HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families - Children's Bureau

Improving Child Welfare Through Investing in Family

HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921

Application Due Date: 06/29/2021

Improving Child Welfare Through Investing in Family

HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Executive Summary

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

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

Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families

Funding Opportunity Title: Improving Child Welfare Through

Investing in Family Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921 Primary CFDA Number: 93.556 Due Date for Letter of Intent: 05/30/2021 Due Date for Applications: 06/29/2021

Executive Summary

Notice:

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

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

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to award five cooperative agreements to implement and evaluate practices and interventions that:

Provide an array of kinship preparation services and on-going kinship supports; and Promote shared parenting to build trusting relationships between all out-of-home caregivers and parents of children/youth in foster care to ensure parents and families remain actively involved in normal child-rearing activities.

These grants will secure strong partnerships needed for effective and efficient selection of practices and interventions, program implementation, and evaluation activities. The grants will also meaningfully engage parents, relatives, kin caregivers, youth, foster parents, and alumni of foster care throughout the project. The project period will be 5 years.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority Title IV, part B, subpart 2 - Promoting Safe and Stable Families, Section 436(b)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(1)).

Description

BACKGROUND

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto

As child welfare systems aim to create systemic improvements in foster care service provision, the importance of engaging, supporting, and healing both the child and the family has emerged.

This may include siblings, parents, or other caregivers in the home the child was removed from.

Through intentional changes in family-centered practice and the development of tailored, family-focused services, child welfare systems continue to invest in the families being served to improve permanency and family well-being.

As child welfare agencies analyze and enhance family engagement models, the benefits of having parents and caregivers work together continue to emerge. Intentionally building shared parenting expectations and experiences between caregivers and parents presents opportunities for real-time coaching, mentoring, teaching, and learning experiences. Shared parenting can build parenting skills, engage parents in normal child-rearing activities, encourage healthy child development, and honor children/youth’s important connections. To continue investing in families, child welfare agencies need to break away from old ways of thinking that discourage communication between families and caregivers and, instead, support shared parenting and other strategies that build supportive relationships between caregivers and unite families.

Child welfare agencies are also analyzing how to best prepare, develop, and support caregivers in meeting evolving system expectations while also providing and caring for their own family’s needs. This is particularly important for kinship caregivers, which include, but are not limited to, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, other relatives, family friends, mentors, and other important persons in a child’s life. While research has found there are many benefits to placing children with kin, and agencies are increasingly looking for and placing with kin, kin caregivers are also less likely to receive adequate preparation and supports as compared to non-related foster parents. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a longitudinal study of children and families who have been the subjects of investigation by Child Protective Services, has found that children in kinship care experience greater placement stability and safety than children in non-kinship foster care, are subject to fewer child welfare system placements, and are more likely to be reunified with their birth parents (NSCAW, 2012). However, kinship caregivers report systemic challenges such as barriers to licensure, lack of financial support, unfamiliarity with child welfare systems, and barriers to accessing guardianship assistance programs. The development of evidence-based, comprehensive kinship caregiver programs provides strategic and intentional opportunities to mitigate challenges for kinship caregivers that are especially needed as systems increasingly rely on relatives and kin to improve stability, permanency, and family-centered well-being.

PURPOSE

Projects funded under this FOA will implement and evaluate a set of practices and interventions that focus on the following two goals that invest in the family: kinship preparation, development, and support services; and promoting shared parenting between all out-of-home caregivers and children's parents to ensure parents and families remain actively involved in normal child-rearing activities and children have opportunities for normalcy. To achieve this purpose, each project will:

Develop, implement, and promote a comprehensive Kinship Caregiver Program (relatives/kin) that encourages, prepares, supports, and sustains these placements;

Develop, implement, and promote a set of values, policies, practice expectations, and staff development strategies that holistically support shared parenting between families with children in foster care and the various types of resource families that temporarily care for these children;

Create systemic change through intentional policy, practice, and culture shifts of child welfare agency staff, service providers, courts, and other stakeholders that promote comprehensively supporting kinship caregivers; and

Evaluate the impact of the promising practices and interventions implemented on child and family outcomes, expecting improvements in appropriate permanency and well-being outcomes for families with children in foster care.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Required Focus Areas:

Projects are expected to improve services and outcomes in the following focus areas leading to measurable improvements in placement stability, normalcy for children and youth, family well-being, and timely lasting permanency:

Developing comprehensive kinship caregivers programs that encourage, prepare, support, and sustain these placements while supporting placement stability and maintaining children’s important connections;

