Contracting for Child & Family Services: A Mission-Sensitive Guide.

This report presents a guide to successful contracting of child and family social services during a new era in child welfare. The six chapters focus on: (1) "Privatization, Purchase of Service, Managed Care, and the Child Welfare Reform Agenda" (the continuing crisis, reforming the local child welfare delivery system, and the federal framework); (2) "Privatization, Purchase of Service, and Managed Care" (privatization, purchase-of-service contracting, managed care, and networks); (3) "Getting Started: Public Authorities and the First Decisions" (e.g., what the goals are, whether more privatization is needed, purchase of service versus managed care, whether service networks are to be part of the design, and prospects for staffing); (4) "From RFP to Contract: The Contracting Agency" (e.g., clarifying the delivery system to be created, testing the delivery system, drafting the request for proposal, and covering a portion of the Department's responsibilities); (5) "Shaping the Agreement" (rating the proposals, risk and risk sharing, outcome and performance contracting, and tough and supportive contracting); and (6) "Responding to RFPs: The Service Provider" (determining whether this should be done, weighing an independent proposal versus a consortium, and urgent considerations such as capital requirements, staffing, administrative capacity, technical qualifications, and financial risk). (SM)