HHS-2020-ACF-ACYF-EV-1812_FYSB-FVPSA-Specialized Services to Abused Parents and their Children-REVISED.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families - Family and Youth Services Bureau

Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants: Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects)

HHS-2020-ACF-ACYF-EV-1812

Application Due Date: 06/05/2020

Signature Date May 5, 2020

Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants: Specialized Services for

Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects)

HHS-2020-ACF-ACYF-EV-1812

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Executive Summary

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

VII. HHS Awarding Agency Contact(s) VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families

Funding Opportunity Title: Family Violence Prevention and

Services Discretionary Grants:

Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects)

Announcement Type: Modification Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2020-ACF-ACYF-EV-1812 Primary CFDA Number: 93.592 Due Date for Letter of Intent: 05/06/2020 Due Date for Applications: 06/05/2020

Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire funding opportunity announcement (FOA) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

Modification 2: This FOA has been modified to reflect the following changes:

1. The planning period in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, Project Description, Program Performance Evaluation Plan, has been corrected to reflect 3 months.

2. Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, Project Description, Letter of Intent, the Program Office contact for the Letter of Intent has been changed from mao .yang@acf.hhs.gov to kenya.fairley@acf.hhs.gov.

3. Duplicate text in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, Project Description, Objectives, has been removed.

4. Duplicate headers for Expected Outcomes and Approach in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, Project Description, Approach, have been removed.

5. Duplicate instructions for logic model development in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, Project Description, Logic Model, have been deleted.

6. Duplicate instructions for Third Party Agreements, Letters of Support, and Plan for Oversight of Federal Award Funds, in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, The Project Budget and Budget Justification, have been deleted.

7. The Program Office contact email address has been corrected to kenya.fairley@acf.hhs .gov in Section VII. HHS Awarding Agency Contact(s).

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto mailto:mao.yang@acf.hhs.gov mailto:mao.yang@acf.hhs.gov mailto:kenya.fairley@acf.hhs.gov mailto:kenya.fairley@acf.hhs.gov mailto:kenya.fairley@acf.hhs.gov

Modification 1: This Forecast has been modified to update eligibility, which now includes county governments, city and township governments, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments). The Forecast was also modified to provide additional clarification on expected grant activities and use of project funds.

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants: Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects) will support up to 26 demonstration projects. Funded demonstration projects will focus on expanding their capacity (as family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence coalitions; local programs; tribal communities; and community-based programs) to prevent future domestic violence by addressing, in a developmentally appropriate manner, the needs of children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence.

All recipients will provide trauma-informed, developmentally and age-appropriate services, that are culturally relevant and linguistically accessible to victims and children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, and/or dating violence, many of whom have also experienced child abuse and neglect. All recipients will provide services for nonabusing parents to support their role as caregivers and their role in responding to the social, emotional, and developmental needs of their children. Where appropriate, recipients will provide services while working with a nonabusing parent and child together.

The statutory authority for this funding opportunity announcement is 42 U.S.C. §10412 of the

FVPSA.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority Awards are authorized by Section 312 of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), as amended by Section 201 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Reauthorization Act (CAPTA) of 2010, Pub. L. 111-320. 42 U.S.C. §10412.

Description History and Purpose of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act FVPSA provides the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence (DV), as well as their dependents. First authorized as part of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-457), FVPSA became the first federal commitment to creating a pathway to safety for survivors of DV and their children. FVPSA has been amended eight times and was most recently reauthorized in December 2010 for 5 years by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. § 10401 - 10414). Since 1984, Congress has continued to make its intent clear that FVPSA funds be used to raise awareness of DV, prevent its occurrence, provide services to victims and their children, and support DV providers to enhance their responses through training and technical assistance.

Specifically, FVPSA's statutory purposes are to:

(1) Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to increase public awareness about, and primary and secondary prevention of DV;

(2) Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of DV and their dependents;

(3) Provide for a national DV hotline; and

(4) Provide for technical assistance and training relating to DV programs to states and Indian tribes, local public agencies (including law enforcement agencies, courts, and legal, social service, and health care professionals), nonprofit private organizations (including faith-based and charitable organizations, community-based organizations, and voluntary associations), tribal organizations, and other persons seeking such assistance and training.