Developing trusting relationships between parents and out-of-home caregivers through shared parenting that ensures parents remain actively involved in normal child-rearing activities and that support timely, stable reunifications;

Improving family engagement, family-centered practice, and increasing supports for parents working to reunify with children in foster care;

Honoring, maintaining, and fostering family relationships and other important connections and relationships to the child/youth;

Comprehensive Kinship Caregiver Program Projects will select a set of promising practices and interventions that strategically address the project's needs for assistance related to kinship caregiver development, preparation, and support services to:

Receive new child/ren in their home (e.g., providing health and safety assessments, addressing the impact on family dynamics, providing appropriate education and training opportunities, etc.);

Understand trauma related to abuse, neglect, and removal;

Have frequent and constructive communication with the child welfare service agency, courts, and service providers with a clear, upfront understanding of their responsibilities and expectations;

Provide normalcy activities and maintain important connections for child/ren placed in the home;

Receive in-home and community-based services that support stability and permanency goals;

Receive supports for the health and welfare of their own family (e.g., respite care, support groups, family therapy);

Learn and apply shared parenting principles that enhance parent’s ability to participate in their children’s lives;

Maintain children’s important connections and a sense of normalcy;

Promote family well-being in reunification cases; and Consider permanency through adoption or guardianship when reunification is not possible.

Projects will ensure that parents are simultaneously provided services and support networks within the communities in which they live. Projects will also maintain children’s important connections by providing services in the neighborhoods from which they came, keeping them in the communities and schools of origin whenever possible, and maintaining important family and community connections and participation in activities that provide a sense of normalcy.

Kinship caregivers will also be provided services to support their well-being, such as respite care, kinship caregiver support groups, and family therapy.

Promoting Shared Parenting In addition to promoting shared parenting as part of the Kinship Caregiver Program, projects will also select and implement interventions and practices that shift the overall child welfare culture to one that supports and promotes effective shared-parenting as a practice in all reunification cases. Even if not related, out-of-home caregivers can build trusting bonds and relationships if the overall system supports and operates with a family-centered lens. Caregivers can also support children/youth in experiencing normalcy by maintaining connections and relationships important to each child/youth.

In order to maximize the potential benefits to families and child/family outcomes, projects will:

Create a culture and climate that promotes and genuinely supports family relationships and reunification, integrating this work with existing family engagement and family-centered reunification work;

Equip all out-of-home caregivers for engaging with parents, birth families, and other important relationships and connections that a child/youth in foster care may identify;

Educate and prepare parents for participation in shared parenting activities as a specific reunification support strategy; and

Ensure implementation of shared-parenting as one of the multiple strategies that allow parents and families to remain actively involved in normal child-rearing activities, while not relying solely on caregivers to prepare parents for reunification.

Project Phases The project will be completed in two phases. Phase I, the first 12 months of the grant, will serve as an exploration and installation period. During Phase I, projects will determine the estimated number of children/youth, caregivers, parents, and staff to be served, ensuring sufficient sample size to draw statistically significant data.

Phase II, years 2-5, will serve as an implementation, evaluation, and sustainment period. During Phase II, each project will be guided by an individual Work Plan, subject to CB approval, that will include, at a minimum, the goals and objectives, key activities, responsible parties, and time frames to completion. Modifications to work plans approved by CB must be presented to CB in writing and include the rationale, impact assessment, and specific modification(s) requested. All such modifications will not commence until CB's final approval.

Target Population Comprehensive Kinship Caregiver Program Target populations in this part of the project include kinship caregivers; the children/youth in foster care placed in these kinship homes, and, in reunification cases, the parents. Kinship caregivers served will include relatives and kin as specified within each project’s jurisdiction.

Promoting Shared Parenting The first target population for this part of the project is all traditional foster families, including new and existing families. In addition, once children/youth with a goal of reunification are placed in the home, projects will track and analyze data related to the impact of shared-parenting on child and parent/family permanency and well-being outcomes.

Collaboration Projects will actively collaborate with CB to achieve the purposes of this FOA.

Considering, the child welfare system comprises a number of entities and disciplines, partnerships and collaborations are critical to providing a holistic, systemic response to improving family engagement, reunification, and permanency. Projects will partner with organizations and entities necessary to achieve the goals of the project and support meaningful systemic improvements, including those located in areas where children in foster care live.

Organizations and entities for consideration include, but are not limited to the following:

stakeholders, such as judges, parent attorneys, and CASA/GAL; service providers, such as mental health, substance abuse, and housing programs; and community-based organizations, such as churches, schools, and civic organizations.

