RFP 1179 Empire State Child Care Share Pilot Program

Applicant Webinar: The Applicant Webinar recording is available at this link:  https://youtu.be/ivuPT0H1E18 and the slides are available in the documents section of this ad. Please refer to RFP Section 1.3 Applicant Webinar for additional information.

Many working families in NYS struggle to secure affordable and high-quality child care. A lack of access to affordable and high-quality child care results in some New Yorkers leaving the workforce to care for their families, and this disproportionately affects women. In response, NYS is piloting the Empire State Child Care Share (ESCCS) Pilot Program, which will support eligible working families, in accordance with OCFS guidelines, by sharing the cost of child care three ways amongst eligible families, employers, and the State. The goals for the ESCCS Program are to:

• help eligible families that make between 85% and 100% of the State Median Income (SMI) access safe, affordable, and high-quality child care that meets their needs and enables them to remain in or enter the workforce; 24-OCFS-INF-05.pdf
• empower employers with an innovative and effective recruitment and retention tool that supports their employees and their families; and
• support licensed/registered child care providers by diversifying funding sources and creating strategic business partnerships.

OCFS has released this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit competitive applications for up to three not-for-profit organizations to serve as the administrative partners/project managers, also known as “Facilitator Hubs”, of the ESCCS Pilot Program. The “Facilitator Hubs” will provide administration for the ESCCS Pilot Program including, but not limited to:

• recruiting and partnering with employers;
• assisting eligible families with finding available child care options; and
• partnering with child care providers.

The ESCCS Pilot Program will be led across the state using Attachment 5, NYS OCFS District and Counties Regional Maps to designate three Facilitator Hubs. The ESCCS Pilot Program aims to support the child care needs of working families in New York States’s rural, suburban, and urban communities.  Three not-for profit organizations will be selected to serve as regional Facilitator Hubs. Regional implementation provides Facilitator Hubs greater abilities to inform, recruit, and enroll eligible families and partner with employers and child care providers. Applicants will respond to this RFP indicating how they will serve communities in the counties of the Facilitator Hub region(s) they are applying for as follows:

*Only one (1) award will be given per Hub.

Eligible respondents for this RFP must be not-for-profit organizations that have at least three years of experience providing technical assistance and support to child care providers and have at least three years of experience working collaboratively with child care providers on a county, regional, or statewide basis. Eligible respondents must attest to having at least one year of existing relationships with employers and businesses on a county, regional, or statewide basis Applicants must refer to RFP Section 3.1 Minimum Qualifications for all required eligibility criteria.

Please see the RFP document located on the "Documents" tab for additional information and submission requirements.