fy15 paf foa final amendment 1.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Adolescent Health

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Announcement of Anticipated Availability of Funds for Support for Expectant and Parenting Teens, Women, Fathers and Their Families

ACTION: Notice

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial Competitive Grant

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: AH-SP1-15-001

CFDA NUMBER: 93.500

CFDA PROGRAM: Pregnancy Assistance Fund Program: Support for Pregnant and

Parenting Teens and Women

DATES: Non-binding letters of intent are due by Friday, April 17, 2015.

Applications are due Monday, May 18, 2015 by 5 p.m. ET. To receive consideration, applications must be received electronically via Grants.gov by the HHS Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Health (HHS/OASH), Office of Grants Management (OGM) no later than this due date. Applications which do not meet the specified deadlines will be returned to the applicant unread. All applicants must submit electronically via Grants.gov unless they obtain a written exemption from this requirement 2 business days in advance of the deadline by the Director, HHS/OASH Office of Grants Management. To obtain an exemption, applicants must request one via email from the HHS/OASH Office of Grants Management, and provide details as to why they are technologically unable to submit electronically through Grants.gov portal. Requests should be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the application deadline to ensure the request can be considered prior to 2 business days in advance of the deadline. If requesting an exemption, include the following in the e-mail request: the HHS/OASH announcement number;

the organization's DUNS number; the name, address and telephone number of the organization;

the name and telephone number of the Authorizing Official; the Grants.gov Tracking Number

(GRANTXXXX) assigned to the submission; and a copy of the "Rejected with Errors" notification from Grants.gov. Send the request with supporting documentation to ogm.oash@hhs.gov. Note: failure to have an active System for Account Management (SAM) registration will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement.

The HHS/OASH Office of Grants Management will only accept applications via alternate methods (hardcopy paper via US mail or other provider or PDF via email) from applicants obtaining prior written approval. The application must still be submitted by the deadline. Only applications submitted through the Grants.gov portal or alternate format

(hardcopy paper via US mail or other service or PDF via email) with an approved written exemption will be accepted. See the heading "APPLICATION and SUBMISSION

INFORMATION" for information on application submission mechanisms.

Executive Order 12372 comment due date: The State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) has 60 days from the application due date to submit any comments. For more information on the

SPOC see section IV.4 Intergovernmental review.

To ensure adequate time to successfully submit the application, HHS/OASH recommends that applicants register as early as possible in Grants.gov since the registration process can take up to one month. For information on registering for Grants.gov, refer to mailto:ogm.oash@hhs.gov http://www.grants.gov or contact the Grants.gov Contact Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

(excluding Federal holidays) at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to register multiple authorized organization representatives.

Technical Assistance: A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held on

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET (start time of 12pm CT, 11am MT, and 10am

PT). Potential applicants should call 1-888-480-6972, passcode 4205341, and log-on to https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW2018057&p=4205341&t=c.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Office of Adolescent Health announces the anticipated availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 for competitive grant awards under the authority of Sections 10211-10214 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public

Law 111-148; Affordable Act). This notice solicits applications for projects from States, which include the District of Columbia, any commonwealth, possession, or other territory of the of the

United States and any Federally-recognized Indian tribe, reservation or consortium or council

(here after referred to as “States or tribes”), for the development and implementation of programs for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. OAH anticipates that approximately $1.6 million may be available to fund up to 3 grants in the amount of $500,000 to

$800,000 each year for a five-year project period.

The authorized representative from the State or tribe must apply for grant funds available through this announcement to assist expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. Applicants may apply for funding in one or more of the following categories:

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW2018057&p=4205341&t=c

Category 1 – Providing support for expectant and parenting students in Institutions of Higher

Education (IHE); Category 2 – Providing support for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families in high schools and community service centers;

Category 3 - Improving services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, and stalking; or Category 4 – Increasing public awareness and education of services available for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families. OAH has two program priorities for this FOA: 1) proposals that seek to involve expectant and parenting fathers and 2) proposals that target young adults (ages 20 – 24).

