Foa_Content_of_HHS-2024-ACF-OCSS-FD-0015.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Child Support Services

Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration

HHS-2024-ACF-OCSS-FD-0015

Application Due Date: 05/02/2024

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

Funding Opportunity Title:

Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACF-OCSS-FD-0015

Assistance Listing Number:

93.564 Due Date for Applications:

05/02/2024 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 an award, please visit "Applying for an ACF Award" at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) invites eligible candidates to submit competitive applications for the Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration (NextGen). The NextGen program model is based on lessons learned from the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration. Its goal is to expand and enhance child support-led employment services for noncustodial parents to improve the reliable payment of child support, which will improve the financial well-being of children. All state and tribal child support programs are eligible. Each applicant will self-identify into one of the following three mutually exclusive groups:

1. Tribal child support agencies

2. State child support agencies where at least one local jurisdiction participating in the demonstration does not currently have an employment and training program or the program has been in operation for less than 5 years

3. State child support agencies where all local jurisdictions participating in the demonstration have had an employment and training program in operation for at least 5 years

All groups are expected to implement their employment and training programs according to the program design elements described in the paragraph below. Deviations are allowed, but they must be justified, and the applicant must explain how they propose to handle the design elements described below.

All groups are expected to provide the following child support and related services to noncustodial parents who received employment and training services:

• Initiating and expediting order review and, if appropriate, modification https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

• Suspending enforcement tools while participating in the program, including removing license suspensions and bench warrants

• Providing debt reduction if permitted by state law

• Helping with parenting time orders

Wraparound services, such as fatherhood and parenting classes, substance abuse, or mental health services, are a plus but not required. OCSS anticipates that the grant recipient will partner with other agencies and programs to provide the employment and training and other wraparound services.

Experience shows that programs work best if each partner focuses on their core competencies.

The child support program is expected to be the fiscal agent, manage the day-to-day operation of the program, and provide child support and related services, including those listed above. OCSS does not anticipate that child support staff will provide the employment and training services or wraparound services since they are not the child support program core competencies. These services will be paid for by the grant, but in most instances, they will be delivered by partnering agencies.

This award will have a 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods. Year 1 will focus on start-up and development of the program design. Years 2, 3, and 4 will be devoted to providing services, and the final year will be dedicated to evaluation, close-out, and sustainability work. Grant recipients will receive technical assistance and evaluation support from the recipient of the Technical Assistance and Evaluation of the Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration (see companion NOFO HHS-2024-ACF-OCSS- FD-0016). They will also participate in peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Recipients may receive between $350,000 and $2,102,941 over the 5-year project period. The award ceilings and floors for each project year are:

• Year 1 (initial application): $588,235 ceiling and $100,000 floor

• Year 2: $588,235 ceiling and $100,000 floor

• Year 3: $308,824 ceiling and $50,000 floor

• Year 4: $308,824 ceiling and $50,000 floor

• Year 5: $308,824 ceiling and $50,000 floor

OCSS anticipates the budget requested will be scaled up or down according to the number of people served by the project.

I. Program Description Statutory Authority Title IV, part D (42 U.S.C. 651 et. seq.) and section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

1315)

Description Background

The child support program works well for parents who have steady incomes through regular employment or other means. These parents pay their child support through income withholding, which provides custodial families with a reliable source of income. If noncustodial parents fall behind in their child support, the child support program can use debt-driven enforcement remedies, such as license suspension and contempt hearings, to collect back due support.

Income withholding and debt-driven enforcement remedies are less effective for noncustodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed. These parents typically do not have sufficient income to pay their child support in full and end up accumulating child support arrears. Roughly 70 percent of child support arrears are owed by parents with little or no reported income. [1] Research shows that trying to collect child support arrears from low-income noncustodial parents is often counterproductive to the goals of the child support program as it pushes parents further away from the program, the formal labor market, and their children.[2]

The child support program has been moving away from relying on debt-driven enforcement remedies, especially from unemployed or underemployed noncustodial parents. Instead, it is focusing on outreach, early intervention, setting realistic child support orders, collecting child support through income withholding, offering debt reduction programs, and customizing service delivery to reach the entire family.

