Family Impact Initiative

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health, Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach is requesting applications for the Family Impact Initiative (RFA 67-207), a grant to support community-based, family-focused systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs across ten counties in northeast Pennsylvania, with applications due July 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM ET and a pre-application conference on July 16.

The Department seeks one qualified entity to serve Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. The initiative replicates North Carolina's Innovative Approaches model, focusing on healthcare transition, screening and identification, service accessibility, insurance and financing, coordinated care, education and resources, health and wellbeing, and emergency preparedness. Eligible applicants include Pennsylvania-based community organizations, health care providers, local health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience or capacity serving the target population.

The total grant funding is $825,000 over 54 months (January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2031), distributed at $165,000 per fiscal year, with a possible three-month extension at the Department's discretion. The grant is funded through the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The awardee must establish a minimum 25-member Steering Committee representing multiple health and human services disciplines and regions, and a minimum 15-member Parent Advisory Committee with racial diversity reflective of the service region. Required key personnel include a Program Manager, a Family Advocate with lived experience as a parent or caregiver of children with special health care needs, and a Fiscal Coordinator. The awardee must develop and implement a minimum of five system change objectives per fiscal year, conduct comprehensive needs assessments, provide ongoing training, and submit quarterly and annual reports to the Department. Questions are due July 9, 2026. Evaluation is expected to be completed within eight weeks of the submission deadline.