Specifications include, but are not limited to: provide services for the recruitment and retention of foster parents in Idaho. The Contractor must work in collaboration with the Department to achieve the identified strategic goal to increase the ratio of foster parents to children to one point five (1.5) from a current level of point seven five (.75). The Contractor must help to promote a positive perception of foster care in Idaho and support the Department’s primary goal of reunification with parents or legal guardians whenever it is safe to do so. The Contractor must provide statewide recruitment services with recruitment coordinators located in all seven (7) regions served by the Department. Recruitment coordinators must work collaboratively with the Department’s statewide program specialist, statewide foster care program manager and regional licensing supervisors and staff to develop effective recruitment efforts that are designed to increase the overall number of skilled and qualified foster families that are willing to accept children for placement, especially those children aged twelve (12) and older, sibling groups and children with emotional, behavioral, and medical needs. The Contractor must also provide retention services in the form of Resource Peer Mentors to assist in the recruitment of foster families and to provide support to existing foster families. Resource Peer Mentors must be experienced foster parents who are able to use their own experience to answer questions and provide guidance to less experienced foster parents.
