Foa_Content_of_HHS-2022-ACF-OCS-EDA-0161.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Community Services

Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot

HHS-2022-ACF-OCS-EDA-0161

Application Due Date: 08/29/2022

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Appendix

Funding Opportunity Title:

Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACF-OCS-EDA-0161

Primary CFDA Number:

93.647 Due Date for Applications:

08/29/2022 Executive Summary Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) 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/how-apply-grant.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) announces the availability of funds for a Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (DDDRP). OCS will make approximately $8 million available through a competitive grant process. OCS expects to make approximately six cooperative agreements to eligible Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) state associations, tribes that were funded directly by CSBG in fiscal year (FY) 2022, and CSBG-funded territories. Recipients will partner with community action agencies (CAAs), local social service agencies, and/or other non-profit community organizations to operate and expand diaper distribution programs for families with low incomes.

The purpose of the DDDRP is to evaluate the ability of CAAs, social services agencies, and other non-profit community organizations to provide diapers and diapering supplies on a consistent basis through diaper distribution programs while also offering support services for families with low incomes.

As part of the pilot and in cooperation with the recipients, OCS will conduct a robust evaluation to collect pertinent information to assess DDDRP grant recipients’ use of the funding to support low-income families by expanding ongoing diaper distribution programs (i.e., programs where families can receive diapers on a consistent basis) that also offer wraparound services.

Recipients will participate fully in a federal evaluation and follow all evaluation protocols established by ACF and/or its designee contractor(s). Fully participating in a federal evaluation may include supporting and complying with special data collection requirements; providing additional administrative data on program participation or service receipt; facilitating on-site meetings and observations, including interviews with program and partner managers and staff as https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant well as participants and other activities. In addition, the federal evaluation may include an evaluation of the DDDRP's implementation, program and participant outcomes associated with DDDRP, an examination of ongoing diaper distributions as an anti-poverty strategy, and an assessment of the effectiveness of DDDRP.

I. Program Description Statutory Authority Section 1110 of the Social Security Act; 42 U.S.C. 1310. This program was funded by Div. H, Title II of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) as a non-statutory earmark as part of the Social Services Research and Demonstration.

Description

A. Purpose

The purpose of the DDDRP is to evaluate the ability of CAAs, social services agencies, and/or other non-profit community organizations to provide diapers and diapering supplies on a consistent basis through diaper distribution programs while also offering support services for families with low incomes. An evaluation study accompanying the program will measure the impact of additional funding for diapers on families, partnering organizations, and the greater community.

B. Background/Statement of Need

One in three families in the U.S. with diaper-age children report having unmet diaper need.[1] Diaper need is largely defined as the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant/toddler clean, dry, and healthy. Infrequent diaper changes can lead to diaper rashes and urinary tract infections, compromising the health and well-being of infants and toddlers.

According to a study [2] on the impacts of diaper need and child health, families who have a limited supply of diapers attempt to maximize their supply of diapers by changing their infant or toddler less frequently, which can result in more infections and more visits to the doctor or trips to the hospital for children and families. This study also found associations between diaper need and parental stress, which can have negative, compounding effects on the health and well-being of both caregivers and children.

Studies also show that diaper need disproportionately impacts families with low incomes and can have long-term, multigenerational effects.[3] For instance, many child care providers require caregivers to provide an adequate supply of diapers before a child can be placed in care, yet many low-income families cannot afford a consistent supply of diapers. Therefore, diaper need can prevent infants and toddlers from being in early care settings, and further exacerbate the impact of poverty by impeding caregivers’ ability to attend school, training programs, and/or work consistently. A 2019 study measuring the impact of the diapers and diapering supplies[4] found that more than half (56 percent) of parents who rely on child care to go to work have missed work because of an inadequate supply of diapers. Furthermore, parents who were unable to access child care because of a lack of diapers missed work or school, on average, 4 days per month. Thus, access to diapers represents both a public health concern for the well-being of children and a source of economic stress for parents and caretakers.