OCSS believes that providing employment and training services to unemployed noncustodial parents can improve this new approach to child support service delivery by addressing a major reason for the nonpayment of child support, namely lack of a job and stable pay. OCSS has a special initiative called Knowledge Works! that helps child support agencies implement or enhance noncustodial parent employment programs by highlighting the work of successful programs in other jurisdictions.

Many studies have shown that child support-led employment and training programs can increase employment of noncustodial parents and increase reliability of regular child support payments.[3] The first large-scale effort to examine the effectiveness of providing employment and training services to unemployed noncustodial parents was called Parents’ Fair Share (PFS).

It was first implemented as a pilot in nine sites from 1992 to 1993, followed by a national random assignment demonstration implemented in seven sites from 1994 to 1996. The core services included employment and training services, enhanced child support services, peer support, and mediation. The demonstration found that PFS services increased the regularity of paying child support over the 18-month follow-up period.[4] About 10 years later, two state programs – Noncustodial Parent Choices in Texas and Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers in New York – were evaluated using a quasi-experimental design called propensity score matching. Both evaluations found that these programs had large positive impacts on participant employment and child support payments.[5] Several other state programs were also evaluated, all of which found positive child support outcomes.[6]

Adding to this body of research, OCSS conducted a national demonstration called the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED) that examined the effectiveness of child support-led employment programs for noncustodial parents between 2012 and 2017. CSPED found that child support-led employment programs effectively delivered employment services through third-party partnerships with local employment service providers, which increased income withholding and decreased the use of debt-driven enforcement remedies.[7] CSPED also successfully increased participants’ employment in the first 2 years after enrollment and increased earnings in the first year after enrollment, as measured using quarterly earnings.[8] It also increased participants’ contact with their nonresident children. This new approach improved the image of the child support program and helped lessen significant https://www.acf.hhs.gov/css/employment-programs distrust among noncustodial parents, paving the way for better communication, more cooperation, and a more effective child support program. Many agencies involved in this demonstration dramatically shifted their office culture from an “enforcement first” mentality to a more service-oriented, family-centered approach, recognizing that some noncustodial parents could benefit from employment and training services.[9] A benefit-cost analysis of CSPED found that the benefits of CSPED outweighed its costs within 2 years when the costs of employment and parenting services received by members of the regular-services group were taken into account.[10]

Although many state and local child support agencies have partnered with other programs to provide employment and training services, relatively few child support agencies have been able to secure resource commitments to fund child support-led employment programs for noncustodial parents in an ongoing, consistent, or statewide basis. This NOFO is one way OCSS is trying to address this issue.

Purpose and Goals

This NOFO offers state and tribal child support agencies the opportunity to establish or enhance child support-led employment and training programs for unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents to help them gain employment and increase their earnings, which will increase the likelihood of them paying child support through income withholding. Recipients will participate in peer-learning activities to facilitate real-time improvements in their programs and be part of a national evaluation of these efforts, both of which will be funded under the companion NOFO. Tribal recipients will receive customized technical assistance tailored to their projects.

The ultimate goal of the demonstration projects is to improve the reliable payment of child support, which will improve the financial well-being of children.

Short-term goals are to:

• Increase the number of child support agencies that offer employment and training services to unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents.

• Deliver effective employment and training services by child support agencies in partnership with third-party employment service providers.

• Increase the likelihood that noncustodial parents who receive employment and training services obtain employment and increase their earnings.

• Increase child support collections through income withholding, providing a more reliable source of child support payments.

Program Type

Projects under this demonstration must belong to one of the following three mutually exclusive program types:

1. Tribal child support agencies

2. State child support agencies where at least one local jurisdiction participating in the demonstration does not currently have an employment and training program or the program has been in operation for less than 5 years

3. State child support agencies where all local jurisdictions participating in the demonstration have had an employment and training program in operation for at least 5 years

OCSS will prioritize sites according to program type to ensure equitable advancement of employment services for parents in the child support program. The highest priority is for program type 1, followed by program type 2. This is because tribes serve a disadvantaged population and the first two groups have had less access to funding for employment services than program type 3.

