Instructions_HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0089.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

Center for Home-based Child Care Research

HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0089

Application Due Date: 07/10/2024

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:

Center for Home-based Child Care Research Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0089

Assistance Listing Number:

93.575 Due Date for Applications:

07/10/2024

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 an award, please visit "Applying for an ACF Award" at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

This cooperative agreement would establish a Center for Home-based Child Care Research (referred to throughout as “the Center”) to support research about home-based child care (HBCC) in states, territories, tribes, and/or local community contexts. The purpose of the Center is to provide leadership, build research capacity in the field, and offer support in the development and facilitation of local research to improve understanding of HBCC settings and providers and access by the families who seek and utilize HBCC. This research center would promote sound research examining HBCC supply and the factors that support or suppress the availability of HBCC in communities. In addition, this Center would advance the field’s understanding of HBCC engagement in public programs and quality improvement efforts. The Center’s activities would build research and evaluation capacity in the field and support research in states, territories, and/or tribes that could inform local initiatives designed to sustain and strengthen

HBCC.

HBCC providers, or individuals and small business owners paid to provide child care in private residences or homes, are an essential segment of the child care landscape. They constitute the largest portion of the child care and early education (CCEE) workforce and serve the vast majority of children birth through school-age who are in regular nonparental care. It is critical for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and for local communities to learn more about HBCC providers, in order to inform federal efforts and state, territory, tribal, and/or local initiatives to increase access to safe and high-quality child care for low-income, working families. This Center would ideally bring together a team that has experience investigating HBCC, evaluating Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program and policies, and assessing the needs and experiences of families with lower-incomes, in tribal communities and of https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant historically marginalized populations. This Center would be equipped to strengthen the ability of local research partnerships to conduct model research projects that effectively address questions concerning HBCC in local contexts, while contributing to broader understanding in the field about HBCC.

For further information about the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), visit our website. You can also learn more about the Office of Child Care (OCC) and the CCDF.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority Section 658O(a)(5) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. 9858m(a)(5)).

Description

A. BACKGROUND

The Center will support research that could inform initiatives designed to sustain and strengthen HBCC. The purpose of the Center is to provide leadership, build research capacity in the field, including development and facilitation of local research in states, territories, tribes, and/or local communities to improve understanding of HBCC availability and access by families seeking and using HBCC. Research and evaluation activities will serve to improve the field’s understanding of services provided to families by CCEE providers in HBCC settings (both formal and informal); HBCC availability (supply); and access (demand and utilization) to those programs by families with varying child care needs.

HBCC providers—the individuals and small business owners who provide child care in private residences or homes—are an essential segment of the child care landscape. They constitute the largest portion of CCEE providers and serve the vast majority of children birth through school-age who are in regular nonparental care. Some research suggests that HBCC has been declining in recent years, and more research is needed to understand how supply of HBCC may have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, including identification of factors that support or suppress availability of HBCC providers in local communities. Further, HBCC providers’ experiences vary in many ways, such as the varying child care needs of families using HBCC and the varying needs of the communities they serve. In addition, there are different local regulatory contexts and broader systemic inequalities (e.g., disparate outcomes that occur in the context of existing societal structures and systems) that can impact children in HBCC programs and the providers themselves, particularly those from communities that have been historically underserved or marginalized.

For the purpose of this program, HBCC refers to the care of children (ages birth through 12 years) in a home setting. This child care may be offered in the provider’s or the child’s home, may be licensed or otherwise regulated or legally exempt from licensing or other regulation, and may occur during traditional or non-traditional hours/days (early mornings, evenings, weekends, overnight). This child care may be paid or unpaid, less formal child care (provided by family, friends, or neighbors [FFN]) or more formal child care (family child care [FCC] provided by someone with whom the family had no prior relationship). Among paid HBCC, all or part of https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/about https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/data-0 their revenue may be generated through private pay as well as other sources such as subsidies, scholarships to low-income families, and/or publicly funded programs such as Head Start and public prekindergarten.

