hhs-2024-acf-orr-rg 0023 Full Announcement.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due June 28, 2024

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)

Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development (RFCCMED) Program Opportunity number: HHS-2024-ACF-ORR-RG-0023

Contents Before you begin 3

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 7

Program description 8

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 22

Get registered 23

Find the application package 23

Learn more 23

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 24

Application contents and format 25

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 38

Application review 39

Award notices 44

Step 5: Submit Your Application 45

Application submission and deadlines 46

Application checklist 49

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 51

Post-award requirements and administration 52

Contacts and Support 54

Contents 2

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

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by June 28, 2024 Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 28, 2024.

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

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

Jump to a step

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

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 7

Program description 8

Basic information Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)

Helping refugees establish financially self-sustainable, licensed family child care businesses.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Program

Opportunity number:

HHS-2024-ACF-ORR-

RG-0023

Federal assistance listing:

93.576

Statutory authority number:

Immigration and Nationality Act § 412(c)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C.

1522(c)(1)(A)

Key dates

Application deadline:

June 28, 2024

Expected award date:

August 30, 2024

Expected start date:

September 30, 2024

See deadlines.

Summary This program enables refugees to become self-sufficient by helping them establish small family child care businesses.

The program offers:

• Training and technical assistance in professional child care and microenterprise development.

• Financial literacy education.

• Help navigating the child care business licensing process.

• Direct financial assistance to prepare homes for child care operations.

This program is dedicated to increasing equity by providing services to refugees, with a focus on women.

Please also see the full RFCCMED program guidelines.

Funding details Type: Grant

Estimated total program funding: $2 million

Total expected awards: 8

Minimum award amount for the first budget period (award floor): $175,000

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

Funding periods: 36-month period of performance with three 12-month budget periods

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/refugees/refugee-family-child-care https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1522&num=0&edition=prelim

ORR will continue to fund projects for the second and third budget periods based upon:

• Satisfactory progress in the project.

• Approval of the noncompetitive application for continuation.

• A determination that continued funding is in the federal government’s best interest.

• Availability of federal funds.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

Eligibility Who can apply

Eligible applicants These types of organizations may apply:

• Public and private nonprofit organizations.

Individuals, including sole proprietorships, and foreign entities may not apply.

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

See the initial review section for disqualification factors.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7

Program description RFCCMED Program overview The Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development (RFCCMED) Program supports refugees in becoming self-sufficient by opening and operating licensed family child care businesses.

Families with young children often have to choose between either expensive child care so both parents can work, or loss of income so that one parent can stay home with their children. Small family child care businesses have empowered many refugees to earn a steady income while also caring for their children. They also enable other parents to work.

ACF’s Why Prioritize Early Childhood explains that access to decent child care increases a parent’s ability to remain gainfully employed, work more hours, and pursue advanced education or job training.

However, opening a family child care business poses challenges, particularly for refugees, including:

• A complex licensing system.

• Unfamiliarity with child care norms and practices.

• Unfamiliarity with U.S. small business operation requirements.

The RFCCMED Program will support local organizations in providing recently arrived refugees with the necessary training and technical assistance to establish family child care businesses. They will equip refugee participants with knowledge, skills, and limited financial support in preparation for opening their businesses.

Family child care business definition In the context of this notice of funding opportunity, a family child care business is a small refugee-owned-and-operated enterprise that:

• Provides at-home child care services.

• Complies with all relevant laws and regulations.

• Has all required licenses or certifications.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ecd/why_prioritize_early_childhood_doc.pdf

The goal of this program is to:

• Help local organizations provide essential training and technical assistance to refugees planning to set up family child care businesses.

• Help refugees establish financially self-sustainable, licensed family child care businesses.

• Provide refugee children access to quality child care services.

We plan to fund projects that provide relevant training and technical assistance services to refugee entrepreneurs.

Note: The term “refugee” is used in this document to mean all people eligible for ORR refugee benefits.

