Maine handed off oversight of a $23M program for infants with no bid contract

Once legislators wrangle over the budget and the state secures federal money, it’s often up to state officials to pinpoint who can do the work of government. Often a company or nonprofit organization competes for the available money through a bidding process, and the state determines who’s best for the job.

The LePage administration has made a point of putting more contracts out to bid. In an April email, Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Samantha Edwards said DHHS has sought to increase competition by issuing 100 to 125 requests for proposals this year compared with an average of 30 to 35 per year when the administration took office.

“Competitive procurement is a state requirement. The procurement process produces accountability among providers and ensures that Maine taxpayers receive the best value for the dollars they expend on services. This is a key priority for the Administration,” she wrote.

That’s one reason people in child advocacy and protection fields started asking questions in late winter when they learned a nonprofit was taking over administrative and financial duties of a statewide home visiting program called Maine Families without a competitive bidding process. The program operates on more than $9 million per year in federal and state funds and aims to help parents when it matters most for their infant’s long-term development.

Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2016/08/11/news/bangor/how-maine-quietly-handed-off-financial-oversight-of-a-23-million-program-for-infants/