Evaluations of Practices for Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- HHS-2026-ACF-ECD-YJ-0058
- Agency
-
Administration for Children and Families
Department of Health and Human Services
- Applications due
- Award size
- $125,000 to $425,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Income Security and Social Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- Special District Governments
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Small Businesses
- Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Other
- Independent School Districts
- County Governments
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- For Profit Organizations
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- City/Township Governments
- Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
- Public or Indian Housing Auth.
- Points of contact
-
- Krystal Bichay-Awadalla krystal.awadalla@acf.hhs.gov
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Administration for Children and Families is soliciting cooperative agreement applications for evaluations of practices for program integrity and fraud prevention in child care, with applications due September 8, 2026. Projects must be conducted through mandatory partnerships between Child Care and Development Fund Lead Agencies (states, territories, or Tribes) and research organizations, with no cost share requirement specified.
Eligible applicants include states, territories, Tribes, city and county governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and Indian housing authorities, institutions of higher education (public and private), nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), small businesses, for-profit organizations, tribal organizations not federally recognized, and other entities; individuals and federal entities are ineligible.
ACF will make 12 awards totaling $5.1 million. Individual awards range from $125,000 to $425,000 for the first budget period within a four-year project period structured as four consecutive one-year budget periods. The expected project start date is September 30, 2026.
Project work occurs in two phases: Phase 1 (Year 1) focuses on partnership solidification and preliminary analyses; Phase 2 (Years 2–4) emphasizes full evaluation implementation and reporting. Teams must conduct rigorous evaluations of promising strategies aligned with HHS Gold Standard Science principles, participate in a research consortium, attend mandatory ACF-sponsored meetings, pre-register evaluation studies with public registries, and share research findings broadly.
Merit review (110 points total) assesses background and significance, research partnership quality, research design and methods rigor, active engagement, consortium participation, organizational capacity, dissemination planning, budget justification, and alignment with ACF priorities. Recipients must comply with 2 CFR 200 regulations and submit semiannual performance and financial reports.
The opportunity falls under the Child Care and Development Block Grant program (CFDA 93.575). An optional notice of intent is due August 24, 2026.
Synopsis
The Evaluations of Practices for Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention program supports partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and research organizations to identify promising strategies to prevent fraud and waste and examine how well these efforts work. A key goal of this program is to share promising practices with other states, territories, and Tribes and to guide child care policy decisions and program improvement efforts to improve program integrity and reduce waste and fraud, including through improved data systems.Projects must be conducted through partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies (i.e., states, territories, or Tribes) and researchers from institutions of higher education, state agencies, research organizations, and/or other organizations with expertise in policy research. Partnership teams are expected to work collaboratively throughout all phases of the project to ensure that the research addresses CCDF Lead Agency priorities and aligns with ACF priorities. These collaborations should be mutually beneficial, provide high-quality evidence to inform policy decisions, and build capacity for policy-relevant research. Partnerships will also strengthen the field"s ability to produce and use rigorous research to inform child care policies. Teams are expected to participate in a research consortium, attend ACF-sponsored meetings, and share research findings.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| HHS-2026-ACF-ECD-YJ-0058_final.pdf |
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