oppAH-SP1-18-001-cfda93.500-cidAH-SPI-18-001-060292-instructions.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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

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

ACTION: Notice

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: INITIAL COMPETITIVE GRANT

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: AH-SP1-18-001

CFDA NUMBER: 93.500

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

Parenting Teens and Women

DATES:

Non-binding Letters of Intent: We are requesting non-binding letters of intent. Your letter of intent is due February 12, 2018.

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

February 1, 2018 from 2:00 pm ET (start time of 1:00 pm CT, 12:00 pm MT, 11:00 am PT

Conference number: 888-677-1131 passcode: 9256839, and participants can join the webinar directly at https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PWXW6680455&p=9256839&t=c).

Please be sure to review the entire announcement promptly so you can have any questions answered well in advance of the application due date.

https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PWXW6680455&p=9256839&t=c

Applications: Your application is due April 12, 2018 by 6 p.m. Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time. If you do not submit your application by the specified deadline, we will return it to you unread. You must submit electronically via Grants.gov unless you obtain a written exemption from this requirement 2 business days in advance of the deadline from the

Director, HHS/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Office of Grants

Management (OGM). To obtain an exemption, you must request one via email from the

HHS/OASH OGM, and provide details as to why you are technologically unable to submit electronically through Grants.gov. Your request should be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the application deadline to ensure your request can be considered prior to 2 business days in advance of the deadline. If you request an exemption, include the following in your e-mail request: the HHS/OASH announcement number; your organization's DUNS number; your organization’s name, address and telephone number; the name and telephone number of your

Authorizing Official; the Grants.gov Tracking Number (for example, GRANT####) assigned to your submission; and a copy of the "Rejected with Errors" notification from Grants.gov. Send the request with supporting documentation to ogm.oash@hhs.gov. Note: failure to have an active

System for Account Management (SAM) registration prior to the application due date will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement. Failure to follow

Grants.gov instructions to ensure software compatibility will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement.

The HHS/OASH OGM will only accept applications via alternate methods

(hardcopy paper via U.S. mail or other provider or PDF via email) from applicants obtaining prior written approval. If you receive an exemption, you must still submit your mailto:ogm.oash@hhs.gov application by the deadline. Only applications submitted through the Grants.gov portal or alternate format (hardcopy paper via U.S. mail or other service or PDF via email) with an approved written exemption will be accepted. See Section D.7 (“Other Submission

Requirements”) for information on application submission mechanisms.

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

SPOC see section D.4 Intergovernmental Review.

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

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

Your organization is strongly encouraged to register multiple authorized organization representatives in Grants.gov to ensure someone is available to submit your application.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Office of Adolescent Health announces the anticipated availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 grant awards under the authority of Sections

10211-10214 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148;

Affordable Care Act). This notice solicits applications for projects from States, which includes the District of Columbia, any commonwealth, possession, or other territory of the United States, and any Federally-recognized Indian Tribe, reservation, consortium or council (hereafter referred to as “States or Tribes”), for the development and implementation of programs for expectant and http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families. OAH anticipates that approximately $21 million may be available to fund up to 23 grants in the amount of $250,000 to $1,000,000 each year for a two-year project period. The authorized representative from the State or Tribe must apply for grant funds available through this announcement. A signed letter from the authorized representative must accompany the application and should include documentation establishing the authorized representative’s authority to apply for and administer the grant funds on behalf of the State or Tribe. OAH will accept only one application per State or tribe.

HHS/OASH encourages applicants to review all program requirements, eligibility information, application format and submission information, evaluation criteria and other information in this funding announcement to ensure that its application complies with all requirements and instructions.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Purpose

The PAF program provides support for States and tribes to develop and implement programs to improve the educational, health, and social outcomes for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. The PAF program provides funding to States and tribes to establish, maintain, or operate life-affirming services for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families in high schools, community service centers, and Institutions of

Higher Education. The PAF program also allows States and tribes to provide funding to its

Attorney General to improve services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Additionally, the PAF program allows States and tribes to use grant funds to increase public awareness and education concerning any services or resources available to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families, which support the intent and purposes of this funding announcement.