Individuals with lived experience in receiving foster care services, such as, alumni of foster care and former/current foster parents, provide rich insight into the needs of families with children in foster care and the type of services and supports that may be most helpful to meet family needs.

Therefore, projects will also be expected to implement varied and specific strategies to engage former and current caregivers such as foster parents, parents, relatives, kin, and youth and alumni throughout the installation, implementation, and evaluation of the project.

Evaluation Each project will conduct an evaluation-focused readiness and needs assessment as part of Phase I activities. Based on their assessments, each project will design and implement evaluation plans that are guided by logic models. At a minimum, evaluation plans will include:

A theory of change that clearly identifies the theory that guides the selection of proposed activities for desired outcomes;

A logic model that displays how strategies, interventions, services, and supports are aligned to produce intended short-term outcomes and how these are related to the long-term outcomes specified in the model program;

A process evaluation plan that describes how to test the interventions and practices and identify any need to refine or fine-tune the project. These activities will provide important data for adjusting and improving interventions and practices as needed and will document the project site’s progress and success in implementing the interventions and practices with fidelity. This approach may incorporate various strategies and methods (e.g., surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, review of grantee documents, administrative data extracts, etc.). The process evaluation plan shall include research questions to be addressed; a data collection plan (i.e., proposed information sources, instrumentation, data collection methods, schedule); and a data analysis plan (i.e., discussion of links between the research questions and analytic techniques to be employed);

Plans for determining the estimated number of kin, parents, and children to be served to ensure a sufficient sample size to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of practices and interventions (see Section I. Program Description, Project Requirements, Target Population for details);

Detailed plans for capturing information about the amount of services provided as well as data about the level of adherence to the key components, procedures, and protocols used at the project site;

Detailed plans for conducting a formative evaluation of the interventions, including evaluation of program implementation and achievement of short-term outcomes identified in the program logic model;

Plans for utilizing performance feedback data and periodic assessment of the overall implementation to modify the project as necessary using a continuous quality improvement approach; and

Measurement strategies for each construct, as well as the timing and model of data collection to be used for tracking both short- and long-term outcomes.

Projects will establish an on-going process to review and refine logic models and theories of change in order to confirm links between proposed activities and outcomes expected. Projects will also develop descriptions of data collection instruments and administrative data sources that will be used to track evaluation information, including analysis of data collection gaps in responding to outcome change measurements and developing sound strategies to address such challenges efficiently. Projects will monitor and assess implementation supports and intervention fidelity.

Projects will ensure there is effective completion of all data collection, analysis, and reporting activities. The projects’ evaluation is expected to provide regular, timely, and useful feedback to project staff to support successful implementation. Projects will have the expertise and capacity to successfully undertake all evaluation activities, including, but not limited to, the following:

Refining logic models and theories of change submitted with the project’s applications, in order to confirm links between proposed activities and outcomes expected;

Developing descriptions of data collection instruments and administrative data sources that will be used to track evaluation information, including analysis of data collection gaps in responding to outcome change measurements, and developing sound strategies to address such challenges efficiently; and

Monitoring and assessing implementation supports and intervention fidelity.

Projects will track and record evaluation challenges and their solutions and ensure CB approval prior to any modification that would impact implementation, target populations, or approved evaluation plans.

Projects will be expected to answer evaluation questions including, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. Implementation and service delivery, including:

o Output data (including quantity and frequency of activities and services performed);

o Descriptive data about the interventions and practices implemented;

o Descriptive data about the activities carried out to implement the interventions and practices;

o Data about the degree to which adoption and implementation (e.g., uptake, penetration, fidelity, etc.) of the interventions and practices has occurred; and o Data about changes in readiness, capacity, infrastructure, and organization intended to support and sustain implementation.

2. Ability to integrate the promising practices and interventions of the project with existing training, policy, practice, and programs to effect systemic change.

3. Scaling-up and sustainability.

4. Outcomes related to the logic models.

Within these topics, CB is particularly interested in the following:

Factors and strategies associated with successful implementation (facilitators), including contributing organizational and system conditions;

Implementation barriers;

Factors related to the appropriateness of fit between the selected practices and the systems and settings into which they are introduced;

Degrees to which implementations develop and are maintained over time; and Factors associated with the scaling-up and sustainability of new practices and services.

Projects, in collaboration with CB, may be required to produce a comprehensive evaluation report at the conclusion of the project period and present findings to CB and other stakeholders.