A signed letter from the authorized representative must accompany the application and should include documentation establishing the authorized representative’s authority to apply for and administer the grant funds on behalf of the State or tribe. OAH will accept only one application per State or tribe. All qualified applications will be given equal considerations. Previous grantees will not be given priority for funding based on their award history and current

Pregnancy Assistance Fund grantees are not eligible to apply.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION:

Purpose

The Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) grant program provides support for States and tribes to develop and implement programs to improve the educational, health, and social outcomes for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. The PAF aims to strengthen access to and completion of education (secondary and postsecondary); improve child and maternal health outcomes; improve pregnancy planning and spacing and reduce the likelihood of repeat teen pregnancies; increase parenting skills for mothers, fathers, and families; strengthen co-parenting relationships and marriage where appropriate, increase positive paternal involvement; decrease intimate partner violence; and raise awareness of available resources.

For purposes of this funding announcement, the term “expectant” includes both women and men who are expecting a child. The term teens refer to both young men and women of high-school age and students refers to women and men enrolled in institutions of higher education. The term young adults refer to both men and women age 20 -24. Families include, but are not limited to spouses, partners, and children.

OAH encourages applications that serve both pregnant teens and women and expectant and parenting fathers. OAH has two program priorities for this FOA: 1) proposals that seek to involve expectant and parenting fathers and 2) proposals that target young adults (ages 20 – 24).

This FOA supports the HHS Strategic Goals to 1) Strengthen Health Care; 2) Advance the

Health, Safety, and Well-Being of the American People; 3) Secure and Expand Health Insurance

Coverage; 4) Eliminate Health Disparities; 5) Promote Early Childhood Health and

Development; 6) Put Children and Youth on the Path for Successful Futures; and 7) Promote

Prevention and Wellness across the Lifespan.

Applicants may apply for funding in one or more of the following categories:

Category 1 – Providing support for expectant and parenting students in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). The target population for Category 1 is expectant and parenting students of any age who are enrolled in an eligible IHE, and their families.

Category 2 – Providing support for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families in high schools and community service centers.

The target population for Category 2 is expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. Although all expectant and parenting women and men are eligible for http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/goal1.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/goal3.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/goal3.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/secure_expand.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/secure_expand.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/eliminate.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/promote_development.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/promote_development.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/youth_futures.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/promote_prevention.html http://www.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/promote_prevention.html services in this category, given the available resources OAH requests applications that target activities to serve expectant and parenting teens, expectant and parenting young women and men, and their families. This is a group with particularly high rates of unplanned pregnancy for whom program services can assist with helping them complete high school or postsecondary degrees.

Category 3 - Improving services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The target population for

Category 3 is a female of any age who is pregnant on the date on which she becomes a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or who was pregnant during the one-year period before such date.

Category 4 – Increasing public awareness and education of services available for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families.

While public awareness campaigns are an allowable activity under this funding announcement, HHS encourages applications that are not solely focused on such activities. HHS desires applications in Category 4 that aim to increase public awareness and education of services provided in Categories 1, 2, or 3.

Applicants may apply for funds to address one or more of the funding categories. Applicants who apply for funding to address multiple categories should ensure that the programs and services from any one category are well connected and integrated to ensure a seamless network of support for the participants.

Applicants should use the PAF legislation, and information included in this announcement and in the application kit, to guide them in developing their applications. Applicants should also review the definition of terms contained in Appendix A. A copy of the PAF statute is available at the following website http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-

111publ148.pdf.

Background

In 2013, the birth rate for women aged 15-19 years dropped to a record low of 26.6 per 1,000.

Rates declined among teens of all ages and among all racial and ethnic groups. Compared to

2012, the birth rate for teens ages 15-17 dropped 13 percent to 15.4 per 1,000 and the rate for teens ages 18-19 dropped 8 percent to 54.1 per 1,000. Birth rates for young women ages 20-24 years also declined from 2012 by 2 percent to 81.2 births per 1,000 women. The number of births rose less than 1% for non-Hispanic White and 1% for non-Hispanic Black women between

2012 and 2013, and did not change for Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native women.

Births to Asian or Pacific Islander women declined 2% in 2013. Not all teen births were first births. In 2013, almost one in six (17%) births to 15 – 19 year olds was to females with one or more babies

. Furthermore, teen birth rates in the U.S. are higher than most other developed

Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Osterman, MJK, and Curtin, SC. Births: Preliminary data for 2013.