For purposes of this funding announcement, the term expectant includes both women and men who are expecting a child. The term teens refers to both young men and women of high-school age and students refers to women and men enrolled in institutions of higher education.

While OAH is interested in applications that address the needs of expectant and parenting young fathers, applicants can not apply for funds to only serve expectant and parenting young fathers.

Rather, OAH is interested in applications that serve expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families.

More information about the PAF, including descriptions of program strategies from previous

PAF grantees, is available at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grant-programs/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html

Background

Despite the progress in reducing teen pregnancy, it is estimated that 232,215 babies were born to teen mothers in 20151. Of these teen births, 39% were to Non-Hispanic White mothers, 35% to Hispanic mothers, and 22% to Non-Hispanic Black mothers1. In addition, in 2015, about

1 Martin, J. A., Hamilton, B.E., Osterman, M. J. K., Driscoll A. K., and Mathews, T. J. (2017). Births: Final data for

2015. National Vital Statistics Reports, 66(1). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved

January 6, 2017, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf - PDF https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grant-programs/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grant-programs/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf one in six (17%) births to 15 – 19 year olds and over half (51%) of births to 20-24 year olds were to females with one or more babies1.

Early childbearing has significant health, social, and economic impacts on teen parents and their children. Compared with their peers who delay childbearing, teen girls who have babies are less likely to finish high school, more likely to rely on public assistance, and more likely to be poor as adults.2 Teen fathers are also less likely to graduate high school3 and more likely to face fewer employment opportunities than their nonparent peers.4 Thirty percent of teen girls who drop out of high school stated that pregnancy or parenthood was a key reason for their dropping out. Only 40% of teen mothers finish high school and less than 2% finish college by age 30.5 In addition, although there is less extensive literature on the consequences of teen pregnancy on men, evidence suggests that teenage fatherhood decreases years of schooling and the likelihood of receiving a high school diploma.6

Colleges may also have a particular interest in expectant and parenting students as they face extensive obstacles to continuing coursework and earning degrees. Of the high school graduates who could, but have not enrolled in college, an estimated one-third experience a pregnancy by the age of 22. Pregnancy has an impact on a community college student’s ability to

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

3 Mollborn, S. (2010). Exploring Variation in Teenage Mothers’ and Fathers’ Educational Attainment. Journal of

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 42(3): 152-159.

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

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

5 Shuger, L. (2012). Teen Pregnancy & High School Dropout: What Communities Can Do to Address These Issues.

Washington, DC: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Retrieved on July 27, 2016 from http://thenationalcampaign.org/resource/teen-pregnancy-and-high-school-dropout.

6 Fletcher, J. M. and Wolfe, B. L. (2012). The Effects of Teenage Fatherhood on Young Adult Outcomes. Economic

Inquiry, 50(1): 182–201.

finish their education with a dropout rate of 61% among students who become pregnant or become a parent. Specifically, problems with child care was the reason 27% of female students with children reported reducing their course hours or quitting school. With these high dropout rates and less than half of community colleges having student health centers, it is important to provide supports to expectant and parenting students to help them attain their educational goals.7

The children of teen mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement, have more health problems, become incarcerated during adolescence, and face unemployment as a young adult.8 Girls born to teen parents are almost 33% more likely to become teen parents themselves, continuing the cycle of teen pregnancy.9

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

Another study found that approximately 20 percent of pregnant teens reported physical or sexual abuse during pregnancy.10

7 Prentice, M., Storin, C., & Robinson, G. (2012). Make it Personal. How Pregnancy Planning and Prevention Help

Students Complete College. American Association of Community Colleges. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/horizons/Documents/mipcc_dec2012.pdf.

8 Hoffman SD. Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy. Washington, DC:

The Urban Institute Press; 2008.