Program scope The RFCCMED Program’s objectives are:

• Helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency through opening licensed family child care businesses to generate income.

• Facilitating refugee families’ access to quality child care through helping them gain access to licensed family child care businesses that meet their children’s early care and developmental needs.

• Training refugees on how to navigate and access mainstream child care services. If funded, you will support participants by providing:

◦ Crucial knowledge and skills to set up their businesses.

◦ Possible limited financial support in the form of a stipend.

◦ Help through the child care licensing process.

◦ Support during early stages of their business operation.

◦ Culturally and linguistically appropriate training and technical assistance.

◦ Collaboration with local or state agencies responsible for child care regulations to confirm that participants fulfill all legal requirements.

◦ Assistance with preparation for small business annual tax requirements or referral to a volunteer income tax assistance site.

Equity is a central purpose of this program. We especially aim to increase self-sufficiency among women.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9

Providing equitable services You must ensure that your project is fully and equally accessible to all refugees, as delineated within the eligible participants section of this notice of funding opportunity.

Program activities must be culturally and linguistically appropriate and provide flexible scheduling for participants, who may be working full-time or during nontraditional work hours. You will serve refugees with varying levels of education and experience.

You must be able to help refugees overcome potential barriers to participation, such as lack of transportation or child care responsibilities. Program design should include input from individuals with lived experience. You may serve enrolled participants for the full project period.

Program activities Needs assessment You must perform a local area needs assessment to determine your annual goals in terms of:

• Participants enrolled, trained, licensed, and establishing businesses.

• Child care slots created.

• Businesses sustained.

You must enroll participants only within the service area defined in your application for funding.

See the specific data indicators on which you will be required to report in the data reporting requirements section.

Training You must provide training for program participants. You must provide the training either directly or through a partnership with one or more local agencies that are experts in family child care training. More information on these partnerships can be found in the training and technical assistance partnerships section.

The training must be culturally and linguistically suitable. It must also be given at times that participants can attend. You should include input from people with lived experience.

This training aims to give participants the tools they need to open and sustain high-quality family child care businesses that comply with state and local child care laws.

See 5(b) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-186) (42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)(2)(I)).

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1086/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1086/text

Your training must include the topics listed in the following sections, which are fully explained in the CCDBG Act. You must also include other topics based on local licensing requirements, as needed.

Health and safety training

• Infection control: How to prevent and control infectious diseases.

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention: How to prevent SIDS and follow safe sleeping practices.

• Medical procedures:

◦ How to give medication, including according to parents’ preferences and consent.

◦ How to do first aid.

◦ How to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

• Allergy response: How to prevent and respond to emergencies due to allergic reactions, such as to food.

• Building safety: How to ensure that the building is safe, respond to electrical dangers, safely install and routinely inspect outlets, and promote traffic safety.

• Infant care: How to prevent shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma.

• Disaster prep: How to prepare for emergencies and plan responses for natural or human-caused emergencies.

• Storage of hazardous materials: How to handle, store, and dispose of hazardous materials and biological contaminants.

• Transport safeguards: How to safely transport children (for providers who offer transportation).

• Other required topics include how to provide:

◦ Appropriate nutrition.

◦ Access to physical activity.

◦ Any other areas to promote children’s development, health, and safety, according to local regulations.

Microenterprise development training

• Business knowledge and legal compliance, including how to:

◦ Operate a business profitably.

◦ Follow laws and regulations.

◦ Generally manage a small business.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11

• Other topics include:

◦ Business planning.

◦ Financial literacy.

◦ Customer service.

◦ Record keeping.

◦ Time and inventory management.

◦ Cash flow projections and financial management.

◦ Personnel management.

◦ Understanding employment regulations and taxation.

Technical assistance We define technical assistance as one-on-one consulting, counseling, mentoring, or facilitating related to family child care business development. You must provide technical assistance to all participants regularly, or as needed, to help them establish and improve their businesses throughout their participation in the program and during the project period. Technical assistance can be remote and/or in-office as well as at the child care location.