In line with the HHS Equity Action plan, projects are expected to help ACF advance equity in the delivery of human services. ACF is especially interested in proposals that use a strengths-based equity lens to address systemic inequalities that can impact HBCC and examine historical and social context, processes and practices shaping access to services, service implementation, and other outcomes for those from communities that have been historically underserved or marginalized (e.g., minority groups, those who speak a primary language other than English;

those who serve children with special needs; and those working in lower resourced, rural, or tribal communities). Strengths-based, equity-focused research plans also pay attention to distributions of power and privilege by seeking to engage multiple voices, including those from marginalized communities and/or individuals with lived experiences, throughout the research process by discussing how equity and inclusion informed the proposed research questions, design, approach, and dissemination of findings.

B. PRIORITY TOPICS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY

A range of priority research topics and focal areas for this opportunity has been identified to improve the CCEE field’s understanding and to build the evidence base to support the full range of HBCC settings and HBCC providers, including:

• HBCC types (e.g., paid/unpaid, more formal/less formal).

• Funding sources (e.g., CCDF subsidy, private pay, Head Start, public prekindergarten).

• Provider characteristics (e.g., education level, years in field).

• Setting characteristics (e.g., enrollment size, licensing/exempt status).

• Community characteristics (e.g., rural, urban).

• CCEE system participation (e.g., licensing/regulation, CCDF subsidy, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)).

Proposals may address topics that include, but are not limited to:

• Describing the movement of HBCC providers into and/or out of regulatory status, including tenure, exit, transition, and decline.

• Identifying characteristics of HBCC providers, their settings, and the communities they live in, as they relate to movement into and/or out of regulatory status.

• Identifying factors that support or suppress the availability of HBCC in localities and HBCC provider engagement in CCEE systems such as quality improvement efforts.

• Leveraging existing administrative data and primary data collections to inform local initiatives designed to sustain and strengthen HBCC.

• Identifying research and practice activities that support research and evaluation capacity for states, territories, and/or tribes interested in examining HBCC topics relevant to their local context.

• Evaluating implementation or effects of policies, practices, or other efforts on the https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7_aOl1J6EAxWaD1kFHWBtCjsQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hhs.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fhhs-equity-action-plan.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1kbLTsKt4_IDrUN2By-A2J&opi=89978449 availability of different types of HBCC in terms of quality of care, ages of children served, provision of care during non-standard hours, and regulatory status.

For each of the above topics, ACF is especially interested in projects that address how these issues relate to HBCC providers’ ability and/or willingness to accept CCDF subsidies.

C. GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE CENTER FOR HOME BASED CHILD

CARE RESEARCH

Goals of the HBCC Research Center:

It is critical for ACF and local communities to learn more about HBCC providers, both the individuals providing the care and the characteristics of the programs where they provide child care, in order to inform federal efforts and local initiatives to increase access to safe and high-quality child care, particularly for families with lower-incomes and working families. A primary goal of the Center will be to support research and practice communities to develop a portfolio of new research projects related to HBCC supply. The Center would promote sound research examining HBCC and the factors that support or suppress the availability of HBCC in states, territories, and/or tribes. In addition, this Center would advance the field’s understanding of HBCC providers’ engagement in publicly funded programs (e.g., child care subsidies, Head Start) and quality improvement efforts (e.g., QRIS, quality initiatives (QI), and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives). The Center’s activities would build research and evaluation capacity in the field and support research in states, territories, and/or tribes that could inform local initiatives designed to sustain and strengthen the supply of HBCC. The Center would ideally bring together a team that has experience investigating HBCC, evaluating CCDF programs and policies, and assessing the needs and experiences of families with lower incomes.

This Center would be equipped to strengthen the ability of local partnerships to conduct research projects that effectively address questions concerning HBCC in local contexts while contributing to broader understanding in the field about HBCC.