9 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Preventing teen pregnancy in the US. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html

10 Futures Without Violence. (2010). The Facts on Adolescent Pregnancy, Reproductive Risk and Exposure to

Dating and Family Violence. Retrieved November 27, 2012 at http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html

The PAF program aims to address these negative outcomes by providing expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families the life-affirming support services that they need to be physically and emotionally healthy, to improve their parenting skills and strengthen their marriages, and to succeed in completing their education and securing fulfilling employment. Research has shown that providing support services to expectant and parenting teens can make a difference in improving educational, health, and social outcomes for expectant and parenting teens and their families11,12. Research has also found that young fathers can make an impact if they are positively involved in their child’s life. For boys of teen mothers, father involvement throughout the first 8 years of life is associated with higher reading and math scores by age 10. In addition, children with highly involved fathers and high-risk mothers (including those with emotional and behavioral problems) have fewer behavioral problems than their peers with high-risk mothers and less involved fathers.13

Furthermore, research has reaffirmed the benefits of marriage to women, men and children. A 2015 report reinforced previous research that drew the relationship between marriage and better psychological health and well-being.14 Marriage is also associated with a lower risk http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20 Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf.

11 Asheer, S., Burkander, P., Deke, J., Worthington, J., & Zief, S. (2017) Raising the Bar: Impacts and

Implementation of the New Heights Program for Expectant and Parenting Teens in Washington, DC. Accessed from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html on October 10, 2017.

12 Covington, R.D., Luca, D.L., Manlove, J., 7 Welti, K. (2017). Final Impacts of AIM 4 Teen Moms. Accessed from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html on October 10, 2017.

13 Howard, K. S., Lefever, J. E. B., Borkowski, J. G., & Whitman, T. L. (2006). Fathers’ influence in the lives of children with adolescent mothers. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(3), 468-476 14 Soulsby, L. K., & Bennett, K. M. (2015). Marriage and Psychological Wellbeing: The Role of Social

Support. Psychology, 6, 1349-1359. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2015.611132 http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/HealthCare/Adolescent%20Pregnancy%20Reproductive%20Risk%20FINAL%202-10.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html%20on%20October%2010 https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html%20on%20October%2010 https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html%20on%20October%2010 https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/evaluation-and-research/federal-led-evaluation/pregnancy-assistance-fund/index.html%20on%20October%2010 for disease and high degree of physical health.15 Research suggests that the health benefits of marriage are similarly divided among men and women.16 Marriage improves the economic well-being of the couple, with the length of marriage positively correlated to increased wealth.17 In addition, when parents are married, children benefit in a variety of ways, with marriage uniquely enhancing their wellbeing in ways that are “hard to replicate through policy interventions other than those that bolster marriage itself.”18 Additional research reports that marriage and crime are inversely related on both the individual and community levels, suggesting that marriage has a protective influence more broadly than the nuclear family unit.19 When teens have parents who care and guide, the teens are far more likely to delay sex and develop important relationship skills. This, in turn, can reduce the negative consequences associated with unintended pregnancies in teen parents and their children and help break the cycle of teen pregnancy.

15 Newton, N, Ryan, L., King, R., Smith, J (2014) Cohort differences in the marriage-health relationship for midlife women. Social Science & Medicine. 116:64-72. ; Horn, E. E., Xu, Y., Beam, C. R., Turkheimer, E., & Emery, R. E.

(2013). Accounting for the physical and mental health benefits of entry into marriage: A genetically informed study of selection and causation. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(1), 30-41; Inverso, G., Mahal, B. A., Aizer, A. A., Donoff, R. B., Chau, N. G. and Haddad, R. I. (2015), Marital status and head and neck cancer outcomes. Cancer, 121: 1273–1278. doi:10.1002/cncr.29171; Aizer, A., Chen, M., McCarthy, E., et al. (2013). Marital status and survival in patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 31:3869-3876.