According to a study conducted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government[5], an adequate supply of diapers costs an average of $23 per week, or an average of $1,196 per year, per child.

A single parent working full time at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour makes $15,080 annually. Thus, the cost of diapers represents nearly 8 percent of their gross annual income, and almost none of the current anti-poverty efforts targeting children and families include funding for diapers. (The assistance provided by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program may be used to buy diapers; however, diapers are only one need among many and only 21 percent of TANF-eligible families participate in the program. Other programs providing social supports to low-income families provide targeted benefits for food assistance, housing, healthcare, etc., but none of them provide funding for diapers or diapering supplies.) Despite this, several studies have shown that ongoing diaper support has been found to improve economic stability, reduce familial stress, increase parental self-sufficiency, and improve both children and caretakers’ health and well-being.

In one study,[6] the influx of funding for diapers and diapering supplies was correlated with incidences of diaper rash declining by 33 percent and babies experiencing 77 percent fewer days of diaper rash. Moreover, the annual medical costs prevented as a result of having adequate diapers was calculated at over $4.2 million. Funding for diapers and diapering supplies also represents an opportunity to build stronger community connections. Diaper programs can serve as an entryway for families to get connected to other support services or programs for which they may be eligible, such as parenting classes, job training courses, mental health counseling, basic needs assistance, or housing services. Additionally, other successful diaper distribution programs have demonstrated that families connect and form relationships with others when they attend programs to receive diapers, which can be a vital protective factor and promote resiliency.

As a condition of acceptance of a grant award, all funded DDDRP recipients are required to agree to participate fully in a federal evaluation and to follow all evaluation protocols established by ACF or its designee contractor(s). Please see the Executive Summary for additional information.

C. Goals and Desired Outcomes

DDDRP cooperative agreements will provide funding to scale-up existing diaper distribution programs where families can receive diapers on a consistent (i.e., regular) basis and maximize diaper distribution to diverse families with low incomes in various service areas and geographic regions.

As DDDRP is a demonstration program, OCS seeks to award cooperative agreements to organizations representing a diverse set of communities.

DDDRP recipients must manage the following requirements:

Partner with local service organizations including CAAs, social services agencies, and other non-profit community organizations;

o Tribal recipients can utilize local existing diaper distribution programs operating within the structure of the tribal government and/or the jurisdiction of the tribe.

Provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to their partners to help them expand and/or strengthen existing diaper distribution programs;

Work with their partners to make bulk purchases and ensure efficient transport of diapers and diapering supplies in such a manner as to take advantage of economies of scale;

Assure that their partners are providing a range of support services to the beneficiaries of the diaper programs; and

Participate fully in the federal evaluation of DDDRP and follow all evaluation protocols established by ACF and/or its designee contractor(s).

DDDRP recipients must work toward the outcomes below. Recipients may be expected to report on their progress regarding these outputs/outcomes in their semi-annual reports, and the federal evaluation may seek to assess recipient performance on these outputs/outcomes.

Short-term outcomes o Increased access to (or receipt of) support services for families with low incomes o Increased consistency of regular diaper provision by participating organizations o Decreased rates of missed days for children enrolled in child care o Increased organizational capacity to provide diaper distribution services o Increased community capacity to provide diapers, diapering supplies, and support services o Improved service and organizational coordination among social service agencies, community organizations, and other providers in the state

Intermediate outcomes o Increased efficiency (e.g., reduced costs, reduced wait times for families between diaper giveaways) of diaper distribution programs o Individual/family reductions in certain health issues (e.g., diaper rash, bladder infections) and/or avoidable emergency department visits related to improved health of caretakers and children o Increased rates of children enrolled in child care o Increased workforce participation by beneficiaries o Increased participation in training and/or higher education by beneficiaries o Improved caretakers’ health and well-being (e.g., anxiety, depression)

