Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, 32783-32794 [05-11196]
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32783
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 107 / Monday, June 6, 2005 / Notices
Interview/respondent
Number of
respondents
Average number of
responses per
respondent
CHMI Administrative Interviews ....
160—25 one-on-one interviews
plus 3 group interviews with 5
individuals per group (25 + 15)
= 40 respondents per site.
40 respondents × 20 sites = 800
respondents/5 years = 160 respondents per year.
80—20 focus group participants ×
20 sites = 400 participants.
400 participants/5 years = 80
participants per year.
......................................................
2 visits, on average .....................
1
320
1 ...................................................
1.5
120
......................................................
............................
440
CHMI Focus Groups .....................
Total Respondent Burden ......
Additional Information:
Copies of the proposed collection may
be obtained by writing to the
Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Administration,
Office of Information Services, 370
L’Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington,
DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance
Officer. All requests should be
identified by the title of the information
collection. E-mail address:
grjohnson@acf.hhs.gov.
OMB Comment:
OMB is required to make a decision
concerning the collection of information
between 30 and 60 days after
publication of this document in the
Federal Register. Therefore, a comment
is best assured of having its full effect
if OMB receives it within 30 days of
publication. Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
directly to the following: Office of
Management and Budget, Paperwork
Reduction Project, Attn: Desk Officer for
ACF, e-mail address:
Katherine_T._Astrich@omb.eop.gov.
Average burden
hours per
response
OMB No.: 0970–0198.
Description: The Child Care and
Development Fund (CCDF) Tribal Plan
serves as the agreement between the
applicant (Indian Tribes, tribal consortia
and tribal organizations) and the Federal
government that describes how tribal
applicants will operate CCDF Block
Grant programs. The Tribal Plan
provides assurances that the CCDF
funds will be administered in
conformance with legislative
requirements. Federal regulations at 49
CFR parts 98 and 99 and other
applicable instructions or guidelines
issued by the Administration for
Children and Families (ACF). Tribes
must submit a new CCDF Tribal plan
every two years in accordance with 45
CFR 98.17.
Respondents: Tribal CCDF Programs
(265 in total).
Annual Burden Estimates:
Dated: May 27, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–11194 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–01–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Title: Child Care and Development
Fund Tribal Plan (Form ACF–118–A).
Instrument
Number of
respondents
Number of
responses per
respondent
CCDF Tribal Plan ................................................................................
CCDF Tribal Plan Amendments ..........................................................
265
265
1
1
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 5,035
Note: CCDF Tribal Plans are submitted
biannually. This collection burden has been
calculated to reflect an annual burden.
Additional Information:
Copies of the proposed collection may
be obtained by writing to The
Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Information Services,
370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW.,
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF
Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail
address: grjohnson@acf.hhs.gov.
OMB Comment:
OMB is required to make a decision
concerning the collection of information
between 30 and 60 days after
publication of this document in the
Federal Register. Therefore, a comment
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is best assured of having its full effect
if OMB receives it within 30 days of
publication. Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
directly to the following: Office of
Management and Budget, Paperwork
Reduction Project, Attn: Desk Officer for
ACF, e-mail address:
Katherine_T._Astrick@omb.eop.gov.
Dated: May 31, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–11195 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–01–M
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Total burden
hours
Average burden
hours per
response
Total burden
hours
17.5
1.5
4,637.5
397.5
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN
SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Administration on Children, Youth and
Families, Children’s Bureau
Funding Opportunity Title: Model
Development or Replication to
Implement the CAPTA Requirement to
Identify and Serve Substance Exposed
Newborns.
Announcement Type: Initial.
Funding Opportunity Number: HHS–
2005–ACF–ACYF–CB–0050.
CFDA Number: 93.551.
Due Date for Applications:
Application is due August 5, 2005.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 107 / Monday, June 6, 2005 / Notices
Executive Summary: The purpose of
this funding opportunity is to provide
financial support to develop or replicate
and test a model of policies and
procedures that implement the new
provisions of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
regarding substance exposed newborns.
Applicants may choose to develop new
models, replicate existing models or
replicate key components of existing
models of policies and procedures for
identifying and serving families with
children prenatally exposed to illegal
drugs, and to test the effectiveness of the
model in other settings. The projects
funded under this priority area will
incorporate features and components
that hold promise for contributing to an
expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies
and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and
providing services to these children and
their families.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Model Development or Replication to
Implement the CAPTA Requirement to
Identify and Serve Substance Exposed
Newborns.
The purpose of this funding
opportunity is to provide financial
support to develop or replicate and test
a model of policies and procedures that
implement the new provisions of the
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Act (CAPTA) regarding substance
exposed newborns. Applicants may
choose to develop new models, replicate
existing models or replicate key
components of existing models of
policies and procedures for identifying
and serving families with children
prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, and
to test the effectiveness of the model in
other settings. The projects funded
under this priority area will incorporate
features and components that hold
promise for contributing to an
expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies
and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and
providing services to these children and
their families.
Priority Area:
Model Development or Replication To
Implement the CAPTA Requirement To
Identify and Serve Substance Exposed
Newborns
The purpose of this funding
opportunity is to provide financial
support to develop or replicate and test
a model of policies and procedures that
implement the new provisions of the
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Act (CAPTA) regarding substance
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exposed newborns. Applicants may
choose to develop new models, replicate
existing models or replicate key
components of existing models of
policies and procedures for identifying
and serving families with children
prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, and
to test the effectiveness of the model in
other settings. The projects funded
under this priority area will incorporate
features and components that hold
promise for contributing to an
expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies
and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and
providing services to these children and
their families.
Background Information: State and
local child welfare agencies, hospitals
and other health care facilities,
substance abuse treatment and other
community-based agencies have been
serving families with children
prenatally exposed to illegal drugs for
many years. In addition, the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(CAPTA), recently reauthorized under
the Keeping Children and Families Safe
Act of 2003, established new legislative
responsibilities regarding prenatally
exposed infants.
Under the new CAPTA requirement,
States must have in place:
‘‘(ii) Policies and procedures
(including appropriate referrals to child
protection service systems and for other
appropriate services) to address the
needs of infants born and identified as
being affected by illegal substance abuse
or withdrawal symptoms resulting from
prenatal drug exposure, including a
requirement that health care providers
involved in the delivery or care of such
infants notify the child protective
services system of the occurrence of
such condition in such infants, except
that such notification shall not be
construed to:
(I) Establish a definition under
Federal law of what constitutes child
abuse; or
(II) Require prosecution for any illegal
action;
(iii) The development of a plan of safe
care for the infant born and identified as
being affected by illegal substance abuse
or withdrawal symptoms
(106(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I) and (II) and
(b)(2)(A)(iii))’’.
Although there is a considerable body
of knowledge regarding the impact of
illegal drug use by pregnant women on
their newborn children and a growing
body of research on the benefits of early
identification and appropriate service
provision for children prenatally
exposed to illegal drugs, information
about successful policies and
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procedures for identifying and serving
this population has only recently
become available. Currently, both the
National Center on Substance Abuse
and Child Welfare and the Abandoned
Infants Assistance Resource Center are
undertaking efforts to identify State
policies, practices, programs and related
challenges in implementing the new
CAPTA requirements.
The National Center on Substance
Abuse and Child Welfare, a joint project
of the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration’s Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment
(SAMHSA/CSAT) and the
Administration for Children and
Families’ Children’s Bureau (ACF/CB),
is conducting a task to collect
information on State policies and
practices and exemplary programs for
working with families identified with
substance exposed newborns. In
addition, the Abandoned Infants
Assistance Resource Center, is
conducting a complementary project to
examine policies and practices, identify
promising practices and examine the
impact of the new CAPTA legislation.
(For information on the work of these
two organizations, go to https://
www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/ and https://
aia.berkeley.edu/.) It is anticipated that
both studies will identify examples of
strong approaches, promising practices,
and model policies and procedures that
could be considered for replication
under this grant program. However,
other models may be developed or
selected for replication.
Applications for grants under this
priority area must explain why a new
model is being developed, or, if a
replication, why that model was chosen.
The model and its key components must
be described in detail. Applicants must
propose to develop or replicate a policy
and procedural model that is useful,
effective, and positive in its approach to
identifying these newborns and working
with other relevant systems in
establishing a safe care plan for
children.
Need/Rationale: CAPTA was
reauthorized in June 2003 as part of the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
of 2003. A number of new requirements
were added for State Child Protective
Services (CPS) agencies including the
requirement that States have policies
and procedures in place for the referral
to CPS of substance exposed newborns
and the development of a plan of safe
care for these children. This new
requirement is especially significant,
given that it has been estimated that
more than 50% of child welfare cases
have parental substance abuse as a
contributing factor. In recent years,
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some States have implemented
procedures to deal with substance
exposed newborns. In some States, the
identification of a substance exposed
newborn has required an automatic
referral to CPS, while in other States,
women giving birth to substance
exposed newborns may have been
subject to prosecution. Responses to the
complex problems of substance exposed
newborns have varied greatly from State
to State from a minimal response to a
punitive response. A comprehensive
approach to addressing these issues
should include developing appropriate
mechanisms to identify the substance
exposed newborns, ensuring the safety
of the child, engaging parents in
treatment, and fostering collaboration
among child welfare, substance abuse,
health care and other relevant
community supports.
It is anticipated that the projects
funded under this priority area will
contribute to the body of knowledge
regarding the development of effective
State and local policies and procedures
that ensure: (1) Appropriate and
productive collaborations among child
welfare, substance abuse and the health
care communities, and other relevant
community agencies, and (2)
identification, early assessment and
intervention for children and families.
Models to be developed or replicated
should be consistent with the new
CAPTA requirements that call for
policies and procedures that ensure
notification of child protective services
and the establishment of a plan of safe
care to address the needs of infants born
and identified as being affected by
illegal substance abuse or withdrawal
symptoms resulting from pre-natal drug
exposure. Model policies and
procedures should also provide parents
and other caregivers with treatment
interventions and case management that
ensure proper infant care. Special
attention should be given to the
development of effective policies and
procedures to improve the ability of
States to meet the Child and Family
Services Reviews (CFSR) safety and
well-being indicators and outcomes
related to child maltreatment. The
legislation requires that health care
personnel notify CPS in the event of a
substance exposed birth. Therefore,
special attention should also be given to
effective collaboration among multiple
child serving agencies and
organizations.
A unique feature of this priority area
is that the first year of these projects is
to be used for planning and developing
the collaborative relationship among
relevant agencies and programs. The
projects are to be implemented and
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evaluated and findings are to be
disseminated during the second and
third years. The final report at the end
of the third year must include a written
product describing the model, the
policies, and the evaluation of the
project. At the end of the third year,
there is potential for an additional two
years of funding for the purposes of
further dissemination and
implementation of the project in other
jurisdictions.
As a part of their proposal, applicants
are required to describe their strategy for
a 12-month planning phase for the
development of the model or the
replication of the existing model or the
selected components, and their strategy
for a 24-month implementation and
evaluation phase. Applicants are not
expected to describe their strategy for
possible years four and five of funding
for dissemination and implementation.
