Family Connection Grants

 

This program provides matching grants to state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies, institutions of higher education, and private nonprofit organizations that have experience working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements for the purpose of helping children who are in, or at risk of entering, foster care to reconnect with family members.

Active 93.605 Administration For Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services B - Project Grants Not applicable. Social Security Act, Title IV, Part B, subpart 1, Section 427 State, local or tribal child welfare agencies, institutions of higher education, and private nonprofit organizations that have experience working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements. Children at risk of entering foster care and their families. Nonprofit agencies must submit proof of nonprofit status. Applicable costs and administrative procedures will be determined in accordance with 45 CFR Part 75. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants may find and apply to Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) on https://www.grants.gov. Each application will be screened to determine whether it meets any of the disqualifying factors: missing the application deadline, required electronic submission or waiver requested and approved, or exceeding the Award Ceiling. Disqualified applications are considered to be "non-responsive" and are excluded from the competitive review process. Applications competing for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated by merit review panels using only the criteria described in 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. Results of the competitive merit review are taken into consideration by ACF in the selection of projects for funding; however, merit review scores and rankings are not binding. Scores and rankings are only one element used in the award decision-making process. ACF reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering geographic distribution of federal funds (e.g. ensuring coverage of states, counties, or service areas) in its pre-award decisions. ACF will complete a review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR 75.205. ACF may elect not to fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than requested. The deadline for applications will be listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. From 3 to 6 months. There is no appeal process for unsuccessful applicants. For existing recipients, appeals in regard to disputes may take place in accordance with 45 CFR Part 16, subject to the limitations of the Appendix A. 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. The criteria for selecting proposals will be published in the NOFO(s). Discretionary awards are provided for services or activities that are consistent with the purpose of Public Law 110-351, Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, Section 102 and may include the following: (1) a kinship navigator program to assist kinship caregivers in learning about, finding and using programs and services to meet the needs of the children they are raising and their own needs, and to promote effective partnerships among public and private agencies to ensure kinship caregiver families are served; (2) intensive family-finding efforts that utilize search technology to find biological family members for children in the child welfare system; (3) family group decision-making meetings for children in the child welfare system that enable families to make decisions and develop plans that nurture children and protect them from abuse and neglect; and (4) residential family treatment program that enable parent and their children to live in a safe environment for a period of not less than 6 months. Not applicable. 45 CFR Part 75 Subpart F applies to this program. All records are to be maintained in accordance with 45 CFR 75.361-365. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. The required match must increase over the course of the grant period, such that recipients must contribute 25 percent of the program costs for the first and second year of the grant and 50 percent of the program costs for the third year of the three year grant. (Section 427(d) of the Social Security Act). No more than 50 percent of the non-federal share may be in kind, as required by Section 427(e) of the Act.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Discretionary awards are available for 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods. Post award, the Division of Payment Management will establish an account from which a recipient may draw down award funds. Contact Children's Bureau Regional Program Managers Jan Shafer
330 C Street SW, Room 3503
Washington, DC 20201 US
jan.shafer@acf.hhs.gov
Phone: 202-205-8172 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb 75-1512-0-1-609 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$600,000.00; FY 23 est $600,000.00; FY 24 FY 21$600,000.00; FY 20$0.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18$0.00; FY 17$1,575,084.00; FY 16$2,751,449.00; - Program authorization expired in FY 2014 but grants continue to be funded from previous years appropriation. Last appropriation was received in FY 2014 at which time funds were designated as "no year." This program received no new funding in FY 2022. No additional funding for this program is anticipated. Not applicable. Not applicable.