Long-term outcomes o Community reductions in certain health issues (e.g., diaper rash, urinary tract infections) and/or avoidable emergency department visits related to improved health of caretakers and children o Increased stability/sustainability or organizational diaper distribution programs o Improved connection to the community o Reduced unemployment in the community o Improved school readiness (e.g., if children are in educational child care settings) o Reduced economic stress o Increased family income

D. Activities

Areas of activity: There are five areas of activity for the DDDRP. Recipients will be required to implement projects that have a thorough plan for value-added activities in each of the following five areas:

1. Establishing partnerships with local service organizations with current diaper distribution programs. Tribal recipients can utilize local existing diaper distribution programs operating within the structure of the tribal government and/or the jurisdiction of the tribe.

2. Expanding existing diaper distribution programs.

3. Providing T/TA to partners to expand and/or strengthen existing diaper distribution programs, including providing wraparound services to program beneficiaries.

4. Facilitating bulk purchasing and efficient transportation of diapers and diapering supplies using economies of scale models.

5. Actively supporting the federal evaluation and ACF’s evaluation contractor and encouraging partners to do the same.

Principles: Recipients will be required to design and implement their diaper distribution pilot so that it reflects the following principles:

Pilot programs must have as a central feature the distribution of diapers and diapering supplies to participating low-income families on a consistent, regular basis (e.g., bi-weekly, monthly) as opposed to an ad hoc approach.

o Pilot programs must ensure that diapers are distributed to each participating family at least once every 2 months, but preferably more often.

o Pilot programs must also ensure they take into consideration the changing sizes and needs of children from month to month and adjust diaper supply orders accordingly.

Pilot programs must offer diaper distribution services to families/individuals who need them regardless of the age of the child (e.g., families with young children, families with individuals with disabilities and/or special needs).

o To ensure valid, reliable, and replicable results of this research demonstration, pilot programs should limit diaper purchasing for children under the age of 18.

Recipients must design and implement their pilot programs with a consideration for the ultimate environmental impact of the program’s activities.

Recipients must prioritize equity in the design and implementation of their pilot programs.

1. Establishing Program Partnerships Award recipients must establish partnerships with a variety of local service organizations including CAAs, social services agencies, and/or other non-profit community organizations with experience operating diaper distribution programs. The purpose of the partnerships is to increase the organizations’ collective capacity to provide comprehensive diaper distribution services and outreach to families with low incomes. Working closely with their community partners, recipients will use this pilot funding to implement programs that expand the reach, depth, and/or quality of the existing diaper distribution (and related) programs. For the purposes of tribal recipients, community partners can be defined as local existing diaper distribution programs operating within the structure of the tribal government and/or the jurisdiction of the tribe.

Recipients, other than tribes, must partner with at least one CAA and one social service agency and/or other non-profit community organization with experience operating diaper distribution (and related) programs. These partner organizations will work together with the recipient to expand and/or strengthen these programs as part of their pilot project. Their focus will be on scaling up the current infrastructure, operating the programs in an efficient and effective manner, and maximizing the overall impact of the diaper distribution programs. Tribal recipients will work to scale up existing diaper infrastructure operating within the structure of the tribal government and/or the jurisdiction of the tribe.

2. Expanding Diaper Distribution Programs Award recipients and their community partners (CAAs, social service agencies, and other non-profit organizations) will be responsible for growing and strengthening the existing network of diaper distribution programs in their state or region(s) of focus and ensuring that participating families have access to 1) diapers and related diaper supplies on an ongoing basis and 2) support services (i.e., additional social services to address other identified needs). This will include soliciting beneficiary participation in the pilot program, holding regular diaper distributions for participants, connecting beneficiaries to other support services, and tracking beneficiaries' participation throughout the duration of the program. Data may be tracked through the federal evaluation and/or recipients’ regular performance progress reports. Partner organizations will also be responsible for collaborating with recipients on the logistics of ordering and distributing diapers. Partner organizations will distribute diapers directly to beneficiaries on a regular basis (e.g., at least once every 2 months, but preferably more often). Additionally, partner organizations will collect survey data and other information from and about program beneficiaries at established intervals throughout the 2-year program period as directed by ACF and ACF’s federal evaluation contractor (e.g., baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months). Tribal recipients will be responsible for growing and strengthening diaper distribution programs within the tribal government and/or jurisdiction of the tribe.

