Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ETA 16 05
Apply for FOA ETA 16 05
- The DOL-ETA in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Working Families Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.268.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 17, 2015 and posted on Dec 17, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) is a U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOL-ETA) discretionary grant program designed to help working parents, especially those with low to moderate skills and incomes, overcome practical barriers that keep them from completing education and training and moving into better-paying careers. The opportunity is grounded in the broader national conversation highlighted at the 2014 White House Summit on Working Families, where leaders and everyday workers discussed how job structures, public systems, and family needs often clash. SWFI focuses on the reality that many parents are trying to work and support a family while dealing with unstable schedules, rising child care costs, and limited access to reliable, high-quality care, all of which can block steady employment and prevent parents from participating in training programs that could improve their long-term earnings.
At the center of SWFI is the idea that training alone is not enough if parents cannot consistently show up. Many working families face child care disruptions that are hard to predict and harder to afford, such as a sick child, sudden provider closures, professional development requirements, emergencies, or employer-driven schedule changes with little notice. These problems hit low-wage workers especially hard because they are less likely to have paid leave, flexible scheduling, or the financial cushion to handle gaps in care. The grant opportunity highlights that while education and training can be a pathway to higher wages, the same barriers that make employment difficult also make training difficult. This is reflected in the data cited in the announcement: among roughly 21 million low-income parents, only about 1 in 10 participate in education and training, and among those who do, nearly half are also working, which multiplies the challenge of coordinating and paying for child care across work time, class time, and commuting.
SWFI therefore supports projects that combine skills training with customized supportive services, with child care access and navigation as a major priority. The aim is to move low- to middle-skilled parents into middle- to high-skilled jobs that offer family-supporting wages. In practice, competitive applicants are expected to design career pathway training strategies that help parents build the competencies needed either to enter or advance within H-1B-aligned career pathways (generally fields associated with higher-skill occupations). Alongside training, projects are expected to develop a community or regional approach that helps families better navigate a complicated web of supportive services and child care systems. A key theme is bridging gaps between workforce development and child care providers so that parents can access consistent, flexible care arrangements that make long-term participation in training realistic.
The opportunity also places strong emphasis on how training is delivered, because the schedule and format of coursework can determine whether working parents can participate at all. Applicants are encouraged to build flexibility into curriculum design and program operations through options like online instruction, asynchronous learning, flexible course offerings, banded scheduling (grouped time blocks designed around working schedules), and potentially delivering training onsite at workplaces, especially when child care can be coordinated at or near the same location. DOL also signals interest in evidence-based strategies and promising innovations, including approaches developed using human-centered design and behavioral insights, meaning programs should be built around the real decision points and constraints families face, not just around what is convenient for institutions.
Administratively, this is a grant (not a loan or contract) under Funding Opportunity Number FOA-ETA-16-05, CFDA 17.268, within the Employment, Labor and Training category. The agency anticipated making about 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000 per grant. The announcement was posted December 17, 2015, with an application closing date of March 16, 2016. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full opportunity materials. A notable requirement is that applicants must secure leveraged resources equal to at least 25 percent of the total award amount, and these resources may be cash or in-kind contributions. Overall, SWFI is intended to fund regional partnerships and practical service models that make it possible for parents to train for higher-skill careers without being derailed by child care instability and other day-to-day barriers that working families routinely face.
Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI)?
SWFI is a U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOL-ETA) discretionary grant program designed to help working parents overcome practical barriers that can prevent them from completing education and training and moving into better-paying careers.
Who is SWFI primarily intended to serve?
SWFI focuses on working parents, especially parents with low to moderate skills and incomes, who face real-world barriers that make it hard to consistently participate in education and training while also working and supporting a family.
What problem is SWFI trying to solve?
SWFI addresses the gap between the promise of training and the reality of working family life. Many parents struggle with unstable work schedules, rising child care costs, and limited access to reliable, high-quality care. Those issues can disrupt steady employment and make participation in training programs unrealistic without additional support.
Why does SWFI emphasize child care so heavily?
The opportunity is built around the idea that training alone is not enough if parents cannot consistently show up. Common child care disruptions include a sick child, sudden provider closures, emergencies, professional development requirements, and employer-driven schedule changes with little notice. SWFI treats child care access and navigation as a major priority because these disruptions can derail training participation.
How do child care disruptions affect low-wage workers in particular?
The announcement notes these challenges hit low-wage workers especially hard because they are less likely to have paid leave, flexible scheduling, or the financial cushion to handle gaps in care.
What does the grant say about training participation among low-income parents?
The announcement cites that among roughly 21 million low-income parents, only about 1 in 10 participate in education and training. Among those who do participate, nearly half are also working, which increases the complexity of coordinating and paying for child care across work time, class time, and commuting.
What kinds of projects does SWFI support?
SWFI supports projects that combine skills training with customized supportive services. A central expectation is that projects address practical barriers (with child care as a major focus) so parents can remain consistently engaged in training and progress into better-paying career opportunities.
What is the overall goal of SWFI-funded projects?
The stated aim is to move low- to middle-skilled parents into middle- to high-skilled jobs that offer family-supporting wages.
Does SWFI fund training by itself, or training plus services?
Based on the opportunity description, the emphasis is on combining training with supportive services, rather than funding training alone. The program is grounded in the premise that supportive services are necessary for parents to successfully complete education and training.
What are "supportive services" in the context of SWFI?
The announcement highlights supportive services that help families navigate barriers that interfere with participation in training, with a strong focus on child care access and navigation and on improving families' ability to manage unstable schedules and disruptions that can prevent consistent attendance.
What does SWFI mean by a community or regional approach?