16 Uecker JE. Marriage and mental health among young adults. J Health Soc Behav. 2012:53(1):67–83. Crossref, Medline

Williams K. Has the future of marriage arrived? A contemporary examination of gender, marriage and psychological well-being. J Health Soc Behav. 2003;44(4):470–487. Crossref, Medline 17 Zissimopoulos, J., Karney, B., Rauer, A. (2015). Marriage and economic well-being at older ages. Review of

Economics of the Household. 13:1-35.

18 Ribar, D. C. "Why Marriage Matters for Child Wellbeing." The Future of Children, vol. 25 no. 2, 2015, pp. 11-27.

Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0010; Wardle, L. D.(2016), Marriage Is the Best Measure of Society's

Commitment to Child Well-Being. BYU Law Research Paper No. 16-17. Available at SSRN:

https://ssrn.com/abstract=2765080 19 Rocque, M., Posick, C., Barkan, S., Paternoster. (2014). Marriage and county-level crime rates. Journal of

Research in Crime and Delinquency. 52:130-145; Doherty, E., Ensminger, M. (2011). Marriage and offending among a cohort of disadvantages African Americans. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency: 50: 104-131.

OAH Expectations of Recipients

OAH seeks proposals from States and tribes to develop and implement activities to improve the education, health, and social outcomes for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families. States and tribes may use funds provided through the PAF program to establish, maintain, or operate expectant and parenting student services in high schools, community service centers, and/or Institutions of Higher Education (IHE); to provide funding to its Attorney General to improve services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and to increase public awareness and education concerning the services available to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families.

Applicants have the flexibility to submit an application to establish, maintain, or operate expectant and parenting services in all three settings and improve services for pregnant women who are victims of violence; to establish, maintain, or operate expectant and parenting services in only one setting; to only improve services for pregnant women who are victims of violence; or any combination of these options.

Additionally, States and tribes may use grant funds to increase public awareness and education concerning any services or resources available to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families, which support the intent and purposes of this funding announcement. While public awareness campaigns are an allowable activity under this funding announcement, applications should not be solely focused on such activities.

Establishing, Maintaining or Operating Expectant and Parenting Services in High Schools, Community Service Centers, and/or Institutions of Higher Education

States and tribes may request funding to establish, maintain, or operate expectant and parenting services in high schools, community service centers, and/or Institutions of Higher Education.

Each site receiving support through the PAF program is expected to:

A. Conduct a needs and resource assessment at the site and in the local community to determine the needs of expectant and parenting teens, students, and their families and identify resources available to meet the needs identified. Set goals for improving resources and improving access to available resources.

B. Identify and establish relationships with public and private service providers on site or within the local community that are qualified to meet the needs of the expectant and parenting teens, students, and their families.

C. Assist expectant and parenting teens, students, and their families in locating and obtaining services including:

a. Inclusion of maternity coverage and the availability of riders for additional family members in student health care.

b. Family housing.

c. Child care.

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

e. Education to improve parenting skills for mothers and fathers and to strengthen marriages.

f. Maternity and baby clothing, baby food, baby furniture, and similar items to assist expectant and parenting teens and students in meeting the material needs of their children.

g. Post-partum counseling.

D. Provide referrals, if appropriate, for prenatal care and delivery, infant or foster care, or adoption to an expectant or parenting teen or student who requests such information. A site shall make such referrals only to service providers that serve the following types of individuals: parents, prospective parents awaiting adoption, women who are pregnant and plan on parenting or placing the child for adoption, and parenting or prospective parenting couples. Abortion referrals are not within the scope of permissible referral services under this grant and, therefore, grant funds may not be used for this purpose..

E. Conduct an annual assessment of the performance of the site in meeting the needs of expectant and parenting teens and students at their site in the service areas identified in bullet (C) above.

OAH is particularly interested in partnerships with sites that demonstrate the greatest need for life-affirming services, defined in terms of numbers of expectant and parenting teens and students at the site. OAH expects applicants to provide, at the time of submission of their application, a clear description of the number of sites they will work with by setting (i.e., high schools, community service centers, and IHEs) and an estimate of the number of expectant and parenting teens and students proposed to be served at each site.

