HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039_ForPublication.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

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

National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services

HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039

Application Due Date: 05/30/2023

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

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

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Funding Opportunity Title:

National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039

Primary CFDA Number:

93.652 Due Date for Applications:

05/30/2023 Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The purpose of this funding is to create, through a cooperative agreement, a National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services (the Center) with the capacity to work with state child welfare systems to build bridges with the mental health community for the further development and training of mental health practitioners in issues related to separation, loss, grief and trauma; and to develop strategies for making trauma-based culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate competent mental health services consistently and comprehensively available throughout each state. All work of this entity will be accomplished utilizing a race equity lens.

States struggle with providing comprehensive and adoption-competent mental health services for children in foster care and adoptive/guardianship homes. Availability of mental health practitioners trained on the trauma experienced by these children is limited, yet these services are critical to the well-being and stability of children while in care and in adoptive/guardianship homes. Building bridges between the child welfare system and the state mental health systems is key to bringing about systemic change to increase and improve the services provided to children/youth and their families.

The development of the Center is expected to raise the level of utilization of existing evidence-informed, state-of-the-art adoption-competent training for mental health practitioners and will increase the access and availability of professionals with trauma-informed competence. The Center will provide individual technical assistance to the child welfare systems of states, tribes, and territories (STTs) in building alliances with the mental health community to build access to competent mental health services for children in care and in adoptive/guardianship homes.

I. Program Description https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Statutory Authority Title II, section 203(b)(4) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C. 5113(b)(4)), as most recently amended by CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010.

Description

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that children and youth in the child welfare system have higher rates of mental health, medical, emotional, and behavioral issues that are related to trauma. These children and youth often experience further trauma through the separation and loss of birth family connections and other important relationships. They may also experience frequent moves between foster family homes or other placement settings leading to even greater psychological distress. Without culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate interventions to address these issues, the unmet needs can interfere with healthy development and functioning and impede the achievement of behavioral health and permanency for these children/youth.

The Need for the Center:

It has been estimated that 80 percent of children in foster care have significant mental health issues, compared to 18-22 percent of the general population. The Academy of Pediatrics through the Healthy Foster Care American Initiative, identifies mental and behavioral health as the “greatest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care.”

Though the high percentage of children and youth with mental health issues in the child welfare system and those who have exited to adoption/guardianship would merit strong support and services for this population, it is difficult to find mental health practitioners/professionals that are competent or knowledgeable about the issues of trauma, separation, loss, and grief.

The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI), funded by the Children’s Bureau to develop and implement accessible web-based trainings for the child welfare workforce and mental health practitioners, found that the greatest learning curve for child welfare staff was around separation and loss. For mental health practitioners, the greatest learning curve was around attachment, positive identity formation, and grief.

In addition to a lack of competency in providing services on the issues most relevant to spending time in foster care, there is also a disconnect between the systems of mental health and child welfare. This lack of coordination can further exacerbate service accessibility and delivery.

There are also issues of a lack of culturally responsive services and geographic accessibility of mental health services with the rural areas of the country being at a great disadvantage and often requiring families to travel great distances to access care.

Project Goals:

The purpose of this funding is to create, through a cooperative agreement, the Center with the capacity to work with state child welfare systems to build bridges with the mental health community for the further development and training of mental health practitioners in issues related to separation, loss, grief and trauma; and to develop strategies for making trauma-based culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate competent mental health services consistently and comprehensively available throughout each state. All work of this entity will be accomplished utilizing a race equity lens.

https://adoptionsupport.org/nti/

States struggle with providing comprehensive mental health services for children in foster care and adoptive/guardianship homes. Availability of mental health practitioners trained on the trauma experienced by these children is limited, yet these services are critical to the well-being and stability of children/youth in care. Building bridges between the child welfare system and the state mental health systems is key to bringing about systemic change to increase and improve on the services provided to children/youth and their families.

The development of the Center is expected to raise the level of utilization of existing evidence-informed, state-of-the-art adoption competent training for mental health practitioners to increase the access and availability of professionals with trauma-informed competence. The Center will provide individual technical assistance to the child welfare systems of STTs in building alliances with the mental health community to build access to competent mental health services.

