Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2016 ACF OCSE FD 1172
Apply for HHS 2016 ACF OCSE FD 1172
- The HHS-ACF-OCSE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.564.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 26, 2016 and posted on Apr 26, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). The aim is to help state and eligible tribal child support agencies build and operate demonstration programs that reduce reliance on contempt proceedings by offering structured, procedurally fair alternatives within the child support enforcement process. In practical terms, the grant supports projects that change how agencies engage parents who are at risk of contempt, using procedural justice principles to improve trust, participation, and compliance while still pursuing the program goals of consistent child support.
The PJAC initiative is framed as a national demonstration with a defined service model. Funded sites are expected to implement seven core components: initial screening; outreach and engagement; case conferencing, assessment, and action planning; enhanced investigation; enhanced child support services; connections to other support services; and ongoing case management. A key feature is that each component is supposed to be intentionally designed around procedural justice concepts, such as treating people with dignity and respect, giving them a meaningful chance to be heard, making decision-making transparent, and signaling neutrality and fairness. The overall emphasis is on shifting the interaction from purely punitive enforcement toward a problem-solving approach that identifies barriers to payment and connects parents to services and case resolutions that are more likely to lead to sustainable compliance.
The project period runs for five years and is structured in phases. Year one is primarily a planning and start-up period, focused on designing the local program model, building partnerships, developing workflows and materials, training staff, and pilot testing processes before full implementation. Participant enrollment then takes place over a three-year window, which is when the program is expected to operate at scale and bring eligible cases into the demonstration. The final year is devoted to wrapping up enrollment, supporting participants already in the program, completing evaluation close-out activities, and doing sustainability planning so that successful practices can continue after the grant ends.
Funding is provided through Section 1115 grant authority and is treated as state or tribal expenditures under Title IV-D for the purposes of the demonstration, which matters because the project costs are intended to be reimbursed through the normal Title IV-D federal financial participation (FFP) matching structure. The total approved project cost is described as the combination of the Section 1115 award plus the regular FFP reimbursement. Importantly for applicants, the announcement states that grantees do not need to provide matching funds. The estimated award ceilings across the five-year period are laid out by fiscal year: $200,000 in FY 2016, $225,000 in FY 2017, and $118,738 in each of FY 2018, FY 2019, and FY 2020. That totals an expected $781,214 in Section 1115 funds over five years, plus FFP. OCSE anticipated making about nine awards, and the original (and current) closing date listed for applications was July 8, 2016.
Evaluation is a central requirement of PJAC and shapes how the programs must operate. Sites are not permitted to run their own independent evaluations; instead, they must fully participate in an OCSE-funded cross-site evaluation that compares results across multiple grantees. The design requires random assignment of eligible individuals into treatment and control groups, meaning applicants need to be prepared to implement program operations in a way that supports rigorous research (for example, maintaining consistent eligibility rules, documenting services, tracking outcomes, and following standardized protocols). A separate, companion funding opportunity supports evaluation and technical assistance through a cooperative agreement. Applicants may apply to both the PJAC implementation grant and the companion evaluation/TA opportunity, but applying to the companion is not required, and selection for one is not dependent on selection for the other. The organization receiving the evaluation cooperative agreement also would not directly conduct the evaluation; it would be responsible for selecting a qualified third-party evaluator.
From an administrative standpoint, PJAC is issued as a cooperative agreement (rather than a simple grant), which generally indicates ongoing federal involvement and collaboration during the project. The funding activity area is Income Security and Social Services, under CFDA 93.564. Eligible applicants include state governments and federally recognized tribal governments, with additional eligibility detail referenced in the announcement’s eligibility clarification text. Overall, the opportunity is designed for agencies willing to rethink contempt-oriented enforcement pathways and replace them with a structured, procedurally fair service model, while simultaneously contributing to a national evidence base through rigorous, randomized evaluation.
Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) Grant FAQs
1) What is the PJAC grant opportunity?
PJAC (Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt) is a competitive, discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). It funds demonstration programs that reduce reliance on contempt proceedings by offering structured, procedurally fair alternatives within the child support enforcement process.
2) What problem is PJAC intended to address?
PJAC is intended to shift agency practice away from a primarily punitive contempt-oriented pathway and toward a problem-solving approach. The focus is on improving how agencies engage parents who are at risk of contempt, identifying barriers to payment, connecting parents to services, and supporting sustainable compliance with child support obligations.
3) Who is the federal sponsor and which agencies are involved?
The opportunity is administered by HHS/ACF/OCSE (Office of Child Support Enforcement).
4) What type of funding instrument is PJAC?
PJAC is issued as a cooperative agreement. This generally indicates ongoing federal involvement and collaboration during the project period rather than a stand-alone grant with minimal federal engagement.
5) What is the assistance listing / CFDA number for PJAC?
The CFDA number listed for the opportunity is 93.564.
6) What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?
The funding activity area is Income Security and Social Services.
7) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state governments and federally recognized tribal governments (with additional eligibility detail referenced in the announcement’s eligibility clarification text).
