity for system-involved youth only.
- For high school students, if we choose support for post-secondary success in two categories: (1) career / vocational exploration and (2) job training; is this considered 2 enrichment activities or only one?
- Per the RFP, this is considered two enrichment activities.
- Stipends for goal attainment? What can we use them for? Maximum amount? Can they be provided with a stipend if a participant reaches Job Knowledge and Financial Literacy, which will be measured with a pre and post test.
- Per the budget manual, stipends are allowable in instances in which the payment of a stipend is customary and noted as an evidenced based best practice for the program and pre-approved by The Trust. The rationale for providing a stipend must be described in the justification. A stipend may not be paid to a participant of the program if the purpose of the program is to enable/ aid the participant to enter the workforce. If applying for System-involved youth, please refer to page 8 of the RFP.
- Is Chess considered an enrichment activity?
- Applicants are encouraged to propose activities with a clear description on each proposed activity in detail, including how both thinking/instructional methods and doing/experiential methods will be incorporated.
- Is Karate considered an enrichment activity unto itself?
- Applicants are encouraged to propose activities with a clear description on each proposed activity in detail, including how both thinking/instructional methods and doing/experiential methods will be incorporated.
- If we were to choose a fitness component (sports, SPARKS, etc.), are we required to add a performance outcome for this activity, such as PACER?
- Applicants are not required to add additional outcomes. Per the RFP, "Although there is not a specific required outcome for sports, applicants are encouraged to consider proposing an optional outcome using a measure of fitness competencies and skills related to the sport."
- If we were to incorporate job placement as an activity, and a participant gets directly placed in a job where his/her hours coincide with the hours of our after-school program, can we still mark those students as present, being that they are involved in an activity directly related to the program? Or will The Trust count that against our utilization rate?
- Youth must attend your program's funded site to be counted in attendance.
- If we are to incorporate a job placement component, where the job referral occurs in the last couple of weeks of a cohort, will the Trust count against the utilization rate if a student is not attending our program because they are working.
- Youth must attend your program's funded site to be counted in attendance.
- For general population high school students, can we use program incentives for meeting key program milestones?
- Please refer to the budget manual for guidance on incentives.
- Is there a homework requirement for 4 or 5 days a week in the RFP? Current Youth Development requirement is only 4 days per week.
- Yes, there are Homework and Academic support requirements. Please refer to page 36 of the RFP for requirements.
- Is there a required time for DLI each week in this RFP? Current requirements are 3 x week for 30 minutes in school year and 4 x week during summer.
- Yes, there are requirements for DLI. Refer to page 36 in the RFP for the DLI requirements.
- Can you please let us know in which enrichment area cooking workshops would fall under?
- Cooking workshops can fall under multiple areas depending on the activity proposed. Please select the area you consider would best fit your proposed activity.
- Are the group size and program participation requirements the same as high school for system-involved applicants?
- Per the RFP, (page 12), programs serving children and youth with disabilities or system-involved youth may propose lower child-to-staff ratios and group sizes, based upon the specific needs of the population to be served.
- Can we provide placement assistance and job coaching for general high school population, and count as an activity each time staff meets with the student to provide on-going support.
- Per the RFP (page 35), job placement is an activity for system-involved youth only. For the general HS population, job coaching is a supplement to job training.
- As per the parent focus group reported (page 28), for high school students internships or paid work, can this be a component of the general high school population activity?
- Please clarify the question.
- For general population high school students, can we incorporate job placement as an activity?
- Per the RFP (page 35), job placement is an activity for system-involved youth only.
- Other than DLI for elementary, do we need to include academic success support in the summer time for any age group?
- Yes, HS school completion supports is a requirement for HS in the summer.
- 1)Please clarify numbers of slots per site for programs primarily serving CWD. The Bidders conference clearly stated 30 for ES and 20 for MS and HS however the solicitation on pg 12 states lower group sizes according to population needs are allowed. The Site section of the application also allows lower numbers. 2) Related to this, can MS and HS CWD be combined at one site to meet the minimum number of 20?
- According to the RFP, smaller group sizes may be proposed for programs serving high percentages of children with disabilities. Slots and group sizes should be justified and proposed based on each age group.
- Does 6-8 grade groups have a DCF licensing requirement?
- At this time, the DCF license requirement is for the K-5 school-year.
- Is offering a transportation option to and from summer camp a requirement?
- Offering transportation to and from summer camp is not a requirement in this RFP.
- Are HS completion supports required in Summer or only in after school school year services?
- Per the RFP, "For high school aged ONLY: High school completion supports should be offered for any students significantly behind, at-risk for dropping out, or no longer in school (e.g., algebra tutoring, course recovery, GED prep) during the school year and summer."
- If we have 2 sites with a HS 9-12 program - can they look differently at each site, having different special enrichment activities, days and hours?
- Yes.
- We have 3 sites. Can 2 of the sites have a MS and a HS program and one site have MS only?