FVPSA is administered by the FVPSA Program, located in the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), a division of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF).

FYSB’s FVPSA Program administers mandatory FVPSA formula grants to 1) states and territories, 2) tribes, and 3) state DV coalitions. The FVPSA Program awards grants to every state and territory and over 200 tribes. Funds awarded to states, territories, and tribes reach more than 1,600 local public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations and programs demonstrating effectiveness in the field of DV services and prevention. These programs provide victims of DV and their children with shelter, safety planning, crisis counseling, information and referral, legal advocacy, and additional support services. In 2018, FVPSA-funded programs provided emergency shelter and supportive services to 871,271 women, 303,293 children, and 84,719 men.

The FVPSA Program also administers funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1- 800-799-SAFE) to operate a confidential 24-hour national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information and assistance to adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence or dating violence, their families, and others affected by the violence in an effort to build healthy, safe, and supportive communities.

In order to ensure the safety of adult, youth, and child victims, and their families from violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, FVPSA recipients and subrecipients shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of such victims and their families (45 CFR § 1370.4). FVPSA recipients and subrecipients shall not—

1. Disclose any personally identifying information (as defined in 45 CFR § 1370.2) collected in connection with services requested (including services utilized or denied) through recipients’ and subrecipients’ programs;

2. Reveal any personally identifying information without informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent by the person about whom information is sought, whether for this program or any other federal, tribal or state grant program, including but not limited to whether to comply with federal, tribal, or state reporting, evaluation, or data collection requirements; or

3. Require an adult, youth, or child victim of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence to provide a consent to release his or her personally identifying information as a condition of eligibility for the services provided by the recipients or subrecipients.

FYSB Priorities FYSB is one of two Bureaus within ACYF. The mission of FYSB is to support the organizations and communities that work every day to put an end to youth homelessness, adolescent pregnancy, and domestic violence. FYSB achieves this by supporting programs that provide shelter, community services, and prevention education for youth, adults, and families.

In partnership with communities across the nation, FYSB has a leadership role in orchestrating the effective convergence of resources, expertise, and connections into an integrated effort that promotes a future where all of our nation’s youth, individuals, and families – no matter what challenges they may face – can live healthy, productive, violence-free lives.

Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children Section 312 of FVPSA, Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (SSAPC), authorizes the Secretary to, "establish a grant program to expand the capacity of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence service programs and community-based programs to prevent future domestic violence by addressing, in an appropriate manner, the needs of children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence." This SSAPC funding opportunity announcement (FOA) meets the purpose of 42 U.S.C. § 10412.

The first cohort of demonstration projects were awarded in 2016 for a 2 year project period (see grant profiles here: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/resource/ssapc-escyap-grantees-2016) and renewed for another 2 years via non-competitive application in 2018. These recipients have successfully implemented their demonstration projects and will complete their final year of performance and evaluation in FY 2020. This new FOA presents an opportunity to fund a second cohort of new demonstration grants.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (see Section VIII. Other Information for references) has reported that every year, approximately 20.5 million children or youth under the age of 17 are exposed to family violence. Depending on the frequency, severity, and type of abuse to which a child is exposed, the impact can be immediate and the resulting trauma may affect growth and development. Considerable evidence also points to the fact that DV and child abuse often co-occur. A review by Edleson (1999) of 35 studies on the overlap of DV and child maltreatment in the same family found that in 30 to 60 percent of families in which either child maltreatment or exposure to adult domestic violence is occurring, the other form of violence is also being perpetrated. A retrospective study by Dong, et al. (2004) also found that the prevalence of child abuse was 57.5 percent for adults who were exposed to DV.