Projects will have a plan for addressing the protection of human subjects. General information about the Department of Health and Human Services Protection of Human Subjects regulations can be obtained using the link in the table under Section IV.2. Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications, and in Section VIII. Other Information, Application Checklist. Projects must also participate if CB chooses to do a federally-led evaluation or a technical assistance contract related to this FOA.

Dissemination Projects will be expected to share information and knowledge generated with the field in an effort to integrate project knowledge into policy and practice across the child welfare system.

Projects will further develop proposed dissemination plans for each project phase that will outline plans to gather important and relevant information and data, including research and findings for selected interventions and practices. Revised plans will include, but not be limited to, strategic dissemination activities, target audiences, dissemination strategies, detailed procedures, tools, and products that may be used to replicate the program; and a high quality and comprehensive final report suitable for archiving in the CB Discretionary Grant Library.

Project Sustainability Plan Projects will develop a Sustainability Plan during the implementation phase that will outline how each will create systemic change through scaling-up and sustainment of key elements (e.g.

strategies, services, and interventions) that have been effective in improving practices and have led to improved outcomes for kinship caregivers, children/youth, and parents. The plan will include the following:

Approach to project scale-up and sustainment that will be most effective and feasible;

Key individuals and/or organizations whose support will be required;

Types of alternative support that will be required to scale-up and sustain the planned program; and How the cooperation and collaboration of key partners will be maintained.

SUBAWARDS

Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The primary recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352 do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the applicant's role is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the FOA, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, or after government-wide implementation, a Unique Entity Identifier assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check the SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

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

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $2,500,000 Expected Number of Awards: 5 Award Ceiling: $500,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $400,000 Per Budget Period Average Projected Award Amount: $500,000 Per Budget Period Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2021

Length of Project Periods:

Length of Project Period: 60-month project period with five 12-https://library.childwelfare.gov/cbgrants/ws/library/docs/cb_grants/Grant%20Home https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements month budget periods

Additional Information on Awards:

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

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

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

The initial award will be for a 12-month budget period. The award of continuation beyond each 12-month budget period will be subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee (i.e. demonstrating a commitment to achieving expected outcomes and collaborating with CB to overcome any barriers), and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

In the first budget period, the maximum federal share of each project is not to exceed $500,000.

The project awarded will be for a project period of 60 months.

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

A cooperative agreement is a specific method of awarding federal assistance in which substantial federal involvement is anticipated. A cooperative agreement clearly defines the respective responsibilities of CB and the awardee prior to the award. CB anticipates that agency involvement will produce programmatic benefits to the recipient otherwise unavailable to them for carrying out the project. The involvement and collaboration includes the following:

CB review and approval of planning stages of the activities before implementation phases may begin;

CB and recipient collaboration in the performance of key programmatic activities (i.e., strategic planning, implementation, information technology enhancements, training and technical assistance, publications or products, and evaluation);

Close monitoring by CB of the requirements stated in this announcement that limit the awardee’s discretion with respect to the scope of services offered; and

Close monitoring by CB during performance that may, in order to ensure compliance with the intent of this funding, exceed those federal stewardship responsibilities customary for grant activities.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility is open to the following: state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses.

CB will accept applications that represent partnerships among organizations with relevant experience. Applicants may subcontract with organizations specializing in their assigned tasks.

Applications from collaborations must identify a primary applicant responsible for administering the cooperative agreement.

Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of this part and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., the Department will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization’s religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

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

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

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

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

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

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

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

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

III.3. Other

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

CB Operations Center c/o LCG, Inc.

ATTN: HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921

6000 Executive Boulevard Suite 410 Rockville, MD 20852 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6 https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov

Email: CB@grantreview.org URL: https://www.grants.gov/

Electronic Application Submission:

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

Applications in Paper Format:

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

Federal Relay Service:

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

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

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

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

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

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact must be available to answer any questions pertaining to the application.

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

mailto:CB@grantreview.org https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corrections/Updates to Submitted Applications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

With the exception of Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved forms, the application submission is limited to 100 pages in its entirety. The two files applicants must submit are:

The Project Description file must include these items in this order:

1. Table of Contents

2. Project Summary

3. Objectives and Need for Assistance

4. Approach

5. Evaluation

6. Organizational Capacity

7. Logic Model

8. Line Item Budget and Budget Justification

The Appendices file must include these items in this order:

1. Certifications and Assurances

2. Proof of Legal Status (if applicable)

3. Third-party agreements

4. Staff and Position Data (e.g., resumes, job descriptions, organizational charts)

5. Indirect Cost Rate Letter (if applicable)

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants are required to submit their applications electronically unless they have requested and received an exemption that will allow submission in paper format. See Section IV.2.