National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2014;63(2) ;

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr63/nvsr63_02.pdf

Guttmacher Institute. (2010). U.S. teenage pregnancies, births and abortions: National and state trends and trends by race and ethnicity. Washington, DC: Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved January 7, 2011, from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-111publ148.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr63/nvsr63_02.pdf countries, including Canada and the U.K.

Despite the progress that has been made in reducing teen and unintended pregnancy, it is estimated that more than 750,000 teen girls become pregnant each year , a total of 305,388 babies were born to teen mothers in 2012, and disparities continue to exist between racial and ethnic groups.

The rates of teen fatherhood have decreased in the United States. Between 1991 and 2010, the rate of teen fatherhood declined by 36% with a more significant decline among blacks (50%) than among whites (26%). Although there has been a decrease in the overall rates of teen fatherhood there are disparities that still exist among race and ethnicities. In 2010, the rate among black males aged 15–19 who became fathers (29 per 1,000) was more than twice that among whites (14 per 1,000)

Young fathers can make an impact if they are positively involved in their child’s life. When fathers are involved in their children’s lives, children experience better educational outcomes and have fewer behavioral problems . Although young fathers can have a positive impact on their children, they face a unique set of challenges such as financial hardship, reduced educational attainment, poorer health outcomes and greater employment challenges. They also have

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Preventing teen pregnancy in the US. Retrieved November

27, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html

Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Ventura, S.J., et al (2012). Births: Final data for 2010. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_01.pdf

Mazza, C. 2002. Young Dads: The Effects of a Parenting Program on Urban African American Adolescent Fathers.

Adolescence, 37(148), 680-693 http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_01.pdf difficulties finding a balance between the transition into parenthood and adolescent development

Teen births not only differ by racial and ethnic groups, but by age. In 2012, Hispanic adolescent females ages 15 – 19 had the highest birth rate (46.3 per 1,000) followed by Black adolescent females (43.9 per 1,000) more than double the rate for White adolescent females (20.5 per

1,000).

Birth rates are much higher among those 18 and older. In 2012, 72% of all teen births occurred to 18 – 19 year olds and unintended pregnancies in young adults (20 – 24) remain high.

An estimated 50% of births to young women ages 20-24 were unintended ; due to the high rates of unintended pregnancies in this age group a focus should be placed on the need for programs and services. According to the recent Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics report, America’s Young Adults: Special Issue 2014 , “young adulthood can pose public health and social problems that either start or peak during these years including unintended pregnancies.

“Young adults may also face a number of challenges including economic hardships, due to their circumstances (e.g., aging out of foster care, underemployment), dealing with long-lasting medical or mental health issues, and engaging in risky behaviors”. The report also states “most young adults, no longer have access to services that were once available to them during their childhood and adolescent years.”

Rosenberg, Jeffrey & Wilcox, W. Bradford (2006). The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of

Children. Washington, DC: Children’s Bureau Office of Child Abuse and Neglect. Available from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/fatherhood.pdf

Mosher WD, Jones J, Abma JC (2012). Intended and unintended births in the United States: 1982 – 2010.

National Health Statistics Reports; no. 55. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America’s Young Adults: Special Issue, 2014.

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/fatherhood.pdf

Colleges may also have a particular interest in those 18 and older who may not enroll directly out of high school. Of the high school graduates who could, but have not enrolled in college, an estimated one-third experiences an unintended pregnancy by the age of 22. For those who are enrolled in college becoming pregnant or becoming a parent can have a significant impact. One recent analysis by Child Trends estimated that 6 percent of male and female community college students have children while enrolled with half dropping out

Teen pregnancy and childbearing have significant health, social, and economic impacts on teen parents and their children. Teen parents face multiple risks for poor life outcomes. Compared with their peers who delay childbearing, teen girls who have babies are less likely to finish high school, more likely to rely on public assistance, and more likely to be poor as adults.

Teen fathers are also less likely to graduate high school, and they are also more likely to face fewer employment opportunities than their nonparent peers.

Thirty percent of teen girls who drop out of high school stated that pregnancy or parenthood was a key reason for their dropping out. Only

American Association of Community Colleges (2012). Prentice, M, Storin, C, Robinson, G.

Make it Personal. How Pregnancy Planning and Prevention Help Students Complete College.

http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/horizons/Documents/mipcc_dec2012.pdf

Hoffman, S. D., & Maynard, R. A. (Eds.). (2008). Kids having kids: Economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.