You must design a technical assistance plan to fully prepare each participant to establish a successful business. Examples of technical assistance include:

• Helping develop a business plan.

• Helping apply for a child care license.

• Providing expert advice on business start-up, development, and accounting.

• Providing interpretation and translation services for participants with limited English proficiency.

You must provide individual technical assistance to participants, but you can also provide additional technical assistance in small groups.

Collaboration with local child care licensing agency You must develop or provide:

• Connections with local child care licensing agencies to make sure participants have current information about regulations and requirements.

• Information about local licensing requirements.

◦ First, make sure that local licensing requirements allow family child care businesses to be opened in the type of housing where most potential participants in your area live.

• Ways to address licensing-related issues and complications.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12

Coordination with the refugee resettlement community You must coordinate with resettlement agencies, state refugee coordinators or replacement designees, and other relevant community service providers to help you extend outreach, increase awareness of your RFCCMED project, and coordinate with other refugee resettlement efforts. Examples of such activities can include:

• Attending quarterly meetings with resettlement agencies.

• Regularly meeting with state refugee coordinators.

• Participating in other relevant forums and cultural events.

• Conducting outreach to ethnic community-based organizations.

You can find contact information for state refugee coordinators on ORR’s website.

Training and technical assistance partnerships If you cannot provide all required trainings and technical assistance yourself, you must partner with other qualified organizations. Refer to the subawards section for requirements of partnerships paid through subawards.

Examples of partners for family child care training include:

• Tribal, territory, state, and local early childhood agencies.

• Local child care resources and referral agencies.

• After-school programs.

• Resettlement agencies.

• Other community-based organizations that can provide trainings that comply with federal, state, and local child care laws.

Examples of partners for microenterprise development training include business development institutions such as:

• Small Business Administration microloan offices.

• Community Development Financial Institutes.

• Other public and private institutions funded by agencies, like:

◦ ACF’s Office of Community Services’ Community Economic Development program.

◦ Small Business Administration’s Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs.

Examples of partners to address cultural and linguistic competency in your trainings include:

• Ethnic community-based organizations.

• Resettlement agencies.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/grant-funding/key-state-contacts

• Vocational English training programs.

• Interpretation services.

• Other public and private organizations that have an established relationship, trust, and expertise in the target refugee population.

RFCCMED technical assistance may address a variety of needs connected to establishing and maintaining a family child care business. In addition to the technical assistance partners included in this section, other technical assistance partners may include other organizations that can keep detailed case files and provide one-on-one help as the program participants establish their businesses.

Participant stipends You must establish a method to provide participant stipends. Refugee participants who are in compliance with their Refugee Program Service Agreement (RPSA) should receive a one-time stipend ranging from $750 to $3,000 to assist with their business start-up costs. This stipend must help prepare the participant’s home to open and operate their business during the project.

Costs to provide training, technical assistance, and licensing fees are not part of this stipend. See information on licensing-related fees.

Stipend funding is not cash assistance.

See the funding policies and limitations for more information on stipend costs and requirements.

Licensing-related fees You may use program funds to cover participants’ costs for meeting family child care licensing requirements. This funding is in addition to stipends. These costs may include:

• Licensing application fee.

• Required orientation.

• Background check and fingerprinting—this may include participants and all adults living in the home, if required by local licensing requirements.

• Required immunizations and health screenings.

• Required CPR and first aid training costs.

• Costs of transportation to training and licensing-related activities.

• Business insurance for up to one year.

• Other fees required for licensing by local regulations.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14

When there is a range in service rates, you should choose the least expensive, appropriate option that meets the requirements.

You must request approval from the ORR Division of Refugee Services to cover any other expenses you believe are essential to licensing and operating a business.

Refugee Program Service Agreement We require a standardized, signed, and dated RPSA for each participant. The RPSA must include:

• Confirmation of the participant’s eligibility for the project.