All program types will be expected to implement their employment and training projects according to the program design elements described below. Deviations from the program design are allowed, but they must be justified, and the applicant must explain how they propose to handle the design elements described below.

Bonus Points

Applications proposing program type 1 will receive 10 bonus points. Applicants proposing program type 2 will receive five bonus points.

Program Design

These sections explain program design elements, including the required and elective service elements of the demonstration program. Keeping in line with ACF's equity goals, OCSS expects that the project approach, work plan, and deliverables will follow a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all. This includes Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons;

persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Target Population

This demonstration targets noncustodial parents who are behind in paying their child support or who are expected to have trouble making regular child support because of unemployment or underemployment. Demonstration services are limited to noncustodial parents who 1) have at least one open child support case that is not an interstate case, and 2) have a current support order or are establishing a current support order.

Recruitment

Grant recipients must actively recruit noncustodial parents who meet the eligibility criteria to participate in the employment and training program. Although court referrals during contempt hearings are an acceptable recruitment strategy, OCSS strongly encourages recipients to recruit noncustodial parents prior to contempt hearings. CSPED found several successful approaches to recruitment prior to contempt, including:

• Using standard child support caseworkers to identify noncustodial parents in their regular caseload who meet the eligibility criteria and refer them to the demonstration grant's specialized child support case managers for follow-up recruitment

• Using incentives to boost referrals from standard child support caseworkers

• Highlighting the benefits of participation, such as providing debt reduction programs, removing drivers’ license suspensions, and receiving work supports [11]

Lead Agency and Partnerships

The child support agency is expected to manage the day-to-day operation of the grant project and provide case management and child support and related services, including those listed below.

OCSS does not anticipate child support staff will provide employment and training services.

Rather, the child support agency is expected to partner with an employment service provider to provide those services. Program experience shows that programs work best if each partner focuses on their core competencies.

OCSS encourages applicants to consider partnering with a local fatherhood program if the program provides employment and training services. These programs have experience working with noncustodial parents and offer other services that may interest participants. Grant funds may be used to pay for other services offered by fatherhood programs, such as parenting classes, as long as those services reduce barriers to paying child support.

If a local employment service provider is not available, a child support agency may provide the employment and training services. However, the child support agency must show it tried to identify a local employment service provider.

Employment and Training Services

The employment service provider is expected to assign noncustodial parents to a specific Employment Specialist who will manage their case and deliver employment and training services. The Employment Specialist's duties can include:

• Conducting skills assessments

• Developing and executing an employment and training services plan

• Making sure employment and training services are delivered and providing work supports, as needed

• Monitoring participant progress in meeting service plan goals

• Communicating regularly with the child support case manager

The employment service provider is expected to provide these services:

• Job search assistance

• Job readiness training

• Job development and job placement services

• Job retention services

• Work supports, such as transportation assistance

Although not required, OCSS strongly encourages recipients to also make these employment services available:

• Vocational education training or other skills training directly related to employment

• Activities to improve literacy and basic skills, such as programs to complete high school or a high school equivalency certificate, or English as a second language

Case Management

Grant recipients are expected to employ specialized child support case managers who will manage cases being referred to an employment service provider. These cases require a higher level of case management than is typical for standard child support caseworkers, so these child support caseworkers should have reduced caseloads. Employing child support caseworkers with the right skills is critical. It is important to select staff who are empathetic toward unemployed noncustodial parents and who desire to help noncustodial parents succeed. The Case Manager's duties can include:

• Conducting needs assessments that include an assessment of all barriers to paying child support, not just those related to employment

• Developing and executing personalized service plans

• Initiating and monitoring child support and related service delivery

• Helping participants establish or revise parenting time orders

• Monitoring participant progress in meeting service plan goals

Child Support and Related Services

Grant recipients are expected to provide the following child support and related services to parents participating in employment and training services:

• Stop enforcement actions temporarily while noncustodial parents participate in employment and training services

• Remove license suspensions and bench warrants for noncustodial parents participating in employment and training services

• Initiate and expedite review of child support orders, and modify child support orders, if appropriate

• Provide debt relief if permitted by state law

• Help with parenting time orders

Other Services

Grant recipients are encouraged to develop competency in navigating community services that can address all the barriers that make it difficult for unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents to pay reliable child support. Recipients may use grant funding to pay for other services that lead to reliable child support payments, including substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mediation, and fees associated with establishing a parenting time order.