Mollborn, S. (2010). Exploring Variation in Teenage Mothers’ and Fathers’ Educational Attainment. Journal of Persepctives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 42(3): 152-159.

Bunting, L., and McAuley, C. (2004) Research Review: Teenage pregnancy and parenthood: the role of fathers.

Journal of Child & Family Social Work 9(3):295-303.

http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/horizons/Documents/mipcc_dec2012.pdf

40 percent of teen mothers finish high school and less than two percent finish college by the age of 30.

In addition, as many as 60 percent of teen fathers do not complete high school.

The children of teen mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement, have more health problems, become incarcerated during adolescence, and face unemployment as a young adult.

Girls born to teen parents are almost 33% more likely to become teen parents themselves, continuing the cycle of teen pregnancy.

In addition, teen childbearing costs U.S. taxpayers approximately $11 billion annually due to lost tax revenue, increased public assistance payments, and greater expenditures for public health care, foster care, and criminal justice services.

Pregnant teens and women are also often victims of violence. Studies have found that adolescent girls in physically abusive relationships were three times more likely to become pregnant than non-abused girls; that 55% of a sample of teen moms experienced intimate partner violence in the past year, and that adolescent mothers who experienced physical abuse within three months after delivery were twice as likely to have a repeat pregnancy within 24 months. Another study

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. (2012). Teen Pregnancy & High School

Dropout: What Communities Can Do to Address These Issues. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/teen-preg-hs-dropout.pdf.

Marsiglio, W. (1987) Adolescent fathers in the United States: their initial living arrangements, marital experience, and educational outcomes. Journal of Family Planning Perspectives 19(6):240-251.

Hoffman, op. cit.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. op.cid.

Hoffman, S. D., & Maynard, R. A. (Eds.). (2008). Kids having kids: Economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/teen-preg-hs-dropout.pdf found that approximately 20 percent of pregnant teens reported physical or sexual abuse during pregnancy.

Programs for expectant and parenting teens and women should recognize the relationship between violence and pregnancy and adopt a trauma-informed approach. Trauma-informed care is a strengths-based framework that is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both providers and survivors and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

Furthermore, programs that involve mothers and fathers should include violence safeguards and domestic violence prevention as a component of services provided directly or through partnership with other service providers.

Programs for expectant and parenting teens should consider positive youth development in their approach. Positive youth development is an intentional, pro-social approach that engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, uses, and enhances youths' strengths; and promotes

Futures Without Violence. (2010). The Facts on Adolescent Pregnancy, Reproductive Risk and Exposure to Dating and Family Violence. Retrieved November 27, 2012 at http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20 Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf.

Administration for Children and Families. (2012) What is Trauma. Accessed November 27, 2012 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/trauma20120829.pdf.

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/trauma20120829.pdf positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths

In FY 2013, the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) funded 17 States and Tribes for a four year project period (FY 2013 – 2017) through the Pregnancy Assistance Fund grant program.

Through this announcement, OAH anticipates funding up to 3 awards in FY 2015 for a five-year project period.

For more information about the PAF, a copy of the authorizing legislation is available at the following website http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-

111publ148.pdf . Additional information about the PAF, including highlights from current PAF grantees, is available in the PAF Resource Center at http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf.

Additional Resources

In developing a proposal, applicants may want to review existing public resources such as, but not limited to, the following:

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families. (2012). Working with Pregnant and

Parenting Teens Tip Sheet. Available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pregnant-parenting-teens-tips.pdf.

Interagency Working Group for Youth (2014). Positive Youth Development. Retrieved from http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/positive-youth-development http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pregnant-parenting-teens-tips.pdf http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/positive-youth-development

Healthy Teen Network. (2008). A BDI Logic Model for Working with Young Families.

Available at http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/vertical/sites/%7BB4D0CC76-CF78-

4784-BA7C-5D0436F6040C%7D/uploads/%7B04E4E173-F070-4D2E-BC99-

FC55C1BCFA16%7D.PDF.

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. A national resource for fathers, practitioners, programs/Federal grantees, states, and the public at-large who are serving or interested in supporting strong fathers and families. Available at http://www.fatherhood.gov.

