Full Announcement_HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-CA-0078.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due March 21, 2025

Children’s Bureau

Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Agency Collaborations to Support Families Opportunity number: HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-CA-0078

Contents Before you begin 3

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 7

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 13

Get registered 14

Find the application package 14

Learn more 15

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 16

Application contents and format 17

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 29

Application review 30

Award notices 35

Step 5: Submit Your Application 36

Application submission and deadlines 37

Application checklist 39

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 41

Post-award requirements and administration 42

Contacts and Support 44

Modifications 47

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registrations are active and up-to-date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks)

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days)

You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by the application due date

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 21, 2025.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

Jump to a step

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 7

Basic information Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Children’s Bureau

Building collaboration between child welfare, domestic violence, and community-based agencies to respond to families affected by domestic violence, with or at risk of child welfare involvement.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name: Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Agency Collaborations to Support Families

Opportunity number:

HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-

CA-0078

Announcement type:

Initial

Federal assistance listing:

93.670

Statutory authority number: Title I, Section 105(b)(5) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C.

5106(b)(5))

Key dates

Application submission deadline: March 21, 2025

Optional notice of intent deadline: February 19, Expected project start date: September 30, 2025

See other submissions for other time frames that may apply to this NOFO.

Summary The purpose of this funding opportunity is to help jurisdictions improve community response to incidents of domestic violence where a child is present in the household.

This will be done by building capacity to enhance collaboration between state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies; domestic violence agencies; and other partners to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Projects will include people with lived experience with the child welfare system and/or domestic violence agencies in critical decision-making processes, such as planning, implementing, and evaluating services and resources.

The goal of the program is to improve collaboration between child welfare and domestic violence agencies to ensure that families affected by domestic violence, with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system, have timely access to trauma-informed, individualized services and resources that improve their safety and well-being.

Funding details Type: Grant

Expected total program funding: $1,500,000

Total expected awards: 6

Minimum award amount for the first budget period (award floor): $200,000

Maximum award amount for the first budget period (award ceiling): $250,000

We plan to fund a three-year project period. Each project period has three one-year budget periods.

Awards made under this funding opportunity are subject to federal funds availability.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

Eligibility Eligible applicants These types of organizations are eligible for an award:

• States.

• Indian tribes and tribal organizations.

• Public or private agencies.

• Combinations of these entities.

Individuals, including sole proprietorships, and foreign entities are not eligible.

Other eligibility criteria Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible for awards under this funding opportunity.

Disqualification factors We will review your application to make sure it meets these responsiveness requirements.

We won’t consider an application that:

• Requests funding above the award ceiling.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

• Is from an individual, including a sole proprietorship, or a foreign entity.

• Is received in paper format that didn’t have a previously approved exemption from

ACF.

Application limits If you submit the same application more than once under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), we will only acknowledge the last on-time submission.

Cost sharing This program has no cost-sharing requirement. If you choose to include cost-sharing funds, we won’t consider it during review. However, we will hold you accountable for any funds you add, including through reporting. If you don’t provide your promised amount, we may have to decrease your award amount or use other enforcement actions.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

Program description Statutory authority Title I, Section 105(b)(5) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C.

5106(b)(5))

Background Domestic violence (sometimes referred to as intimate partner violence) is a serious public health problem that has long-term and harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. It occurs when a current or former intimate partner, such as a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, dating partner, or ongoing sexual partner, inflicts acts of violence and/or uses coercive tactics to control their partner. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, sex, gender identity, socioeconomic background, or education level.

Children and youth are also seriously affected by exposure to domestic violence. While estimates vary, research suggests that nearly 30 million children in the United States will be exposed to some type of family violence [PDF] before the age of 17. Children exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk for being physically abused and experiencing other forms of maltreatment. Data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Database notes that if a caregiver experiences domestic violence, there is an increased risk that a child in their care may be maltreated. In 2022, data from 35 states indicated that for 26.5% of victims of child maltreatment [PDF], their caregiver experienced domestic violence. Risk factors for domestic violence can be difficult to assess and measure, so domestic violence and child maltreatment are likely underreported.

Frequent exposure to violence (including domestic violence) in the home normalizes violence, increasing children’s risk of becoming the next generation of survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence. Studies indicate that youth with multiple adverse childhood experiences, including being exposed to domestic violence, face a greater risk of mental health problems, behavioral problems, substance use disorders, and delinquency. Children who are exposed to domestic violence between their parents or caregivers are more likely to perpetrate or experience domestic violence, as are children who experience abuse and neglect. However, these risks can be alleviated when families have access to appropriate and timely resources and supports.