• An itemized list of fees and costs that you will pay on their behalf, such as:

◦ Criminal background check fees.

◦ Licensing fees.

◦ Transportation costs.

• A list of training sessions the participant must successfully complete to obtain their family child care license.

• Any technical assistance that the project will provide to the participant.

• If applicable, a statement explaining which partners will provide services to the participant and the partners’ role.

• Information on stipends, including:

◦ The terms for qualifying for a stipend.

◦ A clear statement that stipends will only be used for purchases needed to operate a family child care business.

◦ The maximum stipend amount.

◦ A list of costs that may be covered by stipends.

◦ How the project will determine which purchases will be made on behalf of the participant.

◦ How the project will ensure that stipends are only used for approved costs.

• The qualifications for establishing and operating a family child care business under applicable laws and regulations, such as:

◦ Criminal background screenings.

◦ Medical screenings.

◦ Required licenses or certifications.

• A proposed timeline for the participant to complete all required activities within the project period.

• Notification that the project will assess their household earnings upon enrollment in the project and six months after the start of their child care business.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15

Case file requirements You must make a case file for each participant and keep it updated. These files must include:

• Documentation of their eligibility for the program, as delineated in the eligible participants section.

• A completed RPSA.

• Case notes.

• Licenses and related documents.

• Documentation of payments made to or on behalf of the participant.

• Invoices and receipts for these payments.

You must allow ORR staff to review case files upon request.

Programs must comply with 45 CFR § 75.303(e) to take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information. When you are not using the files, they must be secured so that only appropriate staff can access them. If you use an electronic system, you must limit access to the data and use encryption to protect participants’ information. If you use a paper system, you must keep files secure—ideally in a file cabinet that is kept locked and can only be accessed by authorized staff.

Eligible participants RFCCMED participants must be eligible for ORR Refugee Resettlement Program benefits and services, through their immigration status or category as one of the following:

• Refugee

• Asylee

• Cuban or Haitian entrant

• Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrant

• Amerasian

• Victim of human trafficking

• Another individual made eligible by law, such as a humanitarian parolee from Afghanistan or Ukraine who arrived under specific circumstances during a defined period

Eligible people must also meet these criteria:

• They are not U.S. citizens.

• They have been eligible for ORR services for less than five years when they enroll.

• They either:

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR911e5e1a30bfbcb/section-75.303

◦ Live in a home that is suitable for a family child care business and can meet the requirements defined by federal, state, and local laws, or

◦ Have definitive plans to move to such a home during the project period.

• If they are not a homeowner, they have a signed agreement from the rental property owner allowing the operation of a family child care business in the residence, if required by local regulation.

◦ Note: You must request prior approval for exceptions to the requirements for the participant’s home, such as signed agreements from property owners.

You may request an exception if the participant plans to operate a business in another location that meets regulations and can bring in enough revenue to achieve self-sufficiency.

• They must not have legal barriers that would bar them from meeting the minimum federal, state, and local requirements for owning and operating a licensed family child care business, such as:

◦ Passing a criminal background check.

◦ Obtaining health and safety certifications.

◦ Having a valid driver’s license.

• In your organization’s assessment, they must be able to meet the regulatory requirements to establish a family child care business during the project period.

• They must be willing and able to hire only employees who are authorized to work in the United States and whose work authorization can be verified.

More information on eligibility for ORR-funded Refugee Resettlement Program benefits and services can be found at 45 CFR § 400.43 and in ORR Policy Letters 16-01, 22-01, and 22-13.

ORR will issue a policy letter and inform recipients if other populations are made eligible by law and can be enrolled in program services.