Recipients are encouraged to work with community partners with expertise in the areas of substance abuse and mental health when these services are being considered to make sure low cost and free services are used, when appropriate. Funds may also be used to pay for participants' emergency expenses.

Timeline

Activities for the 5-year project period should follow this schedule:

Year 1 will be devoted to start-up activities, refining the project design, and contracting with third-party employment service providers.

Years 2-4 will focus on enrollment and providing services.

Year 5 will be devoted primarily to continued services for those already enrolled, grant close-out, and sustainability work. New enrollees may participate in the final year, but they likely will not be included in the evaluation.

Project Management

Child support agencies must provide appropriate project management for these demonstration projects. OCSS expects that each recipient will employ a Project Manager or managers to make sure the project is planned and implemented successfully.

OCSS expects that the local child support office where the employment program is located will employ a local Project Manager to manage the day-to-day grant activities. Proximity is important because the local Project Manager will need to meet face-to-face with child support staff providing case management and child support and related services. OCSS expects that the local Project Manager will also hold regular meetings with all project staff (including partner staff) to discuss any challenges or barriers they may face and try to resolve those challenges and barriers quickly and effectively.

OCSS expects to meet monthly with the state-level Project Manager and any local project managers to make sure progress is being made on the grant.

All demonstration sites must develop and implement a performance measurement plan in coordination with OCSS that will monitor program implementation and make corrections as needed. This plan should track outcomes such as number of participants enrolled, services provided, and number of participants who find work. OCSS anticipates the organization conducting the national evaluation (funded under the companion NOFO) will develop and implement a Management Information System (MIS) that grant recipients under this NOFO may use to meet this requirement. Alternative approaches to meeting this requirement are allowed, but must be justified.

Each demonstration site should also plan to employ a Data Coordinator. The Data Coordinator will manage the grant recipient’s performance measurement plan. The Data Coordinator will also make sure data from the statewide child support computer system needed for the national evaluation are extracted and delivered to the organization conducting the national evaluation.

Further, the Data Coordinator will need to coordinate with OCSS to deliver participant data from the National Directory of New Hires to the organization conducting the national evaluation (details about this process will be explained by OCSS after grants are awarded). OCSS anticipates the position will require approximately 10 hours per week.

Evaluation

Recipients will participate in a national, cross-site evaluation conducted by an independent third-party organization, which will be awarded under the companion NOFO. Recipients do not have to conduct their own evaluations and may not spend grant funds on their own evaluation.

However, they must support and participate in the national evaluation.

OCSS anticipates the national evaluation will include an implementation analysis (with interviews with program staff and stakeholders), development of an MIS used to collect data on services delivered and key outcomes, engagement with parents who participated in the demonstration to hear their voices, and analysis of participant outcomes using participant information from child support administrative data and the National Directory of New Hires.

OCSS reserves the right to amend all details of the evaluation design and implementation to best meet the goals of the demonstration.

Recipients under this NOFO will receive technical assistance for this evaluation and training on how to use the MIS built for this demonstration project if the grant recipient uses the MIS. They will also receive programmatic technical assistance on how to implement an effective employment and training program for noncustodial parents. Technical assistance will be customized depending on the type of program implemented. The recipient of the companion grant will provide all technical assistance.

The third-party organization(s) conducting the technical assistance and evaluation for this demonstration will hold regularly scheduled virtual peer learning sessions throughout the 5-year demonstration where grant recipients will learn how to recruit, serve, and retain project participants. It will also hold annual workshops in Washington, DC (or an alternate location as approved by OCSS) to promote coordination, information and resource sharing, troubleshooting, training, and learning opportunities. OCSS anticipates these workshops will be 2 days each year of the demonstration. Grant recipients are required to send at least one project staff member to these workshops.