The three research goals of this Center are to:

1. Examine and strengthen the role of state and local organizations in supporting HBCC supply. States, territories, and tribes' policy and regulatory contexts vary in their capability and infrastructure to provide and maintain accurate administrative data. In consultation with the Technical Work Group, the Center is expected to use evaluation approaches to answer key research questions about:

• Existing state, territory, and/or tribal efforts to identify and/or evaluate factors affecting HBCC supply and how this may vary by regulatory context or infrastructure capability.

• How states, territories, and/or tribes may leverage existing lists, administrative data, or resources from organizations supporting HBCC to assess the feasibility of addressing factors affecting sustainability (e.g., decline or increases) in HBCC and access to HBCC (e.g., meeting needs and preferences of families).

• Understanding HBCC supply from the provider perspective (e.g., turnover and/or retention of individuals) and from the market perspective (e.g., changes in net supply of HBCC settings in a given locality).

2. Build capacity in the HBCC field by supporting research practice partnerships. The Center is expected to advance the research field by facilitating capacity building with local researchers;

scholars; state, territory, and/or tribal leaders; and other members of the HBCC community. The recipient is expected to establish a research consortium to identify and further develop research approaches describing the unique characteristics of HBCC settings, needs of HBCC providers, and access considerations for families. Ensuring opportunities for involvement by CCDF State Lead Agencies that support HBCC settings and providers will be an important feature of this Center. The types of activities to support the development of research partnerships include, but are not limited to:

• Providing support to design research that will be undertaken through partnerships between research institutions and CCDF organizations.

• Supporting or augmenting HBCC-related research projects already in development or underway.

• Piloting and testing methodologies relating to HBCC providers that could be implemented by local/state partners.

• Providing training or career development opportunities to build research capacity for states, territories, and/or tribes, including networks of HBCC providers (e.g., FCC networks) and HBCC provider-led organizations (e.g., National Association for Family Child Care).

3. Conduct and communicate research about HBCC supply that is based on current strategies and needs of communities, including partners and leaders in states, territories, and/or tribes.

To build the evidence base, the Center is expected to consider various factors related to supply of HBCC. The Center is expected to conduct research to identify needs, currently implemented strategies, and/or develop effective practices and integrated systems that are tailored to meet the unique needs and build on the strengths of HBCC providers (see Section I.A: Background that describes different types of HBCC providers). Products developed by the Center should be assessed for metrics demonstrating usefulness to the field and/or audience of interest. The Center is expected to contribute to the local and broader knowledge base by:

• Conducting applied research that is informed by those with lived experience. These approaches should include community action research and other research approaches that can forge partnerships and establish plans for authentic engagement of key groups (e.g., with HBCC providers in the community) throughout the research process. Projects must have clear links to CCDF program goals, policies, and services relevant to HBCC in and across communities using a strengths-based equity lens.

• Addressing the needs of diverse communities and historically marginalized populations, including HBCC providers who speak a primary language other than English; those who serve children with special needs; and those who work in lower resource, rural, or tribal communities.

• Communicating research findings that are relevant to organizations; policymakers;

practitioners; and/or HBCC providers in states, territories, and/or tribes.

Requirements of the HBCC Research Center:

The recipient is expected to develop and implement a program that appropriately balances the Center’s core infrastructure and administrative responsibilities for each of these three goals. It is also expected that the recipient will identify and develop effective strategies to sustain project activities in support of the award program's goals after the period of federal funding ends. The responsibilities of the Center are:

1. Advancing Research. All research activities supported with ACF funds are expected to meet standards of scientific rigor and objectivity. The Center will strive for scientific quality, fairness, and program and policy relevance. The Center is expected to plan, initiate, and maintain a focused and high-quality research program and shall always consider the program and policy implications of research findings in a non-partisan manner. To advance research, the Center is expected to:

• Build on the existing literature related to HBCC providers and the children and families that seek and/or use their services.

• Be relevant to the needs and interests of ACF and the broader field (e.g., current/former HBCC providers; federal, state, and/or tribal policymakers).

• Identify and synthesize issues that occur in different community contexts (e.g., state, territory, and/or tribal communities; rural and urban communities).