Sample Table 1: Estimating the Number of Expectant and Parenting Teens and Students Served

Site Name Setting Age Range

(y/o)

Estimated

# served

Yr1

Estimated

# served

Yr2

Total #

Served

ABC High School High School 18-19 40 80 230

LMN College IHE 17-24 20 40 100

XYZ Community Center Community

Service Center

18-24 20 25 75

All IHEs funded by successful applicants to establish, maintain, or operate expectant and parenting student services shall contribute an amount from non-Federal funds equal to 25 percent of the amount of the funding provided through the PAF program. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including services, facilities, supplies, or equipment. Funded high schools and community service centers do not have this same matching requirement.

Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring IHE subrecipients provide the non-Federal contribution.

Improving Services for Pregnant Women who are Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual

Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

o The maintenance of complete medical or forensic records that include the documentation of any examination, treatment given, and referrals made, recording the location and nature of the pregnant woman's injuries, and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of those medical records; and

F. The identification and referral of the pregnant woman to appropriate public and private nonprofit entities that provide intervention services, accompaniment, and supportive social services. Abortion referrals are not within the scope of permissible referral services under this grant and, therefore, grant funds may not be used for this purpose.

In order to receive funds from the PAF program to improve services for pregnant women who are the victims of violence, the State Attorney General must be included as a partner in the application. Applicants requesting funding for this purpose must include in their application a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) or Letter of Commitment from the State Attorney

General or functional equivalent for tribes.

Increasing Public Awareness and Education of Services Available for Expectant and

Parenting Teens, Women, Fathers and their Families

A State or tribe may use grant funds to increase public awareness and education concerning any services or resources available to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families, which support the intent and purposes of this funding announcement. Public awareness and education activities should assist expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families in learning about available benefits and supportive services in the community and assist them with accessing such services. This shall not include abortion services.

Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing public awareness and educational activities when possible. The applicant shall be responsible for setting guidelines or limits as to how much of this funding may be utilized for public awareness and education in any funding award. In the application, the applicant should clearly describe the guidelines or limits that will be used to establish a reasonable level of support for these activities. While public awareness campaigns are an allowable activity under this funding announcement, applications should not be solely focused on such activities.

Medical Accuracy

Funded recipients are expected to ensure that materials used in any activities funded under this announcement are medically accurate and complete. For purposes of this announcement, the term “medically accurate and complete” means the information will be referenced to peer reviewed publications by educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations. Applicants should describe the process to be used to ensure medical accuracy in the grant funded project, including how the review will be conducted and who will be responsible for reviewing materials.

Performance Measures and Continuous Quality Improvement

Performance measures are critical for accountability purposes. OAH uses performance measures to demonstrate whether grant projects are making sufficient progress toward their stated missions and are serving the public interest. Performance measures also provide agency leadership and stakeholders with information that will help guide program management. All grantees will be expected to continuously collect and report annually on a common set of performance measures to assess program implementation and whether the program is achieving intended outcomes.

Please refer to Appendix B for more details.

Evaluating the Implementation of the Project

OAH expects applicants to propose a plan for evaluating the implementation of their PAF program. Applicants should budget no more than 10% of the total budget for evaluation activities, including the collection of performance measure data. Implementation evaluation is an assessment of how well a program does what it sets out to do and focuses on the process by which a program provides life-affirming services or otherwise accomplishes its mission. OAH expects applicants to evaluate the implementation of the proposed PAF program to document the process of developing and implementing the program and to identify key successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Grantees will be expected to develop an implementation study report by the end of the grant that summarizes their findings.

Annual Report to the State or Tribe

For each year that the grantee provides a high school, community service center, or IHE with funds from the PAF program, the site shall prepare and submit to the State or tribe a report that:

Itemizes the sites expenditures to provide services for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families for the fiscal year;

Contains a review and evaluation of the performance of the site in fulfilling the expectations of the funding;

Describes the achievement of the site in meeting the needs of the expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and families served, and the frequency with which they used the services available.