3. Providing Training and Technical Assistance Recipients must work with their partner organizations to expand and/or strengthen existing diaper distribution programs for families with low incomes. Recipients must work with their community partners to support the partners’ participation in DDDRP by providing them with T/TA related to the efficient and effective operation and expansion of their diaper distribution programs, including providing wraparound services to program beneficiaries.

Areas of T/TA related to program logistics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cost effective diaper purchasing Effective diaper delivery practices Data tracking Management and organization Outreach Organizational and programmatic capacity-building efforts Program quality Expanding partnerships and increasing collaboration

A key part of this pilot is ensuring participating families have access to the additional services the organizations offer to support families with low incomes and increase the families’ overall economic capacity and mobility. Grant recipients and their community partners will connect participating families with the support services currently offered within their agency or community. Support services may include, but will not be limited to, financial literacy services, child care services, transportation, substance use disorder treatment, English language education, job training, social service referrals, casework, housing services, etc. Recipients will work closely with their community partners through the provision of T/TA and other activities and resources to ensure beneficiaries are connected to a variety of support services so that, together with the regular distribution of diapers, participating families can achieve a higher level of economic independence. For the purposes of tribal recipients, tribes must ensure that their expanded diaper distribution programs within their tribal jurisdiction allow families with low incomes to have access to additional support services as listed in the examples above.

4. Coordinating Diaper Distribution Logistics Recipients will assist their partners in the bulk purchasing and efficient transportation of diapers and diapering supplies for the diaper distribution programs. Recipients will work with their partners to plan and coordinate the logistics in a manner that considers the unique needs and resources of their service area and maximizes the efficiency, effectiveness (including cost), and reach of the pilot project. For example, recipients may determine that it is most effective for them to buy in bulk for all their partners and then allocate and distribute the diapers and diapering supplies centrally. Alternatively, recipients may determine that the most efficient approach is to negotiate a single bulk purchasing agreement with a manufacturer that the partners can then participate in, or they may add the most value by helping their partners establish their own purchasing agreements. In any case, recipients must make sure they follow their own procurement procedures and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations. Tribal recipients will work within their tribal government and/or tribal jurisdiction to coordinate bulk purchasing and efficient transportation of diapers and diapering supplies for diaper distribution programs.

Grant recipients will consider the benefits and costs of different options and make the best use of economies of scale.

5. Evaluation Award recipients will work closely with ACF and ACF’s evaluation contractor(s) to facilitate a robust evaluation of this federal diaper distribution pilot. The federal evaluation will include gathering regular implementation data (e.g., number of diapers distributed, age of children) from recipients. It may also include, but is not limited to, data gathering from recipients, partners, and/or program beneficiaries through surveys, small focus groups, and/or qualitative interviews.

Recipients will fully and actively support the federal evaluation and work with and encourage their partner organizations to do the same. Recipients can provide training and/or other support to their community partners to ensure their full participation and to maximize the participation of the program beneficiaries (e.g., survey completion).

NOTE: Consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), under this NOFO, OCS 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. ACF will obtain OMB approval under PRA prior to collecting or requesting the collection of any information from more than nine individuals or entities.

Subawards Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project.