• Include an agenda of basic and applied research drawing on multi-disciplinary approaches for a range of methodological approaches and research purposes (e.g., pilot and feasibility studies, program/policy implementation).

• Establish a Steering Committee made up of both Center and federal staff that meets regularly to review and refine plans for Center activities to ensure links are established between research and public/private efforts to improve the conditions of HBCC providers with input from the Technical Work Group.

• Establish a Technical Work Group made up of experts, community members, and those with lived experience with HBCC that meets at least annually to provide input for the Center’s activities.

To support these aims, the Center is expected to provide thought leadership in the research community by establishing links with a broad range of scholars at various career stages that are external to the recipient through a combination of mechanisms, which may include:

• Leadership roles.

• Partnerships with other institutions of higher education and/or research organizations.

• Visiting and postdoctoral appointments.

• Research assistantships.

• An extramural program of nonresident grants.

OPRE suggests that approximately 50-65 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to advancing research.

2. Building Research Capacity. The Center is expected to build research capacity and infrastructure to conduct valid and culturally competent research addressing questions of significance for ACF policies/programs involving HBCC providers and the children and families that use their services. To build research capacity, the Center is expected to:

• Develop tools, resources, and approaches for the field to conduct rigorous and valid research related to the range of HBCC providers.

• Contribute to the development and expansion of a diverse corps of emerging scholars/researchers who focus their research on the key research areas that have policy and programmatic importance to HBCC providers, children, and families with lower incomes, including those participating in the child care subsidy system, and on policies and programs to promote their social and economic well-being.

• Provide training and mentoring activities to support and encourage the work of emerging scholars investigating relevant questions (e.g., doctoral candidates, postdoctoral scholars, graduate research assistants), not only at the award institution but also at other institutions.

• Pursue innovative approaches to foster rigorous, relevant research and encourage a diverse group of scholars to develop careers in policy-relevant research relevant to HBCC providers and the children and families that participate in HBCC programs.

OPRE suggests that approximately 10-20 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to building research capacity.

3. Communicating Research. The Center is expected to develop a communication approach that broadly and efficiently communicates research findings and catalogs use of research, data, and relevant resources for a range of audiences including researchers, federal and state policymakers, ACF award recipients (including CCDF State Lead Agencies), and HBCC providers and partners (those who provide HBCC services and the organizations who support HBCC providers). To communicate research, the Center is expected to develop:

• A comprehensive plan for utilizing diverse media, channels, and strategic partnerships to connect intended audiences with the research findings and resources that can inform their work. This plan is expected to integrate measures of evidence use (e.g., how to measure if/when the communication efforts are utilized by the intended audiences).

• A dissemination system that includes traditional, social, and innovative media to communicate the research in a range of accessible formats, such as written, visual, and audio products; holding events (e.g., webinars, workshops, roundtables, symposia);

engaging in outreach activities (e.g., listening sessions, presentations at research and practice-focused gatherings); collaboration with ACF technical assistance providers; and meetings with a range of community members to inform Center communication activities.

OPRE suggests that approximately 20-30 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to communicating research.

D. STAFFING AND ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

The Center is expected to develop a staffing and organizational plan that includes the following key roles: the Center Director (or co-Directors); the Center’s staff and academic partners; a Steering Committee; and community, programmatic, policy, and research engagement that includes, but is not limited to, a Technical Work Group. The applicant is expected to propose individuals for each of the key roles and describe how their qualifications can support research in the HBCC field. Each of these roles is described below:

Center Director. The Center Director is expected to be the primary Center personnel representing the Center across all activities. The Director’s expertise, knowledge, and skills should inform each portion of the Center's activities and contribute directly to the collaborative efforts involved. Through these efforts, the Center is expected to advance the state of research concerning HBCC providers, their workforce, and the families and children that use their services. The Director is expected to be responsible for the successful completion of the Center’s research activities, with responsibility for day-to-day operations and decisions. The Director is also expected to establish and maintain coherence in goals and purpose across the Center’s activities and facilitate collaboration across the various structural elements and participants in the Center’s activities.