Children and youth exposed to DV need culturally relevant, trauma-informed, evidence-informed, and developmentally appropriate services to address the trauma they have experienced and to break the cycle of violence. Research by D'Agostino (2014) shows that a bond with a caring adult can build the resiliency of children exposed to violence. Supporting the mother-child bond through victim advocacy is validated by research, which indicates that the most important protective resource to enable children to cope with exposure to violence is a strong relationship with a competent, caring, positive adult, most often a parent. DV service providers are poised to address the needs of children exposed to DV and support the bond between a child and his or her abused parent. Nationwide, nearly half of all residents of DV shelters are children.

In 2018, FVPSA-funded programs provided emergency shelter and supportive services to nearly https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/resource/ssapc-escyap-grantees-2016

1.3 million victims including 303,293 children. A one-day census of services provided by DV programs on September 13, 2018 found that on a single day, 12,805 children received emergency shelter; 9,328 received transitional housing; and 5,496 children accessed non-residential DV intervention services. The 27,629 children served accompanied their victim parent into supportive services and includes adolescents and teens who have unique needs that must also be addressed. Services children receive through FVPSA-funded community-based domestic violence service providers include victim advocacy (44%), crisis intervention (43%), and individual/group counseling (35%).

In addition to meeting the needs of children and youth, abused parents need support to rebuild their roles as parents, understand how they can best help their children understand DV, and deal with the impact it has had on their lives. Assistance for their children is the most requested service among abused parents who come to FVPSA-funded services. Parents need support with general parenting at various stages of child development; techniques for talking to their children about the abuse; support and structure for contact and engagement with the parent who uses abuse; tools to discuss healthy relationships; resources to obtain counseling and other support to promote healing; and information about developing age appropriate safety plans. Examples of promising practices and programs for children exposed to DV are discussed on these websites, http://promising.futureswithoutviolence.org and https://dvchildwelfare.org/.

Some populations face additional barriers to accessing services and supports. Examples may include tribal communities, persons with disabilities, cultural, or language barriers, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Programs that specifically and appropriately serve these populations in culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and evidence-informed ways are especially needed to address their unique needs.

Through this grant program, FYSB will fund 26 cooperative agreements to build the knowledge base for DV programs and expand our recipients' capacity to address the needs of abused parents and children exposed to DV, many of whom have also experienced child abuse and neglect.

According to 42 U.S.C. §10412:

(1) Grant funds shall be used:

(A) to provide direct counseling, appropriate services consistent with 42 U.S.C. § 10412 (c)(2), or advocacy on behalf of victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and their children, including coordinating services with services provided by the child welfare system;

(B) to provide services for nonabusing parents to support those parents' roles as caregivers and their roles in responding to the social, emotional, and developmental needs of their children; and

(C) where appropriate, to provide the services described in this subsection while working with such a nonabusing parent and child together; and

(2) Funds may be used:

(A) to provide early childhood development and mental health services;

(B) to coordinate activities with and provide technical assistance to community-based http://promising.futureswithoutviolence.org/ https://dvchildwelfare.org/ organizations serving abused victims or children exposed to DV; and

(C) to provide additional services and referrals to services for children, including child care, transportation, educational support, respite care, supervised visitation, mobile/offsite services, or other necessary services.

Program Goals and Objectives Each recipient must address the needs of abused parents and children and youth exposed to DV and contribute to the knowledge base for children's DV programs focused on children and youth by:

1) improving systems and responses to abused parents and their children and youth exposed to DV across the targeted community, state, or tribe, by:

developing and enhancing community-based interventions for children and youth exposed to DV whose parents may or may not have sought services of support from a DV program and addressing barriers that may have precluded them from doing so;

developing and disseminating guidelines for service providers or for other organizations and agencies that impact children and youth exposed to DV in the targeted community, state, or tribe; and/or providing training or technical assistance to achieve positive change and implementation of interventions to improve worker support and identification of children and youth exposed to DV in one or more systems that impact child and youth development, family independence, and self-sufficiency, such as early childhood education (including Head Start, Early Head Start, childcare, etc.) and educational systems, child protective services/child welfare systems, child support enforcement, public benefits [(e.g., The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing, earned income tax credit (EITC)], healthcare, faith-based programs, and/or family courts and the legal system.

