Request for Services
Pre-submission inquiries were due Friday, May 5. Potential respondents interested in receiving a copy of the resulting Q/A should email Chelsey Hurt, Learning and Evaluation Officer, at Chelsey.hurt@bcbsncfoundation.org
Summary
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation requests the services of a consultant to conduct an evaluation of our home-based child care (HBCC) grantmaking to better understand how we can strengthen the early care system for HBCC providers and identify the supports needed by HBCC providers to create high-quality environments for children.
In North Carolina, as well as across the nation, HBCC is the preference of many families due to its myriad of strengths and ability to meet the needs of families. HBCC offers consistent relationships between children and providers; can provide flexible hours for parents working second and third shift jobs; and can foster a child care environment that shares the family’s cultural norms and values.
Unfortunately, there are a number of challenges facing HBCC in North Carolina, including a decline in the number of licensed providers, lack of professional development opportunities, less support from the state’s child care infrastructure, and low wages.
One promising approach to strengthening HBCC in North Carolina is the development of local HBCC networks that connect independently operated HBCC providers. Another strategy is to develop and/or implement professional development and technical assistance strategies that are specifically tailored to HBCC providers. These tailored supports and opportunities for network and provider-leader connection will help create a powerful voice for HBCC statewide and critical infrastructure for improving its sustainability and quality.
Through this evaluation, we hope to learn more about these approaches to strengthening the early care system for HBCC providers and identifying supports that help create more high-quality environments for children across the state.
RFS Release Date: April 17, 2023
Full Responses Due: May 19, 2023
Learn More and Respond: Download the Request for Services
