FY 2026 Guardianship Assistance Block Grant Summary

The West Virginia Department of Human Services received a $3.95 million block grant award from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) under the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP, CFDA 93.090) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award supports the provision of guardianship assistance payments to relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of eligible children in West Virginia's child welfare system. The program removes financial barriers to permanency by enabling the state to offer ongoing financial support to kinship guardians, thereby facilitating the transition of children from foster care into stable, legally recognized family settings.

Under this block grant mechanism, West Virginia will administer guardianship assistance payments as a federal financial participation (FFP) program to approved relative guardians of eligible children. The funding is distributed on a quarterly basis in accordance with estimated and actual allowable expenditures, with West Virginia required to maintain comprehensive financial and programmatic records and submit quarterly expenditure estimates as specified under 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 requirements. This represents part of the national GAP implementation, with FY 2026 block grant allocations to states ranging from $14,659 to over $290 million.