8) What is the overall goal of funded PJAC projects?
The goal is to help state and eligible tribal child support agencies build and operate demonstration programs that reduce reliance on contempt proceedings by providing structured alternatives that are intentionally designed around procedural justice principles, while still pursuing the program goals of consistent child support.
9) What does “procedural justice” mean in this program context?
In PJAC, procedural justice refers to designing interactions and processes so parents experience the system as fair and trustworthy. The opportunity highlights concepts such as treating people with dignity and respect, giving them a meaningful chance to be heard, making decision-making transparent, and signaling neutrality and fairness.
10) What is the PJAC service model?
PJAC is framed as a national demonstration with a defined service model. Funded sites are expected to implement seven core components and to design each component around procedural justice concepts.
11) What are the seven core components that funded sites are expected to implement?
The seven core components are:
- Initial screening
- Outreach and engagement
- Case conferencing, assessment, and action planning
- Enhanced investigation
- Enhanced child support services
- Connections to other support services
- Ongoing case management
12) How is PJAC different from traditional contempt proceedings?
Rather than relying on contempt as the primary response, PJAC supports structured alternatives that emphasize engagement, assessment, planning, and service connections. The intent is to improve trust, participation, and compliance by addressing barriers and creating clearer, fairer processes.
13) How long is the PJAC project period?
The project period runs for five years.
14) How is the five-year project period structured?
The project is structured in phases:
- Year 1: Planning and start-up (designing the local model, building partnerships, developing workflows and materials, training staff, and pilot testing before full implementation).
- Years 2-4 (three-year window): Participant enrollment and operating the program at scale.
- Year 5: Wrap-up (complete enrollment, support participants still in the program, complete evaluation close-out activities, and conduct sustainability planning).
15) When does participant enrollment occur?
Participant enrollment takes place over a three-year window after the initial planning/start-up year.
16) What is expected during the first year (planning and start-up)?
Year one focuses on designing the local program model, building partnerships, developing workflows and materials, training staff, and pilot testing processes before the program is fully implemented.
17) What is expected in the final year of the project?
The final year focuses on wrapping up enrollment, supporting participants who are already in the program, completing evaluation close-out activities, and doing sustainability planning so successful practices can continue after the grant ends.
18) What is the funding authority for PJAC?
Funding is provided through Section 1115 grant authority.
19) How are project costs treated for reimbursement purposes?
The Section 1115 award is treated as state or tribal expenditures under Title IV-D for the purposes of the demonstration. Project costs are intended to be reimbursed through the normal Title IV-D federal financial participation (FFP) matching structure.
20) What does OCSE mean by “total approved project cost”?
The total approved project cost is described as the combination of the Section 1115 award plus the regular FFP reimbursement.
21) Do grantees need to provide matching funds?
No. The announcement states that grantees do not need to provide matching funds.
22) What are the estimated award ceilings by fiscal year?
The estimated award ceilings across the five-year period are:
- $200,000 in FY 2016
- $225,000 in FY 2017
- $118,738 in FY 2018
- $118,738 in FY 2019
- $118,738 in FY 2020
23) What is the expected total Section 1115 funding over five years?
The expected total is $781,214 in Section 1115 funds over five years, plus FFP.
24) How many awards did OCSE anticipate making?
OCSE anticipated making about nine awards.
25) What was the application closing date listed for this opportunity?
The closing date listed for applications was July 8, 2016.
26) Is evaluation required under PJAC?
Yes. Evaluation is described as a central requirement of PJAC and shapes how the programs must operate.
27) Can funded sites run their own independent evaluation?
No. Sites are not permitted to run their own independent evaluations. They must fully participate in an OCSE-funded cross-site evaluation.
28) What kind of evaluation design is required?
The cross-site evaluation requires random assignment of eligible individuals into treatment and control groups.
29) What does random assignment imply for program operations?
Applicants need to be prepared to operate the program in a way that supports rigorous research, including maintaining consistent eligibility rules, documenting services, tracking outcomes, and following standardized protocols.
30) Is there a separate funding opportunity connected to evaluation and technical assistance?
Yes. A separate, companion funding opportunity supports evaluation and technical assistance through a cooperative agreement.
31) Can an organization apply to both the PJAC implementation grant and the companion evaluation/TA opportunity?
Yes. Applicants may apply to both opportunities.
32) Is applying to the companion evaluation/TA opportunity required?
No. Applying to the companion opportunity is not required.
33) Does selection for one opportunity depend on selection for the other?
No. Selection for one is not dependent on selection for the other.
34) Who would conduct the evaluation if an organization receives the evaluation cooperative agreement?
The organization receiving the evaluation cooperative agreement would not directly conduct the evaluation; it would be responsible for selecting a qualified third-party evaluator.
35) What kinds of agencies is PJAC designed for?
The opportunity is designed for state and tribal child support agencies willing to rethink contempt-oriented enforcement pathways and replace them with a structured, procedurally fair service model, while contributing to a national evidence base through rigorous, randomized evaluation.
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