2) coordinating or providing new or enhanced residential and non-residential services for children and youth exposed to DV by:

enhancing and testing service/program models, implementation strategies, evaluation tools and measures;

documenting and disseminating lessons learned;

generating the development, adoption and evaluation of innovative (e.g., arts, movement, and mindfulness interventions), trauma-informed and culturally relevant interventions that promote and/or strengthen the parent-child bond and reinforces the engagement of the nonabusing parent for abused parents and/or their children and youth exposed to DV; and expanding provision of safe, structured contact, engagement, and/or parenting time with the parent who uses abuse when it is safe and meaningful to do so.

3) enhancing evidence-informed and practice-informed services, strategies, advocacy and interventions for children and youth exposed to DV by:

providing peer-to-peer technical assistance within the network of demonstration projects;

developing a plan to evaluate practices and measure programming outcomes in partnership with the National Capacity Building Center to Expand Services for Children, Youth, and Abused Parents Impacted by Domestic Violence (ESCYAP) (see separate FOA HHS-2016-ACF-ACYF-EV-1157 at: https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/files/HHS- 2016-ACF-ACYF-EV-1157_1.pdf); and documenting lessons learned and implementation strategies to share with the broader field.

Recipient Outcomes By the end of the grant period, each recipient will have:

(A) Improved processes and outcomes for abused parents and children and youth exposed to DV, to include common and tailored outcome measures by designing, adapting, and/or implementing a program that meets the program goals of:

1) improving systems and responses to abused parents and their children and youth exposed to DV;

2) expanding capacity to provide residential and non-residential services to children and youth exposed to DV; and

3) enhancing evidence-informed services, strategies, advocacy, safety planning, and interventions for children and youth exposed to DV.

(B) Expanded their capacity (as coalitions, local programs, community-based programs, faith-based organizations, jurisdictions, or tribal organizations) to provide support, skills development and resources to increase the healing, resilience and protective capacities of parents and families to prevent future DV by addressing, in an appropriate manner, the needs of children and youth exposed to DV and their abused parents.

Program Requirements Recipients shall incorporate the needs of children and youth exposed to DV in planning and carrying out all activities. This commitment must include providing relevant training for all staff as determined in partnership with the FVPSA Program and designated technical assistance provider (ESCYAP). Recipients shall enhance the resilience of children and youth exposed to DV and promote work with abused parents and their children together to strengthen the parent-child bond, which has been proven to increase children's resiliency. Recipients must also incorporate the voices of children and youth as well as their nonabusive parents into their program design, adaptation, or implementation through strategies such as focus groups, surveys, opportunities for story-telling or other mechanisms for gathering meaningful feedback.

Programs for abused parents and their children must:

Comply with FVPSA confidentiality requirements in 42 U.S.C. § 10406(c)(5);

Be voluntary, trauma-informed, and developmentally and culturally appropriate;

https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/files/HHS-2016-ACF-ACYF-EV-1157_1.pdf https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/files/HHS-2016-ACF-ACYF-EV-1157_1.pdf

Include age-specific services and activities for children, teens, and adolescents;

Be evidence-informed or evidence-based (as described in Section I., Program

Description, Reports and Evaluation);

Support the healthy relationships and interactions between the parent and child, and promote the parent-child bond;

Provide services for nonabusive parents to support them in responding to the financial, social, emotional, and developmental needs of their children;

Where appropriate, provide services while working with a nonabusive parent and child together (services need not always be provided together with both the parent and child physically present);

Consider the socio-emotional needs of the child with regard to the parent who uses abuse and, where appropriate, safe, and meaningful to do so, consider provision of services to the abusive parent and child within their respective service system to restore the parent-child bond;

Include coordinating services with one or more systems that impact child and youth development, family independence and self-sufficiency such as those provided by early childhood education (including Head Start, Early Head Start, childcare, etc.) and educational systems, child protective services/child welfare systems, child support enforcement, public benefits (e.g., WIC, TANF, CHIP, SNAP, housing, EITC), healthcare, faith-based programs, and/or family courts and the legal system;

Include advocacy on behalf of the child and, as appropriate, the nonabusive parent;

Make referrals to long-term services, as appropriate, to foster and support the family’s ongoing goals; and Be structured to include an evaluative process that documents appropriate culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate outcomes for abused parents and their children.