The grant recipient will focus on meeting the following goals:

1. Create a national center with the expertise and evidence-informed training and technical assistance services that will support and build the capacity of the STTs in building the adoption competence of mental health practitioners and in forming strong alliances with the mental health community to improve accessibility of culturally responsive services to all children/youth in the care of the child welfare system and in adoption/guardianship homes.

2. Ensure the Center is a comprehensive repository of knowledge and best practice that will benefit and build the capacity of all STTs.

3. Support the on-site work in STTs to build alliances with the mental health system and support improved access to adoption competent mental health services.

Expected Outcomes:

Established Center that is recognized as a center of expertise that can significantly enhance the capacity of child welfare systems to provide accessible and culturally competent mental health services through collaboration with the mental health system.

Significant increase in the number of STTs providing comprehensive and adoption competent mental health services for children/youth in care as well as those who have exited care to adoptive/guardianship families.

Enhanced well-being, stability, permanency and behavioral health for children/youth served by child welfare systems and those that have exited the system to adoptive/guardianship families.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Building on the work of NTI, the Center will provide technical assistance and capacity building services to individual STTs to build the adoption competency level of mental health practitioners in their jurisdiction. The Center will also build collaboration and coordination with the mental health system in the STT's jurisdiction to ensure accessibility to services that meet the needs of children and youth in the child welfare system and those that have exited care to adoptive/guardianship families. The Center is expected to provide on-site guidance and assistance to STTs in efforts to build alliances with the mental health community to enhance the skills and training of the mental health practitioners and to develop a means to assure ready access to care for children/youth.

Through a cooperative agreement, the Center will include the following components:

A. National Center for On-Site Support:

The Center will provide on-site training, technical assistance, and support to STTs to build upon the work of NTI in increasing the competency and capacity of mental health practitioners in skills that pertain to addressing the needs of children/youth that have lived experienced in the child welfare system. This on-site work will also include the provision of technical assistance and support to the STT’s in building bridges and a collaborative structure within their jurisdictions between the child welfare system and the mental health system. This collaborative structure is intended to achieve alignment and coordination in the level of adoption competence and to ensure improved accessibility and delivery of mental health services throughout the state to those children/youth with lived experience in the child welfare system, both while in the system and after moving to permanency through adoption/guardianship.

The on-site work will include intensive training, technical assistance, and support within child welfare systems of STTs (intensive support to 6 system entities per year of the project for a total of 30 sites in the 5-year funding period) to build the capacity, accessibility, and adoption mental health competence of mental health practitioners; and to build collaboration between the child welfare and mental health systems. Support should include initial financial support as needed to support activities in the sites.

The Center will ensure strong quality assurance and fidelity for all work in the sites. The Center will also ensure each site has a strong system of providing information about the availability and accessibility of the adoption-competent mental health providers and services in their jurisdiction.

The process to select sites for on-site support will include consideration of the following:

The need as demonstrated and established by the site;

The commitment and capacity of the site to bring about system change in terms of collaboration with the mental health system; and The commitment to sustain and further develop the adoption mental health competence of both the child welfare workforce and the mental health practitioners.

B. Repository of Knowledge, Best Practices, and Evidence-Informed/Based Services:

The Center will serve as a repository of knowledge, best practices, evidence-informed/evidence-based services and practice in the provision of mental health services to those with lived experience in the child welfare system. It will provide extensive dissemination of information and lessons learned from the work in each site with all STTs. It will also provide extensive sharing between jurisdictions that receive on-site support to enable a strong peer-to-peer structure for learning and replication, as appropriate.

The Center will provide constituency services and universal product development and dissemination to the child welfare and mental health workforces in all STTs across the nation. This work should include tools, suggested training, and guidance on both building the child welfare competence of the mental health workforce as well as guidance to STT child welfare systems on building alliances and collaboration with the mental health providers and systems in their respective jurisdictions.

C. Support for Sustainability:

Encourage and provide information to the STTs on setting up on-going support and sustainability of efforts, as appropriate, through accessing the following resources:

Child Welfare Service funding (Title IV-B, Subpart I);

MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Title IV-B of Subpart II through which state title IV-B agencies must spend approximately 20 percent for adoption promotion and support services; and

Family First Prevention Services Act, which allows federal Title IV-E funding to be used on evidenced-based services provided to families whose children are at risk of entering the child welfare system.