Research demonstrates that collaborations between child welfare and domestic violence agencies and other child and family support programs can improve the lives of families and children. Coordinating support for families impacted by domestic violence

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:5106%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence https://cwig-prod-prod-drupal-s3fs-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/public/documents/domesticviolence2018.pdf https://cwig-prod-prod-drupal-s3fs-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/public/documents/domesticviolence2018.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/child-maltreatment-2022 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/child-maltreatment-2022 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2022.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/pubs/jcs96/glos.html https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/IPV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://bridgestobetter.org/resources/research-results-of-a-collaborative-survivor-centered-approach-to-systems-change https://bridgestobetter.org/resources/research-results-of-a-collaborative-survivor-centered-approach-to-systems-change promotes integrated knowledge about domestic violence and joint policy planning. It also enables cross-training child welfare and domestic violence professionals, as well as other service providers, on trauma-informed responses. Better collaboration between child welfare and domestic violence agencies has also improved the safety, permanency, and well-being of families affected by domestic violence.

Program goals and objectives The purpose of this funding opportunity is to help jurisdictions improve community responses to incidents of domestic violence where a child is present in the household.

If awarded, you will develop or enhance multisystem and multilevel collaborations between domestic violence agencies, child welfare agencies, and other partners to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Projects will include capacity-building activities to help develop policies, improve coordination, and establish effective practices to support the target population—families impacted by domestic violence who are at risk for or are involved with child welfare.

Projects will focus on:

• Improving collaboration: Developing or improving collaborations between child welfare and domestic violence agencies, as well as other relevant partners.

◦ Projects must be informed by families impacted by domestic violence and involved with child welfare.

• Building capacity: Developing and carrying out policies, procedures, or practices within a jurisdiction to ensure that members of the target population receive timely, comprehensive, and coordinated services.

• Addressing barriers: Identifying and addressing families’ barriers to accessing trauma-informed, individualized services in their community that build protective factors and promote their safety and well-being.

• Evaluating impact: Evaluating your project to determine how it has improved coordination, communication, and service delivery in support of families impacted by domestic violence.

Collaboration Strategic and purposeful collaboration is central to this work. Collaboration among partners from diverse backgrounds and at multiple levels is essential to meeting the immediate and ongoing needs of families impacted by domestic violence, including safety, mental health, basic needs, healing, and well-being. You must demonstrate that the appropriate state, local, or tribal child welfare agency and an appropriate domestic violence agency are committed to undertaking the proposed work under your project.

Other relevant partners can include:

• Health and mental health agencies.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8 https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/?top=116

• Courts.

• Law enforcement.

• Legal community (judges, attorneys, legal aid, etc.).

• Victim/survivor advocates.

• Agencies providing housing, food, and nutrition assistance.

Your project must be informed by the lived experiences and perspectives of families impacted by domestic violence and involved with child welfare. This means they must be authentically involved in critical decision-making processes, such as planning, implementing, and evaluating services and resources.

Project strategies and activities This program enables child welfare and domestic violence agencies to develop or improve successful partnerships, improve cross-system functioning, and support families impacted by domestic violence with or at risk of child welfare involvement.

Your project may develop new models or replicate existing models of collaborative policies, procedures, or practices. Your project can also use capacity-building strategies and activities to meet the needs in your jurisdiction, including:

• Improving cross-system collaboration with key community partners.

• Enhancing communication and data sharing between child welfare and domestic violence agencies.

• Supporting cross-training and ongoing technical assistance for service providers.

• Co-locating child welfare and domestic violence professionals to coordinate services.

• Improving and raising awareness of services and resources for families impacted by domestic violence to enhance their safety and stability.

• Authentically engaging and considering best practices when working with individuals with lived experience who have been impacted by domestic violence and involvement with child welfare.

• Identifying and addressing systemic barriers faced by people who are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence and child welfare involvement.

• Helping families access concrete resources to improve their safety and stability, such as housing and transportation.

• Creating and sharing resources with the legal community to appropriately address domestic violence in judicial processes.