Application Submission Options for information about requesting an exemption.

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

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

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

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

Adherence to the Two-File Requirement No more than two files will be accepted for the review. Applications with additional files will be amended and files will be removed from the review. SFs and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

Application Upload Requirements ACF strongly recommends that electronic applications be uploaded as Portable Document Files (PDFs). One file must contain the entire Project Description and Budget Justification; the other file must contain all documents required in the Appendices. Details on the content of each of the two files, as well as page limitations, are listed earlier in this section.

To adhere to the two-file requirement, applicants may need to convert and/or merge documents together using a PDF converter software. Many recent versions of Microsoft Office include the ability to save documents to the PDF format without need of additional software. Applicants using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software will be able to merge these documents together. ACF recommends merging documents electronically rather than scanning multiple documents into one document manually, as scanned documents may have reduced clarity and readability.

Applicants must ensure that the version of Adobe Acrobat Reader they are using is compatible with Grants.gov. To verify Adobe software compatibility please go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” at the top bar menu and select “Adobe Software Compatibility", which is listed under "Applicant Resources." The Adobe verification process allows applicants to test their version of the software by opening a test Workspace PDF form. Grants.gov also includes guidance on how to download a supported version of Adobe, as well as troubleshooting instructions for use, if an applicant is unable to open the test form.

The Adobe Software Compatibility page located on Grants.gov also provides guidance for applicants on filling out a Workspace PDF form. In addition, it addresses local network and/or computer security settings and the impact this has on use of Adobe software.

Required Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved Forms Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved forms, such as the SF-424 application and budget forms and the SF-P/PSL (Project/Performance Site Location), are uploaded separately at Grants.gov. These forms are submitted separately from the Project Description and Appendices files. See Section IV.2. Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications for the listing of required Standard Forms, OMB-approved forms, and required assurances and certifications.

Naming Application Submission Files Carefully observe the file naming conventions required by www.Grants.gov. Limit file names to 50 characters (characters and spaces). Special characters that are allowed under Grants.gov’s naming conventions, and are accommodated by ACF’s systems, are listed in the instructions available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" at Grants.gov. Please also see https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters.html.

Use only file formats supported by ACF It is critical that applicants submit applications using only the supported file formats listed here.

While ACF supports all of the following file formats, we strongly recommend that the two application submission files (Project Description and Appendices) are uploaded as PDF documents in order to comply with the two file upload limitation. Documents in file formats that are not supported by ACF will be removed from the application and will not be used in the competitive review. This may make the application incomplete and ACF will not make any awards based on an incomplete application.

ACF supports the following file formats:

Adobe PDF – Portable Document Format (.pdf) Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx) Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt) Image Formats (.JPG, .GIF, .TIFF, or .BMP only) https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters.html

Do Not Encrypt or Password-Protect the Electronic Application Files If ACF cannot access submitted electronic files because they are encrypted or password protected, the affected file will be removed from the application and will not be reviewed. This removal may make the application incomplete and ACF will not make awards based on an incomplete application.

FORMATTING FOR PAPER APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS:

The following requirements are only applicable to applications submitted in paper format.

Applicants must receive an exemption from ACF in order for a paper format application to be accepted for review. For more information on the exemption, see "ACF Policy on Requesting an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission'" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/ howto#chapter-6

Format Requirements for Paper Applications All copies of mailed or hand-delivered paper applications must be submitted in a single package. If an applicant is submitting multiple applications under a single FOA, or multiple applications under separate FOAs, each application submission must be packaged separately.

The package(s) must be clearly labeled for the specific FOA it addresses by FOA title and by Funding Opportunity Number (FON).

Applicants using paper format should download the application forms package associated with the FOA's Synopsis on www.Grants.gov under the Package tab.

Because each application will be duplicated, do not use or include separate covers, binders, clips, tabs, plastic inserts, maps, brochures, or any other items that cannot be processed easily on a photocopy machine with an automatic feed. Do not bind, clip, staple, or fasten in any way separate sections of the application. Applicants are advised that the copies of the application submitted, not the original, will be reproduced by the federal government for review. All application materials must be one-sided for duplication purposes. All pages in the application submission must be sequentially numbered.

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