Subrecipient monitoring activities alone, as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352, do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

E. Definitions

Beneficiary–For the purposes of this NOFO, the beneficiary includes both parents and/or caretakers of the diaper recipient (i.e., infant, child, older child) and the diaper recipient themselves.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#book_content_14 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements

CAAs–Public and private non-profits known as CAAs work to implement community-based anti-poverty programs and provide support services to vulnerable households, including education and employment services and assistance with basic needs. CAAs were established to carry out the Community Action Program, which was founded by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fight poverty by empowering the poor as part of the War on Poverty.

Community partners–Local service organizations including CAAs, social services agencies, and/or other non-profit community organizations with experience operating diaper distribution programs. For the purposes of tribal applicants, community partners can be defined as local diaper distribution programs operating within the structure of the tribal government and/or the jurisdiction of the tribe. Tribal recipients are not required to partner with CAAs, social service agencies, and/or other non-profit organizations external to the tribal jurisdiction.

CSBG–CSBG, authorized at 42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq., provides funds to states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and federally and state-recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations to support services designed to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty by assisting individuals and families with low incomes and communities with services based on local needs (e.g. employment, education, and adequate housing).

CSBG State Associations–A member organization that provides coordination and T/TA designed to increase the capacity of CSBG-eligible entities to carry out the mandate of the CSBG Act, host conferences, and measure results.

Diapers and diapering supplies–Diapers and diapering supplies include, but are not limited to, disposable or cloth diapers for young children, pull-ups, diapers for older children, wipes, diaper rash cream, etc.

Diaper distribution infrastructure–Diaper distribution infrastructure refers to the logistics surrounding ordering, transporting, storing, and ultimately distributing diapers and diapering supplies to families with low incomes. This also includes performing outreach.

Diaper need–Diaper need is a consistent lack of sufficient diaper supply to keep an infant or child clean, dry, and healthy.

Economies of scale–Broadly, economies of scale are cost savings companies experience with increased level of production and when production becomes efficient and costs can be spread over a large amount of goods. For the purposes of this NOFO, purchasing using economies of scale principles refers to buying diapers in bulk (larger units) to ultimately reduce costs per diaper and maximize program funds to provide as many diapers to families with low incomes as possible.

Equity–The consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons; Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Nonprofit community organizations (NPO)–A nonprofit organization is a business that has been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) because it furthers a social cause and provides a public benefit. Non-profit organizations are sometimes called NPOs or 501(c)(3) organizations based on the section of the tax code that permits them to operate.

Ongoing diaper support/Ongoing diaper distributions–Programs where families can receive diapers on a consistent basis.

Social service agencies–Social service agencies promote the health and well-being of individuals by helping them to become more self-sufficient; strengthening family relationships;

and restoring individuals, families, groups, or communities to successful social functioning.

Support services–Support services encompass any service that an individual or family with low income may need to become more financially stable and self-sufficient. Support services include, but are not limited to, financial literacy services, child care services, transportation, substance use disorder treatment, English language education, job training, social service referrals, basic needs support, housing services, etc.

Underserved communities–Populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied the full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.

[1] Massengale, K., Comer, L., Austin, A., & Goldblum, J.,(2020). Diaper Need Met Among Low-Income US Children Younger Than 4 Years in 2016. (2019). American Public Health Association. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305377

[2] Smith, M. V., Kruse, A., Weir, A., & Goldblum, J. (2013). Diaper need and its impact on child health. Pediatrics, 132(2), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-0597

[3] Smith, M. V., Kruse, A., Weir, A., & Goldblum, J. (2013). Diaper need and its impact on child health. Pediatrics, 132(2), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-0597

[4] Carstensen, F. (2018). Better Health of Children: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Connecticut Diaper Bank. Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.

https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/#

[5] Carstensen, F. (2018). Better Health of Children: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Connecticut Diaper Bank. Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.

https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/# https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305377 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-0597 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1542%2Fpeds.2013-0597&data=05%7C01%7CJuliana.Melara%40acf.hhs.gov%7Cf55d39401e1c4b828a3c08da63ae63e3%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637931897924946349%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Bl6H3k3S95oUZWAIm9zOf5WsBLBnZbLMNl1obA4m0Yo%3D&reserved=0 https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/ https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/ https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/ https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/

[6] Carstensen, F. (2018). Better Health of Children: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Connecticut Diaper Bank. Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.

https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/#

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$8,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$1,500,000 Per Project Period

Award Floor:

$800,000 Per Project Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$1,333,333 Per Project Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2022 Length of Project Periods:

Other

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' One 24-month project period with one 24-month budget period.

