Buncombe Seeks Providers for Residential Services for Mothers and Children

On December 11 Buncombe County Health and Human Services reposted a request for proposals seeking qualified vendors to provide residential housing and supportive services for mothers and their children impacted by substance use. The county is asking applicants to operate facilities that can safely house mothers and children together, meet state licensing and regulatory requirements, and deliver trauma informed and evidence based services.

The selected vendor or vendors will be expected to offer an array of wraparound supports including life skills training, parenting supports, job training, therapy, transportation assistance, and services designed to promote long term housing stability and family reunification where appropriate. Proposals must describe staffing patterns, case management models, partnerships with behavioral health and community providers, transportation plans, and concrete measures to support housing stability. Submission materials should include budgets, timelines, evidence of past performance if available, and demonstration of capacity to meet reporting and reimbursement requirements.

For residents and service providers in Buncombe County this RFP matters because it targets a persistent gap in local care. Mothers often face impossible choices between entering treatment and caring for their children. Residential programs that allow families to remain together can reduce barriers to treatment, lower the risk of child welfare involvement, and improve long term health outcomes for both parents and children. Expanding capacity for family centered residential care also advances equity, since women with young children and limited resources are disproportionately affected by access hurdles and by punitive responses to substance use.

The county has marked the posting as reposted, and interested vendors are directed to the Buncombe County Purchasing page for the full RFP document, submission instructions, and deadlines. Implementing and sustaining these programs will require adequate funding streams, coordination with behavioral health and social services systems, and attention to licensing and administrative burdens that can limit nonprofit and community based providers from participating.

By seeking providers now Buncombe County is taking a step toward addressing a local public health priority, offering a pathway to recovery that centers families and aims to reduce the long term harms of untreated substance use across the community.