Recipients shall plan major meetings or events in conjunction with FYSB to allow participation of FYSB staff. Recipients shall provide a detailed plan for project implementation, a work plan, training/events schedule, evaluation schedule, and a plan for reporting on the outcomes of the project.

Recipients must plan for two representatives of the grantee organization, including the local evaluation partner to travel to an orientation (location to be determined) within the first 6 months of receiving their award. Recipients must plan travel expenses for at least two representatives from the recipient organization to participate in at least one FYSB meeting each project period.

Allowable Program Activities These programs may:

Be shelter-based and/or home or community-based;

Include peer support for nonabusive parents and/or children and youth;

Provide structure and support to children and families who are required to or choose to remain in contact with a parent who has been abusive in circumstances where it is determined to be safe, meaningful, appropriate, and in the child's best interest, or when requested by the nonabusive parent and children;

Provide early childhood development and mental health services;

Expand access to legal services necessary to develop the structure and arrangements for safe contact, engagement, parenting time, and/or visitation with the abusive parent;

Include community-based projects and outreach;

Develop prevention programs for children and youth that support healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence, risky behaviors, and sexual coercion;

Maintain ongoing contact, including home visitation or mobile service delivery, with the family or child after the family has left the shelter or non-residential services; and Focus on developing programs and workforce capacity to enhance services for children and youth exposed to DV, and their abused parents, including building infrastructure within systems to enhance collaboration, decrease barriers to services, and increase access to existing services (e.g., institutionalizing communication among interdisciplinary partners; supporting development of policies and/or procedures to operationalize quality practice and other strategies that promote family well-being, protective factors, and self-sufficiency; and promoting awareness and utilization of integrated, multi-disciplinary interventions that provide comprehensive family support across systems).

Reports and Evaluation According to 42 U.S.C. § 10412(e), recipients are required to "submit a performance report to the Secretary at such time as shall be reasonably required by the Secretary. Such performance report shall describe the activities that have been carried out with such grant funds, contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of such activities, and provide such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require." Performance reports will be required on at least a semi-annual basis using the standard ACF Performance Progress Report (PPR) with OMB approval number 0970-0406, expiration date: 11/30/2022.

NOTE: Consistent with the PRA of 1995, (44 U.S.C. §§ 3501-3521), under this FOA, FYSB will not conduct or sponsor – and a person is not required to respond to - a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. ACF will obtain OMB approval under the PRA prior to requesting and collection performance measures.

Recipients are encouraged to incorporate a 3-month planning period that includes conducting a needs assessment and developing an evaluation plan, in coordination with ESCYAP.

For purposes of this FOA, evidence-informed practices bring together the best available research, professional expertise, and input from service, advocacy, prevention, and related communities to identify and deliver services that have promise to achieve positive outcomes for abused parents and children exposed to domestic violence. A rigorous study design that includes a comparison condition is not required as part of this FOA. Applicants should propose activities that will meet a feasible and realistic standard of evaluation.

Recipients must develop and report internal outputs and outcomes appropriate to their unique projects. Outputs and outcomes must be measurable, domestic violence focused, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant. Outcomes must be analyzed by the designated evaluator(s) who have experience with both quantitative and qualitative data collection, management and analysis, and are supported by sufficient time and resources for this purpose. Evaluators must work collaboratively with program staff on developing data collection plans and analyzing results to help inform program implementation. Recipients and their evaluators will receive support and consultation in developing their outcomes from FYSB's ESCYAP.

