COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA
RECREATION DIVISION
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Request for Information
EARLY EDUCATION OPERATIONS
Proposals Due:
Friday, March 20, 2026, before 5:00 PM
670 Shell Boulevard, Foster City
Contact for this RFI
Tiffany Oren, Recreation Manager
670 Shell Boulevard
Foster City, CA 94404
[email protected]
(650) 286-3395
City of Foster City
Request for Interest (RFI) – Early Education Operations Foster City invites organizations and providers experienced in early childhood education to express interest in operating an early education program at the new Foster City Community Center. The City seeks safe, inclusive, and financially sustainable programs that foster strong family engagement. Respondents should provide qualifications, a proposed program approach, and a preliminary financial plan consistent with this RFI.
1. Purpose and Goals
The City seeks an operator to deliver a high-quality, developmentally appropriate early education program that is safe, inclusive, and welcoming to all families. Key goals include:
• Providing developmentally appropriate activities that support school readiness and early learning.
• Ensuring adherence to applicable health, safety, and regulatory standards. • Offering financially sustainable operations with clear reporting and strong family engagement.
2. Facility Overview
The early education program will be housed in the new Foster City Community Center at 650 Shell Blvd, scheduled to open in Fall 2026. The dedicated indoor space consists of one (1) room that is approximately 930 square feet. It also includes a 140-square storage area and a dedicated restroom designed for young students. The classroom will feature adjustable tables, child-height chairs, and built-in cubbies for student belongings and materials, providing a developmentally appropriate and organized learning environment.
The classroom is situated near the Community Center’s main entrance and offers easy access to on -site parking as well as nearby street parking. The classroom has direct access to a fenced courtyard and a new outdoor playground, offering safe and engaging opportunities for outdoor learning and gross motor play.
The preschool entrance is secured with a key card system . Operating hours for the program are flexible but must fall within the Community Center’s standard building hours of 8:00 AM–8:00 PM during the weekdays. See Exhibits A-C for floor plan and renderings of the new Community Center.
3. Scope of Services
The selected operator will be responsible for all aspects of the early education program, including:
• Program design and delivery, including curriculum, daily schedule, assessment, and family communications.
• Enrollment and admissions, including waitlist management and parent orientation.
• Staffing, supervision, professional development, and substitute coverage. • Health, safety, and emergency procedures, including drills and incident reporting. • Inclusion strategies for children with diverse needs
• Facility care within the assigned classroom and outdoor areas. • Data collection and reporting to support program oversight.
4. Minimum Requirements
The selected operator should meet the following requirements. • Demonstrated experience delivering early education or youth programs. • Staffing with appropriate qualifications and experience for the age group served. • Health and safety plan, including background checks, staff training, emergency procedures, and child pickup protocols.
• Commitment to inclusive and equitable access, including language-accessible family communication.
• Ability to implement resident priority enrollment and a modest resident discount.
5. Program Model and Calendar
The operator may propose full -day, part-day, or blended schedules, and a school -year, year-round, or hybrid calendar, provided program hours remain within the Foster City Community Center’s operating hours. The proposal should outline age groupings, daily routines, staffing ratios, nap/rest policies, outdoor and enrichment activities, and holiday/closure schedules.
6. Pricing and Access
This section covers program fees, enrollment priorities, and related policies to ensure transparency and fairness for families.
• City approval of the initial fee schedule and any parameters for annual adjustments. • Priority enrollment for Foster City residents and a defined resident discount (discount structure to be proposed by the operator and approved by the City). • Clear and transparent policies for enrollment, withdrawal, refunds, and waitlist management.
7. Performance Standards and Indicators
The operator will maintain high standards for safety, program quality, family experience, access, and operations. This includes effective supervision and staff training, curriculum and developmental assessment practices, strong family satisfaction and timely complaint resolution, prioritization of resident participation, consistent attendance, and reliable staffing, substitute coverage, and reporting.
8. Risk and Responsibility Matrix
Area City Operator Notes/Recommendations
Base building (roof/MEP) ✓ Standard building
maintenance covered by City
Utilities baseline &
metering
City baseline
Excess per
agreement
Operator responsible for
usage above baseline
Classroom FF&E City base fit-out
(basic furnishings)
✓ Maintenance and
replacement reserve
Operator maintains classroom
furnishings and may
supplement with additional
furnishings or equipment as
needed
Janitorial inside
classrooms
✓ City
janitorial staff
service
classrooms in
the evening
✓ General daily
cleaning (sweeping,
wiping surfaces,
tidying)
Operator ensures classrooms
are clean during program
hours; City staff handle
evening janitorial service
Licensing, background
checks, health records
✓
Licensing is not required
unless Operator is seeking to
be a licensed daycare
program.
Marketing and
enrollment
✓ City brand
guidelines
Operator manages program
promotion while following City
standards; City will support
promotion
Insurance &
indemnification
Sets minimums ✓ Carries Operator must maintain
required insurance coverage
9. Term and Compensation
The initial agreement term is 3–5 years, with renewals based on performance. Compensation may include rent, a management fee, a percentage of gross revenue, or a hybrid model, with any caps tied to CPI , as applicable. Operators may be asked to provide a financial guarantee equal to 2–3 months of program costs.
10. Submission Requirements
• Cover letter and organizational overview – including years in operation, mission, leadership, and relevant experience in early childhood or youth programs. • Program approach – proposed curriculum framework, daily schedule, inclusion strategies, family engagement approach, and calendar.
• Staffing plan – proposed staff roles, qualifications, ratios, and approach to substitutes and professional development.
