Child Abuse and Neglect State Grants

This program assists States in the support and improvement of their child protective services systems.

This program assists states in improving their child protective services systems, to include the following processes: intake, assessment, screening and investigation of child abuse and neglect reports; risk and safety assessment protocols; training for child protective services workers and mandated reporters; programs and procedures for the identification, prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect; development and implementation of procedures for collaboration among child protection services, domestic violence, and other agencies; and services to disabled infants with life-threatening conditions and their families. In addition, under this program, states perform a range of prevention activities, including addressing the needs of infants born with prenatal drug exposure, referring children not at risk of imminent harm to community services, implementing criminal record checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adults in their homes, training child protective services workers, protecting the legal rights of families and alleged perpetrators, and supporting Citizen Review Panels.

This includes States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

This program targets abused and neglected children and their families. There are no eligibility requirements.

The CAPTA State Grant is a formula award to States only, to be used for improving child protective services systems. States can choose from a wide variety of activities as outlined in the legislation. Under the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010, each state was required to submit a new state plan for fiscal year (FY) 2011 funds specifying which of the 14 program areas described in section 106(a) of the CAPTA they planned to address. Examples include the intake, assessment, screening, and investigation of reports of abuse and neglect; creating and improving the use of multidisciplinary teams and interagency protocols to enhance investigations; improving legal preparation and representation; case management; developing, improving, and implementing risk and safety assessment tools and protocols; developing and updating systems of technology; training regarding research-based strategies to promote collaboration with families, legal duties of such individuals and personal safety training for case workers; improving the skills, qualifications, and availability of individuals providing services to children and families, and the supervisors of such individuals; developing and delivering information to improve public education relating to the role and responsibilities of the child protection system and the nature and basis for reporting suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect; supporting and enhancing interagency collaboration between the child protection system and the juvenile justice system for improved delivery of services and treatment; supporting and enhancing collaboration among public health agencies, the child protection system, and private community-based programs to provide child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment services (including linkages with education systems) and to address the health needs, including mental health needs, of children identified as abused or neglected, including supporting prompt, comprehensive health and developmental evaluations for children who are the subject of substantiated child maltreatment reports, or developing and implementing procedures for collaboration among child protective services, domestic violence services, and other agencies in investigations, interventions, and the delivery of services and treatment provided to children and families, including the use of differential response, where appropriate, and the provision of services that assist children exposed to domestic violence, and that also support the caregiving role of their non-abusing parents.

This program has a 5-year project/obligation period starting the first day of the Federal Fiscal year for which the funds were awarded and ending the last day four years after the funding year. Awards are made on an annual basis.

Technical assistance is available at the regional level to assist states in meeting conditions specified in the Act.

Funds will be awarded after the plan or annual update is submitted and approved.

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

The state agency annual update is due by June 30th of each year. Approval/disapproval by the Children's Bureau is completed by September 30th of each year.

Awards are made annually. States submit a plan and annual updates are required each year.

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