NOTE: Consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) OCSS 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.

Waiver Requirements

The applicant may need to request a waiver of certain provisions of the Act. Section 1115(a)(1) of the Act allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive a state plan requirement in Section 454. Section 1115(a)(2)(A) allows the Secretary to treat certain unallowable expenditures as allowable state expenditures for purposes of the demonstration project. A request to waive state-wideness and other state plan requirements that facilitate the conduct of the project or enable the state or tribe to accomplish the purposes of the project may also be needed.

Examples of activities funded under waivers approved in earlier demonstration projects include:

• Employment services

• Fatherhood programs

• Intensive case management to include individualized case plans for employment

• Housing, transportation, health, and parenthood needs

• Wrap-around services, including General Educational Development, legal services, domestic violence, and incentives

Waivers requested in the application will be covered as part of the cooperative agreement unless noted upon award. Waivers requested after award will be granted if it's determined they are essential to the demonstration.

[1] Sorensen, Elaine, Liliana Sousa, and Simon Schaner, Assessing Child Support Arrears in Nine Large States and the Nation, Washington, DC: Urban Institute (2007).

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/29736/1001242-Assessing-Child-Support-Arrears-in-Nine-Large-States-and-the-Nation.PDF https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/29736/1001242-Assessing-Child-Support-Arrears-in-Nine-Large-States-and-the-Nation.PDF

[2] Cancian, Maria, Carolyn Heinrich, and Yiyoon Chung, “Discouraging Disadvantaged Fathers’ Employment: An Unintended Consequence of Policies Designed to Support Families,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 32:4 (2013).

Kimberly Turner and Maureen Waller, “Indebted Relationships: Child Support Arrears and Nonresident Fathers’ Involvement with Children.” Journal of Marriage and Family 79:1 (2017).

[3] Doolittle, Fred, Virginia Knox, Cynthia Miller, and Sharon Rowser. Building Opportunities, Enforcing Obligations: Implementation and Interim Impacts of Parents’ Fair Share. New York:

MDRC (1998).

Schroeder, Daniel and Nicholas Doughty. Texas Non-Custodial Parent Choices: Program Impact Analysis, Austin, TX: Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, (September 2009).

Lippold, Kye, Austin Nichols, and Elaine Sorensen. Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers: Final Impact Report. Washington, DC: Urban Institute (2011).

Pearson, Jessica, Lanae Davis, and Jane Venohr, Parents to Work! Program Outcomes and Economic Impacts, Denver, CO: Center for Policy Research (February 2011).

Born, Catherine E., Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, and Correne Saunders, The Noncustodial Parent Employment Program: Employment and Payment Outcomes, Baltimore, MD: Family Welfare Research and Training Group, University of Maryland, School of Social Work (April 2011).

Perez-Johnson, Irma, Jacqueline Kauff, Alan Hershey. Giving Noncustodial Parents Options:

Employment and Child Support Outcomes of the SHARE Program. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research (October 2003).

Davis, Lanae, Jessica Pearson, and Nancy Thoennes. Evaluation of the Tennessee Parent Support Program, Denver, CO: Center for Policy Research (November 2013).

[4] Doolittle, Fred et al., Building Opportunities, Enforcing Obligations: Implementation and Interim Impacts of Parents’ Fair Share (1998).

[5] Schroeder, Daniel and Nicholas Doughty. Texas Non-Custodial Parent Choices: Program Impact Analysis, (September 2009).

Lippold et al., Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers: Final Impact Report.

Washington, DC: Urban Institute (2011).

[6] Born, Catherine E. et al., The Noncustodial Parent Employment Program: Employment and Payment Outcomes (April 2011).

Davis, Lanae et al., Evaluation of the Tennessee Parent Support Program (November 2013).

Pearson, Jessica et al., Parents to Work! Program Outcomes and Economic Impacts (February 2011).

Perez-Johnson, Irma et al., Giving Noncustodial Parents Options: Employment and Child Support Outcomes of the SHARE Program (October 2003).

Pearson, Jessica et al., Parents to Work! Program Outcomes and Economic Impacts (February 2011).