National Women’s Law Center. (2012). A Pregnancy Test for Schools: The Impact of

Education Laws on Pregnant and Parenting Teens. Available at http://www.nwlc.org/reports-overview/pregnancy-test-schools-impact-education-laws-pregnant-and-parenting-students.

Office of Adolescent Health Pregnancy Assistance Fund Resource Center. Includes access to a wide range of resources on education, economic stability, health, housing, healthy relationships, intimate partner violence, youth development, and parenting.

Available at http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and America’s

Promise Alliance. (2012). Teen Pregnancy and High School Dropout: What Communities are Doing to Address these Issues. Available at http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/teen-preg-hs-dropout.pdf.

List of Current OAH Pregnancy Assistance Fund Grantees available at http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grants/grantee-map.html#paf http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/vertical/sites/%7BB4D0CC76-CF78-4784-BA7C-5D0436F6040C%7D/uploads/%7B04E4E173-F070-4D2E-BC99-FC55C1BCFA16%7D.PDF http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/vertical/sites/%7BB4D0CC76-CF78-4784-BA7C-5D0436F6040C%7D/uploads/%7B04E4E173-F070-4D2E-BC99-FC55C1BCFA16%7D.PDF http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/vertical/sites/%7BB4D0CC76-CF78-4784-BA7C-5D0436F6040C%7D/uploads/%7B04E4E173-F070-4D2E-BC99-FC55C1BCFA16%7D.PDF http://www.fatherhood.gov/ http://www.nwlc.org/reports-overview/pregnancy-test-schools-impact-education-laws-pregnant-and-parenting-students http://www.nwlc.org/reports-overview/pregnancy-test-schools-impact-education-laws-pregnant-and-parenting-students http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/teen-preg-hs-dropout.pdf http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grants/grantee-map.html#paf

This listing does not constitute an endorsement of any particular organization or resource, but is intended to highlight the types of information available related to issues faced by expectant and parenting teens and women.

Approach

This announcement seeks proposals from States or tribes to develop and implement activities to improve the education, health, and social outcomes for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families. Applicants may propose using grant funds to carry out any or all of the following activities. Activities should be developed as a comprehensive program for the target area and population.

All services provided to expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families in Categories 1, 2, and 3 should be evidence-based or evidence-informed, and culturally and linguistically appropriate. Evidence-based programs are those that have demonstrated impacts on key outcomes through rigorous research and evaluation and been identified through a systematic independent review that considers both study design and the quality of the research study conducted. Examples include evidence-based programs identified by HHS to prevent teenage pregnancy (http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/tpp/tpp-database.html), evidence-based home visiting programs that target families with pregnant women and children from birth to age 5 (http://homvee.acf.hhs.gov/Default.aspx), and SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/Index.aspx).

Evidence-informed programs include new or emerging programs that are theory-based and have http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/tpp/tpp-database.html http://homvee.acf.hhs.gov/Default.aspx http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/Index.aspx been implemented previously, even on a limited scale or in a limited setting, and yielded promising results. For all proposed evidence-informed programs, applicants should include a description of the theory and the evidence supporting the program. Given the limited availability of evidence-based programs involving expectant or parenting young men, OAH encourages the use of evidence-informed programs to identify and test promising strategies to include young fathers. Culturally and linguistically appropriate services are respectful of and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of the individuals served.

Category-Specific Expectations

OHA has identified two program priorities for the funding announcement: 1) proposals that seek to involve expectant and parenting fathers and 2) proposals that target young adults

(ages 20 – 24).

Category 1 - Providing support for expectant and parenting students in Institutions of Higher

Education (IHEs)

An applicant may make funds available to eligible IHEs to establish, maintain, or operate services for expectant and parenting students and their families. OAH is particularly interested in partnerships with IHEs that demonstrate the greatest need for services, defined in terms of numbers of expectant and parenting students. Such funding shall be used to supplement, not supplant, existing funding for such services. While grant funds may be used for direct service provision, applicants are encouraged to collaborate and link with existing service providers, especially in instances in which the ongoing costs of support may be beyond the scope of funding available.