Legislative Authority
The Promoting Safe and Stable
Families Program (Section 430, Title IV–
B, subpart 2, of the Social Security Act)
(42 U.S.C. 629a).
The Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act Section 105(b)(5) (42
U.S.C. 5106).
Public Law 100–505, the Abandoned
Infants Act of 1988 as amended by the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
of 2003 (Pub. L. 108–36).
Projects funded under this
announcement will be expected to:
1. Have the project fully functioning
within 90 days following the
notification of the grant award.
2. Participate if the Children’s Bureau
chooses to do a national evaluation or
a technical assistance contract that
relates to this funding announcement.
3. Submit all performance indicator
data, program and financial reports in a
timely manner, in recommended format
(to be provided), and submit the final
report on disk or electronically using a
standard word-processing program.
4. Submit a copy of the final report,
the evaluation report, and any program
products to the National Clearinghouse
on Child Abuse and Neglect
Information, 330 C Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20447, within 90 days
of project end date. This is in addition
to the standard requirement that the
final program and evaluation report
must also be submitted to the Grants
Management Specialist and the Federal
Project Officer.
5. Allocate sufficient funds in the
budget to:
(a) Provide for the project director, the
evaluator and other key partners to
attend an annual 3-day grantees’
meeting in Washington, DC.
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(b) Provide for the project director, the
evaluator and other key partners to
attend an early kickoff meeting for
grantees funded under this priority area
to be held within the first three months
of the project (first year only) in
Washington, DC; and
(c) Provide for 10–15 percent of the
proposed budget to project evaluation.
II. Award Information
Funding Instrument Type: Grant.
Anticipated Total Priority Area
Funding: $600,000.
Anticipated Number of Awards: 0 to
4.
Ceiling on Amount of Individual
Awards: $250,000 per budget period.
Average Projected Award Amount:
$150,000.
Length of Project Periods: 60-month
project with five 12-month budget
periods; Other.
Explanation of Other: In the FIRST
budget period, the maximum Federal
share of each project is not to exceed
$150,000. In each SUBSEQUENT budget
period, the maximum Federal share of
each project is not to exceed $250,000.
The projects awarded will be for a
project period of 60 months. The initial
grant award will be for a 12-month
budget period. The award of
continuation beyond each 12-month
budget period will be subject to the
availability of funds, satisfactory
progress on the part of the grantee, and
a determination that continued funding
would be in the best interest of the
government.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
State governments,
County governments,
City or township governments,
Special district governments,
State controlled institutions of higher
education,
Native American tribal governments
(Federally recognized),
Native American tribal organizations
(other than Federally recognized
tribal governments),
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status
with the IRS, other than institutions of
higher education,
Private institutions of higher
education,
For-profit organization other than
small businesses,
Small businesses.
Additional Information on Eligibility:
If the applicant is not the State/county
child welfare/CPS agency, they should
demonstrate a strong existing
collaboration with the State/county
child welfare/CPS agency that has the
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authority/responsibility for developing
and implementing the relevant policies,
procedures and plans.
Non-profit and for-profit applicants
should be hospitals serving the target
population.
Applications should demonstrate
strong collaboration between the
relevant child welfare/CPS, substance
abuse and health care organizations.
Collaborative and interdisciplinary
efforts are acceptable, but applications
should identify a primary applicant
responsible for administering the grant.
Fatherhood organizations that are
otherwise eligible to apply are eligible
to apply.
2. Cost Sharing/Matching
Yes.
Matching/Cost-Sharing
Grantees must provide at least 10
percent of the total approved cost of the
project. The total approved cost of the
project is the sum of the ACF share and
the non-Federal share. The non-Federal
share may be met by cash or in-kind
contributions, although applicants are
encouraged to meet their match
requirements through cash
contributions. Therefore, a project
requesting $150,000 in Federal funds
(based on an award of $150,000 per
budget period) must provide a match of
at least $16,667 (10 percent of the total
approved project costs). Grantees will be
held accountable for commitments of
non-Federal resources even if over the
amount of the required match. Failure to
provide the amount will result in
disallowance of Federal dollars.
Cost-sharing will not be used as a
preference and/or evaluation criterion
in the review of applications.
3. Other
All applicants must have a Dun &
Bradstreet number. On June 27, 2003 the
Office of Management and Budget
published in the Federal Register a new
Federal policy applicable to all Federal
grant applicants. The policy requires
Federal grant applicants to provide a
Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number
when applying for Federal grants or
cooperative agreements on or after
October 1, 2003. The DUNS number will
be required whether an applicant is
submitting a paper application or using
the government-wide electronic portal
(https://www.Grants.gov). A DUNS
number will be required for every
application for a new award or renewal/
continuation of an award, including
applications or plans under formula,
entitlement and block grant programs,
submitted on or after October 1, 2003.
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Please ensure that your organization
has a DUNS number. You may acquire
a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS number
request line on 1–866–705–5711 or you
may request a number on-line at
https://www.dnb.com.
Non-profit organizations applying for
funding are required to submit proof of
their non-profit status.
Proof of non-profit status is any one
of the following:
• A reference to the applicant
organization’s listing in the Internal
Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list
of tax-exempt organizations described in
the IRS Code.
• A copy of a currently valid IRS tax
exemption certificate.
• A statement from a State taxing
body, State attorney general, or other
appropriate State official certifying that
the applicant organization has a nonprofit status and that none of the net
earning accrue to any private
shareholders or individuals.
• A certified copy of the
organization’s certificate of
incorporation or similar document that
clearly establishes non-profit status.
• Any of the items in the
subparagraphs immediately above for a
State or national parent organization
and a statement signed by the parent
organization that the applicant
organization is a local non-profit
affiliate.
When applying electronically we
strongly suggest you attach your proof of
non-profit status with your electronic
application.
Private, non-profit organizations are
encouraged to submit with their
applications the survey located under
‘‘Grant Related Documents and Forms,’’
‘‘Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant
Applicants,’’ titled, ‘‘Survey on
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants,’’ at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Disqualification Factors
Applications that exceed the ceiling
amount will be considered nonresponsive and will not be considered
for funding under this announcement.
Any application that fails to satisfy
the deadline requirements referenced in
Section IV.3 will be considered nonresponsive and will not be considered
for funding under this announcement.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address To Request Application
Package
ACYF Operations Center, c/o The Dixon
Group, Inc. ATTN: Children’s Bureau,
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118 Q St., NE., Washington, DC
20002–2132.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
Each application must contain the
following items in the order listed:
Application for Federal Assistance
(Standard Form 424). Follow the
instructions below and those that
accompany the form.
In Item 5 of Form 424, put DUNS
number in ‘‘Organizational DUNS:’’
box.
In Item 5 of Form 424, include name,
phone number, and, if available,
email and fax numbers of the contact
person.
In Item 8 of Form 424, check ‘New.’
In Item 10 of Form 424, clearly
identify the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) program title and
number for the program for which funds
are being requested as stated in this
funding opportunity announcement.
In Item 11 of Form 424, identify the
single funding opportunity the
application addresses.
In Item 12 of Form 424, identify the
specific geographic area to be served.
In Item 14 of Form 424, identify
Congressional districts of both the
applicant and project.
Budget Information Non-Construction
Programs (Form 424A) and Budget
Justification.
Follow the instructions provided here
and those in Section V. Application
Review Information. Note that Federal
funds provided to States and services or
other resources purchased with Federal
funds may not be used to match project
grants.
Certifications/Assurances. Applicants
requesting financial assistance for nonconstruction projects must file the
Standard Form 424B, ‘‘Assurances: NonConstruction Programs.’’ Applicants
must sign and return the Standard Form
424B with their applications.
Applicants must provide a certification
regarding lobbying when applying for
an award in excess of $100,000.
Applicants must sign and return the
certification with their applications.
Applicants must disclose lobbying
activities on the Standard Form LLL
when applying for an award in excess
of $100,000. Applicants who have used
non-Federal funds for lobbying
activities in connection with receiving
assistance under this announcement
shall complete a disclosure form to
report lobbying. Applicants must sign
and return the disclosure form, if
applicable, with their applications.
Applicants must make the appropriate
certification regarding environmental
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tobacco smoke. By signing and
submitting the application, the
applicant is providing the certification
and need not mail back the certification
with the applications.
If applicable, applicants must include
a completed SPOC certification (Single
Point of Contact) with the date of the
SPOC contact entered in line 16, page 1
of the Form 424.
In implementing their projects,
grantees are expected to comply with all
applicable administrative regulations
regarding extent or types of costs.
Applicable DHHS regulations can be
found in 45 CFR Part 74 or 92.
Project Abstract/Summary (one-page
maximum, double spaced). Clearly mark
this page with the applicant name as
shown on item 5 of the Form 424,
identify the competitive grant funding
opportunity and the title of the
proposed project as shown in item 11
and the service area as shown in item
12 of the Form 424. The summary
description should not exceed 300
words.
Care should be taken to produce an
abstract/summary that accurately and
concisely reflects the proposed project.
It should describe the objectives of the
project, the approach to be used and the
results or benefits expected.
Project Description for Evaluation.
Applicants should organize their project
description in this sequence: (1)
Objectives and Need for Assistance; (2)
Approach; (3) Organizational Profiles;
(4) Budget and Budget Justification.
Match. Provide a letter of
commitment verifying the actual
amount of the non-Federal share of
project costs (see Section III.2).
Indirect cost rate agreement. If
claiming indirect costs, provide
documentation that applicant currently
has an indirect cost rate approved by the
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) or another cognizant
Federal agency.
Letters of agreement and memoranda
of understanding. If applicable, include
a letter of commitment or Memorandum
of Understanding from each partner
and/or sub-contractor describing their
role, detailing specific tasks to be
performed, and expressing commitment
to participate if the proposed project is
funded.
General Content and Form Information
The application limit is 75 pages total
including all forms and attachments.
Pages over this page limit will be
removed from the application and will
not be reviewed.
The Children’s Bureau strongly
prefers that the entire application
(including all forms, assurances, and
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letters of commitment) be sent in one
package.
To be considered for funding, each
application must be submitted with the
Standard Federal Forms (provided at the
end of this announcement or through
the electronic links provided) and
following the guidance provided. The
application must be signed by an
individual authorized to act for the
applicant agency and to assume
responsibility for the obligations
imposed by the terms and conditions of
the grant award.
To be considered for funding, each
applicant must submit one signed
original and two additional copies of the
application, including all forms and
attachments, to the Application Receipt
Point specified in the section titled
Deadline at the beginning of the
announcement. The original copy of the
application must have original
signatures.
The application must be typed,
double spaced, printed on only one
side, with at least 1⁄2 inch margins on
each side and 1 inch at the top and
bottom, using standard 12 Point fonts
(such as Times New Roman or Courier).
Pages must be numbered.