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolyn-Heinrich/publication/264476066_Discouraging_Disadvantaged_Fathers'_Employment_An_Unintended_Consequence_of_Policies_Designed_to_Support_Families/links/59d777fe458515db19cb9c46/Discouraging-Disadvantaged-Fathers-Employment-An-Unintended-Consequence-of-Policies-Designed-to-Support-Families.pdf?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolyn-Heinrich/publication/264476066_Discouraging_Disadvantaged_Fathers'_Employment_An_Unintended_Consequence_of_Policies_Designed_to_Support_Families/links/59d777fe458515db19cb9c46/Discouraging-Disadvantaged-Fathers-Employment-An-Unintended-Consequence-of-Policies-Designed-to-Support-Families.pdf?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12361 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12361 https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_38.pdf https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_38.pdf https://sites.utexas.edu/raymarshallcenter/files/2005/07/NCP_Choices_Final_Sep_03_2009.pdf https://sites.utexas.edu/raymarshallcenter/files/2005/07/NCP_Choices_Final_Sep_03_2009.pdf https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/26676/412442-Strengthening-Families-Through-Stronger-Fathers-Final-Impact-Report-for-the-Pilot-Employment-Programs.PDF https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/26676/412442-Strengthening-Families-Through-Stronger-Fathers-Final-Impact-Report-for-the-Pilot-Employment-Programs.PDF https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/ParentsToWork.pdf https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/ParentsToWork.pdf https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/media/ssw/fwrtg/child-support-research/cs-initiatives/npep.pdf?& https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/media/ssw/fwrtg/child-support-research/cs-initiatives/npep.pdf?& https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files/39936/report.pdf https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files/39936/report.pdf https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/EvaluationTennesseeParentSupportProgram.pdf https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/EvaluationTennesseeParentSupportProgram.pdf https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_38.pdf https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_38.pdf https://sites.utexas.edu/raymarshallcenter/files/2005/07/NCP_Choices_Final_Sep_03_2009.pdf https://sites.utexas.edu/raymarshallcenter/files/2005/07/NCP_Choices_Final_Sep_03_2009.pdf https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/26676/412442-Strengthening-Families-Through-Stronger-Fathers-Final-Impact-Report-for-the-Pilot-Employment-Programs.PDF https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/media/ssw/fwrtg/child-support-research/cs-initiatives/npep.pdf?& https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/media/ssw/fwrtg/child-support-research/cs-initiatives/npep.pdf?& https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/EvaluationTennesseeParentSupportProgram.pdf https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/ParentsToWork.pdf https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//39936/report.pdf https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//39936/report.pdf https://centerforpolicyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/ParentsToWork.pdf

[7] Cancian, Maria, Daniel R. Meyer, Robert Wood. Final Impact Findings from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration. Madison, WI: Institute for Research on Poverty (March 2019).

Noyes, Jennifer L. Lisa Klein Vogel, and Lanikque Howard, Final Implementation Findings from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED) Evaluation.

Madison WI: Institute for Research on Poverty (December 2018).

[8] Sorensen, Elaine. What We Learned from Recent Federal Evaluations of Programs Serving Disadvantaged Noncustodial Parents, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (November 2020).

[9] Noyes, Jennifer L. et al., Final Implementation Findings from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED) Evaluation. (December 2018).

[10] Cancian, Maria, Daniel R. Meyer, and Robert G. Wood. “Carrots Work Better than Sticks?

Results from the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. 41:2 (2022).

[11] Noyes, Jennifer L. et al., Final Implementation Findings from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED) Evaluation. (December 2018).