In providing services to expectant and parenting students, the eligible IHE may use funds to:

(A) Conduct a needs and resource assessment of the services, policies, and systems available on campus or within the local community to meet the needs of expectant and parenting students and their families; and set goals for improving such services and improving access to such resources. Areas of focus should include, but are not limited to:

The inclusion of maternity coverage and the availability of riders for additional family members in student health care

Family housing

Child care

Flexible or alternative academic scheduling, such as telecommuting programs, to enable expectant or parenting students to continue their education or stay in school

Education to improve parenting skills, including teaching mothers and fathers about the developmental needs of infants and young children, and how to relate to each other and strengthen relationships or marriages where appropriate

Maternity and baby clothing, baby food (including formula), access to appropriate information about and space for breastfeeding, baby furniture, and similar items to assist parents and expectant parents in meeting the material needs of their children

Post-partum counseling including counseling on nutrition, exercise, mental health, and planning for subsequent pregnancies

In addition, OAH encourages IHEs to assess other related needs of expectant and parenting students, such as:

The dissemination of information about the availability of and eligibility for health coverage under federal and state programs, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health

Insurance Program (CHIP), and the health insurance marketplaces, also known as

Affordable Insurance Exchanges, established by the Affordable Care Act, the health care law of 2010; and the provision of application assistance and enrollment for expectant and parenting students and their children. For more information on the marketplaces, visit www.healthcare.gov.

Health literacy - nearly 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using the everyday health information that is routinely available in health care facilities, retail outlets, media, and communities. Limited health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and higher health care costs. Grantees are encouraged to work with program participants to improve their ability to search for and use health information and adopt healthy behaviors.

Education completion and attainment

Healthy relationships

Trauma and/or violence

Job training

Financial literacy

(B) Identify public and private service providers, located on campus or within the local community, that are qualified to meet the needs of enrolled expectant and parenting students as described in paragraph (A), and establish programs with qualified providers to meet such needs.

http://www.healthcare.gov/

(C) Assist expectant and parenting students and their families in locating and obtaining services that meet the needs as described in paragraph (A).

(D) Establish formal and informal partnerships to which the IHE can provide referrals for the expectant and parenting students and their families to receive direct services for prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care, or adoption. In addition, OAH encourages partnerships to provide referrals for postnatal care; access to available services including, but not limited to Medicaid, CHIP, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF); health care and mental health care services; and early childhood programs such as early Head Start.

Referrals should be made only to service providers that serve the following types of individuals: parents, prospective parents awaiting adoption, women who are pregnant and plan on parenting or placing the child for adoption, and parenting or prospective parenting couples.

(E) Conduct an annual assessment of the performance of the eligible IHEs in meeting the needs of enrolled expectant and parenting students as described in paragraph (A).

The State or tribe must solicit applications from eligible IHEs that desire to receive funding under this category. The State or tribe should determine the timeframe and content required in the application from the eligible IHE. In addition, an eligible IHE that receives funding under Category 1 is required to provide a match from non-Federal funds in the amount of

25 percent of the amount of funding provided. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in-kind (at fair market value), including services, facilities, supplies, or equipment.

Category 2 – Providing support for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, and fathers and their families in high schools and community service centers

A State or tribe may use funds received under this grant to make funding available to eligible high schools and community service centers that serve expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families. The State or tribe should establish, maintain or operate expectant and parenting services in the same general manner and in accordance with all conditions and requirements described above for Category 1, except that the 25 percent matching requirement does not apply. All education programs and activities funded under Category 1 and

Category 2 are required to comply with the requirements of Title IX of the Education

Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U.S.C. §§1681 et seq., as well as with HHS regulations at 45

CFR part 86, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender in education programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.

If an applicant chooses to apply for funds in both Category 1 and Category 2, the needs assessment and program approach for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families served in category 2 should be distinct and different from the needs assessment and program approach for expectant and parenting students served in category 1. For example, teens may need a different kind of academic support and case management that involves the students’ parents and other supports in ways that differ from the supports many students in an IHE may need.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/coord/titleixstat.php http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/coord/titleixstat.php

Programs funded in high school or community service center environments are encouraged to establish linkages and partnerships with IHEs to further promote education for the participants served. These partnerships should focus on the promotion of postsecondary education and the assurance of a successful transition to the postsecondary environment.

