REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 

Child Care Management System (CCMS) Software 

Statewide Family Child Care Network (FCCN) — Grant Year 2 

Issued by: Civitas Strategies 

TWC Grant No. 2925CCQ003 

Contract Period: July 31, 2026 – June 30, 2027 

RFP Issued: June 10, 2026

Proposal Deadline: July 10, 2026

Download a copy of the RFP here

FEDERAL FUNDING DISCLOSURE (Stevens Amendment)

This project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $4,744,762.00 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

1. Introduction and Purpose 

Civitas Strategies is the grantee operating the Statewide Texas Family Child Care Network (Texas FCCN) under a grant award from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Grant No. 2925CCQ003. The Texas FCCN provides specialized services and technical assistance to Family Child Care (FCC) Providers across the state of Texas. 

As part of this program, Civitas Strategies is required to procure and offer Child Care Management System (CCMS) software subscriptions to Permitted FCC Providers who are active members of the Texas FCCN. Civitas Strategies is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify and competitively select up to three qualified CCMS vendors to provide software subscriptions during Grant Year 2. The combined value of all awards will not exceed $300,000. 

This procurement is conducted in accordance with the TWC Financial Manual for Grants and Contracts Supplement on Procurement. 

2. Background 

The Texas FCCN is a statewide network designed to increase the availability and quality of Family Child Care Providers in Texas, with a particular focus on providers operating in Child Care Deserts, caring for infants and toddlers, and offering Non-Traditional Hour Care. The Texas FCCN serves FCC Providers who are licensed or registered with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). 

CCMS software helps child care programs manage administrative tasks such as enrollment, billing, record-keeping, and attendance tracking, while assisting providers with delivering services to families and meeting child care minimum standards. During Grant Year 2, Civitas Strategies intends to offer CCMS subscriptions at no cost to eligible FCC Providers to help them reduce administrative burden and strengthen business operations. 

3. Scope of Services 

3.1 Overview 

Civitas Strategies seeks proposals from CCMS vendors to provide software subscriptions to up to 500 Permitted FCC Providers across Texas. The selected vendor(s) will provide software access, training, and ongoing support for the duration of the contract period. 

3.2 Required Features 

All proposed CCMS platforms must include, at minimum, the following features: 

• Enrollment and family management — ability to enroll children and manage family records 

• Billing and invoicing — automated invoicing, payment tracking, and financial reporting 

• Attendance tracking — daily check-in/check-out recording and reporting 

• Record-keeping — storage and management of child and program records 

• Family communication — messaging or communication tools for provider-family interaction 

• Reporting — ability to generate administrative and operational reports 

• Mobile-friendly platform — accessible via smartphone or tablet 

3.3 Strongly Preferred Features 

The following features are not required but will be evaluated favorably in scoring: 

• English and Spanish language support 

• Integration with other tools commonly used by FCC Providers 

• Support for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) billing workflows 

• Texas Rising Star quality rating documentation support 

3.4 Training Requirements 

The vendor must provide: 

• Live onboarding training sessions for new subscribers (available in group and/or individual formats) 

• On-demand training resources (videos, help articles, webinars) available at any time 

• Technical assistance and troubleshooting support accessible via phone, email, or live chat during business hours 

3.5 Data and Reporting 

The vendor must be willing to provide Civitas Strategies with program-level usage data to support grant reporting requirements. This includes, at a minimum, aggregate data on the number of active subscribers, feature utilization, and login activity. Provision of custom dashboards for Civitas Strategies program staff is required, as committed in the Civitas Strategies Statement of Work with TWC. 

3.6 Subscription Structure 

Civitas Strategies will pay for subscriptions on behalf of eligible FCC Providers. Vendors must propose a per-subscription monthly rate. The target rate is at or below $50 per provider per month. Proposals exceeding $50/month per subscription must provide a detailed justification of the added value. The total contract value for Year 2 will not exceed $300,000. 

Subscriptions will be offered to Permitted FCC Providers who are active FCCN members and who complete an application process demonstrating readiness to use the system. Civitas Strategies will manage provider eligibility and selection; the vendor will be responsible for activating and supporting subscriptions as directed by Civitas Strategies. 

4. Contract Period and Budget 

• Contract Period: July 31, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (13 months) 

• Maximum Number of Subscriptions: Up to 500 

• Maximum Total Contract Value: $300,000 

• Target Price: At or below $50 per subscription per month 

Civitas Strategies reserves the right to award to up to three vendors to provide FCC Providers with a choice of CCMS platform, provided the combined contract value does not exceed $300,000. 

5. Vendor Eligibility 

To be eligible for award under this RFP, a vendor must: 

1. Offer a software platform designed for use by child care programs, including family child care homes 

2. Include all required features listed in Section 3.2 at the proposed subscription price 

3. Have a track record of serving child care providers  

4. Be able to provide subscriptions to individual FCC Providers at the direction of Civitas Strategies 

5. Not be debarred, suspended, or excluded from participation in federally funded or state-funded contracts (vendors will be verified against the SAM.gov Exclusions List and the Texas Comptroller Debarred Vendor List) 

Vendors that do not meet all eligibility requirements will be deemed non-responsive and will not be evaluated. 

6. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee of three (3) Civitas Strategies staff members. Each evaluator will independently score all responsive proposals using the criteria below. Scores will be averaged across evaluators. The contract will be awarded to the vendor(s) offering the best value based on average score. 

Note: Evaluation criteria and weights are fixed and will not be changed after this RFP is posted. No criterion may be added or modified after this RFP is posted.

7. Proposal Submission Requirements 

Proposals must be submitted by email to brooklyn@civstrat.com by the deadline stated in Section 9, Schedule of Events. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. 