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this funding opportunity 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 funding under this funding opportunity. 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 https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/ https://ccea.uconn.edu/2018/05/05/better-health-of-children-the-social-and-economic-impacts-of-the-connecticut-diaper-bank/

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.

For more information on these requirements, see Section III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

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

The responsibility for the management, control, direction, or performance of the project will be shared by OCS and the recipient. OCS will have the right to intervene (including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance of project activities if the recipient does not adhere to the goals and objectives as outlined in the NOFO and a signed cooperative agreement.

OCS program involvement will include the following:

Providing program guidance and input, as appropriate;

Approving all work plans and schedules;

Reviewing and providing feedback on the activities, documentation, procedures, measures, and tools established and implemented for accomplishing the goals of the cooperative agreement throughout the duration of the initiative;

Reviewing, providing feedback, and concurring with activities, procedures, tools, measures, products, and written materials prior to external communication and dissemination on an ongoing basis;

Providing support for the federal evaluation contractor and recipients in meeting the requirements of the federal evaluation; and

Participating in the presentation of results in publications.

III. Eligibility Information III.1. Eligible Applicants The following types of organizations are eligible to receive direct awards from DDDRP: CSBG state associations, tribes that were funded directly by CSBG in FY 2022, and CSBG-funded territories.

Please see Appendix A for a list of eligible organizations.

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

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes

Recipients are required to meet a non-federal share of the project cost, in accordance with Social Security Act Section 1110(a)(1)(A), which states that the funding is to be used for making grants to States and public and other organizations and agencies for paying part of the cost of research or demonstration projects.

Recipients must provide at least 10 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF (federal) share and the non-federal share. The non-federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although recipients are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. For example, in order to meet the match requirements, a project requesting $1,500,000 in ACF (federal) funds must provide a non-federal share of the approved total project cost of at least $ 150,000, which is 10 percent of total approved project cost of $ 1,500,000.

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 criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

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 funding under this funding opportunity.

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 funding under this funding opportunity. 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.

Required Electronic Application Submission

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at 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 funding under this funding opportunity.

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."

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

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

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

Each time an application is submitted via 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 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 pm ET on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Notification of Application Disqualification https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf

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 NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information IV.1. Address to Request Application Package Thom Campbell Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Community Services

HHS-2022-ACF-OCS-EDA-0161

1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 401 Largo

MD

20774 1-855-792-6551 ocstech@reviewops.org https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms (SFs), assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the NOFO's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at 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 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 Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding SFs and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. SFs and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay 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 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 extra pages removed, and those 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, 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 NOFO Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that fail to adhere to ACF’s NOFO 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 and 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 NOFO 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. Other, 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 SFs 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 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 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:

Applications must be submitted in two files and must not exceed a combined total of 75 pages. In both files, all items must be labeled, numbered, and organized clearly in the Table of Contents.

The first file must be titled “Project Description” and must include the following items:

Table of Contents Project Summary Need for Assistance Objectives Expected Outcomes Approach Project Timeline and Milestones Organizational Capacity Plan for Oversight of Federal Award Funds and Activities Program Performance Evaluation Plan Logic Model Protection of Sensitive and/or Confidential Information Project Budget and Budget Narrative/Justification

The second file must be titled “Appendices” and must include the following:

Table of Contents Proof of Legal Status of Entity/Proof of Non-Profit Status Third-party…