Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program

The purpose of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services program is to promote state and tribal flexibility in the development and expansion of a coordinated child and family services program that utilizes community-based agencies and ensures

Territories and possessions include only Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

Families and children in need of child welfare services.

For states, the department which administers the services program under title XX must be the designated single state agency to administer child welfare services.

Funds may be used for the following purposes: (a) protecting and promoting the welfare of all children; (b) preventing the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children; (c) supporting at-risk families through services that allow children to remain with their families or return to their families in a timely manner; (d) promoting the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in foster care and adoptive families; and (e) providing training, professional development, and support to ensure a well-qualified workforce. State and Tribal recipients may spend no more than 10 percent of the Federal allocation under title IV-B, Subpart 1 for administrative costs. Also, states may also not spend more title IV-B, Subpart 1, funds for childcare, foster care maintenance and adoption assistance payments than the state expended for those purposes in FY 2005. In addition, the amount of state expenditures of non-Federal funds for foster care maintenance payments that may be used as match for the title IV-B, Subpart 1 award may not exceed the amount of such non-Federal expenditures applied as state match for title IV-B, Subpart 1 for the FY 2005 award.

Awards are made on a quarterly basis and are available for obligation and liquidation in the fiscal year awarded and in the subsequent fiscal year. Post award, the Division of Payment Management will establish an account from which a recipient may draw down award funds.

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 the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the state or Indian tribe and written after consultation with appropriate public and nonprofit 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.

Funds will be awarded after the plan, or annual update, is submitted and approved. Post award, the Division of Payment Management will establish an account from which a recipient may draw down award funds.

The plan or its annual update is due on June 30 of each year.

Approval/disapproval of the plan or annual update will occur by September 30 of each year, within 60 days of receiving the plan.

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