Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CO 0012
Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CO 0012
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Diligent Recruitment of Families for Children in the Foster Care System" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.652 Adoption Opportunities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 2, 2010 and posted on Jun 2, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 2, 2010 See link to full announcement for details. IMPORTANT NOTE Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submitted no later than 430 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments County governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Diligent Recruitment of Families for Children in the Foster Care System grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CO 0012) was a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), under the Adoption Opportunities program (CFDA 93.652). It offered cooperative agreements to support public child welfare agencies in building and carrying out comprehensive, multi-faceted diligent recruitment programs designed to expand and strengthen the pool of families available to care for children and youth in foster care. The overall intent was to improve permanency outcomes by increasing the availability of appropriate kinship, foster, concurrent planning, and adoptive families, and by making recruitment a coordinated, agency-wide function rather than a stand-alone activity.
At the core of the program was the expectation that funded jurisdictions would do more than run outreach campaigns. Projects were expected to implement robust recruitment approaches that actively identify, engage, prepare, and support a wide range of resource families, including relatives and kin, traditional foster parents, families willing to support concurrent planning (working toward reunification while also being prepared to become a permanent placement if reunification cannot happen), and adoptive families. The emphasis on a "comprehensive multi-faceted" strategy signals that applicants were expected to combine multiple methods, such as targeted community outreach, partnerships with local organizations, improved inquiry-to-licensure pipelines, culturally responsive messaging, and practical supports that reduce barriers for families who are willing to step forward but may need assistance navigating licensing, training, or placement processes.
Another major requirement was integration. The announcement stressed that diligent recruitment should be embedded into existing agency practice, especially foster care case planning and permanency planning, to support active concurrent planning. In practice, this means recruitment and matching efforts should align with how cases are managed from the beginning, ensuring that the search for permanent connections does not wait until later stages of a case. The opportunity emphasized a philosophy of permanency beginning at entry into the child welfare system, pushing agencies to treat permanency as an immediate planning priority and to ensure recruitment efforts connect directly to the needs of children currently in care, including those who historically face greater barriers to permanency.
The grant also aimed to use recruitment work as a broader lever for system change. Applicants were expected to demonstrate capacity to use the project as a transformative platform to improve the system response to permanency, including policy and practice changes. This suggests ACF was looking for jurisdictions prepared to examine and adjust internal procedures, decision-making, staff roles, and cross-unit coordination so that diligent recruitment becomes sustainable and consistently applied, rather than dependent on temporary funding or a small specialized team. The focus on transformation implies a preference for proposals that address root causes of recruitment and permanency challenges, such as inconsistent family engagement practices, fragmented communication between recruitment and casework staff, or licensing processes that unintentionally screen out capable families.
Evaluation was a required component. Funded projects were expected to evaluate implementation of their diligent recruitment programs, document processes, and explore potential linkages between recruitment strategies and improved outcomes. This indicates that the program valued not only results but also learning: capturing what was done, how it was done, what barriers were encountered, and what appeared to contribute to better permanency-related measures. While the announcement summary does not list specific metrics, the intent clearly points toward outcomes such as stronger placement stability, improved matching, increased availability of families for children with higher needs, reduced time to permanency, and increased adoptions or guardianships when appropriate, alongside process measures like inquiry conversion, timeliness of licensing, and family retention.
Finally, the announcement sought to create identifiable demonstration sites that other states and localities could look to for guidance and potential replication. In other words, ACF intended these awards to produce models that could be shared, adapted, and scaled beyond the initial grantees. The expectation was that funded jurisdictions would generate practical insights and replicable approaches, contributing to the broader field by showing how comprehensive recruitment can be implemented in real public agency contexts and integrated with permanency practice.