The Director must have a Ph.D. or equivalent for their field and should be an established expert as demonstrated, in part, by a substantial body of published work, including peer-reviewed articles related to HBCC providers across a range of geographic areas. It is expected that any gaps in the Director’s skills would be addressed through additional Center leadership and staff, subcontracts with other institutions and organizations, and partnerships with other scholars and professionals (i.e., Co- Directors, consultants, logistics management support, research team members). Changes in the Center Director during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

Key Staff and Partners. The Center’s staff and partners (e.g., project managers, coordinators, writers, data collectors, subcontracted research and logistics support, research partners) is expected to include key staff who have experience and skills for completing research with HBCC providers and other key populations relevant to the body of research. Key staff include the Center Director(s) and other key staff, such as senior research staff, project managers, and communications and technical personnel. The Center team is expected to include individuals with expertise in ACF's program and policy priorities as identified in Section I. Program Description. The Center is expected to include staff with competencies and experience that support high-quality and effective dissemination of Center products and resources. It is expected that key staff commit appropriate time and effort to the Center to ensure completion of a robust research program and communications. The award recipient is encouraged to seek out and partner with other organizations, research institutions, and experts throughout the course of funding, given the depth of expertise that is required by this project. Changes in key personnel during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

Steering Committee. It is expected that the Steering Committee consist of the Center’s Director and other selected key staff, the Federal Program Officer from OPRE, and other representatives of ACF (as needed and available). It is expected that the Steering Committee meets regularly (virtually and/or in person) to discuss the Center’s plans, activities, and progress, with a focus on ACF’s goals for the Center. It is expected the Steering Committee:

• Provides input on plans and products in alignment with the Center's short- and long-term goals.

• Identifies supplemental activities to address emerging programmatic priorities.

• Identifies and supports opportunities for dissemination of the Center's work.

• Identifies opportunities for the Center to consult with policymakers and other key community members.

• Facilitates communication and collaboration with other ACF-funded projects.

• Provides solutions-oriented feedback regarding Center activities.

Community, Programmatic, Policy, and Research Engagement. It is expected that the Center engages community, programmatic, policy, and research experts across the lifecycle of various Center activities to inform the relevance of the Center activities. This engagement includes all stages, from initial planning to external review of products to informing communication efforts.

One component of this engagement is expected to be the establishment of a Technical Work Group made up of experts and community members from outside the award recipient/funded institution(s), with research, programmatic, and/or lived expertise related to ACF’s priorities regarding HBCC providers, the policies and practices that are relevant to the child care they provide, and the communities that are served by these HBCC providers. Those with lived expertise may include individuals who are current or former HBCC providers; organizations that partner and support HBCC providers; and those who have participated in, or may be eligible for participation in, programs such as the CCDF subsidy program. This group is expected to provide input and feedback to inform priorities and refine plans for Center activities.

The Technical Work Group is expected to support the Center in identifying concerns, major gaps in the knowledge base, and forward-looking research questions and in ensuring that the Center’s work builds research capacity while addressing issues with relevant policy and program implications. The Center is expected to convene and engage this group purposefully to help realize ACF’s goals for the Center and to expand the reach of the Center’s activities. It is expected that efforts made in selecting this group facilitate representation from a broad range of organizations (e.g., academic, research, policy, community/partner organizations) and fields of study. To enable deeper discussions on selected topics and connections among experts and community members, it is expected that the Technical Work Group will meet as needed (virtually and/or in person) with at least one meeting each year.

E. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF AWARD RECIPIENTS

Supplemental Activities. During the course of the project period, the Center will be called upon to complete several supplemental activities, as needed, to respond to pressing research and policy needs that fall within the scope of the Center. For designing, refining, and carrying out these supplemental projects, the Center is expected to work through a consultative process with federal staff and, as needed and appropriate, with additional consultants and the Technical Work Group.

It is expected that these activities should overlap to some extent with projects/efforts developed in pursuit of the Center's primary research, research capacity building, and communication goals.