All copies of an application must be
submitted in a single package, and a
separate package must be submitted for
each funding opportunity. The package
must be clearly labeled for the specific
funding opportunity that it is
addressing.
Because each application will be
duplicated, do not use or include
separate covers, binders, clips, tabs,
plastic inserts, maps, brochures, or any
other items that cannot be processed
easily on a photocopy machine with an
automatic feed. Do not bind, clip, staple,
or fasten in any way separate
subsections of the application,
including supporting documentation;
however, each complete copy must be
stapled securely in the upper left corner.
Applicants are advised that the copies
of the application submitted, not the
original, will be reproduced by the
Federal government for review.
Tips for Preparing a Competitive
Application. It is essential that
applicants read the entire
announcement package carefully before
preparing an application and include all
of the required application forms and
attachments. The application must
reflect a thorough understanding of the
purpose and objectives of the applicable
legislation. Reviewers expect applicants
to understand the goals of the legislation
and the Children’s Bureau’s interest in
each topic. A ‘‘responsive application’’
is one that addresses all of the
evaluation criteria in ways that
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demonstrate this understanding.
Applications that are considered to be
‘‘unresponsive’’ generally receive very
low scores and are rarely funded.
The Children’s Bureau’s Web site
(https://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb)
provides a wide range of information
and links to other relevant websites.
Before you begin preparing an
application, we suggest that you learn
more about the mission and programs of
the Children’s Bureau by exploring the
Web site.
Organizing Your Application. The
specific evaluation criteria in Section V
of this funding announcement will be
used to review and evaluate each
application. The applicant should
address each of these specific evaluation
criteria in the project description.
Applicants should organize their project
description in this sequence: (1)
Objectives and Need for Assistance; (2)
Approach; (3) Organizational Profiles;
(4) Budget and Budget Justification; and
should use the same headings as these
criteria, so that reviewers can readily
find information that directly addresses
each of the specific review criteria.
Project Evaluation Plan. Project
evaluations are very important. If you
do not have the in-house capacity to
conduct an objective, comprehensive
evaluation of the project, then the
Children’s Bureau advises that you
propose contracting with a third-party
evaluator specializing in social science
or evaluation, or a university or college,
to conduct the evaluation. A skilled
evaluator can assist you in designing a
data collection strategy that is
appropriate for the evaluation of your
proposed project. Additional assistance
may be found in a document titled
‘‘Program Manager’s Guide to
Evaluation.’’ A copy of this document
can be accessed at: https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/
other_resrch/pm_guide_eval/reports/
pmguide/pmguide_toc.html.
Logic Model. A logic model is a tool
that presents the conceptual framework
for a proposed project and explains the
linkages among program elements.
While there are many versions of the
logic model, they generally summarize
the logical connections among the needs
that are the focus of the project, project
goals and objectives, the target
population, project inputs (resources),
the proposed activities/processes/
outputs directed toward the target
population, the expected short- and
long-term outcomes the initiative is
designed to achieve, and the evaluation
plan for measuring the extent to which
proposed processes and outcomes
actually occur. Information on the
development of logic models is
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available on the Internet at: https://
www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/ or https://
www.extension.iastate.edu/cyfar/
capbuilding/outcome/
outcome_logicmdir.html.
Use of Human Subjects. If your
evaluation plan includes gathering data
from or about clients, there are specific
procedures that must be followed in
order to protect their privacy and ensure
the confidentiality of the information
about them. Applicants planning to
gather such data are asked to describe
their plans regarding an Institutional
Review Board (IRB) review. If
applicable, applicants must include a
completed Form 310, Protection of
Human Subjects. For more information
about use of human subjects and IRB’s
you can visit these Web sites: https://
www.hhs.gov/ohrp/irb/
irb_chapter2.htm#d2 and https://
www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/
guidance/ictips.htm
You may submit your application to
us in either electronic or paper format.
To submit an application electronically,
please use the https://www.Grants.gov/
Apply site. If you use Grants.gov, you
will be able to download a copy of the
application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit the
application via the Grants.gov site. ACF
will not accept grant applications via email or facsimile transmission.
Please note the following if you plan
to submit your application
electronically via Grants.gov
• Electronic submission is voluntary
but strongly encouraged.
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation. We strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the application
process through Grants.gov.
• We recommend you visit Grants.gov
at least 30 days prior to filing your
application to fully understand the
process and requirements. We
encourage applicants who submit
electronically to submit well before the
closing date and time so that if
difficulties are encountered an applicant
can still send in a hard copy overnight.
If you encounter difficulties, please
contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1–
800–518–4276 to report the problem
and obtain assistance with the system.
• To use Grants.gov, you, as the
applicant, must have a DUNS Number
and register in the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR). You should allow a
minimum of five days to complete the
CCR registration.
• You will not receive additional
point value because you submit a grant
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application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize you if you submit an
application in paper format.
• You may submit all documents
electronically, including all information
typically included on the SF 424 and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• Your application must comply with
any page limitation requirements
described in this program
announcement.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive an
automatic acknowledgement from
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number. The Administration
for Children and Families will retrieve
your application from Grants.gov.
• We may request that you provide
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
• You may access the electronic
application for this program on
www.Grants.gov
• You must search for the
downloadable application package by
the CFDA number.
Applicants that are submitting their
application in paper format should
submit an original and two copies of the
complete application. The original and
each of the two copies must include all
required forms, certifications,
assurances, and appendices, be signed
by an authorized representative, have
original signatures, and be submitted
unbound.
Private, non-profit organizations are
encouraged to submit with their
applications the survey located under
‘‘Grant Related Documents and Forms,’’
‘‘Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant
Applicants,’’ titled, ‘‘Survey on
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants,’’ at: www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Standard Forms and Certifications:
The project description should
include all the information
requirements described in the specific
evaluation criteria outlined in the
program announcement under Section V
Application Review Information. In
addition to the project description, the
applicant needs to complete all the
standard forms required for making
applications for awards under this
announcement.
Applicants seeking financial
assistance under this announcement
must file the Standard Form (SF) 424,
Application for Federal Assistance; SF–
424A, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs; SF–424B,
Assurances—Non-Construction
Programs. The forms may be reproduced
for use in submitting applications.
Applicants must sign and return the
standard forms with their application
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Applicants must furnish prior to
award an executed copy of the Standard
Form LLL, Certification Regarding
Lobbying, when applying for an award
in excess of $100,000. Applicants who
have used non-Federal funds for
lobbying activities in connection with
receiving assistance under this
announcement shall complete a
disclosure form, if applicable, with their
applications (approved by the Office of
Management and Budget under control
number 0348–0046). Applicants must
sign and return the certification with
their application
Applicants must also understand they
will be held accountable for the
smoking prohibition included within
P.L. 103–227, Title XII Environmental
Tobacco Smoke (also known as the
PRO–KIDS Act of 1994). A copy of the
Federal Register notice which
implements the smoking prohibition is
included with this form. By signing and
submitting the application, applicants
are providing the certification and need
not mail back the certification with the
application
Applicants must make the appropriate
certification of their compliance with all
Federal statutes relating to
nondiscrimination. By signing and
submitting the applications, applicants
are providing the certification and need
not mail back the certification form.
Complete the standard forms and the
associated certifications and assurances
based on the instructions on the forms.
The forms and certifications may be
found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/forms.htm
Applicants have the option of
omitting from the application copies
(not the original) specific salary rates or
amounts for individuals specified in the
application budget and Social Security
Numbers, if otherwise required for
individuals. The copies may include
summary salary information
Those organizations required to
provide proof of non-profit status,
please refer to Section III.3.
Please see Section V.1 for instructions
on preparing the full project
description.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Application is due August 5, 2005.
Explanation of Due Dates:
The closing time and date for receipt
of applications is referenced above.
Applications received after 4:30 p.m.
eastern time on the closing date will be
classified as late.
Deadline: Applications shall be
considered as meeting an announced
deadline if they are received on or
before the deadline time and date
referenced in Section IV.6. Applicants
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are responsible for ensuring
applications are mailed or submitted
electronically well in advance of the
application due date.
Applications hand carried by
applicants, applicant couriers, other
representatives of the applicant, or by
overnight/express mail couriers shall be
considered as meeting an announced
deadline if they are received on or
before the deadline date, between the
hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., eastern
time, at the address referenced in
Section IV.6., between Monday and
Friday (excluding Federal holidays).
ACF cannot accommodate
transmission of applications by
facsimile. Therefore, applications
transmitted to ACF by fax will not be
accepted regardless of date or time of
submission and time of receipt.
Late Applications: Applications that
do not meet the criteria above are
considered late applications. ACF shall
notify each late applicant that its
application will not be considered in
the current competition.
Any application received after 4:30
p.m. eastern time on the deadline date
will not be considered for competition.
Applicants using express/overnight
mail services should allow two working
days prior to the deadline date for
receipt of applications. Applicants are
cautioned that express/overnight mail
services do not always deliver as agreed.
Extension of deadlines: ACF may
extend application deadlines when
circumstances such as acts of God
(floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when
there are widespread disruptions of mail
service, or in other rare cases. A
determination to extend or waive
deadline requirements rests with the
Chief Grants Management Officer.
Receipt acknowledgement for
application packages will not be
provided to applicants who submit their
package via mail, courier services, or by
hand delivery. However, applicants will
receive an electronic acknowledgement
for applications that are submitted via
https://www.Grants.gov.
Checklist:
You may use the checklist below as a
guide when preparing your application
package.
What to submit
Required content
Required form or format
Project Abstract ........................................
Found in Sections IV.2 and V .................
By application due date.
Found in Sections IV.2 and V .................
By application due date.
Found in Sections IV.2 and V .................
By application due date.
SF424 .......................................................
See Sections IV.2 and
V.
See Sections IV.2 and
V.
See Sections IV.2 and
V.
See Section IV.2 .......
By application due date.
SF–LLL Certification Regarding Lobbying
See Section IV.2 .......
Certification Regarding Environmental
Tobacco Smoke.
Assurances ...............................................
SF424A ....................................................
See Section IV.2 .......
SF424B ....................................................
See Section IV.2 .......
Proof of Non-Profit Status ........................
Indirect Cost rate Agreement, if applicable.
Letters of commitment from partner organizations, if applicable.
Non-Federal Commitment Letter .............
See Section III.3 ........
See Section IV ..........
See
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
See
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
See
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
Found in Section IV ................................
See
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
See
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
Found in Section III.3 ..............................
Format described in IV ...........................
By date of award.
By application due date
See Section IV ..........
Format described in IV ...........................
By application due date.
See Section III.2 ........
See Section III.2 .....................................
By date of award.
Project Description ...................................
Budget Narrative/Justification ..................
See Section IV.2 .......
See Section IV.2 .......
Additional Forms:
Private, non-profit organizations are
encouraged to submit with their
applications the survey located under
‘‘Grant Related Documents and Forms,’’
‘‘Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant
Applicants,’’ titled, ‘‘Survey on
When to submit
Required content
Location
Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant Applicants.
See form ....................