In terms of funding and eligibility, ACF expected to make about five awards, with an estimated total funding level of $2,000,000 and an award ceiling of $400,000 per project. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants were state and county governments, reflecting the program's focus on public child welfare systems that directly oversee foster care and permanency planning. The opportunity was posted on June 2, 2010, with an original and current closing date of August 2, 2010, and applications submitted through Grants.gov were required by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. The archive date was September 1, 2010. For applicants needing assistance accessing the full announcement, ACF provided an application help desk contact at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Diligent Recruitment of Families for Children in the Foster Care System.
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CO 0012.
3) Which federal agency offered this funding?
This was a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), under the Adoption Opportunities program.
4) What type of award was offered?
The announcement offered cooperative agreements to support public child welfare agencies in building and carrying out comprehensive diligent recruitment programs.
5) What is the CFDA number for this program?
The program was listed under CFDA 93.652 (Adoption Opportunities).
6) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were state and county governments, reflecting the focus on public child welfare systems responsible for foster care and permanency planning.
7) What was the main purpose of the grant?
The overall intent was to improve permanency outcomes by expanding and strengthening the pool of families available to care for children and youth in foster care, and by making recruitment a coordinated, agency-wide function rather than a stand-alone activity.
8) What does "diligent recruitment" mean in this funding context?
In this announcement, diligent recruitment meant implementing a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to actively identify, engage, prepare, and support families who can provide care and permanency for children and youth in foster care, rather than relying only on outreach or marketing campaigns.
9) What kinds of families were projects expected to recruit and support?
Projects were expected to broaden and strengthen the pool of:
- Relatives and kin (kinship families)
- Traditional foster families
- Concurrent planning families (supporting reunification while being prepared to provide permanency if reunification cannot occur)
- Adoptive families
10) Was this funding meant to support simple outreach campaigns?
No. The announcement emphasized that funded jurisdictions were expected to do more than run outreach. Projects were expected to implement robust approaches that identify, engage, prepare, and support families through practical, real-world steps that lead to placement and permanency.
11) What does "comprehensive multi-faceted" recruitment imply for proposed projects?
It implies combining multiple methods and strategies rather than relying on a single tactic. The announcement signaled expectations such as:
- Targeted community outreach
- Partnerships with local organizations
- Improving the inquiry-to-licensure pipeline so interested families can move through licensing/training more effectively
- Culturally responsive messaging
- Practical supports that reduce barriers for families navigating licensing, training, or placement processes
12) What does it mean that recruitment should be "integrated" into agency practice?
The announcement stressed that recruitment should be embedded into existing agency practice, especially foster care case planning and permanency planning. In practical terms, recruitment and matching should align with how cases are managed from the beginning, rather than being handled separately or later in the case timeline.
13) How did the opportunity describe the timing of permanency planning?
It emphasized a philosophy of permanency beginning at entry into the child welfare system, meaning permanency is treated as an immediate planning priority and recruitment efforts are expected to connect directly to current needs from the start.
14) Were agencies expected to focus on children and youth who face greater barriers to permanency?
Yes. The announcement highlighted connecting recruitment efforts to the needs of children currently in care, including those who have historically faced greater barriers to permanency.
15) Was system change part of the goal, beyond recruitment activities?
Yes. The grant aimed to use recruitment work as a lever for broader system transformation. Applicants were expected to show capacity to improve how the system responds to permanency, including potential policy and practice changes that help make diligent recruitment sustainable.
16) What kinds of internal challenges did the announcement imply projects might address?
The description suggested ACF was interested in proposals that tackle root causes of recruitment and permanency challenges, such as:
- Inconsistent family engagement practices
- Fragmented communication between recruitment and casework staff
- Licensing processes that unintentionally screen out capable families
- Limited cross-unit coordination that prevents recruitment from becoming an agency-wide function
17) Was evaluation required?
Yes. Funded projects were expected to evaluate implementation, document processes, and explore potential linkages between recruitment strategies and improved outcomes.
18) What outcomes or measures did the announcement suggest projects might examine?