OPRE suggests that approximately 8-10 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to supporting supplemental activities.

Meetings and Conferences. Participation in meetings and conferences can help deepen understanding, strengthen connections, and promote collaboration among individuals and institutions that bring different perspectives. In support of the research capacity building and communication goals of this program, the award recipient is expected to attend (and, in some cases, to host) the following meetings and conferences.

• Steering Committee. (Award recipient hosts/organizes.) In addition to regular teleconferences, it may be appropriate for the entire Steering Committee to meet in person during the course of the project period. The Steering Committee is discussed in more detail in Section I.D: Staffing and Organizational Plan.

• Technical Work Group Meeting. (Award recipient hosts/organizes.) The Center is expected to host an annual consultation with the Technical Work Group. In addition to routine engagement of the Technical Work Group throughout the course of the project, the Center is expected to host an annual meeting for deeper, sustained discussion with the work group regarding Center priorities and plans, specific issues or priorities for the field, recent developments in the field, or opportunities for collaboration. The Technical Work Group is discussed in more detail in Section I.D: Staffing and Organizational Plan.

• Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium (CCEEPRC) Biennial Meeting. (Award recipient attends). It is expected that the Director/Principal Investigator (PI) and, as applicable, key staff associated with the submission or presentation will attend the biennial meeting of CCEEPRC, which is typically held in Washington, DC. The next conference during this project period is expected to be held in 2025. The meeting brings together award recipients and contracted researchers funded by ACF and federal and state CCDF administrators to discuss child care policy research; it is an excellent opportunity for the Center to build relationships with key community members and to discuss implications of research developments and the Center’s work.

• ACF’s National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). (Award recipient attends.) It is expected that the Director/PI and, as applicable, key staff associated with the submission or presentation will attend NRCEC, which is typically held biennially in the Washington, DC area. The next conference is expected to be held in 2026. This conference aims to identify and disseminate research relevant to young children (birth to 8 years) and their families; encourage collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to build the evidence base for policy and practice; and foster discussion of research priorities, gaps, and needs.

• Other opportunities to meet with ACF audiences. (Award recipient attends.) In addition, OPRE will identify and facilitate opportunities to present Center work and engage with federal and state policymakers, program administrators, ACF training and technical assistance providers, ACF-funded research teams, and other ACF audiences to maximize timely information sharing and coordination, as appropriate. For example, the award recipient may be asked to present at the annual meeting of state, territory, and tribal child care administrators [State and Territory Administrators Meeting (STAM)], which is typically held in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, or to participate remotely in briefings or webinars with ACF staff or technical assistance providers.

F. SUBAWARDS

Recipients under this 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) 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 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:

$1,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$1,000,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$500,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$750,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2024 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15

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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Recipients will be awarded up to $1 million for the first 12-month budget period, and up to $1 million for each 12-month period thereafter, for a total not exceeding $5 million.

Non-competing continuation awards for the subsequent 12-month budget periods will be required and subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress by the award recipient, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

Recipients will receive instructions during the first budget period on how to submit non-competing continuation applications to request funds for the subsequent budget periods.

Indirect Costs Indirect costs are included in the Award Ceiling and are taken into consideration under the Award Ceiling disqualification factor.

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

ACF staff will:

• Collaborate with the recipient of funds regarding the roles and responsibilities outlined in this announcement before finalizing the cooperative agreement. This will include discussions regarding whether there are gaps or weaknesses identified by the review panel, such as additional areas of expertise or support needed within the Center’s organizational structure.

• Monitor the award recipient, providing guidance and technical assistance, when necessary.

• Facilitate collaboration and coordination with other ACF-funded award recipients and projects (e.g., research projects, training and technical assistance providers) and ACF program offices (e.g., OCC, Office of Head Start).

• Provide input, information, assistance, and feedback reflecting ACF’s programmatic and research goals and remain informed about project activities and progress.

• Provide feedback regarding the recipient’s proposed plans and products to ensure that the activities and the products developed are filling needs and are relevant to the policy and practice communities.