Recipients must also work with ESCYAP (which in turn will work with FVPSA Program staff and national, state, and local experts) to develop, refine, and utilize a small set of consistent outcome measures to be used by all SSAPC Demonstration Project recipients as appropriate to their project; conduct qualitative interviews, focus groups or surveys with parents, staff, and/or community stakeholders; and draft a final lessons learned report from their project implementation and evaluation.

NOTE: Consistent with the PRA of 1995, (44 U.S.C. §§ 3501-3521), under this FOA, FYSB will not conduct or sponsor – and a person is not required to respond to - a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. ACF will obtain OMB approval under the PRA prior to requesting and collection performance measures.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $8,250,000 Expected Number of Awards: 26 Award Ceiling: $375,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $300,000 Per Budget Period Average Projected Award Amount: $600,000 Per Project Period Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2020

Length of Project Periods:

Length of Project Period: 24-month project period with two 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. See Section III.2. of this announcement for information on cost-sharing or matching requirements.

According to 42 U.S.C. § 10412(a)(2), the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may make grants to eligible entities for periods of not more than 2 years. If the Secretary determines that an entity has received such a grant and been successful in meeting the objectives of the grant application, the Secretary may renew the grant for one additional period of not more than 2 years.

Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the 1-year period will be considered in subsequent years on a non-competitive basis, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the recipient, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement

Through the cooperative agreement, FYSB shall:

Provide significant guidance and consultation on project design and implementation to the primary recipient throughout the project period to ensure the successful implementation of the project and to improve the outcomes of the program.

Review, provide feedback on, and approve the project scope, activities, and work plan for the project, as well as the structure and integrity of the resource center, in conjunction with the recipient. This includes any changes to key personnel on the project.

Propose and approve significant changes to project scope, activities, and work plans.

Review and approve final drafts of all updated or new materials, articles, major publications, and research reports that are developed or distributed with resources made available under this cooperative agreement.

Be involved in the development of strategies for the implementation of the project.

Participate in major project activities, such as advisory or other leadership committee meetings, conferences, topical meetings, trainings, or major project meetings.

Keep recipients informed about ACYF/FYSB priorities.

Organize frequent consultations, meetings, briefings, teleconferences, webinars, and other forums necessary to review current and planned activities, to share information, and to promote national coordination.

The respective responsibilities of FYSB and the successful applicants will be identified and incorporated into the cooperative agreement of the award during the pre-award negotiations. It is anticipated that the cooperative agreement will not change the project requirements for the recipients under this FOA.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

According to FVPSA, 42 U.S.C. §10412(b), eligible entities shall be:

1. a local agency (agency that serves a local jurisdiction);

2. a nonprofit private organization including faith-based and charitable organizations, community-based organizations, and voluntary associations (providing services for a city, county, region, state or territory); or

3. a tribal organization (serving tribal communities).

See Section IV.2., Content and Form of Application Submission, Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

All entities must have a demonstrated record of serving victims of family violence, DV, and dating violence and their children.

Applicants previously awarded funds to implement and evaluate a SSAPC demonstration grant under FOA HHS-2016-ACF-ACYF-EV-1163 are not eligible for funding under this FOA.

Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations The recipient acknowledges its obligation to comply with 45 CFR § Part 87 “Equal Treatment For Faith-Based Organizations,” including the requirement that all faith-based or religious organizations are eligible, on the same basis as any other organization, to participate in this and any program for which they are otherwise eligible. Thus, the recipient agrees that when selecting service providers or subrecipients, it will not discriminate for or against any organization on the basis of the organization's religious character or affiliation as indicated in 45 CFR § 87.3(a). For further information visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-natio nal-policy-requirements#chapter-4.

Faith-based organizations are encouraged to review the ACF Policy on Grants to Faith-Based Organizations at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/acf-policy-on-grants-to-faith-based-organizations.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.

See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-4 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-4 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/acf-policy-on-grants-to-faith-based-organizations

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF.

Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost-sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Award Ceiling Disqualification Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission ACF requires electronic submission of applications at www.Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding https://www.grants.gov under this announcement.

Applicants that do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the Internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6.

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications) The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to www.Grants.gov after 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from www.Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. That is, applications submitted to www.Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 a.m., ET, on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applications submitted to www.Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the www.Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by, ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via www.Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF, will be acknowledged.

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this FOA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

FYSB Operations Center c/o F2 Solutions https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6 https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov

Attention: Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects) FOA 1401 Mercantile Lane Suite 401 Largo, MD 20774 Phone: 1-855-792-6551 Email: TechAssist@fysb.net

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the FOA's listing at www.Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms, assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the FOA's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at www.Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to www.Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Each applicant applying electronically via www.Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact must be available to mailto:TechAssist@fysb.net https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay https://www.grants.gov/ answer any questions pertaining to the application.

Application Checklist Applicants may refer to Section VIII. Other Information for a checklist of application requirements that may be used in developing and organizing application materials.

Accepted Font Style Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be TNR 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred text, or text that is too small to read comfortably, will be removed.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. If applications are submitted using another currency, ACF will convert the foreign currency to U.S. currency using the date of receipt of the application to determine the rate of exchange.

Page Limitations Applicants must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:". Page limitation(s) do not include SFs and OMB-approved forms.

All applications must be double-spaced. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages in the Project Description file or the Appendices file will have the last extra pages removed and the removed pages will not be reviewed.

Application Elements Exempted from Double-Spacing Requirements The following elements of the application submission are exempt from the double-spacing requirements and may be single-spaced: the table of contents, the one-page Project Summary/Abstract, required Assurances and Certifications, required SFs, required OMB-approved forms, resumes, logic models, proof of legal status/non-profit status, third-party agreements, letters of support, footnotes, tables, the line-item budget and/or the budget justification.

Adherence to FOA Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that fail to adhere to ACF’s FOA formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will be adjusted by the removal of page(s) from the application. Pages will be removed before the objective review. The removed page(s) will not be made available to reviewers.

Applications that have more than one scanned page of a document on a single page will have the page(s) removed from the review.

For applicants that submit paper applications, double-sided pages will be counted as two pages.

When the maximum allowed number of pages is reached, excess pages will be removed and will not be made available to reviewers.

NOTE: Applicants failing to adhere to ACF’s FOA formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will receive a letter from ACF notifying them that their application was amended.

The letter will be sent after awards have been issued and will specify the reason(s) for removal of page(s).

Corrections/Updates to Submitted Applications When applicants make revisions to a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. The Application Disqualification Factors determine the application's acceptance for competitive review. See Section III.3. Application Disqualification Factors and Section IV.2. Application Submission Options.

Copies Required Applicants must submit one complete copy of the application package electronically. Applicants submitting electronic applications need not provide additional copies of their application package.

Applicants submitting applications in paper format must submit one original and two copies of the complete application, including all Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms. The original copy must have original signatures.

Signatures Applicants submitting electronic applications must follow the registration and application submission instructions provided at www.Grants.gov.

The original of a paper format application must include original signatures of the authorized representatives.

Accepted Application Format With the exception of the required Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved forms, all application materials must be formatted so that they are 8 ½" x 11" white paper with 1-inch margins all around.

If possible, applicants are encouraged to include page numbers for each page within the application.

ACF generally does not encourage submission of scanned documents as they tend to have reduced clarity and readability. If documents must be scanned, the font size on any scanned documents must be large enough so that it is readable. Documents must be scanned page-for-page, meaning that applicants may not scan more than one page of a document onto a single page. Pages with blurred text will be removed from the application.

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

The Project Description (File One) is limited to 50 pages and must include the following:

1. Table of Contents

2. Project Summary/Abstract (one page)

3. Objectives and Need for Assistance

4. Expected Outcomes

5. Approach

6. Timeline and Narrative

7. Logic Model

8. Program Performance and Evaluation Plan

9. Organizational Capacity

10. Dissemination Plan

11.…