Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2015 ACF ACYF CF 1008
Apply for HHS 2015 ACF ACYF CF 1008
- The Administration for Children and Families ACYF/CB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building the Evidence for Family Group Decision Making in Child Welfare" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.605 Family Connection Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 23, 2015 and posted on Feb 23, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2015 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,010,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $670,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- The legislation specifies that if the applicant is a private organization, it shall provide documentation of support from the relevant local or State child welfare agency and a description of how the organization plans to coordinate its services and activities with those offered by the relevant local or State child welfare agency. The legislation also states that institutions of higher education (as defined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. sect 1001)) are eligible applicants. Faith based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Faith based organizations are encouraged to review the ACF Policy on Grants to Faith Based Organizations at http //www.acf.hhs.gov/acf policy on grants to faith based organizations. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
Building the Evidence for Family Group Decision Making in Child Welfare (HHS 2015 ACF ACYF CF 1008) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families/Children's Bureau. It was offered as a 36-month cooperative agreement designed to fund a small number of demonstration sites that would both run a Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) program in real child welfare settings and, just as importantly, build stronger proof about whether and how FGDM works. The central idea is that child welfare decisions and plans tend to be stronger and more sustainable when families and their broader support networks are meaningfully involved in identifying solutions, committing to responsibilities, and creating a plan that keeps children safe while preserving and strengthening family connections whenever possible.
The FOA has two linked goals that have to be pursued at the same time. First, applicants are expected to implement an FGDM program that engages family members in a structured decision-making process aimed at producing positive outcomes for children who are already in foster care or who are at risk of entering foster care. Second, applicants must conduct a rigorous evaluation of that program, including analysis of implementation, outcomes (impact), and costs. The emphasis is not simply on offering services, but on producing high-level evidence about what happened, why it happened, and under what conditions it happened, so the results can add to the national evidence base for FGDM practice. In practical terms, this means the funded projects are expected to devote substantial staffing and resources to data collection, evaluation design, analysis, and sharing results, rather than treating evaluation as a minor add-on.
In terms of program content, the FOA expects the FGDM model used at each site to include specific essential elements required under the announcement. While the notice highlights FGDM generally rather than prescribing one branded model, the intent is clear: families should be supported in making decisions and developing concrete plans that nurture and protect children, reduce the risk of abuse and neglect, and improve outcomes tied to safety, permanency, and well-being. The FOA also calls out domestic violence specifically, indicating that when domestic violence issues are present, projects must address them in a safe manner. That signals that grantees need protocols and practices that do not inadvertently increase risk to survivors or children during family meetings and planning, and that safety planning and appropriate safeguards are part of the program design.
A defining feature of this opportunity is the evaluation requirement. Grantees are expected to run a rigorous local evaluation that examines not only whether outcomes improved, but also how well the FGDM approach was implemented, what the program actually looked like in day-to-day practice, and what it cost to deliver. The FOA also requires participation in a cross-site evaluation, meaning sites must coordinate with a broader federal or contracted evaluation effort to support comparisons, common measures, pooled learning, or shared reporting across the funded projects. The expectation is that grantees will disseminate findings over the project period, focusing on how FGDM affects child welfare outcomes such as safety (for example, reductions in maltreatment or re-entry), permanency (for example, timely reunification or stable kin placements), and well-being (for example, stability, connections, and functioning), as well as documenting what worked and why.
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the federal agency anticipates substantial involvement during the project, such as collaboration on evaluation expectations, reporting, technical assistance, and alignment with cross-site learning. The program falls under the Income Security and Social Services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.605 (Family Connection Grants). The FOA anticipated making 3 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $2,010,000. Individual awards were expected to range from $500,000 (floor) to $670,000 (ceiling). A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, so applicants needed to plan for non-federal resources to help support the project.
Eligibility for this competition was broad across public and nonprofit sectors involved in child welfare and related services. Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, and city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category as specified). Faith-based and community organizations were explicitly eligible if they met the general requirements, with ACF pointing applicants to its policy on grants to faith-based organizations. However, the FOA clearly disallowed applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and from foreign entities; those submissions would be disqualified.
There is also an important coordination requirement for private organizations. If the applicant is a private organization, the authorizing legislation requires documentation of support from the relevant local or state child welfare agency, along with a description of how the applicant will coordinate its services and activities with that agency. This reflects how embedded FGDM is in statutory child welfare decision-making and case practice: to test FGDM credibly and to affect child welfare outcomes, projects generally need active partnership with the public child welfare system that holds legal custody authority, case management responsibility, and access to administrative data needed for evaluation.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on February 23, 2015, with an application due date of April 24, 2015. Electronically submitted applications were required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. The FOA was later archived on May 25, 2015. Applicants needing help accessing materials were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk (appsupport@acf.hhs.gov), and the funding announcement was made available through ACF's grants portal link provided in the source.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Building the Evidence for Family Group Decision Making in Child Welfare" grant opportunity?