While specific metrics were not listed in the summary, the stated intent pointed toward outcomes and measures such as:
- Stronger placement stability
- Improved matching between children/youth and families
- Increased availability of families for children with higher needs
- Reduced time to permanency
- Increased adoptions or guardianships when appropriate
- Process measures such as inquiry conversion, timeliness of licensing, and family retention
19) What were "demonstration sites" in this opportunity?
ACF intended awards to create identifiable demonstration sites that could generate practical insights and replicable approaches for other states and localities to adapt and scale.
20) How many awards did ACF expect to make?
ACF expected to make about five awards.
21) What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level was $2,000,000.
22) What was the award ceiling per project?
The award ceiling was $400,000 per project.
23) Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement specified there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
24) When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on June 2, 2010.
25) What was the application due date?
The original and current closing date was August 2, 2010.
26) What time were applications due on the closing date?
Applications submitted through Grants.gov were required by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
27) How were applications submitted?
Applications were submitted through Grants.gov.
28) What was the archive date for the opportunity?
The archive date was September 1, 2010.
29) Where could applicants get help accessing the full announcement?
ACF provided an application help desk contact: appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
30) What is the key shift in how recruitment was expected to function within agencies?
A central expectation was that recruitment would become a coordinated, agency-wide function connected to casework and permanency planning, rather than a temporary effort driven by a small specialized team or a stand-alone recruitment unit.
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| National Resource Center for Programs Serving Abandoned Infants, Infants at Risk of Abandonment and Infants at Risk of Maltreatment and their Families Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CB 0026 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CB 0026 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZU 0074 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZU 0074 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $7,500,000 |
| ADRC Evidence Based Care Transition Programs Apply for HHS 2010 AOA CT 1026 Funding Number: HHS 2010 AOA CT 1026 Agency: Administration on Aging Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| ADRC Options Counseling and Assistance Programs Apply for HHS 2010 AOA OC 1025 Funding Number: HHS 2010 AOA OC 1025 Agency: Administration on Aging Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant Program/National Domestic Violence Hotline Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF EV 0016 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ACYF EV 0016 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $3,200,000 |
| Community Services Block Grant Training and Technical Assistance Program State Performance Management Clearinghouse Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCS ET 0009 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCS ET 0009 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title VI Native American Programs Apply for HHS 2010 AOA MI 1022 Funding Number: HHS 2010 AOA MI 1022 Agency: Administration on Aging Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,000 |
| Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies (PAID) through Collaborations with Other Agencies or Programs Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0034 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0034 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Projects to Address Child Support Needs of Active Duty Military Members Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0030 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0030 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| Projects to Support Collaborations with Veterans Affairs Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0035 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0035 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| How OCSE Grantees Can Support quotBuilding Assets for Fathers and Familiesquot (BAFF) Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0113 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCSE FD 0113 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $85,000 |
| Initiative to Reduce Long Term Foster Care Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CT 0022 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CT 0022 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CA 0024 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ACYF CA 0024 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $675,000 |
| Post Release Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZU 0078 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZU 0078 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) to Assist Protection and Advocacy Systems (P amp As) to Establish or Improve Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ADD DH 0021 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ADD DH 0021 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $183,960 |
| National Human Trafficking Hotline, Training, and Technical Assistance Program Apply for HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZV 0025 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF ORR ZV 0025 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Social Services and Income Maintenance Benefits Enrollment Coordination Grants Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OCS IB 0111 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OCS IB 0111 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
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| Head Start Replacement Grantee Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OHS CH R03 0128 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OHS CH R03 0128 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,891,046 |
| Head Start Replacement Grantee Westfield, West Springfield and Agawam, Southwick, Tolland, Russell, Blandford, Chester, Middlefield, Montgomery, Huntington and Worthington, Massachusetts Apply for HHS 2010 ACF OHS CH R01 0130 Funding Number: HHS 2010 ACF OHS CH R01 0130 Agency: Administration for Children and Families Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,452,184 |
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