May be found on https://www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
This program is covered under
Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,’’ and 45 CFR Part 100,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of
Department of Health and Human
Services Programs and Activities.’’
Under the Order, States may design
their own processes for reviewing and
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commenting on proposed Federal
assistance under covered programs.
As of October 1, 2004, the following
jurisdictions have elected to participate
in the Executive Order process:
Arkansas, California, Delaware, District
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico,
New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West
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By date of award.
By date of award.
By application due date.
By application due date.
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants,’’ at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
What to submit
4. Intergovernmental Review
By date of award.
When to submit
By application due date
Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa,
Guam, North Mariana Islands, Puerto
Rico, and Virgin Islands. As these
jurisdictions have elected to participate
in the Executive Order process, they
have established SPOCs. Applicants
from participating jurisdictions should
contact their SPOC, as soon as possible,
to alert them of prospective applications
and receive instructions. Applicants
must submit all required materials, if
any, to the SPOC and indicate the date
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of this submittal (or the date of contact
if no submittal is required) on the
Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45
CFR 100.8(a)(2).
A SPOC has 60 days from the
application deadline to comment on
proposed new or competing
continuation awards. SPOCs are
encouraged to eliminate the submission
of routine endorsements as official
recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs
are requested to clearly differentiate
between mere advisory comments and
those official State process
recommendations which may trigger the
‘‘accommodate or explain’’ rule.
When comments are submitted
directly to ACF, they should be
addressed to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Grants Management,
Division of Discretionary Grants, 370
L’Enfant Promenade SW., 4th floor,
Washington, DC 20447.
Although the remaining jurisdictions
have chosen not to participate in the
process, entities that meet the eligibility
requirements of the program are still
eligible to apply for a grant even if a
State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc.
does not have a SPOC. Therefore,
applicants from these jurisdictions, or
for projects administered by Federallyrecognized Indian Tribes, need take no
action in regard to E.O. 12372.
The official list, including addresses,
of the jurisdictions elected to participate
in E.O. 12372 can be found on the
following URL: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
spoc.html.
5. Funding Restrictions
Grant awards will not allow
reimbursement of pre-award costs.
Construction is not an allowable
activity or expenditure under this
solicitation.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Submission by Mail: An applicant
must provide an original application
with all attachments, signed by an
authorized representative and two
copies. Please see Section IV.3 for
explanation of due dates. Applications
should be mailed to: ACYF Operations
Center, c/o The Dixon Group, Inc., 118
Q St., NE., Washington, DC 20002–2132,
Attention: Children’s Bureau.
Hand Delivery: An applicant must
provide an original application with all
attachments signed by an authorized
representative and two copies. The
application must be received at the
address below by 4:30 p.m. eastern time
on or before the closing date.
Applications that are hand delivered
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will be accepted between the hours of
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. eastern time,
Monday through Friday. Applications
should be delivered to: ACYF
Operations Center, c/o The Dixon
Group, Inc., 118 Q St., NE., Washington,
DC 20002–2132, Attention: Children’s
Bureau.
Electronic Submission: Please see
Section IV.2 for guidelines and
requirements when submitting
applications electronically via https://
www.Grants.gov.
V. Application Review Information
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(Pub. L. 104–13)
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
averag 40 hours per response, including
the time for reviewing instructions,
gathering and maintaining the data
needed and reviewing the collection
information.
The project description is approved
under OMB control number 0970–0139
which expires April 30, 2007.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
1. Criteria
General Instructions
ACF is particularly interested in
specific project descriptions that focus
on outcomes and convey strategies for
achieving intended performance. Project
descriptions are evaluated on the basis
of substance and measurable outcomes,
not length. Extensive exhibits are not
required. Cross-referencing should be
used rather than repetition. Supporting
information concerning activities that
will not be directly funded by the grant
or information that does not directly
pertain to an integral part of the grant
funded activity should be placed in an
appendix. Pages should be numbered
and a table of contents should be
included for easy reference.
Introduction
Applicants required to submit a full
project description shall prepare the
project description statement in
accordance with the following
instructions while being aware of the
specified evaluation criteria. The text
options give a broad overview of what
your project description should include
while the evaluation criteria identifies
the measures that will be used to
evaluate applications.
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Project Summary/Abstract
Provide a summary of the project
description (a page or less) with
reference to the funding request.
Objectives and Need for Assistance
Clearly identify the physical,
economic, social, financial,
institutional, and/or other problem(s)
requiring a solution. The need for
assistance must be demonstrated and
the principal and subordinate objectives
of the project must be clearly stated;
supporting documentation, such as
letters of support and testimonials from
concerned interests other than the
applicant, may be included. Any
relevant data based on planning studies
should be included or referred to in the
endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate
demographic data and participant/
beneficiary information, as needed. In
developing the project description, the
applicant may volunteer or be requested
to provide information on the total
range of projects currently being
conducted and supported (or to be
initiated), some of which may be
outside the scope of the program
announcement.
Approach
Outline a plan of action that describes
the scope and detail of how the
proposed work will be accomplished.
Account for all functions or activities
identified in the application. Cite factors
that might accelerate or decelerate the
work and state your reason for taking
the proposed approach rather than
others. Describe any unusual features of
the project such as design or
technological innovations, reductions in
cost or time, or extraordinary social and
community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or
quarterly projections of the
accomplishments to be achieved for
each function or activity in such terms
as the number of people to be served
and the number of activities
accomplished.
When accomplishments cannot be
quantified by activity or function, list
them in chronological order to show the
schedule of accomplishments and their
target dates.
If any data is to be collected,
maintained, and/or disseminated,
clearance may be required from the U.S.
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). This clearance pertains to any
‘‘collection of information that is
conducted or sponsored by ACF.’’
List organizations, cooperating
entities, consultants, or other key
individuals who will work on the
project along with a short description of
the nature of their effort or contribution.
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Organizational Profiles
Provide information on the applicant
organization(s) and cooperating
partners, such as organizational charts,
financial statements, audit reports or
statements from CPAs/Licensed Public
Accountants, Employer Identification
Numbers, names of bond carriers,
contact persons and telephone numbers,
child care licenses and other
documentation of professional
accreditation, information on
compliance with Federal/State/local
government standards, documentation
of experience in the program area, and
other pertinent information. If the
applicant is a non-profit organization,
submit proof of non-profit status in its
application.
The non-profit agency can accomplish
this by providing: (a) A reference to the
applicant organization’s listing in the
Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most
recent list of tax-exempt organizations
described in the IRS Code; (b) a copy of
a currently valid IRS tax exemption
certificate, (c) a statement from a State
taxing body, State attorney general, or
other appropriate State official
certifying that the applicant
organization has a non-profit status and
that none of the net earnings accrue to
any private shareholders or individuals;
(d) a certified copy of the organization’s
certificate of incorporation or similar
document that clearly establishes nonprofit status, (e) any of the items
immediately above for a State or
national parent organization and a
statement signed by the parent
organization that the applicant
organization is a local non-profit
affiliate.
Budget and Budget Justification
Provide a budget with line item detail
and detailed calculations for each
budget object class identified on the
Budget Information form. Detailed
calculations must include estimation
methods, quantities, unit costs, and
other similar quantitative detail
sufficient for the calculation to be
duplicated. Also include a breakout by
the funding sources identified in Block
15 of the SF–424.
Provide a narrative budget
justification that describes how the
categorical costs are derived. Discuss
the necessity, reasonableness, and
allocability of the proposed costs.
General
Use the following guidelines for
preparing the budget and budget
justification. Both Federal and nonFederal resources shall be detailed and
justified in the budget and narrative
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justification. ‘‘Federal resources’’ refers
only to the ACF grant for which you are
applying.
‘‘Non Federal resources’’ are all other
Federal and non-Federal resources. It is
suggested that budget amounts and
computations be presented in a
columnar format: first column, object
class categories; second column, Federal
budget; next column(s), non-Federal
budget(s), and last column, total budget.
The budget justification should be a
narrative.
Personnel
Description: Costs of employee
salaries and wages.
Justification: Identify the project
director or principal investigator, if
known. For each staff person, provide
the title, time commitment to the project
(in months), time commitment to the
project (as a percentage or full-time
equivalent), annual salary, grant salary,
wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs
of consultants or personnel costs of
delegate agencies or of specific
project(s) or businesses to be financed
by the applicant.
Fringe Benefits
Description: Costs of employee fringe
benefits unless treated as part of an
approved indirect cost rate.
Justification: Provide a breakdown of
the amounts and percentages that
comprise fringe benefit costs such as
health insurance, FICA, retirement
insurance, taxes, etc.
Travel
Description: Costs of project-related
travel by employees of the applicant
organization (does not include costs of
consultant travel).
Justification: For each trip, show the
total number of traveler(s), travel
destination, duration of trip, per diem,
mileage allowances, if privately owned
vehicles will be used, and other
transportation costs and subsistence
allowances. Travel costs for key staff to
attend ACF-sponsored workshops
should be detailed in the budget.
Equipment
Description: ‘‘Equipment’’ means an
article of nonexpendable, tangible
personal property having a useful life of
more than one year and an acquisition
cost which equals or exceeds the lesser
of (a) the capitalization level established
by the organization for the financial
statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note:
Acquisition cost means the net invoice
unit price of an item of equipment,
including the cost of any modifications,
attachments, accessories, or auxiliary
apparatus necessary to make it usable
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for the purpose for which it is acquired.
Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty,
protective in-transit insurance, freight,
and installation shall be included in or
excluded from acquisition cost in
accordance with the organization’s
regular written accounting practices.)
Justification: For each type of
equipment requested, provide a
description of the equipment, the cost
per unit, the number of units, the total
cost, and a plan for use on the project,
as well as use or disposal of the
equipment after the project ends. An
applicant organization that uses its own
definition for equipment should provide
a copy of its policy or section of its
policy which includes the equipment
definition.
Supplies
Description: Costs of all tangible
personal property other than that
included under the Equipment category.
Justification: Specify general
categories of supplies and their costs.
Show computations and provide other
information which supports the amount
requested.
Contractual
Description: Costs of all contracts for
services and goods except for those that
belong under other categories such as
equipment, supplies, construction, etc.
Include third party evaluation contracts
(if applicable) and contracts with
secondary recipient organizations,
including delegate agencies and specific
project(s) or businesses to be financed
by the applicant.
Justification: Demonstrate that all
procurement transactions will be
conducted in a manner to provide, to
the maximum extent practical, open and
free competition. Recipients and
subrecipients, other than States that are
required to use Part 92 procedures, must
justify any anticipated procurement
action that is expected to be awarded
without competition and exceed the
simplified acquisition threshold fixed at
41 U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at
$100,000).
Recipients might be required to make
available to ACF pre-award review and
procurement documents, such as
request for proposals or invitations for
bids, independent cost estimates, etc.
Note: Whenever the applicant intends to
delegate part of the project to another agency,
the applicant must provide a detailed budget
and budget narrative for each delegate
agency, by agency title, along with the
required supporting information referred to
in these instructions.
