Applications For Local Prevention Dollars Now Open

Community Partners for Child Safety (CPCS) provides primary, secondary, and tertiary child abuse and neglect prevention services in every region in the state. CPCS collaborates with other community resources within each region to create a coordinated prevention network. In general, each region and community define their own needs and resources as updated through the DCS Biennial Regional Services Strategic Plans or other needs assessment strategies.

The Department of Child Services Regional Service Council has selected and will continue to select Child Abuse Local Prevention Services to be provided in the Region based on their prevention plan. 

The current DCS CPCS service standard can be referenced at Community-Partners-for-Child-Safety-Service-Standard.pdf

The first level of prevention, primary prevention, focuses on strategies for the general public. Primary prevention strategies often seek to strengthen family functioning.  The philosophy of primary prevention is that keeping children safe from abuse and neglect is the responsibility of the entire community.  The long-term goal of such strategies is to educate the entire community to create social change that is intolerant of child maltreatment.

The next level of prevention includes strategies that are focused on those who are at risk for abuse or neglect of their children. These include high-stress familial situations, lack of familial or community support and young maternal age.

Possible goals of secondary prevention include increase parents’ parenting skills and strategies; enhance bonding and communication between at-risk parents and their children; increase the connection between at-risk parents and resources or services in the community; increase parents’ skills in coping with stresses of caring for children with special needs; and to increase access to social and healthcare services for all community members.  These goals ultimately seek to strengthen family functioning and keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

A proposal must be completed according to the instructions listed at the end of this document. The budget section must be completed.  Prior to submitting the proposal, it is vital that the proposal be reviewed to ensure that all required information is included.

All proposals must be sent by e-mail to rfp@irisfamily.org by May 1, 2026 at 5:00pm EST. The Letter of Submission must be included in the body of the e-mail. The Letter of Submission should include a recap of the proposal as follows:  what services are to be provided, dollar amount requested, county/ counties services will be provided in, and all contact information of CEO.

No handwritten proposals will be accepted.

Please address all questions to rfp@irisfamily.org

Any proposal email received later than May 1, 2026, at 5:00pm EST, or that is received unsigned will not be considered for a contract. Proposals cannot be hand delivered.