7.1 Required Proposal Contents 

Each proposal must include all of the following: 

6. Cover page — vendor name, primary contact name, title, phone number, and email address 

7. Company overview — brief description of the organization, years in operation, and experience serving child care providers 

8. Feature description — detailed description of all required features (Section 3.2) and any preferred features (Section 3.3) included in the proposed platform 

9. Pricing proposal — proposed per-subscription monthly rate, proposed total cost for up to 500 subscriptions over 11 months, and any tiered pricing options 

10. Training and support plan — description of onboarding training, on-demand resources, and customer support channels offered 

11. Data and reporting capabilities — description of available program-level reporting and data dashboard options 

12. Spanish language support — description of any Spanish-language features or support currently available 

13. Completed and signed Attachment A (Vendor Certification Form) — certifying that all information in the proposal is accurate, that the vendor is not debarred from participation in federally funded contracts (SAM.gov), and that the vendor is not listed on the Texas Comptroller Debarred Vendor List 

7.2 Submission Format 

• Proposals must be submitted in PDF format 

• Subject line: “CCMS RFP Proposal for Texas FCCN — [Vendor Name]” 

• Submit to: brooklyn@civstrat.com

• All questions must be submitted in writing to the same address by the question deadline in Section 9 

Civitas Strategies will respond to all vendor questions in writing and distribute answers to all vendors who have submitted questions or expressed interest. Oral inquiries will not be recognized.  

8. Award and Contract 

Following evaluation, Civitas Strategies will notify all vendors of the award decision. Civitas Strategies reserves the right to award to up to three vendors, to reject any or all proposals, or to cancel this RFP at any time prior to contract execution. Award will be made only to a responsible offeror — one that has adequate financial resources, a satisfactory record of performance, and the ability to fulfill the requirements of this RFP. Civitas Strategies will conduct a price reasonableness review of all proposals prior to award to ensure that the proposed cost is fair and reasonable in relation to the scope of services offered. 

The selected vendor(s) will enter into a written contract with Civitas Strategies that includes, at minimum: 

• Scope of services and subscription structure 

• Contract period (July 31, 2026 – June 30, 2027) 

• Maximum contract value 

• Data sharing and reporting obligations 

• Termination provisions 

• Federal contract clauses required under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and applicable TWC grant requirements 

The award is subject to final approval by Civitas Strategies leadership and compliance with all applicable TWC grant requirements. 

Civitas Strategies reserves the right to modify these dates. Any changes will be communicated to all vendors who have submitted questions or proposals.

10. Contact Information 

All questions and proposals must be directed in writing to: 

Brooklyn Pratt

Civitas Strategies 

Email: brooklyn@civstrat.com

Subject line for questions: “CCMS RFP Question — [Vendor Name]” 

Subject line for proposals: “CCMS RFP Proposal for Texas FCCN — [Vendor Name]” 

Communication with any Civitas Strategies staff other than the contact listed above regarding this RFP is not permitted during the solicitation period. 

11. General Provisions 

This RFP does not commit Civitas Strategies to award a contract. Civitas Strategies reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee selection or award. 

This procurement is subject to the requirements of the TWC Financial Manual for Grants and Contracts Supplement on Procurement, the Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R. Part 200), and applicable federal and state regulations governing the use of Child Care and Development Block Grant funds. 

All proposals and procurement records will be retained in accordance with applicable records retention requirements. 

Vendors selected for award must not be debarred, suspended, or excluded from participation in federal or state programs. Civitas Strategies will verify all prospective awardees against the SAM.gov Exclusions List and the Texas Comptroller Debarred Vendor List prior to contract execution. A record of both checks will be retained in the procurement file. Any vendor that believes the procurement process or award decision was conducted improperly may submit a written protest to brooklyn@civstrat.com within five (5) business days of the award notification. The protest must describe the specific grounds for the challenge and the relief requested. Civitas Strategies will review and respond to all timely protests in writing and is solely responsible for resolving protests and disputes arising from this procurement. 

Attachment A — Vendor Certification Form 

CCMS RFP — Grant Year 2  |  TWC Grant No. 2925CCQ003 

This form must be completed, signed by an authorized representative, and submitted as part of your proposal. Proposals submitted without a signed certification will be deemed non-responsive.  

Vendor Information 

Vendor / Company Name: _______________________________________________________________ 

Authorized Representative Name: _______________________________________________________ 

Title: _______________________________________________________________________________ 

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ 

Phone: ______________________________     Email: ______________________________________ 

Certifications 

By signing below, the authorized representative certifies, on behalf of the vendor, that: 

1.  All information contained in this proposal is accurate, complete, and not misleading; 

2.  The vendor is not currently debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from participation in federally funded contracts or programs, as listed on the SAM.gov Exclusions List (sam.gov); 

3.  The vendor is not listed on the Texas Comptroller Debarred Vendor List (comptroller.texas.gov); 

4.  The vendor has no actual or apparent conflict of interest with Civitas Strategies, the Texas FCCN program, or any member of the Civitas Strategies evaluation committee; 

5.  The vendor has not offered, given, or agreed to give any Civitas Strategies employee or representative any gift, payment, or other inducement in connection with this procurement; 

6.  Submission of this proposal does not guarantee selection or award; and 

7.  If selected, the vendor agrees to enter into a written contract with Civitas Strategies and to comply with all applicable requirements of the TWC grant award, the Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R. Part 200), and applicable federal and state regulations. 

Signature 

Signature: _________________________________________     Date: ______________________ 

Printed Name: _____________________________________     Title: ______________________ 

Submit this form with your proposal to: brooklyn@civstrat.com