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Other
Enter the total of all other costs. Such
costs, where applicable and appropriate,
may include but are not limited to
insurance, food, medical and dental
costs (noncontractual), professional
services costs, space and equipment
rentals, printing and publication,
computer use, training costs, such as
tuition and stipends, staff development
costs, and administrative costs.
Justification: Provide computations, a
narrative description and a justification
for each cost under this category.
Indirect Charges
Description: Total amount of indirect
costs. This category should be used only
when the applicant currently has an
indirect cost rate approved by the
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) or another cognizant
Federal agency.
Justification: An applicant that will
charge indirect costs to the grant must
enclose a copy of the current rate
agreement. If the applicant organization
is in the process of initially developing
or renegotiating a rate, upon notification
that an award will be made, it should
immediately develop a tentative indirect
cost rate proposal based on its most
recently completed fiscal year, in
accordance with the cognizant agency’s
guidelines for establishing indirect cost
rates, and submit it to the cognizant
agency. Applicants awaiting approval of
their indirect cost proposals may also
request indirect costs. When an indirect
cost rate is requested, those costs
included in the indirect cost pool
should not also be charged as direct
costs to the grant. Also, if the applicant
is requesting a rate which is less than
what is allowed under the program, the
authorized representative of the
applicant organization must submit a
signed acknowledgement that the
applicant is accepting a lower rate than
allowed.
Non-Federal Resources
Description: Amounts of non-Federal
resources that will be used to support
the project as identified in Block 15 of
the SF–424.
Justification: The firm commitment of
these resources must be documented
and submitted with the application so
the applicant is given credit in the
review process. A detailed budget must
be prepared for each funding source.
Evaluation Criteria:
The following evaluation criteria
appear in weighted descending order.
The corresponding score values indicate
the relative importance that ACF places
on each evaluation criterion; however,
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applicants need not develop their
applications precisely according to the
order presented. Application
components may be organized such that
a reviewer will be able to follow a
seamless and logical flow of information
(e.g. from a broad overview of the
project to more detailed information
about how it will be conducted).
In considering how applicants will
carry out the responsibilities addressed
under this announcement, competing
applications for financial assistance will
be reviewed and evaluated against the
following criteria:
Approach (50 points)
In reviewing the approach, the
following factors will be considered: (50
points)
(1) The extent to which there is a
sound timeline for effectively
implementing the proposed project,
including major milestones and target
dates. The extent to which the proposed
project would develop an appropriate
implementation plan during the first
year of the project, complete the
implementation of the new model or the
replication of the existing model or
selected components in a timely manner
and conduct a thorough evaluation of its
effectiveness within the next two years
of the project time frame.
(2) The extent to which the proposed
project would enhance the capacity of
state and local child welfare agencies to
develop and implement effective
policies and procedures for identifying
and coordinating timely services to
substance exposed newborns and their
families and through dissemination of
findings from the projects, transfer
knowledge into practice. The extent to
which specific measurable outcomes
will occur as a result of the proposed
development or replication of model
policies and procedures and promising
practices. The extent to which there will
be a strong relationship between the
proposed model development or
replication projects and improved
outcomes for substance exposed
newborns and their families.
(3) The extent to which there will be
an effective administrative and
organizational interface between the
applicant and the appropriate State
child welfare agencies, substance abuse
treatment agencies, health care
providers, and other community
agencies. The extent to which there are
appropriate letters of commitment from
these partner organizations.
(4) The extent to which the
application demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the challenges and
complexities of replicating a model that
establishes policies and procedures for
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the identification, referral and service
provision to substance exposed
newborns and their families. The extent
to which the application demonstrates a
thorough understanding of the
challenges that the proposed project
will have in planning, implementing
and evaluating the project and in
maintaining fidelity to the original
program or practice being replicated.
The extent to which the applicant
provides a sound plan explaining how
the project would successfully
overcome these challenges.
(5) The extent to which the proposed
project will be capable of serving
diverse populations.
(6) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project reflects up-to-date
knowledge from child welfare, child
abuse and neglect and substance abuse
research and literature. The extent to
which the proposed model development
or replication project is innovative and
involves strategies that build on, or are
an alternative to, existing strategies.
(7) The extent to which the project’s
evaluation plan would measure
achievement of project objectives,
customer satisfaction, acquisition of
competencies, effectiveness of program
services and project strategies, the
efficiency of the implementation
process, and the impact of the project.
The extent to which the methods of
evaluation would provide performance
feedback, support periodic assessment
of program progress and provide a
sound basis for program adjustments.
The extent to which the proposed
evaluation plan would be likely to yield
useful findings or results about effective
strategies, and contribute to and
promote evaluation research and
evidence-based practices that could be
used to guide model development or
replication or testing in other settings.
The extent to which applicants who do
not have the in-house capacity to
conduct an objective, comprehensive
evaluation of the project present a
sound plan for contracting with a thirdparty evaluator specializing in social
science or evaluation, or a university or
college to conduct the evaluation.
(8) The extent to which there is a
sound plan for documenting project
activities and results, including the
development of a data collection
infrastructure that is sufficient to
support a methodologically sound and
rigorous evaluation. The extent to which
relevant data would be collected. The
extent to which there is a sound plan for
collecting these data, securing informed
consent and implementing an
Institutional Review Board (IRB) review,
if applicable.
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(9) The extent to which there is a
sound plan for developing useful
products during the proposed project
and a reasonable schedule for
developing these products. The extent
to which the intended audience (e.g.,
State and local officials, researchers,
policymakers, and practitioners) for
product dissemination is
comprehensive and appropriate. The
extent to which the dissemination plan
includes appropriate mechanisms and
forums that would effectively convey
the information and support successful
model development or replication by
other interested agencies.
(10) The extent to which there is a
sound plan for continuing this project
beyond the period of Federal funding.
Organizational Profiles (20 points)
In reviewing the organizational
profiles, the following factors will be
considered: (20 points)
(1) The extent to which the
application evidences sufficient
experience and expertise in replicating
and implementing model policies and
procedures or approaches, especially in
the area of service delivery to substance
exposed newborns and their families; in
supporting collaboration among the
child welfare, substance abuse
treatment, and health care communities,
and other relevant community agencies;
in culturally competent service delivery;
and in administration, development,
implementation, management, and
evaluation of similar projects. The
extent to which each participating
organization (including partners and/or
subcontractors) possesses the
organizational capability to fulfill its
assigned roles and functions effectively
(if the application involves partnering
and/or subcontracting with other
agencies/organizations) in serving
families involved with both the child
welfare and substance abuse treatment
communities.
(2) The extent to which the proposed
project director and key project staff
possess sufficient relevant knowledge,
experience and capabilities to
implement and manage a project of this
size, scope and complexity effectively
´
´
(e.g., resumes). The extent to which the
role, responsibilities and time
commitments of each proposed project
staff position, including consultants,
subcontractors and/or partners, are
clearly defined and appropriate to the
successful implementation of the
proposed project with respect to serving
families with children prenatally
exposed to illegal drugs.
(3) The extent to which there is a
sound management plan for achieving
the objectives of the proposed project on
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time and within budget, including
clearly defined responsibilities, for
accomplishing project tasks and
ensuring quality. The extent to which
the plan clearly describes the effective
management and coordination of
activities carried out by any partners,
subcontractors and consultants (if
applicable). The extent to which there
would be a mutually beneficial
relationship between the proposed
project and other work planned,
anticipated or underway with Federal
assistance by the applicant.
Objectives and Need for Assistance (20
points)
In reviewing the objectives and need
for assistance, the following factors will
be considered: (20 points)
(1) The extent to which the
application demonstrates an
understanding of the requirements of
the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act (CAPTA), especially the
requirements related to development of
effective policies and procedures to
identify and coordinate services to
substance exposed newborns. The
extent to which the applicant
demonstrates an understanding of
relevant program and service issues
addressed in the Child and Family
Services Reviews (CFSRs) regarding
child safety and well-being. The extent
to which the applicant demonstrates a
clear understanding of the role of the
State and local child protective service
agencies and their responsibility under
CAPTA, for receiving notification of
substance exposed births and for
coordinating with other community
agencies, particularly health and
substance abuse treatment agencies, to
ensure the safety and well-being of
children and families.
(2) The extent to which the
application demonstrates a thorough
understanding of child abuse and
neglect, child welfare and substance
abuse treatment issues and services
needed, as well as the need for policies
and procedures and approaches to
identify and serve families with
children who have been born prenatally
exposed to illegal drugs.
(3) The extent to which the
application presents a review of the
relevant literature that reflects a clear
understanding of the research on best
practices and promising approaches as
it relates to the proposed project. The
extent to which the review of the
literature sets a sound context and
rationale for the project. The extent to
which it provides evidence that the
proposed project is innovative and, if
successfully implemented and
evaluated, likely to contribute to the
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32793
knowledge base on effective policies
and procedures regarding the
identification and provision of services
to substance exposed newborns and
their families and enhancing
collaboration among the child welfare,
substance abuse, and health care
communities.
(4) The extent to which the
application presents a clear vision for
the proposed model development or
replication project to be planned,
implemented, and evaluated. The extent
to which the applicant makes a clear
statement of the goals (end products of
an effective project) and objectives
(measurable steps for reaching these
goals) of the proposed project. The
extent to which these goals and
objectives closely relate to the service
needs of prenatally exposed newborns
and the ability of agencies to replicate
the critical components of successful
service delivery policies and
procedures.
(5) The extent to which the lessons
learned through the proposed project
would benefit state and local agencies in
their efforts to develop an effective
model of interagency collaboration in
the identification, referral and service
planning and provision for substance
exposed newborns and their families.
(6) The extent to which the proposed
project would develop a strong
partnership among the child welfare,
substance abuse treatment, and health
care communities and other relevant
community agencies to further the goal
of improving the appropriate
identification of, and service delivery to,
substance exposed newborns and their
families.
Budget and Budget Justification (10
points)
In reviewing the budget and budget
justification, the following factors will
be considered: (10 points)
(1) The extent to which the costs of
the proposed project are reasonable and
appropriate, in view of the activities to
be conducted and expected results and
benefits.
(2) The extent to which the
applicant’s fiscal controls and
accounting procedures would ensure
prudent use, proper and timely
disbursement and accurate accounting
of funds received under this program
announcement.
2. Review and Selection Process
No grant award will be made under
this announcement on the basis of an
incomplete application.
Since ACF will be using non-Federal
reviewers in the review process,
applicants have the option of omitting
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from the application copies (not the
original) of specific salary rates or
amounts for individuals specified in the
application budget.
A panel of at least three reviewers
(primarily experts from outside the
Federal government) will use the
evaluation criteria described in this
announcement to evaluate each
application. The reviewers will
determine the strengths and weaknesses
of each application, provide comments
about the strengths and weaknesses and
give each application a numerical score.