It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families/Children's Bureau. The opportunity (HHS 2015 ACF ACYF CF 1008) funded a small number of demonstration sites to implement Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) in real child welfare settings and to generate stronger evidence about whether and how FGDM works.
What type of award is this?
The funding mechanism is a 36-month cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement typically involves substantial federal involvement during the project, such as collaboration on evaluation expectations, reporting, technical assistance, and cross-site learning activities.
How long is the project period?
The cooperative agreement was designed for a 36-month project period.
What are the two main goals of the FOA?
The FOA requires applicants to pursue two linked goals at the same time: (1) implement an FGDM program in child welfare practice for children already in foster care or at risk of entering foster care, and (2) conduct a rigorous evaluation of the FGDM program, including implementation, outcomes (impact), and cost analyses.
Is this funding mainly for services or mainly for research and evaluation?
It is designed to fund both service implementation and rigorous evaluation. The FOA emphasizes that evaluation is not a minor add-on; funded projects are expected to devote substantial staffing and resources to data collection, evaluation design, analysis, and sharing results so the work contributes to the national evidence base for FGDM.
What is Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) in the context of this opportunity?
FGDM is described as a structured decision-making process that meaningfully involves families and their broader support networks in identifying solutions, committing to responsibilities, and creating a plan to keep children safe while preserving and strengthening family connections whenever possible. The FOA ties FGDM to outcomes related to safety, permanency, and well-being.
Who is the program intended to serve?
The FGDM program component is aimed at producing positive outcomes for children who are already in foster care or who are at risk of entering foster care.
Does the FOA require a specific branded FGDM model?
The notice highlights FGDM generally rather than prescribing a single branded model. However, it expects each site to use an FGDM approach that includes specific essential elements required under the announcement, with a clear intent that families are supported to develop concrete plans that nurture and protect children and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect.
How does the FOA address domestic violence issues during FGDM?
The FOA specifically calls out domestic violence and indicates that when domestic violence issues are present, projects must address them in a safe manner. This signals that grantees need safeguards and protocols so FGDM meetings and planning do not inadvertently increase risk to survivors or children, and that safety planning is part of program design.
What does "rigorous evaluation" mean under this FOA?
The FOA expects a rigorous local evaluation that examines: (1) implementation (how well FGDM was carried out and what it looked like in daily practice), (2) outcomes/impact (whether and how outcomes improved), and (3) costs (what it cost to deliver FGDM). The overall emphasis is on producing high-level evidence about what happened, why it happened, and under what conditions.
Is participation in a cross-site evaluation required?
Yes. The FOA requires grantees to participate in a cross-site evaluation, meaning funded sites must coordinate with a broader federal or contracted evaluation effort to support shared measures, comparisons, pooled learning, and/or shared reporting across projects.
What outcomes is the evaluation expected to focus on?
The FOA emphasizes child welfare outcomes such as safety (for example, reductions in maltreatment or re-entry), permanency (for example, timely reunification or stable kin placements), and well-being (for example, stability, connections, and functioning), along with documentation of what worked and why.
How many awards were anticipated and what was the total funding level?
The FOA anticipated making 3 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $2,010,000.
What was the expected award size?
Individual awards were expected to range from a $500,000 floor to a $670,000 ceiling.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, so applicants needed to plan for non-federal resources to help support the project.
What is the activity category and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The program falls under the Income Security and Social Services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.605 (Family Connection Grants).
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility included a wide range of public and nonprofit entities involved in child welfare and related services: state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category as specified).
Are faith-based and community organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations were explicitly eligible if they met the general requirements, with ACF referencing its policy on grants to faith-based organizations.
Who was not eligible to apply?
Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities were not eligible; those applications would be disqualified.
Is there a coordination requirement for private organizations?
Yes. If the applicant is a private organization, the authorizing legislation requires documentation of support from the relevant local or state child welfare agency, along with a description of how the applicant will coordinate services and activities with that agency.
Why is child welfare agency partnership important for this FOA?
The FOA reflects that FGDM is embedded in child welfare decision-making and case practice. Credible testing of FGDM and measuring effects on child welfare outcomes generally require active partnership with the public child welfare system, including alignment with custody authority and case practice and access to administrative data needed for evaluation.
When was the FOA posted and when were applications due?
The opportunity was posted on February 23, 2015. Applications were due April 24, 2015, and electronic submissions were required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
When was the FOA archived?
The FOA was archived on May 25, 2015.
Where could applicants get technical help with accessing or submitting application materials?
Applicants needing help accessing materials were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
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