Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2012 ACF ACYF CF 0271
Apply for HHS 2012 ACF ACYF CF 0271
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family Connection Grants Combination Family finding/Family Group Decision making Projects" 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 May 22, 2012 and posted on May 22, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 20, 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 $2,340,006.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments County governments.
- Section 427(a) of the Social Security Act identifies eligible applicants as quotState, local, or tribal child welfare agencies, and private nonprofit organizations that have experience in working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements.quot If the applicant is a private organization, 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 are required. Faith based and community organizations that meet eligibility requirements 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:
The Family Connection Grants: Combination Family Finding/Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) Projects opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CF-0271) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) under CFDA 93.605. The central goal is to fund a small set of demonstration projects that combine two strategies in a single, integrated model: intensive Family Finding to locate and reconnect children and youth in the child welfare system with relatives and other significant family connections, and FGDM meetings to bring families and stakeholders together to make concrete decisions and plans that support a child or youth's safety, permanency, and well-being. The expectation is that pairing active, technology-enabled family location and engagement with structured family-led planning will increase the number and strength of family connections and, when possible, lead to stable permanent family placements.
Projects funded under this FOA are expected to carry out Intensive Family Finding activities that go beyond routine relative searches. This includes using search tools and technology, purposeful outreach, and skilled engagement approaches to identify biological family members and other meaningful adult connections. Once those individuals are found, the work shifts to re-establishing or strengthening relationships and exploring realistic permanency options, including kinship placements when appropriate. Alongside this, the FOA requires the use of Family Group Decision Making meetings, which are structured gatherings designed to help families develop plans that nurture children and protect them from abuse and neglect. The announcement also notes that, when relevant, programs should address domestic violence issues in a safe manner within the FGDM process, reflecting an emphasis on safety planning and appropriate safeguards rather than simply convening meetings without attention to risk.
A major feature of the opportunity is its demonstration and learning focus. Grantees are expected to function as visible, learnable sites that other states, tribes, or local jurisdictions can look to for practical guidance, implementation insight, and potential replication. To support that, applicants must build in rigorous local evaluation components capable of showing whether and how the combined Family Finding plus FGDM approach improves measurable outcomes for the children and youth served, especially outcomes tied to the child welfare system's core goals: safety, permanency, and well-being. In other words, the government is not only paying for services; it is paying for credible evidence and lessons about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
Eligibility is focused on entities with direct child welfare experience and the ability to coordinate with public child welfare systems. Under Section 427(a) of the Social Security Act, eligible applicants include state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies and private nonprofit organizations with experience working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements. If a private organization applies, it must provide documentation of support from the relevant local or state child welfare agency and explain how it will coordinate its work with existing child welfare services and activities. Faith-based and community organizations may apply if they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible.
The funding details show a relatively small, competitive program designed to support a handful of sites at a meaningful scale. ACF anticipated making about 5 awards. Total estimated funding was $2,340,006, with individual awards ranging from $400,000 to $500,000. The opportunity includes a cost-sharing requirement tied to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. Grantees must contribute a non-federal share equal to at least 25 percent of total approved project costs in each of the first two years, increasing to 50 percent in the third year. That match can be met through cash or in-kind contributions, but in-kind contributions are capped so that no more than half of the required non-federal share can be in-kind. The match is calculated against the total project cost, meaning the combined federal share plus the required non-federal share.
Key timing information reflects a 2012 cycle that has since closed and been archived, but the details clarify submission expectations. The FOA was posted May 22, 2012, with an application deadline of July 20, 2012, and electronic applications due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. The listing was archived July 23, 2012. The FOA is also identified as one of three separate 2012 HHS forecast announcements under the broader Family Connection Discretionary Grants Program (CFDA 93.605), alongside other related tracks such as kinship navigation collaborations and comprehensive residential family treatment programs, indicating that this particular announcement specifically targeted the combined Family Finding and FGDM model rather than those other service approaches.
For applicants needing assistance obtaining the full announcement or dealing with submission access issues, the provided point of contact was the ACF Applications Help Desk (appsupport@acf.hhs.gov).
Family Connection Grants: Combination Family Finding/FGDM Projects (HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CF-0271) - FAQs
What is this grant opportunity?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), under CFDA 93.605. It is titled "The Family Connection Grants: Combination Family Finding/Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) Projects" and is associated with Funding Opportunity Number (FON) HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CF-0271.
What is the central goal of the program?
The central goal is to fund a small set of demonstration projects that combine two strategies into a single integrated model: (1) Intensive Family Finding to locate and reconnect children and youth in the child welfare system with relatives and other significant adult connections, and (2) Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) meetings to bring families and stakeholders together to make concrete plans supporting a child or youth's safety, permanency, and well-being.
What does "Combination Family Finding/FGDM" mean in practice?
It means projects are expected to actively find and engage relatives and other meaningful connections using intensive, technology-enabled search and outreach methods, then use structured FGDM meetings to support family-led decision-making and planning for the child or youth. The model is designed so that locating and engaging family connections directly feeds into the planning and decision process.
Why does the FOA emphasize combining these two approaches?
