REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 1. INTRODUCTION This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) will take procurement action in this matter. Further, CNIC will not be responsible for any cost incurred in furnishing this information. This RFI is being used to gather market research for CNIC to make decisions regarding child care in both military and private sector operated child care programs. Navy Children Youth Programs is seeking expressions of interest and a statement of capabilities from any public or private organization that is interested in securing child care services and is capable of providing child care infrastructure capacity. 2. BACKGROUND The Navy Child & Youth Program (CYP) supports military and Department of Defense (DoD) families worldwide as they protect and serve our country. We do this by providing high quality, innovative, accessible, and affordable child care that supports school readiness, and recreational programs for military and children and youth world-wide. A leader in child care reform, Navy CYP has aggressively responded to the requirements of the 1989 Military Child Care Act (MCCA) by raising the bar for quality expectations, increasing performance and outcomes criteria, and investing in critical resources including personnel, professional development, facilities, and technology. Today, Navy CYP is known and well-respected for the tremendous impact it has had on the entire early childhood and youth services landscape—not just for military child care and the families it serves, but also for children and families who participate in non-military operated programs. The MCCA was a pivotal moment for military child care. Congress passed the MCCA in response to great concern over the lack of quality and accessibility of child care for military families. The MCCA became the catalyst for a complete transformation of military child care, and focused on improving the quality, affordability, and accessibility of military child care by: • Requiring the development and implementation of comprehensive standards; • Establishing national accreditation requirements; • Enforcing licensing mandates through a rigorous inspection and annual certification process; • Creating an effective and efficient child care subsidy system to reduce the financial burden on military families, and implementing a sliding fee scale based on family income; • Improving wages for staff; • Strengthening training and professional development, including providing designated Training Specialists to support training and curriculum development; • Developing an effective inspection system, including unannounced inspection visits and closure for noncompliance. Today, Navy CYP operates over 50,000 child care spaces world-wide through 237 Navy owned Child Development facilities, Navy certified Family Child Care Homes, and through subsidized commercial child care facilities throughout the United States that meet MCCA requirements. We manage our requests for care and waiting list through MilitaryChildCare.com that provides eligible families with all locations that are part of the DoD network of military child care including real-time anticipated wait times for care. Within Kitsap County, there has historically been lack of available, affordable, quality child care spaces in both military and private sector operated child care programs. 3. NAVY COMMUNITY BASED CHILDCARE PROGRAM (CBC) Navy CYP seeks to partner with private sector organizations in order to increase capacity and quality of child care within Kitsap County. The Navy is in the position to provide child care services including staff and supplies and would like to explore opportunities where this service could be provided to children sponsored by the proposing organizations as well as the military and DOD civilian community. This effort is called Community Based Childcare (CBC). Proposing entities will be responsible for fixed assets, building supplies, playground equipment and other operational and physical requirements. The benefitting population of children who will receive child care services under the CBC will be both military and DoD civilian children and children deemed eligible by the private sector participating entity. The Navy proposes to provide child care services meeting operating requirements described in “Informational Resources” section below that include the following features: a) All providers coming into direct contact with children are subject to thorough background checks; b) Daily childcare and development services by trained and certified early childhood professionals; c) Service Hours: Monday – Friday 0600-1800; d) Established early childhood curriculum; e) Annual program inspections by Navy Early Childhood Specialists; f) Meet early childhood learning standards, via National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); g) Provide a comprehensive inclusion program to support children with special needs; h) Developmentally appropriate classrooms furniture and supplies, including consumables; i) Established parent fees based on total family income; j) Food service program that meets USDA standards. In order to be considered for participation in the CBC Program, interested organizations must provide a space that meets or exceed the following criteria: a) Meet all federal, state and DOD criteria for providing childcare; b) CBC must meet Unified Facilities Criteria for Military Child Development Centers (F or details see 4 (b) below); c) All child care spaces must be within Kitsap County; d) A minimum of 100 dedicated spaces available for Military/DOD civilian children ages 0-5; e) Entities will be required to provide proof of adequate liability insurance. 4. INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES a) Military Child Care Act - https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net b) DoD Unified Facilities Criteria for “Military Child Development Centers” - https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net c) DoDINST 6060.2 “Military Child Development Programs” - https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net d) DoDINST 1402.5 “Background Checks for Individuals Working with Children” - https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net 5. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Contract term length is negotiable. 6. TYPE OF CONTRACT The Navy intends to utilize firm fixed-price contract type and reserves the right to make multiple awards in order to meet its child care needs. 7. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on March 21, 2018 in Kitsap County. Interested parties should RSVP via email to Gary Hammonds at
[email protected] & Michelle Estabrook at
[email protected] no later than March 14, 2018. Interested parties will then be provided with the specific location and time of the Pre-Proposal Conference. 8. QUESTIONS Questions regarding this announcement must be submitted in writing by email to
[email protected] &
[email protected]. 9. RESPONSES Responses to this RFI should not exceed twenty (20) pages and must contain the following information contact information: Name of the primary point of contact for the response Business title Email Address Phone Number. Responses to this RFI must be submitted no later than 4:30 P.M. EST, on April 20, 2018.