• Carrying out other activities that you and your partners identify to build protective factors and reduce the likelihood of child welfare involvement for families impacted by domestic violence.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9 https://aspe.hhs.gov/lived-experience https://aspe.hhs.gov/lived-experience https://bridgestobetter.org/about-bridges-to-better https://bridgestobetter.org/about-bridges-to-better

Evaluation Evaluation is an important component of this project. The Children’s Bureau (CB) expects you to contribute meaningfully to building the knowledge base about how to effectively develop or enhance multisystem and multilevel collaboration that improves service delivery for the target population. You will develop and carry out project activities that are outcome-focused and will meet a feasible and realistic standard of evaluation. Outputs and outcomes must be:

• Appropriate to your project.

• Measurable.

• Focused on domestic violence and preventing child welfare involvement.

• Trauma-informed.

• Individualized to community needs.

You should also demonstrate ongoing efforts to continually improve your project design and delivery, particularly in terms of being survivor-centered and child-focused.

You may continue to finalize the evaluation plan during the first three months of the project.

If you do not have the in-house capacity or experience to conduct an objective, comprehensive project evaluation, you must contract with a third-party evaluator to conduct the evaluation. The evaluator must be independent from the project to ensure objectivity.

You must allocate an appropriate portion of your budget for implementing the evaluation plan and provide a rationale explaining why the budgeted amount is suitable for the planned evaluation activities.

Sustainability CB is interested in the specific strategies, practices, and activities that will improve the collaboration and service delivery of child welfare and domestic violence systems.

Projects must develop a plan to sustain successful key elements of the project after the federal funding ends, such as strategies or services, funding flexibilities, or changes in policy or practice. Your program evaluation will determine which elements have been successful in improving coordination and service access.

Projects must also make a plan to maintain the momentum and collaboration with partners after federal funding ends.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10

Funding policies and limitations General policies

• We will only make awards if this program receives funding. If Congress appropriates funds for this purpose, we will move forward with the review and award process.

• Support beyond the first budget period will depend on:

◦ Appropriation of funds.

◦ Satisfactory progress in meeting your project’s objectives.

◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we will consider:

◦ Funding more applicants.

◦ Extending the period of performance.

◦ Awarding supplemental funding.

For guidance on some types of costs that we restrict or do not allow, see General Provisions for Selected Items of Costs of the Uniform Guidance, 45 CFR part 75 (or, starting October 1, 2025, 2 CFR part 200).

Program-specific limitations and policies We do not allow the following costs under this NOFO:

• Construction.

• Purchase of real property.

• Major renovation.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are costs you charge across more than one project and cannot be easily separated by project.

To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:

Method 1—Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency.

Method 2—De minimis rate. Per 2 CFR 200.414(f), if you do not have a current federal negotiated indirect cost rate (including a provisional rate), you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs. This rate is 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC).

See 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC))

Subawards As the prime recipient, you must maintain a substantive role in the project. We define a substantive role as conducting funded activities and providing services that are necessary and integral to completing the project. Monitoring your subrecipient’s activities alone as described in 45 CFR 75.352 (or, starting October 1, 2025, 2 CFR 200.332) is not a substantive role.

We do not fund awards where your role primarily serves as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute.

If they do not have one, all subrecipients must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Subrecipients must meet the eligibility requirements of this NOFO.

Salary rate limitation The salary rate limitation in the current appropriations act applies to this program. You may not use awarded funds to pay a salary at a higher rate than the rate for Executive Level II. For the Executive Level II salary, please see guidance from the Office of Personnel Management on executive and senior level employee pay.

The salary limitation reflects a person’s base salary (including any portion of the salary that is paid for with indirect costs). It does not include fringe benefits or any income the person is allowed to earn outside of the duties of the applicant organization. This salary limitation also applies to subawards, contracts, and subcontracts under an ACF grant or cooperative agreement.

Program income Program income is money earned as a result of your award-supported project activities. You must use any program income you generate from awarded funds for approved project-related activities. Find more about program income at 45 CFR 75.307 (or, starting October 1, 2025, 2 CFR 200.307).

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.352 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.332 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.332 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.307 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.307

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Get registered 14

Find the application package 14

Learn more 15

Get registered SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

When you register or update your SAM.gov registration, you must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations [PDF]. You must agree to those for financial assistance specifically, as opposed to contracts, because the two sets of agreements are different. You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

Need help? See Contacts and Support.

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Grants Search at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HHS-2025-ACF- ACYF-CA-0078. Then select the Package tab.