The results of the competitive review
are a primary factor in making funding
decisions. In addition, Federal staff
conducts administrative reviews of the
applications and, in light of the results
of the competitive review, will
recommend applications for funding to
the ACYF Commissioner. ACYF
reserves the option of discussing
applications with other funding sources
when this is in the best interest of the
Federal government. ACYF may also
solicit and consider comments from
ACF Regional Office staff in making
funding decisions. ACYF may take into
consideration the involvement
(financial and/or programmatic) of the
private sector, national, or State or
community foundations; a favorable
balance between Federal and nonFederal funds for the proposed project;
or the potential for high benefit from
low Federal investment. ACYF may
elect not to fund any applicants having
known management, fiscal, reporting,
programmatic, or other problems which
make it unlikely that they would be able
to provide effective services or
effectively complete the proposed
activity.
With the results of the peer review
and the information from Federal staff,
the Commissioner of ACYF makes the
final funding decisions. The
Commissioner may give special
consideration to applications proposing
services of special interest to the
Government and to achieve geographic
distributions of grant awards.
Applications of special interest may
include, but are not limited to,
applications focusing on underserved or
inadequately served clients or service
areas and programs addressing diverse
ethnic populations.
Approved but Unfunded Applications
Applications that are approved but
unfunded may be held over for funding
in the next funding cycle, pending the
availability of funds, for a period not to
exceed one year.
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3. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates
Applications will be reviewed during
the Summer 2005. Grant awards will
have a start date no later than
September 30, 2005.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
The successful applicants will be
notified through the issuance of a
Financial Assistance Award document
which sets forth the amount of funds
granted, the terms and conditions of the
grant, the effective date of the grant, the
budget period for which initial support
will be given, the non-Federal share to
be provided, and the total project period
for which support is contemplated. The
Financial Assistance Award will be
signed by the Grants Officer and
transmitted via postal mail.
Organizations whose applications will
not be funded will be notified in
writing.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Grantees are subject to the
requirements in 45 CFR Part 74 (nongovernmental) or 45 CFR Part 92
(governmental)
Direct federal grants, sub-award
funds, or contracts under this program
shall not be used to support inherently
religious activities such as religious
instruction, worship, or proselytization.
Therefore, organizations must take steps
to separate, in time or location, their
inherently religious activities from the
services funded under this program.
Regulations pertaining to the
prohibition of Federal funds for
inherently religious activities can be
found on the HHS Web site at https://
www.os.dhhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf.
3. Reporting Requirements
Program Progress Reports: SemiAnnually.
Financial Reports: Semi-Annually.
Grantees will be required to submit
program progress and financial reports
(SF 269) throughout the project period.
Program progress and financial reports
are due 30 days after the reporting
period. In addition, final programmatic
and financial reports are due 90 days
after the close of the project period.
VII. Agency Contacts
Program Office Contact: Irene Bocella,
Children’s Bureau, 330 C Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20447, phone: 202–
205–1723, e-mail: ibocella@acf.hhs.gov.
Grants Management Office Contact:
Peter Thompson, Grants Officer,
Administration for Children and
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Families, Children’s Bureau, 330 C
Street, SW. Room 2070, Washington, DC
20447, phone: 202–401–4608, e-mail:
pathompson@acf.hhs.gov.
VIII. Other Information
Additional information about this
program and its purpose can be located
on the following Web site: https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/.
For general information regarding this
announcement please contact: ACYF
Operations Center, c/o The Dixon
Group, Inc. ATTN: Children’s Bureau,
118 Q St., NE., Washington, DC 20002–
2132, telephone: 866–796–1591.
Notice: Beginning with FY 2005, the
Administration for Children and
Families (ACF) will no longer publish
grant announcements in the Federal
Register. Beginning October 1, 2005,
applicants will be able to find a
synopsis of all ACF grant opportunities
and apply electronically for
opportunities via: https://
www.Grants.gov. Applicants will also be
able to find the complete text of
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/
index.html.
Please reference Section IV.3 for
details about acknowledgement of
received applications.
Dated: May 25, 2005.
Susan Orr,
Acting Commissioner, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 05–11196 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Office of Community Services;
Community Food and Nutrition
Program
Funding Opportunity Title:
Community Food and Nutrition
Program.
Announcement Type: Initial.
Funding Opportunity Number: HHS–
2005–ACF–OCS–EN–0018.
CFDA Number: 93.571.
Due Date for Applications:
Application is due July 21, 2005.
Executive Summary:
Authority: The Community Services
Block Grant Act (the Act), as amended,
authorizes the Secretary of Health and
Human Services to make funds available
under several programs to support
program activities that will result in
direct benefits targeted to low-income
people. This program announcement
covers the grant authority found at
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 107 (Monday, June 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32783-32794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11196]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau
Funding Opportunity Title: Model Development or Replication to
Implement the CAPTA Requirement to Identify and Serve Substance Exposed
Newborns.
Announcement Type: Initial.
Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2005-ACF-ACYF-CB-0050.
CFDA Number: 93.551.
Due Date for Applications: Application is due August 5, 2005.
[[Page 32784]]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this funding opportunity is to
provide financial support to develop or replicate and test a model of
policies and procedures that implement the new provisions of the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) regarding substance exposed
newborns. Applicants may choose to develop new models, replicate
existing models or replicate key components of existing models of
policies and procedures for identifying and serving families with
children prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, and to test the
effectiveness of the model in other settings. The projects funded under
this priority area will incorporate features and components that hold
promise for contributing to an expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and providing services to these
children and their families.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Model Development or Replication to Implement the CAPTA Requirement
to Identify and Serve Substance Exposed Newborns.
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide financial
support to develop or replicate and test a model of policies and
procedures that implement the new provisions of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) regarding substance exposed
newborns. Applicants may choose to develop new models, replicate
existing models or replicate key components of existing models of
policies and procedures for identifying and serving families with
children prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, and to test the
effectiveness of the model in other settings. The projects funded under
this priority area will incorporate features and components that hold
promise for contributing to an expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and providing services to these
children and their families.
Priority Area:
Model Development or Replication To Implement the CAPTA Requirement To
Identify and Serve Substance Exposed Newborns
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide financial
support to develop or replicate and test a model of policies and
procedures that implement the new provisions of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) regarding substance exposed
newborns. Applicants may choose to develop new models, replicate
existing models or replicate key components of existing models of
policies and procedures for identifying and serving families with
children prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, and to test the
effectiveness of the model in other settings. The projects funded under
this priority area will incorporate features and components that hold
promise for contributing to an expansion of the knowledge base about
the development of effective policies and procedures for states and
communities to use in identifying and providing services to these
children and their families.
Background Information: State and local child welfare agencies,
hospitals and other health care facilities, substance abuse treatment
and other community-based agencies have been serving families with
children prenatally exposed to illegal drugs for many years. In
addition, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA),
recently reauthorized under the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
of 2003, established new legislative responsibilities regarding
prenatally exposed infants.
Under the new CAPTA requirement, States must have in place:
``(ii) Policies and procedures (including appropriate referrals to
child protection service systems and for other appropriate services) to
address the needs of infants born and identified as being affected by
illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal
drug exposure, including a requirement that health care providers
involved in the delivery or care of such infants notify the child
protective services system of the occurrence of such condition in such
infants, except that such notification shall not be construed to:
(I) Establish a definition under Federal law of what constitutes
child abuse; or
(II) Require prosecution for any illegal action;
(iii) The development of a plan of safe care for the infant born
and identified as being affected by illegal substance abuse or
withdrawal symptoms (106(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I) and (II) and
(b)(2)(A)(iii))''.
Although there is a considerable body of knowledge regarding the
impact of illegal drug use by pregnant women on their newborn children
and a growing body of research on the benefits of early identification
and appropriate service provision for children prenatally exposed to
illegal drugs, information about successful policies and procedures for
identifying and serving this population has only recently become
available. Currently, both the National Center on Substance Abuse and
Child Welfare and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center are
undertaking efforts to identify State policies, practices, programs and
related challenges in implementing the new CAPTA requirements.
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, a joint
project of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA/CSAT) and
the Administration for Children and Families' Children's Bureau (ACF/
CB), is conducting a task to collect information on State policies and
practices and exemplary programs for working with families identified
with substance exposed newborns. In addition, the Abandoned Infants
Assistance Resource Center, is conducting a complementary project to
examine policies and practices, identify promising practices and
examine the impact of the new CAPTA legislation. (For information on
the work of these two organizations, go to https://
www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/ and https://aia.berkeley.edu/.) It is anticipated
that both studies will identify examples of strong approaches,
promising practices, and model policies and procedures that could be
considered for replication under this grant program. However, other
models may be developed or selected for replication.
Applications for grants under this priority area must explain why a
new model is being developed, or, if a replication, why that model was
chosen. The model and its key components must be described in detail.
Applicants must propose to develop or replicate a policy and procedural
model that is useful, effective, and positive in its approach to
identifying these newborns and working with other relevant systems in
establishing a safe care plan for children.
Need/Rationale: CAPTA was reauthorized in June 2003 as part of the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003. A number of new
requirements were added for State Child Protective Services (CPS)
agencies including the requirement that States have policies and
procedures in place for the referral to CPS of substance exposed
newborns and the development of a plan of safe care for these children.
This new requirement is especially significant, given that it has been
estimated that more than 50% of child welfare cases have parental
substance abuse as a contributing factor. In recent years,
[[Page 32785]]
some States have implemented procedures to deal with substance exposed
newborns. In some States, the identification of a substance exposed
newborn has required an automatic referral to CPS, while in other
States, women giving birth to substance exposed newborns may have been
subject to prosecution. Responses to the complex problems of substance
exposed newborns have varied greatly from State to State from a minimal
response to a punitive response. A comprehensive approach to addressing
these issues should include developing appropriate mechanisms to
identify the substance exposed newborns, ensuring the safety of the
child, engaging parents in treatment, and fostering collaboration among
child welfare, substance abuse, health care and other relevant
community supports.
It is anticipated that the projects funded under this priority area
will contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the development of
effective State and local policies and procedures that ensure: (1)
Appropriate and productive collaborations among child welfare,
substance abuse and the health care communities, and other relevant
community agencies, and (2) identification, early assessment and
intervention for children and families. Models to be developed or
replicated should be consistent with the new CAPTA requirements that
call for policies and procedures that ensure notification of child
protective services and the establishment of a plan of safe care to
address the needs of infants born and identified as being affected by
illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from pre-natal
drug exposure. Model policies and procedures should also provide
parents and other caregivers with treatment interventions and case
management that ensure proper infant care. Special attention should be
given to the development of effective policies and procedures to
improve the ability of States to meet the Child and Family Services
Reviews (CFSR) safety and well-being indicators and outcomes related to
child maltreatment. The legislation requires that health care personnel
notify CPS in the event of a substance exposed birth. Therefore,
special attention should also be given to effective collaboration among
multiple child serving agencies and organizations.