The expectation is that pairing active family location and engagement with structured family-led planning will increase the number and strength of family connections and, when possible, lead to stable permanent family placements.
Who is the intended population served by projects funded under this opportunity?
The opportunity focuses on children and youth in the child welfare system, including those in foster care, and it also references experience working with children in kinship care arrangements as part of eligibility considerations for nonprofit applicants.
What is "Intensive Family Finding" as described in this opportunity?
Intensive Family Finding is expected to go beyond routine relative searches. It includes using search tools and technology, purposeful outreach, and skilled engagement approaches to identify biological family members and other meaningful adult connections, then working to re-establish or strengthen relationships and explore realistic permanency options (including kinship placements when appropriate).
How is this different from a routine relative search?
The FOA distinguishes Intensive Family Finding from routine searches by emphasizing more active and deliberate methods such as technology-enabled searching, purposeful outreach, and skilled engagement approaches, rather than relying on standard or minimal relative identification steps.
What is Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) in this FOA?
FGDM refers to structured meetings (gatherings) designed to help families develop plans that nurture children and protect them from abuse and neglect. These meetings bring together families and stakeholders to make concrete decisions and plans related to safety, permanency, and well-being.
Are grantees required to use FGDM meetings?
Yes. The FOA requires the use of FGDM meetings as part of the combined, integrated model alongside Intensive Family Finding.
How should domestic violence concerns be handled in the FGDM process?
The announcement notes that, when relevant, programs should address domestic violence issues in a safe manner within the FGDM process. This reflects an emphasis on safety planning and appropriate safeguards rather than convening meetings without attention to risk.
Is this program focused only on delivering services?
No. A major feature is the demonstration and learning focus. The government is funding both implementation and credible evidence and lessons about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
What does it mean to be a "demonstration project" under this FOA?
Projects are intended to serve as visible, learnable sites that other states, tribes, or local jurisdictions can look to for practical guidance, implementation insight, and potential replication of the combined Family Finding plus FGDM model.
What evaluation expectations are included?
Applicants must build in rigorous local evaluation components capable of showing whether and how the combined approach improves measurable outcomes for the children and youth served, especially outcomes tied to child welfare goals: safety, permanency, and well-being.
What outcomes does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA specifically highlights the child welfare system's core goals: safety, permanency, and well-being, and expects evaluation to address measurable outcomes related to these areas.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is focused on entities with direct child welfare experience and the ability to coordinate with public child welfare systems. Under Section 427(a) of the Social Security Act, eligible applicants include state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies and private nonprofit organizations with experience working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements.
Can a private nonprofit organization apply?
Yes, private nonprofit organizations can apply if they have relevant experience. If a private organization applies, it must provide documentation of support from the relevant local or state child welfare agency and explain how it will coordinate with existing child welfare services and activities.
What documentation is required if a private organization applies?
The FOA states the applicant must provide documentation of support from the relevant local or state child welfare agency and explain how the project will coordinate its work with existing child welfare services and activities.
Can faith-based organizations apply?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations may apply if they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements described in the FOA.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals are explicitly not eligible.
Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are explicitly not eligible.
Are sole proprietorships eligible to apply?
No. Sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible.
How many awards were expected to be made?
ACF anticipated making about 5 awards under this opportunity.
How much total funding was estimated for this FOA?
The total estimated funding was $2,340,006.
What was the expected award size per grantee?
Individual awards were expected to range from $400,000 to $500,000.
Is there a cost-sharing (matching) requirement?
Yes. The opportunity includes a cost-sharing requirement tied to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
What is the required non-federal match in years 1 and 2?
Grantees must contribute a non-federal share equal to at least 25 percent of total approved project costs in each of the first two years.
What is the required non-federal match in year 3?
The non-federal share requirement increases to 50 percent of total approved project costs in the third year.
Can the match be met with in-kind contributions?
Yes. The match can be met through cash or in-kind contributions.
Is there a cap on how much in-kind contribution can count toward the match?
Yes. In-kind contributions are capped so that no more than half of the required non-federal share can be in-kind.
How is the match calculated?
The match is calculated against the total project cost, meaning the combined federal share plus the required non-federal share.
When was the FOA posted and when were applications due?
The FOA was posted May 22, 2012. The application deadline was July 20, 2012, with electronic applications due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. This 2012 cycle has closed and was archived. The listing was archived July 23, 2012.
How does this FOA relate to other Family Connection Discretionary Grants Program announcements?
This FOA is identified as one of three separate 2012 HHS forecast announcements under the broader Family Connection Discretionary Grants Program (CFDA 93.605). This specific announcement targeted the combined Family Finding and FGDM model, while other related tracks referenced include kinship navigation collaborations and comprehensive residential family treatment programs.
Where could applicants get help with the application or accessing the announcement?
The point of contact provided for assistance was the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
What role does coordination with public child welfare systems play in this program?
Coordination is a key expectation. Eligibility and application requirements emphasize direct child welfare experience and the ability to coordinate with public child welfare systems, and private applicants must document child welfare agency support and explain coordination with existing services and activities.
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