The funded State or tribe must determine the format of the report and the date by which the report is due from funded institutions or organizations. The funded State or tribe is expected to submit a copy of reports received from funded institutions or organizations to OAH.

Sustainability

OAH expects that grantees will design their program approach and plans with sustainability in mind from the very beginning of the grant. OAH expects that grantees implement activities specifically focused on the goal of sustaining the program within 12 months of receiving funding and consistently throughout the end of the grant. OAH expects grantees to include a sustainability objective in their work plan, with corresponding objectives and activities focused on implementing strategies aimed at sustaining the project over time.

AUTHORITY: Sections 10211-10214 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

(Public Law 111-148)

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Office of Adolescent Health intends to make available approximately $21 million for competing grants. The final funding amount will not be determined until enactment of the FY

2018 federal budget.

We will fund awards in annual increments (budget periods) and generally for a project period of up to 2 years, although we may approve shorter project periods. Funding for all approved budget periods beyond the first year of the award is generally level with the initial award amount and is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, adequate stewardship of Federal funds, and the best interests of the Government.

Award Information

Estimated Federal Funds Available: $21 million

Anticipated Number of Awards: 23

Award Ceiling (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $1,000,000 per budget period

Award Floor (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $250,000

Anticipated Start Date: 07/01/2018

Period of Performance: Not to exceed 2 years

Budget Period Length: 12 months

Type of Award: Grant

Type of Application Accepted: Electronic via Grants.gov ONLY unless an exemption is granted

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants. Any State, which includes the District of Columbia, any commonwealth possession, or other territory of the United States, and any Federally-recognized Indian Tribe, reservation, or consortium or council, is eligible to apply for a grant under this announcement.

The authorized representative from the State or tribe shall apply for and administer the grant awarded under this announcement. A signed letter from the authorized representative must accompany the application; it should include documentation establishing the authorized representative’s authority to apply for and administer the grant funds on behalf of the State or tribe. Appropriate agencies that might apply on behalf of the State or tribe could include, but are not limited to the following types of entities: State/tribal education, human services, or health agencies. Interested State/tribal agencies are encouraged to partner with other interested

State/tribal agencies early in the application process to ensure that the holistic needs of the expectant and parenting population in that State/tribe will be met through this grant. Each State or tribe is allowed only one eligible application for submission.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: An Institution of Higher Education (IHE) that receives funding from a grantee to provide services for expectant and parenting students is required to provide a match from non-Federal funds in the amount of 25 percent of the amount of funding provided to this institution. The match may be in cash or in-kind and must comply with 45 CFR §75.306

Cost sharing or matching. The applicant is responsible for including documentation of these matching funds in the Budget Narrative section of the application. If a concern regarding the match is identified during application review, this concern will need to be addressed before funding an award will be made by HHS/OASH.

3. Other Eligibility Information

Application Responsiveness Criteria

We will review your application to determine whether it meets the following responsiveness criteria. If your application does not meet the responsiveness criteria, we will eliminate it from the competition and it will not be reviewed.

The applicant appears to have demonstrated:

A. All eligible applicants as described in Section C must include a letter from the

Authorized Representative stating the applicant is authorized to apply on behalf of the specified

State or tribe.

B. A State or tribe may only submit one application in response to this funding announcement.

C. Applicants proposing subawards to Institutions of Higher Education provide documentation in the Budget Narrative of IHE contributions of non-Federal funds in the amount of 25% of the subaward.

Application Disqualification Criteria

If you successfully submit an application, we will screen it to assure a level playing field for all applicants. If we determine your application fails to meet the criteria described below we will disqualify it, that is, it will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

a) You must submit your application electronically via www.grants.gov (unless an exemption was granted 2 business days prior to the deadline) by the date and time indicated in the

DATES section of this announcement.

b) If you successfully submit multiple applications from the same organization for the same project, we will only review the last application received by the deadline.

c) HHS/OASH/OGM deems your application eligible according to section C.1 Eligible

Applicants.

d) Your Project Narrative section of the application must be double-spaced, on the equivalent of

