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The Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau announces the availability of one grant to: (1) implement a multi-system approach among public and private agencies integrating community and faith-based to promote effective partnerships; (2) develop or enhance a navigator program to meet caregivers own needs and the needs of the children they are raising; (3) utilize intensive family-finding activities, including search technology, effective family engagement, collaboration with child support, and other means to identify biological family members for the target population to create a greater volume of relationships and connectedness within their families and establish permanent family placements when appropriate; and (4) implement family group decision-making (FGDM) meetings for children in the child welfare system. The project funded under this announcement will be implemented through strong collaboration between the grantee and the public child welfare agency. The successful applicant will facilitate cross collaboration and data sharing among relevant agencies, including the courts, child welfare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), aging and family caregiver support programs, child support, fatherhood programs, education, domestic violence, mental health and substance abuse in order to better identify, assess, and service kinship caregivers and at-risk families within the child welfare system.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to establish, by awarding a cooperative agreement, one Quality Improvement Center (QIC) to develop a model program to assess and address the array of individual and collective needs of birth families to support timely, stable, and lasting family reunification and family well-being. The model program will: Create systemic change through intentional policy, practice, and culture shifts of agency and service provider staff that promote comprehensive, holistic family-centered reunification services and supports; align with the premise that foster care and foster families should serve as a support, not a substitute for parents and biological families; implement strategies and interventions that promote foster family and birth family engagement, mentoring, and support; provide for maintaining children's important connections and for children and youth's normalcy while in foster care; and engage local communities in developing a comprehensive array of services and localized family supports that allow families to build protective factors and thrive within their communities of origin. The QIC will install, implement, and evaluate the model program in 4-6 local sites. The QIC will incorporate information learned through a literature review, a pool of technical assistance (TA) experts, and the input of birth parents, foster parents, youth, courts, and community service providers/support organizations throughout development and implementation of project activities.

he Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) announces the solicitation of applications for grants under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants program to implement Culturally-Specific Trauma Services for Families Impacted by Domestic Violence. The intent of this Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant Program is to build and sustain organizational capacity in delivering trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive, culturally relevant services for children, individuals, and families affected by domestic violence (DV), dating violence, family violence, and other traumas. This discretionary grant program will build and expand upon the progress of culturally-specific and community-based domestic violence programs in reducing the pervasive and harmful impact of violence and trauma by implementing culturally relevant trauma-informed, evidence-informed, or evidence-based interventions for individuals and families who are from diverse and historically marginalized communities.

The project funded under this proposed announcement seeks applications from public and private nonprofit entities for one cooperative agreement for family planning research. The purpose of this family planning research cooperative agreement is to collect and analyze data on issues of interest to the family planning field. This cooperative agreement will fund a project to provide research in the biomedical, contraceptive development, behavioral and program implementation fields related to family planning and population. Analysis and research may include, but not limited to the following: the current services provided by family planning centers across the U. S.; trends on how service delivery and access to family planning and reproductive health services; levels of knowledge regarding family planning, reproductive health and related preventive services; and trends on contraceptive use.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS) announces the availability of approximately $5,900,000 to be competitively awarded for the purpose of operating a National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement (NC PFCE). The NC PFCE will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) that reflects current evidence, is research-informed and promotes best practices. The NC PFCE will strengthen professional development outcomes for staff and improve outcomes for children and families enrolled in Head Start and/or Early Head Start programs. The NC PFCE TTA efforts will lead to improved family outreach and recruitment; improved family well-being; expanded family engagement in children's learning and development; and enhanced community partnerships that support families. Because of the complex work the NC PFCE will conduct, the grantee will be expected to bring together knowledgeable subrecipients within the fields of human services, early childhood, social work, mental health, parenting, leadership, and family economic mobility.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA), invites applications from public or private nonprofit entities to conduct research that will lead to feasible and effective strategies to increase access to quality Title X family planning services among hard to reach populations or provide family planning services in resource limited areas, as well as among individuals who misuse opioids and/or other substances, including those with substance use disorders (SUDs). Applicants should address only ONE priority area per application, but an entity may submit multiple applications. If an applicant submits more than one application for the same focus area, then only the last application submitted for that focus area will be considered. Priority areas for these research grants are as follows: 1) Innovative family planning clinical service delivery models that can be used to increase access to quality Title X family planning services among hard to reach populations or provide Title X family planning services in resource limited areas. 2) Meeting the family planning needs of women and men who misuse opioids and/or other substances, including those with substance use disorders (SUDs), so they can prevent or achieve pregnancy when desired. Applicants must clearly identify in the project narrative which focus area the proposal addresses.

The announcement seeks applications from public and private nonprofit entities to establish and operate voluntary family planning services projects, which shall provide family planning services to all persons desiring such services, with priority for services to persons from low-income families. The Title X statute specifies that local and regional public or private nonprofit entities may apply directly to the Secretary for a Title X family planning services grant under this announcement. Family planning services include clinical family planning and related preventive health services; information, education, and counseling related to family planning; and, referral services as indicated. Copies of the Title X statute, regulations, legislative mandates, Program Guidelines, and Program Policy Notices may be downloaded from the Office of Population Affairs web site at http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familyplanning.