A unique feature of this priority area is that the first year of
these projects is to be used for planning and developing the
collaborative relationship among relevant agencies and programs. The
projects are to be implemented and evaluated and findings are to be
disseminated during the second and third years. The final report at the
end of the third year must include a written product describing the
model, the policies, and the evaluation of the project. At the end of
the third year, there is potential for an additional two years of
funding for the purposes of further dissemination and implementation of
the project in other jurisdictions.
As a part of their proposal, applicants are required to describe
their strategy for a 12-month planning phase for the development of the
model or the replication of the existing model or the selected
components, and their strategy for a 24-month implementation and
evaluation phase. Applicants are not expected to describe their
strategy for possible years four and five of funding for dissemination
and implementation.
Legislative Authority
The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (Section 430, Title
IV-B, subpart 2, of the Social Security Act) (42 U.S.C. 629a).
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Section 105(b)(5) (42
U.S.C. 5106).
Public Law 100-505, the Abandoned Infants Act of 1988 as amended by
the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-36).
Projects funded under this announcement will be expected to:
1. Have the project fully functioning within 90 days following the
notification of the grant award.
2. Participate if the Children's Bureau chooses to do a national
evaluation or a technical assistance contract that relates to this
funding announcement.
3. Submit all performance indicator data, program and financial
reports in a timely manner, in recommended format (to be provided), and
submit the final report on disk or electronically using a standard
word-processing program.
4. Submit a copy of the final report, the evaluation report, and
any program products to the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and
Neglect Information, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20447, within 90
days of project end date. This is in addition to the standard
requirement that the final program and evaluation report must also be
submitted to the Grants Management Specialist and the Federal Project
Officer.
5. Allocate sufficient funds in the budget to:
(a) Provide for the project director, the evaluator and other key
partners to attend an annual 3-day grantees' meeting in Washington, DC.
(b) Provide for the project director, the evaluator and other key
partners to attend an early kickoff meeting for grantees funded under
this priority area to be held within the first three months of the
project (first year only) in Washington, DC; and
(c) Provide for 10-15 percent of the proposed budget to project
evaluation.
II. Award Information
Funding Instrument Type: Grant.
Anticipated Total Priority Area Funding: $600,000.
Anticipated Number of Awards: 0 to 4.
Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: $250,000 per budget period.
Average Projected Award Amount: $150,000.
Length of Project Periods: 60-month project with five 12-month
budget periods; Other.
Explanation of Other: In the FIRST budget period, the maximum
Federal share of each project is not to exceed $150,000. In each
SUBSEQUENT budget period, the maximum Federal share of each project is
not to exceed $250,000. The projects awarded will be for a project
period of 60 months. The initial grant award will be for a 12-month
budget period. The award of continuation beyond each 12-month budget
period will be subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory
progress on the part of the grantee, and a determination that continued
funding would be in the best interest of the government.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
State governments,
County governments,
City or township governments,
Special district governments,
State controlled institutions of higher education,
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized),
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally
recognized
tribal governments),
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than
institutions of higher education,
Private institutions of higher education,
For-profit organization other than small businesses,
Small businesses.
Additional Information on Eligibility:
If the applicant is not the State/county child welfare/CPS agency,
they should demonstrate a strong existing collaboration with the State/
county child welfare/CPS agency that has the
[[Page 32786]]
authority/responsibility for developing and implementing the relevant
policies, procedures and plans.
Non-profit and for-profit applicants should be hospitals serving
the target population.
Applications should demonstrate strong collaboration between the
relevant child welfare/CPS, substance abuse and health care
organizations.
Collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts are acceptable, but
applications should identify a primary applicant responsible for
administering the grant.
Fatherhood organizations that are otherwise eligible to apply are
eligible to apply.
2. Cost Sharing/Matching
Yes.
Matching/Cost-Sharing
Grantees must provide at least 10 percent of the total approved
cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum
of the ACF share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may
be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are
encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions.
Therefore, a project requesting $150,000 in Federal funds (based on an
award of $150,000 per budget period) must provide a match of at least
$16,667 (10 percent of the total approved project costs). Grantees will
be held accountable for commitments of non-Federal resources even if
over the amount of the required match. Failure to provide the amount
will result in disallowance of Federal dollars.
Cost-sharing will not be used as a preference and/or evaluation
criterion in the review of applications.
3. Other
All applicants must have a Dun & Bradstreet number. On June 27,
2003 the Office of Management and Budget published in the Federal
Register a new Federal policy applicable to all Federal grant
applicants. The policy requires Federal grant applicants to provide a
Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when
applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after
October 1, 2003. The DUNS number will be required whether an applicant
is submitting a paper application or using the government-wide
electronic portal (https://www.Grants.gov). A DUNS number will be
required for every application for a new award or renewal/continuation
of an award, including applications or plans under formula, entitlement
and block grant programs, submitted on or after October 1, 2003.
Please ensure that your organization has a DUNS number. You may
acquire a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free
DUNS number request line on 1-866-705-5711 or you may request a number
on-line at https://www.dnb.com.
Non-profit organizations applying for funding are required to
submit proof of their non-profit status.
Proof of non-profit status is any one of the following:
A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the
Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt
organizations described in the IRS Code.
A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.
A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney
general, or other appropriate State official certifying that the
applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the net
earning accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.
A certified copy of the organization's certificate of
incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit
status.
Any of the items in the subparagraphs immediately above
for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by
the parent organization that the applicant organization is a local non-
profit affiliate.
When applying electronically we strongly suggest you attach your
proof of non-profit status with your electronic application.
Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with
their applications the survey located under ``Grant Related Documents
and Forms,'' ``Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant Applicants,''
titled, ``Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants,'' at:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Disqualification Factors
Applications that exceed the ceiling amount will be considered non-
responsive and will not be considered for funding under this
announcement.
Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements
referenced in Section IV.3 will be considered non-responsive and will
not be considered for funding under this announcement.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
ACYF Operations Center, c/o The Dixon Group, Inc. ATTN: Children's
Bureau, 118 Q St., NE., Washington, DC 20002-2132.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Each application must contain the following items in the order
listed:
Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424). Follow the
instructions below and those that accompany the form.
In Item 5 of Form 424, put DUNS number in ``Organizational DUNS:'' box.
In Item 5 of Form 424, include name, phone number, and, if available,
email and fax numbers of the contact person.
In Item 8 of Form 424, check `New.'
In Item 10 of Form 424, clearly identify the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program title and number for the program for
which funds are being requested as stated in this funding opportunity
announcement.
In Item 11 of Form 424, identify the single funding opportunity the
application addresses.
In Item 12 of Form 424, identify the specific geographic area to be
served.
In Item 14 of Form 424, identify Congressional districts of both the
applicant and project.
Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (Form 424A) and Budget
Justification.
Follow the instructions provided here and those in Section V.
Application Review Information. Note that Federal funds provided to
States and services or other resources purchased with Federal funds may
not be used to match project grants.
Certifications/Assurances. Applicants requesting financial
assistance for non-construction projects must file the Standard Form
424B, ``Assurances: Non-Construction Programs.'' Applicants must sign
and return the Standard Form 424B with their applications. Applicants
must provide a certification regarding lobbying when applying for an
award in excess of $100,000. Applicants must sign and return the
certification with their applications.
Applicants must disclose lobbying activities on the Standard Form
LLL when applying for an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants who
have used non-Federal funds for lobbying activities in connection with
receiving assistance under this announcement shall complete a
disclosure form to report lobbying. Applicants must sign and return the
disclosure form, if applicable, with their applications.
Applicants must make the appropriate certification regarding
environmental
[[Page 32787]]
tobacco smoke. By signing and submitting the application, the applicant
is providing the certification and need not mail back the certification
with the applications.
If applicable, applicants must include a completed SPOC
certification (Single Point of Contact) with the date of the SPOC
contact entered in line 16, page 1 of the Form 424.
In implementing their projects, grantees are expected to comply
with all applicable administrative regulations regarding extent or
types of costs. Applicable DHHS regulations can be found in 45 CFR Part
74 or 92.
Project Abstract/Summary (one-page maximum, double spaced). Clearly
mark this page with the applicant name as shown on item 5 of the Form
424, identify the competitive grant funding opportunity and the title
of the proposed project as shown in item 11 and the service area as
shown in item 12 of the Form 424. The summary description should not
exceed 300 words.
Care should be taken to produce an abstract/summary that accurately
and concisely reflects the proposed project. It should describe the
objectives of the project, the approach to be used and the results or
benefits expected.
Project Description for Evaluation. Applicants should organize
their project description in this sequence: (1) Objectives and Need for
Assistance; (2) Approach; (3) Organizational Profiles; (4) Budget and
Budget Justification.
Match. Provide a letter of commitment verifying the actual amount
of the non-Federal share of project costs (see Section III.2).
Indirect cost rate agreement. If claiming indirect costs, provide
documentation that applicant currently has an indirect cost rate
approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or
another cognizant Federal agency.
Letters of agreement and memoranda of understanding. If applicable,
include a letter of commitment or Memorandum of Understanding from each
partner and/or sub-contractor describing their role, detailing specific
tasks to be performed, and expressing commitment to participate if the
proposed project is funded.
General Content and Form Information
The application limit is 75 pages total including all forms and
attachments. Pages over this page limit will be removed from the
application and will not be reviewed.
The Children's Bureau strongly prefers that the entire application
(including all forms, assurances, and letters of commitment) be sent in
one package.
To be considered for funding, each application must be submitted
with the Standard Federal Forms (provided at the end of this
announcement or through the electronic links provided) and following
the guidance provided. The application must be signed by an individual
authorized to act for the applicant agency and to assume responsibility
for the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the grant
award.
To be considered for funding, each applicant must submit one signed
original and two additional copies of the application, including all
forms and attachments, to the Application Receipt Point specified in
the section titled Deadline at the beginning of the announcement. The
original copy of the application must have original signatures.
The application must be typed, double spaced, printed on only one
side, with at least \1/2\ inch margins on each side and 1 inch at the
top and bottom, using standard 12 Point fonts (such as Times New Roman
or Courier). Pages must be numbered.
All copies of an application must be submitted in a single package,
and a separate package must be submitted for each funding opportunity.
The package must be clearly labeled for the specific funding
opportunity that it is addressing.
Because each application will be duplicated, do not use or include
separate covers, binders, clips, tabs, plastic inserts, maps,
brochures, or any other items that cannot be processed easily on a
photocopy machine with an automatic feed. Do not bind, clip, staple, or
fasten in any way separate subsections of the application, including
supporting documentation; however, each complete copy must be stapled
securely in the upper left corner. Applicants are advised that the
copies of the application submitted, not the original, will be
reproduced by the Federal government for review.
Tips for Preparing a Competitive Application. It is essential that
applicants read the entire announcement package carefully before
preparing an application and include all of the required application
forms and attachments. The application must reflect a thorough
understanding of the purpose and objectives of the applicable
legislation. Reviewers expect applicants to understand the goals of the
legislation and the Children's Bureau's interest in each topic. A
``responsive application'' is one that addresses all of the evaluation
criteria in ways that demonstrate this understanding. Applications that
are considered to be ``unresponsive'' generally receive very low scores
and are rarely funded.