After you select the opportunity, we recommend that you select the Subscribe button to get updates.

If you can’t use Grants.gov to download application materials, you may request them from the grants management contact.

If you are also unable to apply through Grants.gov, see the section on exemptions for paper submissions.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 14 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://www.grants.gov/search-grants

Learn more Visit Applying for an ACF Grant Award on the ACF Grants page.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Step 3:

Prepare Your Application

In this step

Application contents and format 17

Application contents and format Application components You will submit two files plus the standard forms in the application package.

See requirements for other submissions.

Your organization’s authorized official must certify your application.

File one To submit file one, you will use the Project Narrative Attachment form found in the Grants.gov application package for this NOFO.

This file includes:

• Table of contents.

• Project summary, one page.

• Project narrative.

• Line-item budget and budget narrative.

File two To submit file two, you will use the Other Attachments form found in the Grants.gov application package for this NOFO.

This file includes all attachments.

Standard forms The Grants.gov application package for this NOFO includes forms beyond those required for file one and file two. Complete all of these forms and submit through Grants.gov.

See the list of standard forms.

Required format Page limit for file one and file two combined: 75 pages.

File format: Portable Document Format (PDF) is recommended, but not required. ACF supports the following file formats when you attach files to the Project Narrative Attachment form and the Other Attachments form:

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 17

Accepted file formats

• Adobe PDF (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

• Image formats (.JPG, .GIF, .TIFF, or .BMP only)

Document formats Paper size: 8 ½ inches x 11 inches

Margins: 1 inch all around

Language: English

If possible, include page numbers.

Do not include external links to information you want reviewers to assess because reviewers will score the application solely on information provided in the application.

Fonts Font: Times New Roman

Color: Black

Size: 12-point font

Footnotes and text in tables and graphics may be 10-point.

Spacing Table of contents: Must be single-spaced

Project summary: Must be single-spaced

Project narrative: Must be double-spaced

Logic model: Can be single-spaced

Line-item budget and budget narrative: Can be single-spaced

Attachments: Can be single-spaced

Tables and footnotes throughout: Can be single-spaced

See disqualification factors to understand what may disqualify your application from consideration.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 18

Table of contents At the beginning of file one, insert a table of contents that guides a reader through the contents of both files in your application. If possible, include links to the relevant content in file one.

Project summary Provide a one-page summary of the project description. Do not cross-reference to other parts of your application. The summary must include:

• At the top, the project title, applicant name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and any website URL.

• A brief description of the project, including the needs and population you will address, and your proposed services.

Project narrative The project narrative is where you address all your proposed activities. It is a critical section of your application, which we evaluate using merit review criteria and rank based on application scores. Remember that substance and measurable outcomes are more important than length. We are particularly interested in project narratives that convey strategies for achieving intended performance.

In it, you must:

• Explain how the project will meet the purpose of the NOFO, as described in the program description section.

• Make sure your narrative is clear, concise, and complete.

• Use cross-referencing rather than repetition.

• Be sure to include any required supporting documents noted. You generally provide these in your attachments.

• Use the headings and order of the sections that follow.

Geographic location Provide the precise physical location of your project and boundaries of the area you will serve. If you will include any subrecipients in your project that will serve the geographic areas include their locations as well.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 19

Need for assistance Identify the problems you plan to solve. These problems could be physical, economic, social, financial, institutional, etc. To do so:

• Demonstrate the need, including the nature and scope of the problem.

• Include any relevant data based on planning studies or needs assessments. You may refer to them in the endnotes or footnotes.

• Use demographic data and participant or beneficiary information where you can.

• In your attachments, you can provide supporting documentation such as letters of support and testimonials.

Objectives State your main objectives and any sub-objectives. Address how the objectives stated relate to the overall purpose of this program and describe how you will achieve the objectives.

Expected outcomes Identify the outcomes you plan to achieve from the project. Outcomes should relate to the overall program as described in the program description section.

Approach Outline your action plan. Describe the scope and details of how you will accomplish your proposed project. Account for all functions or activities you identify in your application. Explain potential obstacles and challenges to accomplishing your project goals. Explain the strategies you will use to address them.

• Based on local data of co-occurrence of domestic violence and child welfare involvement, as well as the current capacity of service providers in your jurisdiction, describe how your project will:

◦ Develop or improve strategic and formal collaborations between child welfare and domestic violence agencies, as well as other partners.