8 ½ ” x 11” inch page size, with 1” margins on all sides (top, bottom, left and right) and font size not less than 12 points.

e) Your Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages. NOTE: The following items do not count toward the page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

f) Your total application, including the Project Narrative plus Appendices, must not exceed 125 pages. NOTE: items listed in “e” immediately above do not count toward total page limit.

g) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs does not exceed the maximum indicated in Award Ceiling.

h) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs is not below the minimum indicated in

Award Floor.

i) Your application meets the Application Responsiveness Criteria outlined above.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

You may obtain an application package electronically by accessing Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/. You can find it by searching on the CFDA number shown on page 1 of this funding opportunity announcement. If you have problems accessing the application or difficulty downloading, contact:

Office of Grants Management

Phone: 240-453-8822

Email: ogm.oash@hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

i. Letter of Intent

If you plan to apply for this funding opportunity, you should submit a letter of intent as early as possible, but no later than the deadline indicated in the DATES section of this announcement.

Although you are not required to submit a letter of intent, the information that it contains allows

HHS/OASH to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. A letter of intent is mailto:ogm.oash@hhs.gov not binding, and is not part of the review of a subsequent application. Your letter of intent should include a descriptive title of your proposed project, the name, street address, email address, and telephone number for the designated authorized representative of your organization, and the

FOA number and title of this announcement. Your letter of intent should be sent to the address listed under the AGENCY CONTACTS in section G.

ii. Application Format

Your application must be prepared using the forms and information provided in the online application package.

The Project Narrative, and total application including appendices, must adhere to the page limit indicated in Application Disqualification Criteria listed in Section C.

You must double-space the Project Narrative pages.

You should use an easily readable typeface, such as Times New Roman or Arial. You must use 12-point font. You may single-space tables or use alternate fonts but you must ensure the tables are easy to read. The page limit does not include the Budget Narrative (including budget tables), required forms, assurances, and certifications as described in the Application

Disqualification Criteria. Please do not number pages or include a table of contents. Our grants management system will generate page numbers once your application is complete.

If your application exceeds the specified page limits for the Project Narrative or Project

Narrative plus Appendices when printed on 8.5” X 11” paper by HHS/OASH/OGM, we will not review it. We recommend you print out your application before submitting electronically to ensure that it is within the page limits and is easy to read.

Appendices

Your Appendices should include any specific documents outlined in Section D.2.iii., under the heading “Appendices” in the Application Content section of this funding opportunity announcement. Your documents should be easy to read. You should use the same formatting specified for the Project Narrative. However, documents such as resumes/CVs, organizational charts, tables, or letters of commitment may use formatting common to those documents, but the pages must be easy to read. All of your appendices must be uploaded as a single, consolidated file in the Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

Project Abstract Summary

You must complete the Project Abstract Summary form provided in the application package. The abstract will be used to provide reviewers with an overview of the application and will form the basis for the application summary in grants management and program summary documents. If your project is funded, HHS may publish information from your form; therefore, do not include sensitive or proprietary information.

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative should use the formatting required of the Project Narrative for the explanatory text. Budget tables may be single-spaced but should be laid out in an easily-readable format and within the printable margins of the page.

iii. Application Content

Successful applications will contain the following information:

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether or not your project meets the minimum requirements for an award under this announcement. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. HHS/OASH recommends that your project narrative include the following components:

Populations Served and Demonstrated Need

Program Approach

Project Management

Capacity, Experience, and Readiness of the Applicant Organization

Partnerships and Collaborations

Performance Measures and Evaluation

Populations Served and Demonstrated Need

You should:

Describe the community(ies), populations, settings, and sites that will be served, and demonstrate that you will reach those with the greatest need.

Describe the needs of expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers and their families at each site/institution and community you are proposing to serve.

Describe the resources already available at each site/institution and community, and how the services provided through the grant will contribute to and enhance, rather than supplant, the services already available.

Describe how the needs and resources were identified for participating communities and sites, and how you will assess needs and resources on an ongoing basis to ensure programs continue to be aligned with changing community needs.