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$4,429,412 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$588,235 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$100,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$350,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

07/01/2024 Length of Project Periods:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Additional Information on Awards:

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_impact_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_impact_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/OPRE%20NCP%20Employment%20Brief_508.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/OPRE%20NCP%20Employment%20Brief_508.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pam.22370 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pam.22370 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocse/csped_implementation_report.pdf

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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

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

OCSS anticipates substantial involvement in the following activities:

• Providing consultation to each recipient on developing and implementing the program design and approaches to address problems that arise and identifying areas needing technical assistance

• Promoting collaborative relationships and facilitating the exchange of information (e.g., identifying technical assistance and training needs, emerging issues, research findings, other available resources) among grant recipients and other entities or organizations engaged by OCSS for purposes related to this program

• Facilitating and guiding accurate, uniform data collection to effectively execute a cross-site national evaluation

• Providing timely review, comments, and decisions on inquiries and documents submitted by recipients

• Working with the grant recipient of the companion NOFO and the third-party organization(s) conducting the technical assistance and evaluation to hold regularly scheduled teleconferences and webinars and develop annual in-person workshops for grant recipients to promote coordination, information sharing, and access to resources, training, and learning opportunities

• Working together to address issues or problems identified by the recipients, OCSS, or others about the program’s ability to carry out the full range of activities included in the approved application in the most efficient and effective manner

III. Eligibility Information III.1. Eligible Applicants State title IV-D agencies, or the umbrella agency, and tribal title IV-D agencies operating comprehensive programs.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit 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:

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 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.

See Section IV.2. The Project Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources for more information.

III.3. Other Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit 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, as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from the merit 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 that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

If you do not have an internet connection or sufficient capacity to upload large documents to the internet you may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow you to submit your application 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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov which fail their validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF. If you submit an application for the same NOFO more than once, only the last on-time submission will be acknowledged.

Paper applications with an approved exemption from the electronic submission requirement must be received by 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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

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 NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information IV.1. Address to Request Application Package Michelle Jadczak U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Child Support Services 330 C Street SW Washington

DC

20201 202-401-4578 michelle.jadczak@acf.hhs.gov Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

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

Notice of Two-File Requirement Applicants applying via Grants.gov must upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms (SFs) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. Additional files will be removed prior to the merit review.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Signature of Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Each applicant must designate an authorized organization representative (AOR) with authority to act on the organization’s behalf on matters related to the application submission and administration of awards. The AOR signature must appear on all forms in which a signature is required. By signing, the AOR agrees the organization will abide by all applicable Federal statutes, regulations and terms and conditions of the award.

Accepted Font Style and Size Applications must be in Times New Roman 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred or illegible text will be removed.

If documents must be scanned, the font size on any scanned documents must be large enough so that it is readable. You may not scan more than one page of a documents onto a single page.

Pages with blurred text will be removed from the application.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. See 45 CFR §75.111 for more information.

Page Limitations You must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS" later in this section. 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 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:

• Table of Contents

• One-page Project Summary

• Required Assurances and Certifications

• SFs and OMB-approved forms

• Resumes, Logic Models, Proof of Legal Status/Non-Profit Status, Third-Party

Agreements, Letters of Support, footnotes and tables

• 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 merit review 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 revise a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. 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 must follow the registration and application submission instructions provided at Grants.gov.

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.

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

With the exception of SFs and OMB-approved forms, the application submission is limited to 100 pages. The application must be uploaded in the following two files:

File One (Project Description) Project Summary/Abstract

• Table of Contents

• Project Narrative (suggest no more than 40 pages)

• Budget and Budget Justification

File Two (Appendices)

• Resumes and curriculum vitae

• Third-party Agreements and other supporting material

• Optional Governing Body Documentation (if necessary)

Do not submit required SFs and OMB-approved forms in these files.

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to submit applications electronically unless you have received an exemption that will allow submission in paper format. See Section IV.2. Application Submission Options for information about requesting an exemption.

Electronic applications will only be accepted via Grants.gov. ACF will not accept applications submitted via email or via facsimile.

Each applicant is required to upload ONLY two electronic files, excluding SFs and OMB-approved forms.

File One: Must contain the entire Project Description, and the Budget and Budget Justification (including a line-item budget and a budget narrative).

File Two: Must contain all documents required in the Appendices.

Formatting Submission Files ACF strongly recommends that File One and File Two be uploaded as Portable Document Files (PDFs).

To adhere to the two-file requirement, you may need to convert and/or merge documents together using a PDF converter software. Applicants using Adobe Acrobat Reader software will be able to merge these documents together.