▪ Be informed by the lived experiences and perspectives of families impacted by domestic violence and involved with child welfare.

◦ Build infrastructure capacity by developing and implementing policies, procedures, or practices within your jurisdiction to provide timely, comprehensive, and coordinated services.

◦ Identify and address families’ barriers to accessing trauma-informed, individualized services in their community that build protective factors and promote their safety and well-being.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 20

• Explain how your project will develop new models or replicate existing models of collaborative policies, procedures, or practices.

Project timeline and milestones Provide a timeline for your project that includes milestones. To do so:

• Organize the information by task and subtask, showing related milestones.

• Provide monthly or quarterly quantitative projections for what you plan to accomplish and by when. For example, provide the number of people you plan to serve or the number of a certain activity you plan to complete.

• If you can’t quantify some of your accomplishments, provide their target dates.

• Cover the full period of performance in your timeline.

Organizational capacity Provide the following information for your full project team, including your organization and any partners, contractors, and subrecipients:

• Provide evidence that your team has the relevant experience and expertise needed to carry out your project.

• Describe your team’s experience administering, developing, implementing, managing, and evaluating similar projects.

• Provide evidence that your team has the organizational capability to fulfill their roles and functions effectively.

• You must disclose your plan to enter into subaward agreements. If planning subawards, describe the work each subrecipient will complete.

• Describe any history that you or your partners have in working with families impacted by domestic violence with or at risk of child welfare involvement in your community.

• Clearly demonstrate that the appropriate state, local, or tribal child welfare agency and an appropriate domestic violence agency are committed to undertaking the proposed work under this NOFO. Such commitments must be documented through a letter of support from the child welfare or domestic violence agency, or both.

• If the lead agency for the project is not the child welfare or domestic violence agency, then both agencies must submit a letter of support or joint memorandum of understanding. You can provide these in your attachments. While additional partnerships at the time of application are not required, also include commitments from relevant partners if available. Letters should include:

◦ The roles and responsibilities of project partners.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 21

◦ Evidence that project partners fully understand and are committed to the activities described in your application.

◦ Any history of working together prior to this project.

◦ A plan for how your partners will handle conflict and changing circumstances, including changes in administration, economic status, or other foreseeable factors.

You will provide some supporting information in the attachments section.

Plan for oversight of federal award funds and activities You must ensure proper award oversight. The regulation that governs this oversight is 45 CFR part 75 (or, starting October 1, 2025, 2 CFR part 200). It includes standards for:

• Financial and program management.

• Property management.

• Procurement.

• Performance and financial monitoring and reporting.

• Subrecipient monitoring and management.

• Record retention and access.

• Remedies for noncompliance.

• Prior written approval.

Describe your framework to ensure proper oversight of federal funds and activities.

Include:

• A description of the governance, policies and procedures, and systems you use for record keeping and financial management.

• A description of the procedures to identify and mitigate risks and issues. These might include audit findings, continuous performance assessment findings, and monitoring.

• The key staff who will be responsible for maintaining oversight of program activities staff and any partners or subrecipients.

Project performance evaluation plan Describe a plan for how you will evaluate your project’s performance and how it will contribute to continuous quality improvement. This plan must describe:

• How you will monitor ongoing activities and the progress toward the project’s goals and objectives.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 22 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75/subpart-D https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-D

• The inputs, key activities, and expected outcomes of the funded activities. Inputs might include your collaborative partners, key staff, budget, service processes or other resources.

• How you will measure the inputs, activities, and outcomes.

• How you will use the resulting information to inform improvement of funded activities.

• Any processes that support the overall data quality.

• The organizational systems and processes that will track performance outcomes.

• How your organization will collect and manage data in a way that allows for accurate and timely reporting of performance outcomes. This might include assigned skilled staff, data management software, and data integrity.

• Any potential obstacles to implementing the project performance evaluation and how you will address them.

• A timeline for how you will review information from the performance evaluation and apply it to your ongoing project.

You may continue to finalize the evaluation plan during the first three months of the project.

Logic model You must submit a logic model for designing, managing, and evaluating the project. A logic model is a diagram that:

• Presents how inputs drive activities to produce outputs, outcomes, and the ultimate goals of the proposed project.

• Explains the links among project elements.

• Targets the identified objectives and goals of the project.

While there are many versions of logic models, for the purposes of this funding opportunity, the logic model may include the connections between:

• Inputs such as additional resources, organizational profile, collaborative partners, key staff, and budget.