Additional Project Requirements:

D. Youth Engagement: Ensure the involvement and incorporation of the voice of youth/young adults with lived experience in the child welfare system in all aspects of their work and ensure that each site also includes this element.

E. Race Equity: Apply a racial equity lens across all elements of the work of the national project and in each site, in adherence to Executive Order 13985 and ACF’s Position on Equity.

F. Collaboration: Actively collaborate with the Children's Bureau (CB) and other partners to achieve the purposes of this NOFO. The project will require collaboration with agencies and organizations with which partnerships are critical to successfully implement the proposed project.

G. Evaluation: Answer key questions about project performance and support the refinement/quality improvement of all services of the project through the evaluation design.

The evaluation must be both efficient and able to provide timely and useful information.

H. Operational Requirements: Be fully operational within the first 90 days following the project start date. Also, within 90 days of the project start date, the Project Director, Evaluator, and/or other key staff must attend a mandatory meeting in Washington, DC.

SUBAWARDS

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

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

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible. Please reference the Award Term and Condition on https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.acf.hhs.gov/equity https://www.acf.hhs.gov/equity https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#book_content_14

Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

II. Federal Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$4,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$4,000,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$3,750,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$4,000,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2023 Length of Project Periods:

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#book_content_14 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-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 on the part of the recipient, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

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

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 include 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);

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

CB close monitoring of the awardee during performance, which 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

Per 42 U.S.C. 5113(b)(4), eligibility is open to public or private agencies or organizations, including adoptive family groups and minority groups.

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.

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

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. 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 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

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

Funding Restrictions Reference Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for any limitations on the use of federal funds that could affect the eligibility of an applicant or project.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

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

Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF. Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NoA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NoA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

III.3. Other

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

Award Ceiling Disqualification

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

Required Electronic Application Submission

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

Applicants that do not have an internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission."

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

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

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

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

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

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

CB Operations Center c/o LCG, Inc.

ATTN: HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039

6000 Executive Boulevard Suite 410 Rockville

MD

20852 888-203-6161 CB@grantreview.org Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

Applications in Paper Format:

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

Federal Relay Service:

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

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Each applicant applying electronically via Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding SFs and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. SFs and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act 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 http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Application Submission Options.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

With the exception of SFs and forms approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the application submission is limited to 100 pages in its entirety. Applicants must submit the following two files:

File One: The Project Description file must include these items:

1. Table of Contents

2. Abstract

3. Objectives and Need for Assistance

4. Approach

5. Evaluation

6. Organizational Capacity

7. Logic Model

8. Line-Item Budget and Budget Justification

File Two: The Appendices file must include these items:

1. Third-party agreements

2. Certifications and Assurances

3. Proof of Legal Status (if applicable)

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 received an exemption that will allow submission in paper format. See Section IV.2. Application Submission Options for information about requesting an exemption.

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

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

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

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

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 SFs and OMB-approved Forms SFs and OMB-approved forms 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 SFs, OMB-approved forms, and required assurances and certifications.

Naming Application Submission Files Carefully observe the file naming conventions required by Grants.gov. Limit file names to 50 characters (characters and spaces). Please also see https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters.html.

Use only file formats supported by ACF Applicants must 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 PDFs 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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters.html 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)

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 for 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 NOFO, or multiple applications under separate NOFOs, each application submission must be packaged separately. The package(s) must be clearly labeled with the NOFO title and Funding Opportunity Number.

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

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.

Addresses for Submission of Paper Applications See Section IV.7. Other Submission Requirements for addresses for paper format application submissions.

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

Applicants seeking an award under this funding opportunity must submit the listed SFs, assurances, and certifications with the application. All required SFs, assurances, and certifications are available in the Application Package posted for this NOFO at Grants.gov.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

Certificate of Good Standing

Submission is required for all for-profit organizations.

Sole proprietorships are not eligible applicants. The submission of the Certificate of Good Standing, along with the current list of board members, and organizational documents that require the establishment and maintenance of a Board of Directors, provide proof of eligibility for for-profit organizations.

SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications.

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

Required of all applicants.