It is your responsibility to verify the eligibility of each participant upon enrollment. If you are unsure whether a candidate is eligible, please contact refugeeeligibility@acf.hhs.gov. ORR will consider exceptions for otherwise eligible persons who have more than five years of ORR eligibility on a case-by-case basis. To request an exception, contact your program officer with an explanation of why the individual should be considered a priority for service and why they could not enroll in the RFCCMED Program during the five-year eligibility period. Do not include immigration documents or personal details in the message.

You must comply with applicable civil rights laws to ensure that ORR-eligible populations receive fair treatment, access, and opportunity to participate in ORR-funded programs without discrimination on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, race,

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFRa2e11c136e10eba/section-400.43 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/policy-letters mailto:refugeeeligibility@acf.hhs.gov color, religion, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political opinion.

ORR notes that in implementing its nondiscrimination provisions for the Refugee Resettlement Program, it operates in compliance with the requirements of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and other applicable federal conscience protections, as well as other applicable federal civil rights laws and applicable Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations. For additional detail, please see 45 CFR § 87.3.

For each participant, you must keep a record of eligibility documentation that ORR staff can review on request. Options for keeping records include:

• Keeping a copy of eligibility documents in the participant’s case file.

• Recording the following details:

◦ The exact document that the participant presented to confirm eligibility, along with any codes or markings that show eligibility.

◦ The participant’s date of arrival to the United States or initial date of ORR eligibility.

◦ The name of the staff member who reviewed the documents.

Secondary participants You may enroll secondary participants from the same household as a primary participant, if the secondary participant plans to fill a role such as assistant or substitute in the primary participant’s business. Family members who live in a different household cannot enroll as secondary participants.

You can only enroll secondary participants if they meet all other eligibility requirements. Secondary participants are not eligible for stipends.

Data reporting requirements Recipients will be required to report on the following data points semiannually:

• Number of participants enrolled.

• Number of participants trained.

• Number of participants who obtained licenses.

• Number of participants who established family child care businesses.

• Number of new child care slots made available by participants establishing family child care businesses.

• Number of businesses sustained at the conclusion of the project period.

• Change in household income six months after business start. To document the change in household income, your project must assess each client’s household earnings at two moments:

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-87 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-87

◦ Upon enrollment in the project.

◦ Six months after the start of the child care business.

Federal, state, and local requirements You must ensure that enrollment, trainings, certifications, and licensing are completed by qualified entities—either internally or through partnerships—and meet all tribal, territorial, federal, state, and local requirements. Requirements that relate to the safety of the children being served by the family child care businesses are particularly important.

Family child care trainings must adhere to the CCDBG Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-186) (42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)(2)(I)(xi)).

Funding policies and limitations General policies

• You cannot use funds solely to prepare a participant to work at a child care facility not operated by members of their household. However, participants can temporarily work, intern, or volunteer in such a facility to obtain child care experience.

• You must budget for one key staff member to attend an annual two-day workshop in Washington, DC.

Participant stipend costs

• Stipend amounts: Participant stipends are limited to $3,000 per participant for the entire project period. You must include at least $750 per anticipated participant in each year’s budget.

◦ During the project itself, if you have more participants than you budgeted for, you will consult ORR for guidance.

• Stipend distribution: You will distribute the one-time stipend to each participant after verifying that they are ready to begin establishing their business or obtain a required license.

• Eligible costs include:

◦ Educational supplies.

◦ Furniture.

◦ Toys.

◦ Business equipment.

◦ Office supplies.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

◦ Home improvements necessary for business or child care regulations.

◦ Safety equipment.

◦ Cleaning supplies.

• Payment method: You must pay all expenses directly to the vendor, when possible.

If you must reimburse a participant instead, you must approve the participant’s purchase in writing in advance of the purchase. The participant will have to verify that they incurred the costs.

See information on participant stipends for more information.

Unallowable costs We do not allow the following costs under this funding opportunity:

• Construction.

• Purchase of real property.

• Major renovation.

• Housing costs, such as mortgages, rent, or security deposits.

• Pre-award costs.