• Target population, such as the individuals to be served or identified needs.

• Activities, mechanisms, and processes such as evidenced-based practices, best practices, approach, key intervention and evaluation components, and continuous quality improvement efforts.

• Outputs, which include the immediate and direct results of program activities.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 23

• Outcomes, which include the expected short- and long-term results of the project you expect to achieve. These are typically described as changes in people or systems.

• Project goals such as overarching objectives and reasons for proposing the project.

Project sustainability plan You must propose a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends. We expect you to sustain key elements of your project. These elements can include strategies or services and interventions that have been effective in improving practices and outcomes.

• Provide an approach to project sustainability that is effective and feasible.

Describe:

◦ The key people and organizations whose support you will require.

◦ The types of alternative support you will require to maintain the project.

• If the proposed project involves key project partners, describe how you will maintain their cooperation or collaboration after the federal funding ends.

Protection of sensitive or confidential information Describe how you will collect and safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information that is considered sensitive. Make sure your approach is consistent with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality. Provide:

• The methods and systems you will use to ensure that you properly handle confidential and sensitive information including any subrecipients and/or contractors.

• A plan for the disposition of such information at the end of the period of performance.

For more information, see 45 CFR 75.303(e) (or, starting October 1, 2025, 2 CFR 200.303(e)).

Dissemination plan Propose a plan to disseminate reports, products, and project outputs to key target audiences. Include:

• Dissemination goals and objectives.

• Strategies to identify and engage with target audiences.

• How you will allocate sufficient staff time and budget for dissemination.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 24 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.303(e) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.303 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.303

• A preliminary plan to evaluate the extent to which target audiences receive project information and use it as intended.

• The dissemination timeline.

Line-item budget and budget narrative The line-item budget and budget justification support the information you provide in the Budget Information Standard Form SF-424A.

Justify the costs you ask for and provide detail, including calculations for the “object class categories” in the Budget Information Standard Form. You will provide this information for the initial budget period only. See information on funding periods.

HHS now uses the definitions for equipment and supplies in 2 CFR 200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.

As you develop your budget, consider:

• If the costs are necessary, reasonable, allocable, and consistent with your project’s purpose and activities.

• How you calculate your costs in ways that are clear and repeatable.

• The restrictions on spending funds. See the funding policies and limitations.

Please also review the Standard Form instructions.

To create your line-item budget and justification, see detailed budget instructions on our website.

In general, you must:

• Indicate the method you will use for your indirect cost rate. See the indirect costs section for further information.

• Include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail necessary for the calculation to be duplicated.

• For any cost sharing, include a detailed listing of any funding sources identified in Block 18 of the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance.

• For applicants planning to use subawards, if your subaward budget is more than 50% of total direct costs, justify why you are subawarding that portion of the project. Explain:

◦ How you plan to maintain a substantive role in the project.

◦ Why you cannot achieve your goals without the subrecipients’ participation.

Include costs for key staff to travel to Washington, DC, in the first year of the project for a two-day kickoff meeting. Subsequent meetings may be in-person or virtual.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supply) https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget

You must allocate an appropriate portion of your budget for implementing the evaluation plan and provide a rationale explaining why the budgeted amount is suitable for the planned evaluation activities.

Proprietary or personally identifiable information In your application, you may identify salary or other proprietary information or personally identifiable information. We will remove this information from applications before they go to reviewers.

If you have an exemption for a paper submission, you can protect salary information and any proprietary information by placing that information only in the original application. You can remove the information from the copies, keeping summary information.

Attachments You will upload attachments in Grants.gov using the Other Attachments form. These attachments are included in the overall application page limit, unless it says otherwise in this section.

Indirect cost agreement If you include indirect costs in your budget using an approved rate, include a copy of your current agreement approved by your cognizant agency for indirect costs. If you use the de minimis rate, you do not need to submit this attachment. See the indirect costs section for more information.

Legal proof of nonprofit status If your organization is a nonprofit, you need to attach proof. We will accept any of the following:

• A reference to your listing in the IRS’s most recent list of tax-exempt organizations.

• A copy of a current tax exemption certificate from the IRS.

• A letter from your state’s tax department, attorney general, or another appropriate state official saying that your group is a nonprofit and that none of your net earnings go to private shareholders or others.

• A certified copy of your certificate of incorporation or similar document. This document must show that your group is a nonprofit.