Applicants must have a UEI and maintain an active SAM registration throughout the application and project award period.

Obtain a UEI and SAM registration at: http://www.sam.

gov.

See Section IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) for more information.

SF-424 Key Contact Form

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications.

Certification Regarding Lobbying (Grants.gov Lobbying Form)

Submission required of all applicants with the application

Submission of the certification is required for all applicants.

https://www.sam.gov/

Requirement Notes/Description package. If it is not submitted with the application package, it must be submitted prior to the award of a grant.

SF-424A - Budget Information - Non- Construction Programs and SF-424B - Assurances - Non- Construction Programs

Submission is required for all applicants when applying for a non-construction project.

SFs must be used.

Forms must be submitted by the application due date.

By signing and submitting the SF- 424B, applicants are making the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination.

Required for all applications when applying for a non-construction project.

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

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications. In the SF-P/PSL, applicants must cite their primary location and up to 29 additional performance sites.

SF-LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

If submission of this form is applicable, it is due at the time of application. If it is not available at the time of application, it may also be

If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in

Requirement Notes/Description submitted prior to the award of a grant.

connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit the SF-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.

Additional Required Assurances and Certifications Mandatory Grant Disclosure All applicants and recipients are required to submit, in writing, to the awarding agency and to the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), all information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. (Mandatory Disclosures, 45 CFR § 75.113)

Disclosures must be sent in writing to:

The Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Grants Management, ATTN: Grants Management Specialist, 330 C Street, SW., Switzer Building, Corridor 3200, Washington, DC 20201

And to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, ATTN:

Mandatory Grant Disclosures, Intake Coordinator, 330 Independence Avenue, SW., Cohen Building, Room 5527, Washington, DC 20201

Fax: (202) 205-0604 (Include “Mandatory Grant Disclosures” in subject line) or

Email: grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov

Non-Federal Reviewers Since ACF will be using non-federal reviewers in the review process, applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget as well as Social Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals. The copies may include summary salary information. If applications are submitted electronically, ACF will omit the same specific salary rate information from copies made for use during the review process.

The Project Description

The Project Description Overview

General Expectations and Instructions The Project Description provides the information by which an application is evaluated and ranked in competition with other applications for financial assistance. It must address all mailto:grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov activities for which federal funds are being requested and all application requirements as stated in this section. The Project Description must explain how the project will meet the purpose of the NOFO, as described in Section I. Program Description. As a reminder, reviewers will be evaluating this section in accordance with Section V.1. Criteria.

The Project Description must be clear, concise, and complete. ACF is particularly interested in Project Descriptions that convey strategies for achieving intended performance. Project Descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance and measurable outcomes, not length.

Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. Supporting documents designated as required must be included in the Appendix of the application.

Letter of Intent Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify ACF of their intention to submit an application under this funding opportunity. Please submit a letter of intent by the deadline date listed in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. The letter of intent should include the following information: number and title of this funding opportunity; the name and address of the applicant organization; and the name, phone number, fax number and email address of a contact person.

Letter of intent information will be used to determine the number of expert reviewers needed to evaluate applications. The letter of intent is optional. Failure to submit a letter of intent will not impact eligibility to submit an application and will not disqualify an application from competitive review.

The letter of intent should be submitted to:

CB Operations Center c/o LCG, Inc.

ATTN: HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039

6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 410 Rockville, MD 20852 Phone: 888-203-6161 Email: cb@grantreview.org

Table of Contents List the contents of the application including corresponding page numbers. The table of contents may be single spaced.

Project Summary Provide a summary of the application project description. It must be clear, accurate, concise, and without cross-references to other parts of the application. The summary must include a brief description of the proposed grant project including the needs to be addressed, the proposed services, and the population group(s) to be served.

Please place the following at the top of the Project Summary:

Project Title Applicant Name Address Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax, Cell) mailto:cb@grantreview.org

Email Address Website Address, if applicable

The Project Summary must be single-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, and limited to one page in length. Additional pages will be removed and will not be reviewed.

Legal Status of Applicant Entity Applicants must provide the following documentation:

Non-Profit Organizations

Proof of Non-Profit Status Options:

Option 1: 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) non-profit organizations are eligible Non-profit organizations applying for funding are required…