- Yes.
- For high school students, if we choose support for post-secondary success both career and vocation exploration and job training, is this considered 2 enrichment activities or only one?
- Per the RFP, this considered two enrichment activities.
- If we are able to count job placement as activity, then can we record days when student is working as attendance for program?
- Youth must be in attendance at your program's funded site in order to be counted in attendance.
- Is it possible to do more than 4 enrichment activities? We will serve the majority of CWD and so exposure to a lot of activities is ideal. You mentioned in the Bidder's conference that 3 activities in one area counts as 3 enrichments. This puts our planned enrichments up to 6 or 7. Can we do that?
- This RFP requires 2-4 enrichment activities in addition to the required activities by age-group.
- Most Middle Schools in Dade County are released at 3:50, The RFP Proposes that Middle School programming ends no later than 5:00pm. Is it possible to have Saturday programming for 6 hours to facilitate the requirement?
- MS program operation hours should be from dismissal for 2-3 hours. The RFP will be updated to reflect this clarification. Please note, 6-8 hours/day is the expectation for MS summer programming or full days.
- In order to facilitate the Trust's request for unique experiences and opportunities, is it possible for programming to allow an overnight stay component and outside county travel opportunities that provide high-quality enrichment?
- As per the Budget Manual, field trips outside of the tri-county area (Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe Counties) require pre-approval by The Children’s Trust during contracting.
- Please confirm that offering multiple art forms such as theater, music, dance, visual arts, and caporiera indeed meets the required criteria of offering 2-4 enrichment program areas. It is very confusing in the RFP. There seem to be enrichment categories and it is not clear if you need to offer activities from 2-4 categories (e.g. Arts & Culture and STEM for example) or if you can offer multiple activities from one category (visual arts and martial arts for example). Please clarify.
- Per the RFP, programs must include two to four enrichment activities, from within the five enrichment areas. Multiple activities from one enrichment area will meet the requirements. The RFP will be updated to reflect this clarification.
- For high school programming that is to be conducted in cohorts, how do we report slots and operating weeks: Example we want to provide program for 12 weeks in 3 cohorts at 2 different schools. This would yield 120 students being provided with programming but only 20 slots per school per cohort.
- Through this RFP, the Trust is funding slots, not students. In this scenario, you would enter 20 slots for 36 weeks per site.
- If we propose a certain number of Elementary, middle and high school students, based on past records is there any flexibility in numbers if we serve a couple more or less in certain agegroups as long as the total number stays the same? Or must we serve exactly the breakdown of ages as proposed.?
- Applicants must propose group sizes per age-group as required per the RFP.
- 1) If we choose to do a Fitness component (i.e. Sports or Sparks), do we have to add a performance outcome for this activity, such as PACER?
- Applicants are not required to add additional outcomes. Per the RFP, " Although there is not a specific required outcome for sports, applicants are encouraged to consider proposing an optional outcome using a measure of fitness competencies and skills related to the sport. One such general measure worthy of consideration is the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER)".
- Can one organization provide two separate programs at one site. One program is exclusively for kids with special needs (i.e. Autism and ADHD) and the other program is for typical youth, which will include children with disabilities (i.e. learning disorders, etc).
- The Trust would not consider different programming at the same site to be two separate programs. Rather, this would be viewed as a program with various elements that may use different approaches to grouping kids by needs and interests to offer various activities to differentiate experiences and meet all participants’ needs.
- Can we provide 5-day programming for MS and HS youth in both SY and SM if this is what the parents and youth want? The info in the RFP about 3- and 4-day programming and only being able to exceed the expected participation days per week by no more than one day per week is confusing.
- Programs can propose to provide 5 days of programming for MS and HS in SM and SY.
- What defines a child with a disability?
- Please refer to the Child with Disabilities resources posted in the Resource section for definitions and conditions.
- Can we include literacy as an activity for elementary students?
- Differentiated Literacy Instruction is a requirement for K-5 programs for children who are behind in reading during the school year and summer. Additionally, as per the RFP, within the instructional methods approach at least one approach must incorporate the application of reading, writing, listening and/or speaking skills, using creative approaches to infuse literacy into engaging activities of interest.
- Please explain "homework and academic supports that must go beyond simply supervising independent work"
- Evidence-based strategies that provide targeted and intentional instructional homework support for children and youth are included within the RFP. The activity is not intended for participants to engage in quiet homework time without staff offering strategies and supports.
- Is the MS and HS number of weeks calculated on calendar weeks (38 during the school year) or just 180 days divided by 5 which = 36?
- It is the 180 days or 36 weeks; full days are not counted.
- Can two separate organizations provide services at the same site? Each organization will be applying for their own funding.
- The Trust does not expect to fund multiple organizations providing similar Youth Development programming including the same age-groups and time frames at the same site, however, depending on multiple circumstances such as site size and family’s needs, multiple organizations at the same site may be considered.