• Any of these for a parent organization.

• Also include a statement signed by an official of the parent group that your organization is a nonprofit affiliate.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 26 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.2(Cognizant%20agency%20for%20indirect%20costs)

Legal proof of for-profit status If your organization is a for-profit, including a small business, you need to attach proof.

Include documentation establishing the power granted to the entity to enter into contractual relationships or accept awards. This might include your articles of incorporation or bylaws.

Legal proof of small businesses In addition to the proof that your organization is for-profit, small businesses must submit a certification signed by the chief executive officer or designee that states that the entity qualifies as a small business under 13 CFR 121.101-121.201.

Organizational capacity supporting information You must attach the following information to support the information in your organizational capacity section:

• Organizational charts, including all partners.

• Resumes, biographical sketches, or curricula vitae for all key personnel.

• Job descriptions for each vacant key position.

• Information on compliance with federal, state, and local government standards.

Third-party agreements You must submit agreements with all third parties involved in the project. Third parties include subrecipients, contractors, and other cooperating entities. Third-party agreements include letters of commitment, memoranda of understanding, and memoranda of agreement. We do not consider general letters of support to be third-party agreements. Any such agreement must:

• Describe the roles and responsibilities for project activities.

• Describe the support and resources that the third-party is committing to the proposed project.

• Be signed by the person in the third-party organization with the authority to make such commitments.

• Detail work schedules and estimated compensation with an understanding that the parties will negotiate a final agreement after award.

• Identify the primary applicant and all collaborators responsible for project activities if for a collaboration or consortia application.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 27 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121/subject-group-ECFRd133f03f6d8398b https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-121.201

Letters of support Attach statements from community, public, or commercial leaders that support your project. At minimum, each letter of support must identify the person writing the letter, the organization they represent, the date, and their reasons for supporting the project.

Protection of human subjects certification Not included in the page limit.

You must attach a Protection of Human Subjects: Assurance Identification / Certification / Declaration of Exemption form. You can find this form at the Office for Human Research Protections Forms website.

For more on this topic see the Office for Human Research Protections website. If you have questions, you can email them at OHRP@HHS.gov or call them at 240-453-6900.

Standard forms You will need to complete some other required standard forms. Upload the following forms at Grants.gov. You can find them in the NOFO application package or review them and their instructions at Grants.gov Forms.

Forms Submission requirement

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

With the application.

Budget Information for Non- Construction Programs (SF-424A)

With the application.

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

With the application.

Key Contacts With the application.

Grants.gov Lobbying Form With the application or before award.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(SF-LLL)

If applicable based on instructions, with the application or before award.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) (SF-P/PSL)

With the application. Cite your primary location and up to 29 additional performance sites.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 28 https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/register-irbs-and-obtain-fwas/forms/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/register-irbs-and-obtain-fwas/forms/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/index.html mailto:OHRP@HHS.gov https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

Step 4:

Learn About Review and Award

In this step

Application review 30

Award notices 35

Application review Initial review We will review your application to make sure that it meets the responsiveness requirements listed in the disqualification factors section. If your application does not meet these criteria, we will disqualify it and we will not move it to the merit review phase.

We will let you know if your application is disqualified within 30 days of the application deadline. You won’t receive any notice from ACF if your application failed Grants.gov validation checks.

If you submit more than two files in addition to your forms, we will remove the extra files. We will let you know if this happens.

We will also remove blurred or illegible pages and any file formats that are not supported.

We will not review any pages that exceed the page limit.

If your application fails to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements, we will adjust your application by removing page(s) from the application. We will remove the pages before the merit review and will not send them to reviewers.

If we do so, we will send you a letter after we make awards to notify you that we amended your application.

Merit review A panel reviews all applications that pass the initial review. The panel members use the criteria in this section.

Our reviewers typically are not federal employees. See the section on proprietary and personally identifiable information.

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 30

Criteria

Criterion Total number of points = 100

1. Objectives and need for assistance 15 points

2. Approach 40 points

3. Organizational capacity 20 points

4. Evaluation and logic model 20 points

5. Budget and budget justification 5 points

1.0. Objectives and need for assistance

Maximum points: 15

The reviewer will assess how well you:

1.1. Demonstrate the need in your jurisdiction for improved collaboration between child welfare and domestic violence agencies, as well as other partners, to coordinate services for families impacted by domestic violence.