Single Source Procurement: Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings: Farm to Preschools Expansion

Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible.

Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings (EWPHCCS) is a multi-component Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) intervention that targets parents and their preschool children who are enrolled in child care centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). EWPHCCS focuses on improving the nutrition and physical activity behaviors of preschool children and their parents and influencing the food and activity practices in child care centers serving a low-income population. An EWPHCCS Farm to Preschool pilot project was conducted. The project entailed weekly produce deliveries by farmers to three child care centers. Parents, child care staff and community residents were able to purchase produce and participate in nutrition education classes and food demonstrations. SNAP purchases were also processed. To further support the project each child care center created a small outdoor garden.

Following the successful completion of the pilot project, the Department of Health received funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Farm to Preschool project to competitively procured EWPHCCS contractors. This request will implement the Farm to Preschool project for the remainder of the EWPHCCS contract term.

Procurement / Program Name	Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings: Farm to Preschools Expansion
Contractor Name(s)	Capital District Child Care Coordinating Council, Inc. Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc. Child Care Council, Inc. New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene
Contract Period	10/1/2013 – 9/30/2016
Contract Number(s)	C027140, C027138, C027142, C027896