See 45 CFR 75.420–75.475 for information on costs that are always unallowable or have restrictions.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are those for a common or joint purpose across more than one project and that cannot be easily separated by project. Learn more at 45 CFR 75.414, Indirect Costs.

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

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

Method 2 — De minimis rate. Per 45 CFR 75.414(f), if you have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you are awaiting approval of an indirect cost proposal, you may also use the de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs.

This rate is 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See 45 CFR 75.2 for the definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.2(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost)

Subawards The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ORR defines a substantive role as conducting funded activities and providing services that are necessary and integral to completing the project. Monitoring your subrecipient’s activities alone is not a substantive role. See 45 CFR 75.352 for information on subrecipient monitoring.

ORR 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.

Subrecipients must meet the eligibility requirements of this NOFO.

Statutory authority This program is authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act § 412(c)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1522(c)(1)(A).

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.352

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Get registered 23

Find the application package 23

Learn more 23

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

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

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

Need help? See Contacts and Support.

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Search Grants at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HHS-2024-ACF-ORR- RG-0023. Then, click the “Package” tab.

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 23 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration http://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://grants.gov/search-grants https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Step 3:

Prepare Your Application

In this step

Application contents and format 25

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

File one: Project Narrative Attachment form Includes:

• Table of contents

• Project summary, one page

• Project narrative

• Line-item budget and budget narrative

File two: Other Attachments form Includes all attachments.

Other required forms Includes other required forms.

Required format Page limits and requirements Page limit for file one and file two combined: 80 pages

Paper size: 8 ½ inches x 11 inches

Margins: 1 inch all around

Language: English

Other requirements: If possible, include page numbers. Do not include external links to information you want reviewers to assess.

Fonts Font: Times New Roman

Size: 12-point font

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

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 25

Spacing Table of contents: Must be single-spaced

Project summary: Must be single-spaced

Project narrative: Must be double-spaced

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

Attachments: As needed

Tables and footnotes throughout: Can be single-spaced

File formats ACF supports the following file formats when you attach files to the Project Narrative Attachment form and the Other Attachments form:

• Adobe PDF (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

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

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

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

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

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

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Project narrative Address all your proposed activities in the project narrative. It is a critical section of your application. We evaluate and rank it against other applications using the merit review criteria.

Remember that substance and measurable outcomes are more important than length.

We are particularly interested in project narratives that convey strategies for achieving intended goals and performance.

Within the project narrative, you must:

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

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

• Use cross-referencing rather than repetition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Describe the proposed service area.

• Provide refugee arrival data showing that enough refugees live in the proposed service area to support a 36-month project.

• Provide, if you choose, supporting documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials, in an application appendix.

• If necessary, use a literature review to address the project objectives.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 27

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

Expected outcomes Identify the outcomes you plan to achieve from the project. Outcomes should relate to the overall program, as described in the program description section. If research is part of the proposed work, outcomes must include hypothesized results and implications of the proposed research.

Provide target expected outcomes for each project year and for the total project period.

Your proposed outcomes should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Show that your proposed outcomes are realistic and reasonable based on local conditions, organizational capacity, approach, and requested funding.

Use the data indicators in the project performance evaluation section.

Approach Outline your action plan. Describe the scope and detail of how you will accomplish your proposed project. Account for all functions or activities you identify in your application.

Describe potential obstacles and challenges to accomplishing your project goals.

Explain how you will address them.

Applicants must describe the following in detail.

Project overview

• Explain any innovative aspects of the project, such as cost or time efficiencies or exceptional societal or community involvement.

• Explain your strategy to collaborate and coordinate with local child care licensing agencies, the refugee resettlement community, and training partners, as described in the program description section.

• Demonstrate knowledge and interest:

◦ Provide evidence of your interest in helping refugees establish family child care businesses.

◦ Provide evidence that you fully understand the refugee population in the area to be served through the project. You may include:

▪ Nationalities of arrivals.

▪ Specific areas where refugee populations live.