• Provide feedback to ensure that the Center's activities reflect the purposes of the funding stream supporting the Center.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants Eligibility is unrestricted.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit 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.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No See Section IV.2. The Project Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources for more information.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit 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, as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from the merit 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 that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

If you do not have an internet connection or sufficient capacity to upload large documents to the internet you may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow you to submit your application 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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov which fail their validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF. If you submit an application for the same NOFO more than once, only the last on-time submission will be acknowledged.

Paper applications with an approved exemption from the electronic submission requirement must be received by 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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation Center for Home-based Child Care Research c/o ICF International 1902 Reston Metro Plaza Reston

VA

20190 1 (877) 350-5913

(703) 934-3740 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

HBCCResearch@icf.com Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Notice of Two-File Requirement Applicants applying via Grants.gov must upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms (SFs) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. Additional files will be removed prior to the merit review.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Signature of Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Each applicant must designate an authorized organization representative (AOR) with authority to act on the organization’s behalf on matters related to the application submission and administration of awards. The AOR signature must appear on all forms in which a signature is required. By signing, the AOR agrees the organization will abide by all applicable Federal statutes, regulations and terms and conditions of the award.

Accepted Font Style and Size Applications must be in Times New Roman 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred or illegible text will be removed.

If documents must be scanned, the font size on any scanned documents must be large enough so that it is readable. You may not scan more than one page of a documents onto a single page.

Pages with blurred text will be removed from the application.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. See 45 CFR §75.111 for more information.

Page Limitations You must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS" later in this section. 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 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:

• Table of Contents

• One-page Project Summary

• Required Assurances and Certifications

• SFs and OMB-approved forms

• Resumes, Logic Models, Proof of Legal Status/Non-Profit Status, Third-Party

Agreements, Letters of Support, footnotes and tables

• 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 merit review 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 revise a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. 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 must follow the registration and application submission instructions provided at Grants.gov.

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.

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

Each application may include only one proposed project, submitted in two files: The Project Description File (File 1) and the Appendices File (File 2).

1. Page Limits and Numbering. Applicants must limit their entire application (i.e., the two application files) to 125 pages.

2. Writing Style. The proposal should be consistent with the format and style guidelines of the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Organization of Application:

Applicants are strongly advised to use headings and subheadings that correspond to the required information, application sections, and evaluation criteria. Sections must be carefully labeled to ease reviewers' identification of information relevant to the application review criteria.

1. Project Description: The project description should be carefully developed in accordance with ACF's research goals and agenda, as described in Section I. Program Description, and attend to the criteria that will be used to evaluate the applications, as described in Section V.1.

Criteria. ACF suggests organizing the Project Description (narrative) file according to the sections presented below.

See additional instructions later in this Section (under "The Project Description") for details on preparing the full project description.

a) Table of Contents

b) Project Summary/Abstract (single-spaced, one page maximum)

c) Objectives and Proposed Research Activities

d) Plan to Advance a Research Agenda

e) Plan to Build Research Capacity in the Field

f) Plan for Supplemental Activities

g) Plan to Communicate Research

h) Staff and Organizational Plan

i) Project Timeline and Milestones

j) Budget and Budget Justification

2. Appendices should include any documentation of eligibility status, resumes/curriculum vitaes, letters of support, memoranda of understanding, or other evidence of agreements or partnerships described in the proposed project. ACF suggests organizing the Appendices file in the order presented below (as applicable).

a) Table of Contents

b) Required Documentation of Eligibility Status

c) Plan for Oversight of Federal Award Funds

d) Resumes/Curriculum Vita

e) Memoranda of Understanding and/or Letters of Agreement

f) Letters of Support

g) Other Materials in Support of the Proposal

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to submit applications electronically unless you 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.

Formatting Submission Files ACF strongly recommends that File One and File Two be uploaded as Portable Document Files (PDFs).

To adhere to the two-file requirement, you may need to convert and/or merge documents together using a PDF converter software. Applicants using 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.

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."

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