THE ADMINISTRATION for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) announces the availability of funds under the Basic Center Program (BCP). THE BCP works to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth up to age 18 years of age and their families. BCPs provide youth with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. Basic centers can provide temporary shelter for up to 21 days for youth and seeks to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements. Additional services may include: street-based services; home-based services for families with youth at risk of separation from the family; drug abuse education and prevention services. THE PRIMARY purpose of the BCP is to provide counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might end up in contact with law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. THE AWARD process for FY2018 BCP allows for annual awards over a three-year project period as funds are available.

The Office of Planning Research and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to invite applications for Principal Investigators to  join a network of scholars who will investigate critical issues in family self-sufficiency and stability research. The Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Network (the Network) will be a collaborative enterprise of scholars who undertake research in family self-sufficiency and stability that is both scientifically rigorous and highly relevant to family self-sufficiency programs and research.  This  project would support  cooperative agreements with scholars who will work independently and collectively to  undertake a systematic, multi-disciplinary examination of the current gaps in family self-sufficiency and stability policies, programs and existing research; execute research and program evaluation activities in collaboration with state and local human services agencies and community-based organizations; and participate in a multi-disciplinary learning community by collaborating with other members of the Network and affiliated scholars.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) today announced a $5 million investment to identify and cultivate innovations in the growing field of family engagement that support children's educational success from birth to 8 years old. Organizations that have developed effective family engagement models that address obstacles faced by low-income families are encouraged to send initial submissions for possible funding of up to $500,000 for one to three years. WKKF defines family engagement as a shared responsibility of families, schools and communities for student learning and achievement. It is a continuous process from birth to third grade and beyond that occurs across multiple settings where children learn. The foundation seeks to support and expand on-the-ground family engagement efforts that include program design and implementation, service delivery and/or policy development and implementation.

This announcement's synopsis has been updated. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites applications from eligible entities to apply for funds to support a social science researcher (the proposed Principal Investigator) to become a member of the Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Network (the Network). The goal of the Network is to support productive partnerships between social science scholars and state or local human services agencies. As such, applicants are required to demonstrate a partnership or potential partnership with one or more state or local human services agency responsible for administering benefits or programming to assist and support family self-sufficiency, including close coordination with the agency responsible for administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, as an integral part of their research plan development and execution. In addition to supporting the proposed Principal Investigator (PI) to pursue their individual programs of rigorous and relevant research, entities must also support PIs in participating in a multidisciplinary learning community by collaborating with other members of the Network funded under this announcement. For more information on the previous cohort of scholars and their work, please see: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/family-self-sufficiency-and-stability-scholars-2013-grantees and the most recent year-in-review: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/family-self-sufficiency-and-stability-research-consortium-year-in-review-2017 Initial awards will be made for the first 12-month budget period; annual continuation awards for the four remaining 12-month budget periods will be awarded subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress by the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the interest of the federal gove

This notice solicits applications for Advancing Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs. The purpose of this program is to improve health and well-being for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and their families by addressing three core systems focus areas for CYSHCN-access to patient/family-centered medical home, transition of youth into the adult health care system, and adoption of health care financing models that improve care and outcomes while achieving cost savings. This program will establish a national collaborative network of resource centers supporting state Title V programs, families of CYSHCN, child health professionals, and other stakeholders through the provision of technical assistance, training, education, partnership building, policy analysis, and research. Program Goal: The overall goal of this program is to strengthen the system of services for CYSHCN and their families by awarding three separate and distinct cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to three recipients, who will collaborate to establish a national network of resource centers, with one center awarded for each of the following three focus areas: (1) Patient/family-centered medical home; (2) Transition of youth into the adult health care system; and (3) Health care financing models that improve care and outcomes while achieving cost savings. The three recipients will coordinate efforts to achieve quality care, decrease health care costs, and improve experience of care for CYSHCN and their families. An applicant can apply and be awarded only one focus area. For specific information about applying for one focus area, see Section IV. Application and Submission Information, Project Abstract.

The project funded under this proposed announcement seeks applications from public and private nonprofit entities for one grant for family planning research. The purpose of this grant is to collect and analyze data on issues of interest to the family planning field. Analysis and research may include, but are not limited to, the following: current services provided by Title X clinics and other family planning centers across the U. S. and how services have changed over time; how Title X clinics and other family planning centers clinics are assessing and taking steps towards assuring their long-term sustainability and how this has changed over time; current health insurance status of women and men seen at Title X clinics and other family planning centers and how this has changed over time; and the sexual risk behaviors and social support networks of clients seen at Title X clinics and other family planning centers and how this has changed over time. Copies of the Title X statute, regulations, legislative mandates, Program Guidelines, and Program Policy Notices may be downloaded from the Office of Population Affairs web site at http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familyplanning.