Category 3 - Improving services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

A State or tribe may provide funding to its State Attorney General or functional equivalent for tribes to assist Statewide offices in providing the following services for an eligible pregnant woman, defined as a female of any age, who is pregnant on the date on which she becomes a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking or who was pregnant during the one-year period before such date:

Intervention services, including a 24-hour hotline for police protection and referrals to shelters;

Accompaniment services, which include assisting, representing, and accompanying a woman in seeking judicial relief for child support, child custody, restraining orders, and restitution for harm to persons and property, and in filing criminal charges, and may include payment of court costs and reasonable associated attorney and witness fees;

Supportive social services including transitional and permanent housing, vocational counseling, mental health services, and individual and group counseling aimed at preventing domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

Technical assistance and training related to violence against eligible pregnant women for Federal, State, tribal, territorial, and local governments, law enforcement agencies and courts; professionals working in legal, social service and health care settings;

nonprofit organizations; and faith-based organizations on one or more of the following topics:

o The identification of eligible pregnant women experiencing domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

o The assessment of the immediate and short-term safety of such a pregnant woman, the evaluation of the impact of the violence or stalking on the pregnant woman's health, and the assistance of the pregnant woman in developing a plan aimed at preventing further domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

o The maintenance of complete medical or forensic records that include the documentation of any examination, treatment given, and referrals made, recording the location and nature of the pregnant woman's injuries, and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of those medical records; and o The identification and referral of the pregnant woman to appropriate public and private nonprofit entities that provide intervention services, accompaniment, and supportive social services.

In order to receive funds from the State under this category, a State Attorney General must submit an application to the designated State agency. The State Attorney General may partner with appropriate entities for program development and implementation purposes. Applicants requesting funding for category 3 must include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) or

Letter of Commitment from the State Attorney General or functional equivalent for tribes in their application.

Category 4 – Increasing public awareness and education of services available for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families.

A State or tribe may use grant funds to make funding available to increase public awareness and education concerning any services or resources available to expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families, which support the intent and purposes of this funding announcement. Public awareness and education activities should assist expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families in learning about available benefits and supportive services in the community and assist them with accessing such services. Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing public awareness and educational activities, such as

Text4baby, a free text messaging service that is designed to promote maternal and child health.

Activities related to public awareness and education may also include the development of user friendly websites and new media tools to increase awareness and access to appropriate services.

The applicant shall be responsible for setting guidelines or limits as to how much of this funding may be utilized for public awareness and education in any funding award. In the application, the applicant should clearly describe the guidelines or limits that will be used to establish a reasonable level of support for these activities. While public awareness campaigns are an allowable activity under this funding announcement, OAH encourages applications that are not solely focused on such activities, but rather support a broader set of activities for the target population. For example, while it is helpful to provide public information materials regarding

Medicaid, CHIP, and the health insurance marketplaces or Affordable Insurance Exchanges, efforts to ensure that enrollment assistance is available to expectant and parenting teens and women and their families is encouraged. OAH desires applications in Category 4 that aim to increase public awareness and education of services provided in Categories 1, 2, and/or 3.

Expectations Across All Categories

The expectation is that recipients will begin implementing services as soon as the grant is awarded. The recipients plan should identify any challenges to implementing services upon receiving funding and specify how those challenges will be addressed. Applicants should:

Continue to Assess Needs and Resources: Applicants are expected to use data to justify the need for the proposed program in their application. Results of the needs and resource assessment should be used to identify additional partners and to inform program goals and objectives. Conducting a needs and resource assessment is not a one-time activity, but should be repeated periodically to ensure the program continues to meet the needs of the population(s) served.

Finalize Goals, Objectives, and Logic Model: Applicants are expected to finalize and implement their propose goals, objectives, and logic model, describing the behaviors and determinants (risk factors) they plan to impact with programming.

Build Organizational Capacity: Applicants are expected to describe their organizational capacity to implement the proposed program(s) and strategies and to identify additional capacity needs or other resources needed to successfully implement their program.

Secure, enhance, and expand partnerships: Applicants are expected to identify partners to assist with program implementation and to submit signed Memoranda of

Understanding (MOUs) with their application.

Engage in strategic planning: Applicants are expected to engage in strategic planning with their key implementation partners to ensure a shared vision and action plan for accomplishing program goals and objectives. Strategic planning should occur prior to funding in order for recipients to begin implementing services as soon as the grant has been awarded.