Projects are expected to develop a community or regional approach that helps families navigate a complicated web of supportive services and child care systems. A key theme is bridging gaps between workforce development programs and child care providers so parents can access consistent and flexible care arrangements.
How are applicants expected to connect workforce development and child care systems?
The opportunity emphasizes bridging gaps between workforce development and child care providers so parents can access care that is consistent and flexible enough to support long-term participation in training.
What types of career pathways are SWFI applicants expected to target?
Competitive applicants are expected to design career pathway training strategies that help parents build competencies to enter or advance within H-1B-aligned career pathways, which are generally fields associated with higher-skill occupations.
What training delivery methods does SWFI encourage?
The opportunity encourages flexibility in curriculum design and program operations. Examples mentioned include online instruction, asynchronous learning, flexible course offerings, banded scheduling (grouped time blocks designed around working schedules), and potentially delivering training onsite at workplaces (especially when child care can be coordinated at or near the same location).
What is "banded scheduling" as described in the opportunity?
Banded scheduling is described as grouped time blocks designed around working schedules. The goal is to make course timing more compatible with the realities of working parents.
Does SWFI support workplace-based training models?
Yes. The opportunity signals interest in potentially delivering training onsite at workplaces, particularly where child care can be coordinated at or near the same location.
What does SWFI say about evidence-based strategies and innovation?
DOL indicates interest in evidence-based strategies and promising innovations, including approaches developed using human-centered design and behavioral insights. The emphasis is on designing programs around real family constraints and decision points rather than institutional convenience.
What is human-centered design in the context of SWFI?
As described, human-centered design refers to building program strategies around the real experiences, constraints, and decision points that families face in day-to-day life, so supports and training structures work in practice for working parents.
What are behavioral insights in the context of SWFI?
The opportunity references behavioral insights as a way to develop promising innovations. In context, this points to designing program operations in ways that reflect how people make decisions and manage constraints in real life, especially under time, financial, and scheduling pressure.
Is SWFI a loan, a contract, or a grant?
SWFI is a grant program (not a loan and not a contract) administered by the DOL-ETA.
What is the official funding opportunity number (FOA) for SWFI?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FOA-ETA-16-05.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 17.268.
How many awards did the agency anticipate making?
The agency anticipated making about 10 awards.
What is the maximum award amount per grant?
The award ceiling is $4,000,000 per grant.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The announcement was posted on December 17, 2015, and the application closing date was March 16, 2016.
Who is eligible to apply for SWFI?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full opportunity materials.
Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
Yes. Applicants must secure leveraged resources equal to at least 25 percent of the total award amount.
What counts as leveraged resources for the 25 percent requirement?
The opportunity states that leveraged resources may be provided as cash or in-kind contributions.
What kinds of partnerships does SWFI appear to prioritize?
SWFI is intended to fund regional partnerships and practical service models. The description emphasizes collaboration that bridges workforce development efforts and child care providers, alongside navigation of broader supportive service systems.
How does SWFI relate to the national conversation on working families?
The opportunity is grounded in the broader national conversation highlighted at the 2014 White House Summit on Working Families, where leaders and workers discussed how job structures, public systems, and family needs often clash.
What makes an applicant "competitive" according to the description provided?
Based on the description, competitive applicants are expected to: (1) design career pathway strategies aligned with higher-skill (H-1B-aligned) pathways, (2) pair training with customized supportive services, (3) prioritize child care access and navigation, (4) build flexible training delivery options, and (5) pursue a community or regional approach that bridges workforce and child care systems.
What is the main theme connecting all SWFI requirements and priorities?
The central theme is that parents cannot benefit from training if day-to-day barriers repeatedly disrupt participation. SWFI therefore focuses on practical supports (especially child care stability and navigation) and flexible training delivery so working parents can persist in training and transition into better-paying careers.
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| LINKING TO EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES PREâ€RELEASE THROUGH SPECIALIZED AMERICAN JOB CENTERS (AJCS) – (“LEAP-2â€) Apply for FOA ETA 16 03 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 03 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Summer Jobs and Beyond: Career Pathways for Youth (CPY) Apply for FOA ETA 16 08 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 08 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Apply for DHS 15 GPD 083 000 99 Funding Number: DHS 15 GPD 083 000 99 Agency: DHS-DHS Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) National Grants for Program Year (PY) 2016 Apply for FOA ETA 16 04 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 04 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Employment and Training Grants and Housing Assistance Grants Apply for FOA ETA 16 02 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 02 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| REENTRY DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR YOUNG ADULTS Apply for FOA ETA 16 06 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 06 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $4,500,000 |
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| Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program Apply for P16AS00094 Funding Number: P16AS00094 Agency: DOI-NPS Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program Apply for P16AS00092 Funding Number: P16AS00092 Agency: DOI-NPS Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $19,200 |
| Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program Apply for P16AS00093 Funding Number: P16AS00093 Agency: DOI-NPS Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $9,600 |
| Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance (TA) Grants Apply for FOA ETA 16 11 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 11 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| Pathways to Justice Careers for Youth (PJC) Apply for FOA ETA 16 09 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 09 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
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| YouthBuild Apply for FOA ETA 16 10 Funding Number: FOA ETA 16 10 Agency: DOL-ETA Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Country Projects to Promote Workplace-Based Training for Vulnerable Youth in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Kenya Apply for FOA ILAB 16 04 Funding Number: FOA ILAB 16 04 Agency: DOL-ETA-ILAB Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD - SCA Ranger Interns, Independence NHP Apply for NPS 16 NERO 0064 Funding Number: NPS 16 NERO 0064 Agency: DOI-NPS Category: Employment, Labor and Training Funding Amount: $28,000 |
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