Tribal Court Improvement Program
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CS-0020
- Agency
-
Administration for Children and Families
Department of Health and Human Services
- Applications due
- Award size
- $50,000 to $250,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Income Security and Social Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Points of contact
-
- Kathleen Dwyer, Ph.D. cb@grantreview.org (888) 203-6161
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families is soliciting applications to fund tribal court assessments and improvements in American Indian and Alaska Native child welfare case handling, with applications due August 7, 2026.
Eligible applicants are Indian tribes or tribal consortia that operate an approved Title IV-E program, have received a Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grant, or operate a court handling foster care or adoption cases. Expected total program funding is $943,000, with seven anticipated awards. The minimum award amount for the first budget period is $50,000 and the maximum is $250,000. The program supports a five-year project period structured as five one-year budget periods, with an expected project start date of September 30, 2026.
Award recipients must conduct assessments of tribal court child welfare practices, develop improvement plans based on assessment results, and implement those plans to enhance court hearings and legal representation. Recipients must demonstrate meaningful collaboration with tribal child welfare agencies, identify tribal needs and priorities, establish data collection methodologies, develop performance evaluation plans, and articulate project sustainability strategies. Applications must not exceed 60 pages combined and must include a project narrative, line-item budget with justification, organizational capacity documentation, indirect cost agreements, third-party agreements, and required certifications.
Merit review panels score applications against six criteria totaling 110 points: need for assistance and objectives (10 points), approach (40 points), organizational capacity (20 points), project performance evaluation plan (20 points), project budget and justification (10 points), and ACF Priority Alignment (10 points). Recipients must comply with 2 CFR 200 regulations, maintain SAM.gov registration, submit semiannual performance and financial reports, and adhere to federal salary limitations. The program operates under CFDA 93.586. There is no appeal process for unsuccessful applicants of the discretionary Tribal Court Improvement Program.
Synopsis
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides funding to tribal courts to assess the effectiveness of and support improvements to how these courts and/or legal representation handle American Indian and Alaska Native child welfare cases. This includes cases involving family preservation, family reunification, guardianship, and adoption. The Tribal Court Improvement Program (TCIP) supports the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) mission to foster health and well-being by providing partnership and effective delivery of human services.Through this program, ACF partners directly with tribes to strengthen tribal court systems that oversee child welfare matters, helping ensure that children are safe, families are supported, and court proceedings are timely, fair, and legally sound.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Full Announcement hhs-2026-acf-acyf-cs-0020.pdf |
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