Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2012 ACF OCSE FD 0537
Apply for HHS 2012 ACF OCSE FD 0537
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluation of National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration Projects" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.564 Child Support Enforcement Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2012 and posted on May 22, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2012 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 $1,600,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- State (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) Title IV D agencies or the umbrella agency of the IV D program are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) through the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), supports a single, large-scale evaluation of the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration Projects. The main purpose is to generate credible, actionable evidence for state child support agencies that are running employment-focused demonstration programs for noncustodial parents. In practical terms, the project is meant to answer two big questions: whether these demonstrations actually improve outcomes (such as employment and child support payment performance), and what implementation factors help or hinder success across different sites.
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means there is substantial federal involvement in the project rather than a hands-off grant. The selected applicant will be a state Title IV-D child support agency (or the umbrella agency overseeing the IV-D program) and will act as the manager of the evaluation effort over a five-year period. Rather than the state agency conducting the research directly, the state will use the federal award, along with Federal Financial Participation tied to Section 1115 grant funds, to procure and oversee an independent third-party evaluator, such as a university-based research center or a private research firm. A key responsibility for the funded state agency is governance: contracting, coordination, monitoring progress, and ensuring the evaluator delivers the required products and maintains rigor and independence.
Methodologically, OCSE anticipates an impact evaluation built around random assignment. Under this approach, eligible noncustodial parents at each demonstration site would be randomly assigned either to a treatment group that receives the demonstration services or to a control group that does not. This design is intended to provide strong causal evidence about program impacts by minimizing selection bias and creating a valid comparison group. The evaluation is also expected to go beyond measuring outcomes by including an implementation study component, which examines how the programs are carried out in real-world settings, what services are delivered, how participants are engaged, what operational barriers arise, and what practices appear to support better delivery. In addition, the evaluation will include a benefit-cost analysis to weigh program costs against measurable benefits, helping policymakers judge not only whether the interventions work, but whether they are cost-effective.
Another notable feature is that the evaluator is expected to provide evaluation-related guidance and assistance to the demonstration grantees. That implies a cross-site learning function: supporting consistent data collection, helping sites understand evaluation requirements, troubleshooting issues that can compromise study integrity (like differential enrollment or contamination between treatment and control groups), and promoting comparable measurement across locations. At the same time, the funded state agency remains accountable for overall management and oversight of the evaluator, serving as the central administrative hub for a multi-site project that likely involves multiple state and local partners.
Financially, the opportunity offered an estimated total funding amount of $1.6 million, with an award floor of $1.5 million and a ceiling of $1.6 million, and OCSE expected to make one award. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated for applicants. The funding activity category is Income Security and Social Services, and the CFDA number is 93.564 (Child Support Enforcement Research). The opportunity was posted May 22, 2012, with applications due July 27, 2012 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and it was archived July 30, 2012.
Eligibility is limited to state governments, specifically state Title IV-D agencies (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or the umbrella agency of the IV-D program. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible to apply. For access or submission issues, applicants were directed to contact the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity for?
This opportunity funds a single, large-scale evaluation of the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration Projects. The evaluation is intended to produce credible, actionable evidence to help state child support agencies understand whether employment-focused demonstration programs for noncustodial parents are working and why.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
What are the main questions the evaluation is expected to answer?
The project is designed to address two central questions:
- Whether the demonstrations improve outcomes (for example, employment and child support payment performance).
- Which implementation factors help or hinder success across different demonstration sites.
How many awards does OCSE expect to make?
OCSE expected to make one award.
What is the expected total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount is $1.6 million.
What are the award floor and ceiling?
The award floor is $1.5 million and the award ceiling is $1.6 million.
Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?
This award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning there is substantial federal involvement in the project rather than a hands-off grant relationship.
How long is the project period?
The funded state agency will manage the evaluation effort over a five-year period.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to state governments, specifically state Title IV-D child support agencies (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or the umbrella agency overseeing the Title IV-D program.
Are individuals or private organizations eligible to apply directly?
No. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible to apply. The applicant is expected to be a state Title IV-D agency (or umbrella agency).
What is the role of the funded state Title IV-D agency?
The funded state agency serves as the manager of the evaluation effort and the central administrative hub. Key responsibilities include governance and oversight such as contracting, coordination across sites, monitoring progress, and ensuring that the independent evaluator delivers required products while maintaining rigor and independence.
Will the state agency conduct the evaluation research itself?
No. Rather than conducting the research directly, the funded state agency is expected to procure and oversee an independent third-party evaluator, such as a university-based research center or a private research firm.
What types of evaluators are contemplated for this project?
The opportunity anticipates an independent third-party evaluator, which could include a university-based research center or a private research firm.
What evaluation design does OCSE anticipate?
OCSE anticipates an impact evaluation built around random assignment, where eligible noncustodial parents at each demonstration site are randomly assigned to either:
- A treatment group that receives the demonstration services, or
- A control group that does not receive the demonstration services.
Why is random assignment emphasized?
The random assignment approach is intended to provide strong causal evidence about program impacts by minimizing selection bias and creating a valid comparison group.
Besides impact estimates, what other evaluation components are expected?
In addition to impact evaluation, the project is expected to include:
- An implementation study examining how programs are carried out, what services are delivered, participant engagement, barriers, and practices that support delivery.
- A benefit-cost analysis to compare program costs against measurable benefits and assess cost-effectiveness.
What kinds of outcomes are mentioned as examples?
Examples of outcomes include employment and child support payment performance.
What is meant by an "implementation study" in this context?
The implementation study component examines real-world program operations across sites, including how services are delivered, how participants are engaged, what operational barriers arise, and which practices appear to support stronger delivery.
What is meant by a "benefit-cost analysis" in this context?
The benefit-cost analysis is expected to weigh program costs against measurable benefits to help policymakers determine not only whether the interventions work, but whether they are cost-effective.
Is the evaluator expected to support demonstration grantees beyond conducting the study?
Yes. The evaluator is expected to provide evaluation-related guidance and assistance to the demonstration grantees, supporting cross-site learning and helping sites meet evaluation requirements.
What types of evaluation-related guidance are referenced?
The evaluator support function is described as including items such as supporting consistent data collection, helping sites understand evaluation requirements, troubleshooting threats to study integrity (for example, differential enrollment or contamination between treatment and control groups), and promoting comparable measurement across locations.
What are examples of issues that could compromise study integrity?
The opportunity mentions examples such as differential enrollment and contamination between treatment and control groups.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.564 (Child Support Enforcement Research).
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is stated for applicants.
What other funding mechanism is referenced for supporting the evaluation?
The description states that the state will use the federal award along with Federal Financial Participation tied to Section 1115 grant funds to procure and oversee the independent evaluator.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 22, 2012.
When were applications due?
Applications were due July 27, 2012 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
What does it mean that the opportunity is archived?
The opportunity was archived on July 30, 2012, indicating it is no longer an active funding announcement.
Who should applicants contact for access or submission issues?
For access or submission issues, applicants were directed to contact the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
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