• Health and safety plan – emergency procedures, child pickup policies, and basic illness management.
• Facility use plan – classroom setup, materials management, and approach to maintaining a safe, clean environment.
• Basic financial overview – anticipated revenue and expenses, proposed fee schedule, and resident discount approach. Detailed multi-year pro formas are not required, but operators should demonstrate financial sustainability.
• References – at least one or two examples of similar programs or facilities operated previously. • Exceptions or alternative approaches (if any) with rationale.
11. Addenda and Acknowledgment
The City may issue written addenda during the RFI process to clarify information, respond to questions, or provide updates to the scope or requirements. All addenda will be posted on the City’s website and/or distributed to registered respondents to ensure that all potential operators have access to the same information. Respondents are responsible for reviewing all addenda prior to submitting their materials and must include acknowledgment of each addendum in their response. Submissions that do not acknowledge all addenda may be considered incomplete.
12. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be scored based on program quality, staffing, finances, family engagement, and facility management.
Area Weight Description
Program Quality & Experience 30% Demonstrated ability to provide high-quality early learning experiences that support child development
and school readiness.
Staffing Plan 20% Depth of staff experience, staff qualifications, training practices, and plans for substitute coverage.
Financial Sustainability 20% Realistic budget and fee structure that ensures stable operations without sacrificing program quality.
Family & Community
Engagement
20% Plans for family communication, involvement, cultural inclusion, and prioritizing Foster City residents.
Classroom & Playground
Management
10% Strategy for maintaining clean, safe, and engaging indoor and outdoor spaces.
12. Anticipated Schedule
The City anticipates issuing the RFI on February 18, 2026, with an optional pre-submittal meeting or site walk. Questions must be submitted by February, 2027, any addenda will be issued by March 4, 2026, and proposals are due by March 20, 2026 by 5:00pm.
Submission Format: Responses should be limited to 20 pages (excluding exhibits) and use standard, legible fonts and margins. Submissions should be provided as a PDF , and any financial or pro forma documents should also be submitted in an editable format (e.g., Excel) to allow the City to review calculations and assumptions efficiently.
Proposals can be emailed to: [email protected] or mailed to: Tiffany Oren, Recreation Manager, 670 Shell Blvd, Foster Ciy, CA 94404. If submitting by mail, please include a minimum of 3 copies.
13. Required Insurance
Respondents must provide proof of the following insurance coverages: Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions), Abuse and Molestation Coverage, Workers’ Compensation, Auto Liability, Additional Insured Endorsements, and Waivers of Subrogation.
Coverage shall be at least as broad as:
1. Commercial General Liability (CGL): Insurance Services Office Form CG 00 01 covering CGL on an “occurrence” basis, including property damage, bodily injury and personal & advertising injury with limits no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. If a general aggregate limit applies, either the general aggregate limit shall apply separately to this project/location (ISO CG 25 03 or 25 04) or the general aggregate limit shall be twice the required occurrence limit.
2. Automobile Liability: Insurance Services Office Form Number CA 0001 covering Code 1 (any auto), or if Instructor has no owned autos, Code 8 (hired) and 9 (non-owned), with limits no less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and property damage. (Note– required only if auto is used in performance of work).
1. Workers’ Compensation insurance as required by the State of California, with Statutory Limits, and Employer’s Liability Insurance with limit of no less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury or disease. (Note – required only if Vendors has employees).
2. Sexual Abuse or Molestation (SAM) Liability: If the work will include contact with minors, and the CGL policy referenced above is not endorsed to include affirmative coverage for sexual abuse or molestation, Contractor shall obtain and maintain a policy covering Sexual Abuse and Molestation with a limit no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence or claim.
3. The Insurance Company agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against the City of Foster City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, agents, volunteers, and employees for losses paid under the terms of any policy which arise from work performed by the Instructor for the Entity.
This provision also applies to the Instructor’s Workers’ Compensation policy.
Certificate Holder must read: City of Foster City, Estero Municipal Improvement District, 650 Shell Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404.
Description box must read: The City of Foster City/EMID, its elected and appointed officials, employees, volunteers, and agents as Additional Insured on the General Liability policy on a primary and non -
contributory basis. All Certificate Holder privileges apply only if required by written agreement between the Certificate Holder and the insured, and are subject to policy terms and conditions.
14. Exhibits
The City will provide the following reference materials to support proposal development:
• Floor Plan and Room Layout
• Site Map
• Community Center Exterior Renderings
15. Interview Topics (if shortlisted)
If a respondent is shortlisted following the RFI review, the City may invite them to a brief interview to discuss topics such as:
• Program philosophy and approach, including curriculum and inclusion strategies • Staffing model and supervision practices
• High-level financial or operational considerations
• Experience managing similar programs or partnerships
• Use of the facility, including classrooms and outdoor areas • Family and community engagement strategies
Interviews are informational and will not constitute a commitment to award a contract.
Short RFI Notice Text
The City of Foster City invites organizations and providers with experience in early childhood education to express interest in operating an early education program at the new Foster City Community Center. The City is seeking safe, inclusive, and financially sustainable programs that promote strong family engagement. Respondents should provide their qualifications, a proposed program approach, and a preliminary financial plan consistent with this RFI. Depending on responses, this RFI may result in a future Request for Proposals (RFP).
EXHIBIT A
EARLY EDUCATION OPERATIONS FLOOR PLAN AND LAYOUT
EXHIBIT B
FOSTER CITY COMMUNITY CENTER SITE PLAN
EXHIBIT C
FOSTER CITY COMMUNITY CENTER EXTERIOR RENDERINGS