Collaboration

Funded recipients are expected to establish strong collaborations and partnerships across State, local, and tribal entities to ensure the availability and success of wrap-around services and reduce existing disparities for expectant and parenting teens, young adults, women, fathers and their families. Under this funding opportunity, OAH expects that strong partnerships will be developed for program implementation purposes and to ensure that programs are most effectively responding to the needs of the target population. Applicants should develop collaborations with non-traditional partners who are interested in education and economic opportunities for young people, including parenting teens, such as organizations that provide home visiting for young families, alternate education, and/or job training opportunities.

Examples of strategic partnerships include, but are not limited to other Departments and agencies in the State, early childhood education programs (e.g., Head Start), Medicaid, Statewide and local coalitions, Community Health Centers, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations. OAH is particularly interested in programs that work either formally or informally with institutions of higher education and organizations which propose to work with expectant and parenting young men.

Funded programs should build on, and not duplicate current Federal programs as well as State, local or community programs, and should coordinate with existing programs and resources as appropriate. Applicants should partner directly with local entities to ensure that the intended programmatic outcomes can be reached. Federal funds may not be used to supplant the non-

Federal or other Federal funds that would otherwise be made available for an activity.

Teens and Young Adults

Funded recipients are expected to ensure that programs address the needs of teens and young adults. Providing programs and/or services for expectant and parenting teens and young adults, some of who may fall into marginalized groups (homeless, unemployed, immigrants, criminal justice involved) can be addressed by providing programming that ensures the needs of these groups are being met. Examples of strategies to address these needs could include working with foster care and criminal justice systems, job training programs, alternative educational settings and/or General Educational Development GED programs.

Young Fathers

There are some promising and emerging best practices on working with young fathers, but most programs that work with young parents focus on mothers. Funded applicants are expected to identify the needs of young fathers and design services and materials to meet their specific needs, gain knowledge on best practices for recruiting and retaining young fathers, work with staff to provide an organizational atmosphere that is young father friendly, and engage young fathers as partners. This could include, but not limited to providing educational support, assistance with gaining employment, and other services.

Medical Accuracy

Funded recipients are expected to ensure that materials used in any activities funded under this announcement are medically accurate and complete. The term “medically accurate and complete” means all medical information is verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods; and published in peer-reviewed journals, where applicable, or comprising information that leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field recognize as accurate, objective, and complete.

Applicants should describe the process to be used to ensure medical accuracy in the grant funded project, including how the review will be conducted and who will be responsible for reviewing materials. Funded applicants should provide OAH with detailed information about their review of materials for medical accuracy.

Bronte-Tinkew, J, Burkhauser, M, Metz, A. National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. Administration for

Children and Families. (2008) Elements of Promising Practice in Teen Fatherhood Programs: Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Research Findings on What Works. http://www.lacdcfs.org/katiea/docs/EPP.pdf http://www.lacdcfs.org/katiea/docs/EPP.pdf

Performance Measures

Performance measures are critical for accountability purposes. OAH uses performance measures to demonstrate whether grant projects are making sufficient progress toward their stated missions and are serving the public interest. A solid performance measurement system also provides agency leadership and stakeholders with information that will help guide program management.

For grantees, performance measures are critical for continuous quality improvement (CQI) in program implementation, informing stakeholders of progress, and informing sustainability efforts. OAH uses a web-based data reporting system in which grantees enter their performance measure data. All funded recipients will be expected to collect and report on a common set of performance measures to assess program implementation and whether the program is achieving intended outcomes. Generally, there are four broad categories of performance measures that

OAH anticipates all grantees will be required to track: (1) participant demographics (e.g., age, gender, race, ethnicity) (2) output measures (e.g., number of participants served, services and referrals provided); (3) implementation and capacity building (e.g., trainings, community partnerships, public awareness strategies); and (4) outcome measures (e.g., educational attainment, birth spacing, repeat teen pregnancy). Applicants are required to collect performance measure data from individual participants, as well as of their staff and partners and should describe their capacity to report on such performance measures. The measures were approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for collection and reporting in 2014 (OMB

No.0990-0416, Exp. Date 03/31/2017). OAH will provide training on collecting and reporting required performance measure data. A list of measures is included in Appendix B of this FOA.

In…