Regional Partnership Grants to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children and Families Affected By Opioids and Other Substance Abuse

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to provide competitive grant funds for Regional Partnership Grants (RPGs) to improve the well-being of, and to improve the permanency outcomes for children and families affected by opioids and other substance abuse. These targeted grants will be awarded to regional partnerships that provide, through interagency collaboration and integration of programs and services, activities and services that are designed to increase the well-being of, improve permanency outcomes for, and enhance the safety of children who are in out-of-home placements or are at risk of entering out-of- home placements as a result of a parent's or caretaker's substance abuse. Applicants are expected to have a collaborative structure in place that is capable of building a region's capacity to meet a broad range of needs for families involved with both substance abuse treatment and the child welfare system. Per the legislative requirements, RPGs are required to select and report on performance indicators and evaluation measures to increase the knowledge that can be gained from the program. Partnerships will: use specific, well-defined, and evidence-based programs that are also trauma-informed and targeted to the identified population; conduct an evaluation that is sufficiently rigorous to contribute to the evidence base on service delivery, outcomes, and costs associated with the project's chosen interventions; and participate in the national cross-site evaluation, which includes, but is not limited to an implementation and outcomes study. This project is for a 60-month project with five 12-month budget periods. This funding opportunity includes a legislative requirement to be disbursed in two phases: a Planning Phase and an Implementation Phase. The Planning Phase is not to exceed 2 years and expenditures in the Planning Phase may not exceed $250,000.