The Office of Planning Research and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to award up to ten cooperative agreements to fund research to conduct secondary data analysis of archived data, specifically the Building Strong Families (BSF), Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM), and Parents and Children Together (PACT) datasets. These datasets are from large-scale federal evaluation impact studies, which addressed questions related to healthy marriage and/or responsible fatherhood. Successful applicants will demonstrate a familiarity with the proposed data for their analysis and an adequate understanding of the variables, sampling, methodology, etc. used to construct the dataset necessary for completion of the work proposed in the application. Proposed research should address topics relevant to strengthening families to improve the lives of children and parents, as well as promote economic stability. Topics of interest include, but may not be limited to the following: mediators of healthy marriage, relationship education, and/or fatherhood programs; measurement issues related to healthy marriage, relationship education and/or fatherhood programs with low-income families; or father involvement in low-income families. .

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), will solicit applications for Family Strengthening Research Scholars grants to support dissertation research on healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood policy issues. These grants are meant to build capacity in the research field to focus on questions that have direct implications for healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood policy decision-making and program administration, and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high-quality doctoral students. These grants are intended to address issues of significance to inform policy decisions and solutions, particularly for underserved/understudied populations (e.g., low-income families, minority populations), utilize rigorous research methodology (including primary data collection and/or secondary data analysis), and help inform the development of future intervention research. For further information about OPRE, see http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/. For information about previous Family Strengthening grantees, see https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/project/family-strengthening-scholars.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to award up to ten cooperative agreements to fund research to conduct secondary data analysis of archived data, specifically the Building Strong Families (BSF), Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM), and Parents and Children Together (PACT) datasets. These datasets are from large-scale federal evaluation impact studies, which addressed questions related to healthy marriage and/or responsible fatherhood. Successful applicants will demonstrate a familiarity with the proposed data for their analysis and an adequate understanding of the variables, sampling, methodology, etc. used to construct the dataset necessary for completion of the work proposed in the application. Proposed research should address topics relevant to strengthening families to improve the lives of children and parents, as well as promote economic stability. Topics of interest include, but may not be limited to the following: mediators of healthy marriage, relationship education, and/or fatherhood programs; measurement issues related to healthy marriage, relationship education, and/or fatherhood programs with low-income families; or father involvement in low-income families. .

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), will solicit applications for Family Strengthening Research Scholars grants to support dissertation research on healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood policy issues. These grants are meant to build capacity in the research field to focus on questions that have direct implications for healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood policy decision-making and program administration, and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high-quality doctoral students. These grants are intended to address issues of significance to inform policy decisions and solutions, particularly for underserved/understudied populations (e.g., low-income families, minority populations), utilize rigorous research methodology (including primary data collection and/or secondary data analysis), and help inform the development of future intervention research. For further information about OPRE, see http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/. For information about previous Family Strengthening grantees, see https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/project/family-strengthening-scholars.

The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families' (ACYF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) will award funding for the Basic Center Program(BCP). The purpose of the BCP is to provide an alternative for runaway and homeless youth who might otherwise end up with law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. The BCP works to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. The programs provide youth up to age 18 with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. Most basic centers can provide 21 days of shelter for up to 20 youth at a time. There are exceptions for jurisdictions that have different standards for licensing. Basic centers seek to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements.

This targeted 5-year cooperative agreement is to be awarded to create a national center of excellence to develop, implement and evaluate curriculum in child welfare agency settings that will: Support the child welfare workforce to better understand social and emotional needs of children and families involved in the child welfare system. Support the child welfare workforce to better screen and assess for social and emotional needs of children and families. Support the child welfare workforce to understand the effective interventions and active ingredients of those interventions and how to ensure children and families receive those interventions. Increase exposure to active ingredients and Evidence Based Practices for agency staff through enhanced curriculum and practicums. Provide professional development opportunities for agency staff by developing, delivering, and evaluating course offerings, continuing education, and certificate programs aimed at addressing the shortage of child welfare practitioners prepared to deliver evidence based child and family treatment. Provide curriculum aimed at assisting case managers to make excellent decisions about how to refer and evaluate the effectiveness of the services provided to the children and families in their care. Develop decision making tools for agency leadership that might assist them in assessing their current mental health service array. These tools would provide direction about the cost and effectiveness of the mental health services in their current service array, assist the administrator in evaluating if the current mental health services are achieving intended outcomes, and provide guidance on best practice in implementing evidence based treatment services.

The goal of "Copilaria Mea" is to increase the number of children living within appropriate, permanent, and protective family care and reduce the number of children growing up in institutional care. Protective family care envisions care free of deprivation, exploitation and danger. This implies supporting the GOM in completing the deinstitutionalization process and preventing future institutionalization of children through improved policy and regulation; development of services to strengthen family care and prevent unnecessary separation; strengthened gatekeeping; modification of social norms and behaviors within the family that drive family separation; support for implementation of the country's Child Care Reform, with an emphasis on alternative care; and creating sustainable financing models for alternative care models to include the redirection of funds currently financing state child care institutions.