DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Professional Services Contract with Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. for Pediatric Nutrition Services for Head Start and Early Head Start- Child Care Partnership
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of a professional services contract with Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc., for the provision of pediatric nutrition services for Head Start and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Programs. The contract will commence upon execution and extend through January 31, 2019, with an option to renew for five additional one-year terms, for a total possible value not to exceed $210,000.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Head Start program is a federally-funded early childhood education and development program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The City of San Antonio’s Head Start program provides comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education services to 3,020 three and four-year-old children in the San Antonio and Edgewood Independent School Districts. The program provides an academically rigorous program and also connects families with comprehensive services such as medical, nutritional, dental, mental health and disability services. The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) program provides services in six licensed child care centers in San Antonio. Through this program, early education, health, mental health, disability, nutrition and family support services are provided to 216 children, ages six weeks to three years.
The City of San Antonio acts as the oversight, monitoring, technical assistance, and administrative agency for both programs.
Under federal grant requirements, all Head Start and EHS-CCP programs are required to implement and provide nutrition services to enrolled children. The goal of this service is to promote healthy development, meet nutritional needs, and accommodate the feeding requirements of each child, including children with special dietary needs and children with disabilities.
The City’s Head Start program published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for organizations with nutrition consulting services for children to develop a comprehensive plan to assist the Head Start program to comply with this requirement. The RFP was issued on November 16, 2017, and closed on December 18, 2017. Two proposal responses were received, and both were deemed eligible for review. Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. (NTA) was selected, based on the City's standard RFP Evaluation Process.
The evaluation of each proposal response was based on a total of 100 points;
§ 35 points allotted for experience, background, and qualifications
§ 25 points allotted for proposed plan
§ 15 points allotted for respondent’s price schedule
§ 20 preference points were allotted for the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, Small Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program Affirmative Procurement Initiative
§ 5 points for the Veteran Owned Small Business Preference Program
The evaluation committee met on January 4, 2018, to evaluate the two proposals received. After committee review and discussion, committee members scored the proposals based on experience, background, qualifications, and their proposed plans. These scores were then added to the pricing and SBEDA scores. Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. received the highest ranking and was recommended for award by the evaluation committee.
The initial term of the agreement shall be upon Council award through January 2019. Five additional one-year renewals at the City’s option shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. will provide the appropriate on-site nutrition services to enrolled children and parents in the fall and spring of each school year for the Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Additionally, NTA must meet the non-federal share requirement of the grant in the form of in-kind services or non-cash transactions in the form of goods or services that benefit the program. Per Head Start, these services may consist of the value of equipment and the value of goods and services directly benefiting the program and specifically identifiable to it.
ISSUE:
This Ordinance authorizes the execution of a services contract with Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. to provide nutrition services to children enrolled in Head Start and EHS-CCP Program for a period of one year with 5 one-year renewal options. The total amount is not to exceed $210,000.
Selection of the recommended contractor, Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc, will fulfill the City of San Antonio’s obligation as a Head Start Program Grantee to ensure that the City is in compliance with Federal Head Start grant requirements.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program. Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. is a small women-owned firm that received twenty (20) evaluation preference points as they are located within the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this professional service contract not be approved, the Department of Human Services will need to identify another vendor for these services, which would result in delaying of nutrition services to Head Start and EHS-CCP children.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of a professional services contract with Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc., for the provision of pediatric nutrition services for Head Start and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Programs. The contract will commence upon execution and extend through 2019, with an option to renew for an additional five, one-year terms, for a total possible value not to exceed $210,000.00, which will be funded utilizing the Head Start and EHS-CCP Grants. There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of a professional services contract with Nutrition Therapy Associates, Inc. to provide ongoing nutrition services for children enrolled in the Head Start and EHS-CCP Programs.