Describe the number of expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families you plan to serve in each site and each setting, and describe how the program is designed to maximize reach of those most in need of services. Provide specific details on how the estimates were obtained, including the total number of expectant and parenting teens and students in each community, setting, and site and the percentage that will be served in each.

Program Approach

State the goals, objectives, and desired outcomes of the program;

Describe the proposed program approach and the outcomes that the approach is intended to achieve. If you have selected to implement the program in multiple communities, settings, or sites, describe the proposed program approach and outcomes for each setting or site.

Describe how the proposed program aligns with the needs and resources of the expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families in the communities, settings, and sites targeted, and why the proposed program is expected to achieve the intended outcomes.

Describe how the proposed approach will meet the grant expectations stated on pages 9-

17.

Provide clear and reasonable guidelines or limits on the use of funds for public awareness and education activities.

Describe the specific strategies that you will use to recruit and retain expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families to participate in the program and the rationale for why the strategies are expected to be successful.

Project Management

Describe how you will manage, implement, and monitor the overall program. The plan should describe an understanding of the complexity of the overall program and potential challenges. Describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress, completion, and quality of all program objectives and activities;

Provide a description of the project team, including the Project Director and other key staff. Key personnel includes those individuals who will oversee the technical, professional, managerial, and support functions and/or assume responsibility for assuring the validity and quality of your organization’s program. This includes at a minimum the

Project Director and Program Manager/Program Coordinator. Describe the roles and responsibilities of all staff and how they will contribute to achieving the program’s objectives and outcomes. Describe who will have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks.

Describe the relevant experience and expertise of all known proposed staff, including staff experience expeditiously selecting and supporting subrecipients and other implementation partners to ensure effective programs, and experience implementing/supporting programs for the expectant and parenting population. Describe your process and timeline for recruiting and hiring staff to fill all open positions on the grant, including the experience and expertise that you will look for in successful candidates.

Describe how you will work to minimize the amount of staff turnover over the course of the grant and ensure that staff are actively engaged in their work.

Describe your plans for ensuring that all staff responsible for implementing the project, including partner staff, are well trained and prepared to successfully fulfill their roles and responsibilities.

Describe common anticipated challenges and measures that will be taken to ensure that program goals and objectives are met in a timely manner.

Capacity, Experience, and Readiness of the Applicant Organization

Describe the relevant experience, expertise, and previous accomplishments of the responsible Department or work unit that will oversee the program in providing life-affirming services to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families.

Describe the responsible Department or work unit’s experience, expertise, and previous accomplishments working with the target community (ies), settings, and sites.

Describe the available resources and organizational capability to manage and implement the program, collect and report on performance measures, as well as coordinate with other agencies and organizations.

Describe the organization’s support for the program, including how well the proposed program aligns with the organization’s mission and the capacity of the organization to implement the program.

Describe the organization’s readiness to begin implementing the program. Discuss the steps that need to be taken, and the time that it will take, before expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families will begin to receive services.

Describe the organization’s history of programmatic sustainability, including description of success and status of current and past efforts to serve the expectant and parenting population.

Partnerships and Collaboration

Describe the roles and responsibilities for all partners, including subrecipients, on the grant, including a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of program staff, subrecipients, and partners and how they will contribute to achieving the program’s objectives and outcomes. Subrecipients do not need to be identified at the time of the application. If known, identify the subrecipients by name. If not known, describe how the subrecipients will be identified including process and selection criteria.

For each partner and/or subrecipient identified at the time of application that will be responsible for providing services to expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families, describe the below item. If not known, describe how these will be assessed during the selection process.

Their experience working with the expectant and parenting population;

Their commitment to and motivation for the proposed program;

Their ability to implement the proposed program;

How the program aligns with their mission and vision;

The strategies they will use to ensure high quality program delivery.

Provide a detailed description of the partnerships with existing systems and/or networks in each community/setting/site served that will provide access to the expectant and parenting population;

Describe the plan for…