▪ Local organizations supporting refugees.

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• Propose a plan for recruiting people who are eligible for the program. Explain how this plan will ensure that you enroll participants who are eligible, are committed, and can realistically succeed. Provide a strategy to address any problems retaining participants.

Training and technical assistance plans, RPSA, and stipends Explain your strategies to handle the training and technical assistance portions of both family child care and microenterprise development. Base this section on the guidance in the program description.

Provide information on the following aspects of the training program:

• How family child care and microenterprise development training will prepare participants to establish successful, high-quality family child care businesses that comply with all applicable regulations.

• Curricula for family child care and microenterprise development trainings that you will conduct internally or, if applicable, through project partners. Curricula should include all required training topics listed in the training section of the program description.

• How proposed training schedules will accommodate participants’ availability.

• How you will tailor training to a linguistically and culturally diverse audience.

• How you will include input from people with lived experience.

You must describe your approach to the following aspects of the technical assistance program:

• How you will guide participants through obtaining a license and establishing a business.

• How you will determine when each participant qualifies for a participant stipend and what items to purchase.

• Which licensing-related fees will be covered using project funds.

You must describe a Refugee Program Service Agreement that fulfills the listed requirements.

Describe how the project will complement existing programs in the community instead of replacing or duplicating them.

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Refugee housing and family child care businesses Provide clear details concerning:

• Refugee housing: Explain the housing conditions of the refugee community in your area.

• Business qualifications: Outline the steps for a participant to qualify to run a family child care business from their home. Provide a plan to achieve this within a reasonable time frame.

Challenges Identify potential challenges that may arise during project implementation, such as:

• Changes in child care licensing requirements.

• Property owners’ reluctance to approve family child care businesses.

Present a plan for responding to and overcoming these challenges.

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

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

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

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

• Cover the full period of performance in your timeline.

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

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

• Demonstrate your strong familiarity with the local environment for family child care businesses, your success obtaining licenses, and your success opening similar family child care businesses.

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

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

• Provide a list of all organizations, consultants, or key people involved and describe their roles in the project.

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• Provide evidence of your experience, or that of your project partners, in providing the required training. This should demonstrate your capacity to provide such training.

Plan for oversight of federal award funds and activities You must ensure proper award oversight. The regulation that governs this oversight is 45 CFR Part 75 Subpart D. It includes standards for:

• Financial and program management.

• Property management.

• Procurement.

• Performance and financial monitoring and reporting.

• Subrecipient monitoring and management.

• Record retention and access.

• Remedies for noncompliance.

• Prior written approval.

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

Include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Any processes that support the overall data quality.

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

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 31 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75/subpart-D

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

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

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

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

• Methods for collecting the data indicators referenced in the data reporting requirements section of the program description.

• How you will use data to inform and improve project quality.

• How you will evaluate your relationships with any proposed partners.

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

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

• Explains the links among project elements.

• Targets the identified objectives and goals of the project.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• The methods and systems you, your partners, subrecipients, and/or contractors will use to ensure proper handling of confidential and sensitive information.

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

See 45 CFR 75.303(e) for more information.

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

They justify the costs you ask for and include added detail, including detailed calculations for the “object class categories” in the Budget Information Standard Form.

You will provide this information for the initial budget period only. See the information on funding periods.

As you develop your budget, consider:

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

• How you calculate your costs and whether your methods are clear and repeatable.

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

We encourage you also to review the Standard Form instructions.

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

In general, you must:

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

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

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

• Submit a budget that matches the program activities and complies with the funding restrictions.

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

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 33 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.303(e) https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget

• Include airfare, lodging, and meal expenses for one staff member to attend the annual two-day program meeting in Washington, DC.

• Include costs of providing stipends of $750 to $3,000 per participant.

◦ Clearly differentiate the stipend funds, keeping this line item separate from other direct expenses.

• For applicants planning to use subawards: If your subaward budget is more than 50% of total direct…