MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program

The objectives of the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) are: 1) to prevent child maltreatment among families at risk through the provision of supportive family services; 2) to assure children's safety within the home and

(1) Formula Awards: States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas, Guam, American Samoa, and Federally recognized Indian tribes are eligible applicants. For caseworker visit funds, only states and territories are eligible applicants. (2) Discretionary Awards: Eligible applicants for kinship navigator funds are States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Federally recognized Indian tribes that operate a title IV-E foster care program. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for applicant eligibility for research, evaluation, and technical assistance funds.

Families and children who need services to assist them to stabilize their lives, strengthen family functioning, prevent out-of-home placement of children, enhance child development, and increase competence in parenting abilities, facilitate timely reunification of the child, and promote appropriate adoptions.

Formula Grants: The state agency which administers the formula award programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act must be the same agency that administers the social services program under Title XX of the Social Security Act (Social Services Block Grant). Discretionary Awards: Nonprofit agencies must submit proof of nonprofit status.

Under the main Promoting Safe and Stable Families Formula Awards, states must spend a significant portion of funds (approximately 20 percent) on each of the service categories of family preservation, family support services, time limited family reunification services and adoption promotion and support services. State recipients must limit administrative costs to 10 percent of the Federal funds. Caseworker visit formula awards: States and territories are required to spend funds to improve the quality of monthly caseworker visits with children in foster care under the responsibility of the state, with an emphasis on improving caseworker decision making on the safety, permanency, and well-being of foster children, and on activities designed to increase retention, recruitment, and training of caseworkers. Discretionary Awards: Awards are typically awarded for research, evaluation, and technical assistance activities relating to family support, family preservation, family reunification, and adoption promotion support. Project funds may not be used for construction.

(1) Formula Awards: Awards are generally made on a quarterly basis. Awards for PSSF, Caseworker Visit awards and the Kinship Navigator programs are available for obligation and liquidation in the fiscal year awarded and in the subsequent fiscal year. (2) Discretionary Awards: Please see the NOFO(s) for more information.

(1) Formula awards: A five-year agency plan must be submitted. A full plan (every five years) or a plan update is due for submission by June 30th of each year. The plan must be jointly developed by ACF and the state or Indian tribe and written after consultation by the agency with appropriate public and non-profit private agencies and community-based organizations. The plan must coordinate the provision of services under Title IV-B with services under other Federal or federally-assisted programs serving the same populations. (2) Discretionary Awards: Applicants may find and apply to Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) on https://www.grants.gov. Eligible applicants must submit applications by specified deadlines.

Discretionary awards: The criteria for selecting discretionary proposals will be published in the NOFO(s). This is not applicable to formula awards.

Formula Awards: Funds will be awarded after the agency plan, or annual update is submitted and approved. Discretionary Awards: Each application is reviewed against four factors: eligibility, the application deadline, required electronic submission or waiver requested and approved, and the Award Ceiling. If the application does not meet all of these factors, then it is disqualified from the merit review process. After the initial review, applications are reviewed and evaluated by merit review panels using only the criteria described in the Application Review section of the NOFO. Each panel is composed of experts with knowledge and experience in the area under review. Generally, review panels include three reviewers and one chairperson. While merit review scores and their ranking are not binding, ACF does consider them when selecting projects for funding. Scores and rankings are only one element used in the award decision-making process. Other criteria are explained in the Program Description section and in the Application Review section of the NOFO. For example, ACF may reserve the right to consider preferences to fund organizations serving emerging, unserved, or under-served populations, including those populations located in pockets of poverty. In addition, ACF reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering the geographic distribution of federal funds (e.g., ensuring coverage of states, counties, or service areas) in its pre-award decisions. ACF may elect not to fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. In addition, ACF may elect to not allow a prime recipient to subaward if there is any indication that they are unable to properly monitor and manage subrecipients. Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than requested.

Discretionary awards: Please see latest NOFO(s). Formula awards: The plan or its annual update is due on June 30 of each year.

Formula Awards: The agency plan or its annual update is due June 30 of each year. Approval/disapproval by the Children's Bureau is due September 30 of each year. Discretionary Awards: The approval/disapproval range is 90 to 180 days.

Discretionary Awards: Non-competing continuations will be issued based on availability of funds, satisfactory progress, compliance with award terms and conditions and a determination that continuation funding is in the best interest of the federal government.

There is no appeal process for unsuccessful discretionary applicants. For existing recipients, appeals regarding disputes may take place in accordance with 45 CFR Part 16, subject to the limitations of the Appendix A.