The Children's Bureau's Web site (https://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/
cb) provides a wide range of information and links to other relevant
websites. Before you begin preparing an application, we suggest that
you learn more about the mission and programs of the Children's Bureau
by exploring the Web site.
Organizing Your Application. The specific evaluation criteria in
Section V of this funding announcement will be used to review and
evaluate each application. The applicant should address each of these
specific evaluation criteria in the project description. Applicants
should organize their project description in this sequence: (1)
Objectives and Need for Assistance; (2) Approach; (3) Organizational
Profiles; (4) Budget and Budget Justification; and should use the same
headings as these criteria, so that reviewers can readily find
information that directly addresses each of the specific review
criteria.
Project Evaluation Plan. Project evaluations are very important. If
you do not have the in-house capacity to conduct an objective,
comprehensive evaluation of the project, then the Children's Bureau
advises that you propose contracting with a third-party evaluator
specializing in social science or evaluation, or a university or
college, to conduct the evaluation. A skilled evaluator can assist you
in designing a data collection strategy that is appropriate for the
evaluation of your proposed project. Additional assistance may be found
in a document titled ``Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation.'' A copy
of this document can be accessed at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
opre/other_resrch/pm_guide_eval/reports/pmguide/pmguide_toc.html.
Logic Model. A logic model is a tool that presents the conceptual
framework for a proposed project and explains the linkages among
program elements. While there are many versions of the logic model,
they generally summarize the logical connections among the needs that
are the focus of the project, project goals and objectives, the target
population, project inputs (resources), the proposed activities/
processes/outputs directed toward the target population, the expected
short- and long-term outcomes the initiative is designed to achieve,
and the evaluation plan for measuring the extent to which proposed
processes and outcomes actually occur. Information on the development
of logic models is
[[Page 32788]]
available on the Internet at: https://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/ or http:/
/www.extension.iastate.edu/cyfar/capbuilding/outcome/outcome_
logicmdir.html.
Use of Human Subjects. If your evaluation plan includes gathering
data from or about clients, there are specific procedures that must be
followed in order to protect their privacy and ensure the
confidentiality of the information about them. Applicants planning to
gather such data are asked to describe their plans regarding an
Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. If applicable, applicants must
include a completed Form 310, Protection of Human Subjects. For more
information about use of human subjects and IRB's you can visit these
Web sites: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/irb/irb_chapter2.htm#d2 and https://
www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/ictips.htm
You may submit your application to us in either electronic or paper
format. To submit an application electronically, please use the https://
www.Grants.gov/Apply site. If you use Grants.gov, you will be able to
download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and
then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. ACF
will not accept grant applications via e-mail or facsimile
transmission.
Please note the following if you plan to submit your application
electronically via Grants.gov
Electronic submission is voluntary but strongly
encouraged.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation. We strongly recommend that you
do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the
application process through Grants.gov.
We recommend you visit Grants.gov at least 30 days prior
to filing your application to fully understand the process and
requirements. We encourage applicants who submit electronically to
submit well before the closing date and time so that if difficulties
are encountered an applicant can still send in a hard copy overnight.
If you encounter difficulties, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk
at 1-800-518-4276 to report the problem and obtain assistance with the
system.
To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a DUNS
Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You
should allow a minimum of five days to complete the CCR registration.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including all
information typically included on the SF 424 and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Your application must comply with any page limitation
requirements described in this program announcement.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Children and
Families will retrieve your application from Grants.gov.
We may request that you provide original signatures on
forms at a later date.
You may access the electronic application for this program
on www.Grants.gov
You must search for the downloadable application package
by the CFDA number.
Applicants that are submitting their application in paper format
should submit an original and two copies of the complete application.
The original and each of the two copies must include all required
forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an
authorized representative, have original signatures, and be submitted
unbound.
Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with
their applications the survey located under ``Grant Related Documents
and Forms,'' ``Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant Applicants,''
titled, ``Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants,'' at:
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Standard Forms and Certifications:
The project description should include all the information
requirements described in the specific evaluation criteria outlined in
the program announcement under Section V Application Review
Information. In addition to the project description, the applicant
needs to complete all the standard forms required for making
applications for awards under this announcement.
Applicants seeking financial assistance under this announcement
must file the Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal
Assistance; SF-424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; SF-
424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs. The forms may be
reproduced for use in submitting applications. Applicants must sign and
return the standard forms with their application
Applicants must furnish prior to award an executed copy of the
Standard Form LLL, Certification Regarding Lobbying, when applying for
an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants who have used non-Federal
funds for lobbying activities in connection with receiving assistance
under this announcement shall complete a disclosure form, if
applicable, with their applications (approved by the Office of
Management and Budget under control number 0348-0046). Applicants must
sign and return the certification with their application
Applicants must also understand they will be held accountable for
the smoking prohibition included within P.L. 103-227, Title XII
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (also known as the PRO-KIDS Act of 1994). A
copy of the Federal Register notice which implements the smoking
prohibition is included with this form. By signing and submitting the
application, applicants are providing the certification and need not
mail back the certification with the application
Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their
compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. By
signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the
certification and need not mail back the certification form. Complete
the standard forms and the associated certifications and assurances
based on the instructions on the forms. The forms and certifications
may be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm
Applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies
(not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals
specified in the application budget and Social Security Numbers, if
otherwise required for individuals. The copies may include summary
salary information
Those organizations required to provide proof of non-profit status,
please refer to Section III.3.
Please see Section V.1 for instructions on preparing the full
project description.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Application is due August 5, 2005.
Explanation of Due Dates:
The closing time and date for receipt of applications is referenced
above. Applications received after 4:30 p.m. eastern time on the
closing date will be classified as late.
Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting an announced
deadline if they are received on or before the deadline time and date
referenced in Section IV.6. Applicants
[[Page 32789]]
are responsible for ensuring applications are mailed or submitted
electronically well in advance of the application due date.
Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, other
representatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriers
shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are
received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m., eastern time, at the address referenced in Section
IV.6., between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays).
ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by facsimile.
Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF by fax will not be accepted
regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.
Late Applications: Applications that do not meet the criteria above
are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant
that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
Any application received after 4:30 p.m. eastern time on the
deadline date will not be considered for competition.
Applicants using express/overnight mail services should allow two
working days prior to the deadline date for receipt of applications.
Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not
always deliver as agreed.
Extension of deadlines: ACF may extend application deadlines when
circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or
when there are widespread disruptions of mail service, or in other rare
cases. A determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rests
with the Chief Grants Management Officer.
Receipt acknowledgement for application packages will not be
provided to applicants who submit their package via mail, courier
services, or by hand delivery. However, applicants will receive an
electronic acknowledgement for applications that are submitted via
https://www.Grants.gov.
Checklist:
You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your
application package.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What to submit Required content Required form or format When to submit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Abstract.................... See Sections IV.2 and V........... Found in Sections IV.2 and V By application due date.
Project Description................. See Sections IV.2 and V........... Found in Sections IV.2 and V By application due date.
Budget Narrative/Justification...... See Sections IV.2 and V........... Found in Sections IV.2 and V By application due date.
SF424............................... See Section IV.2.................. See https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ By application due date.
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
SF-LLL Certification Regarding See Section IV.2.................. See https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ By date of award.
Lobbying. programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Certification Regarding See Section IV.2.................. See https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ By date of award.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke. programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Assurances.......................... See Section IV.2.................. Found in Section IV......... By date of award.
SF424A.............................. See Section IV.2.................. See https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ By application due date.
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
SF424B.............................. See Section IV.2.................. See https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ By application due date.
programs/ofs/forms.htm.
Proof of Non-Profit Status.......... See Section III.3................. Found in Section III.3...... By date of award.
Indirect Cost rate Agreement, if See Section IV.................... Format described in IV...... By application due date
applicable.
Letters of commitment from partner See Section IV.................... Format described in IV...... By application due date.
organizations, if applicable.
Non-Federal Commitment Letter....... See Section III.2................. See Section III.2........... By date of award.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Forms:
Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with
their applications the survey located under ``Grant Related Documents
and Forms,'' ``Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant Applicants,''
titled, ``Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants,'' at:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What to submit Required content Location When to submit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant See form.......................... May be found on https:// By application due date
Applicants. www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/
ofs/forms.htm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Intergovernmental Review
State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
This program is covered under Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR Part 100,
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services
Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance
under covered programs.
As of October 1, 2004, the following jurisdictions have elected to
participate in the Executive Order process: Arkansas, California,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Guam,
North Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. As these
jurisdictions have elected to participate in the Executive Order
process, they have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating
jurisdictions should contact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert
them of prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants
must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate
the date
[[Page 32790]]
of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required)
on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2).
A SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on
proposed new or competing continuation awards. SPOCs are encouraged to
eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official
recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to clearly
differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State
process recommendations which may trigger the ``accommodate or
explain'' rule.
When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be
addressed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management,
Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 4th
floor, Washington, DC 20447.
Although the remaining jurisdictions have chosen not to participate
in the process, entities that meet the eligibility requirements of the
program are still eligible to apply for a grant even if a State,
Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. Therefore,
applicants from these jurisdictions, or for projects administered by
Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, need take no action in regard to
E.O. 12372.
The official list, including addresses, of the jurisdictions
elected to participate in E.O. 12372 can be found on the following URL:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
5. Funding Restrictions
Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
Construction is not an allowable activity or expenditure under this
solicitation.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Submission by Mail: An applicant must provide an original
application with all attachments, signed by an authorized
representative and two copies. Please see Section IV.3 for explanation
of due dates. Applications should be mailed to: ACYF Operations Center,
c/o The Dixon Group, Inc., 118 Q St., NE., Washington, DC 20002-2132,
Attention: Children's Bureau.
Hand Delivery: An applicant must provide an original application
with all attachments signed by an authorized representative and two
copies. The application must be received at the address below by 4:30
p.m. eastern time on or before the closing date. Applications that are
hand delivered will be accepted between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday. Applications should be
delivered to: ACYF Operations Center, c/o The Dixon Group, Inc., 118 Q
St., NE., Washington, DC 20002-2132, Attention: Children's Bureau.
Electronic Submission: Please see Section IV.2 for guidelines and
requirements when submitting applications electronically via https://
www.Grants.gov.
V. Application Review Information
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to averag 40 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and
reviewing the collection information.
The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970-
0139 which expires April 30, 2007.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
1. Criteria
General Instructions
ACF is particularly interested in specific project descriptions
that focus on outcomes and convey strategies for achieving intended
performance. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of
substance and measurable outcomes, not length. Extensive exhibits are
not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition.
Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly
funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an
integral part of the grant funded activity should be placed in an
appendix. Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be
included for easy reference.
Introduction
Applicants required to submit a full project description shall
prepare the project description statement in accordance with the
following instructions while being aware of the specified evaluation
criteria. The text options give a broad overview of what your project
description should include while the evaluation criteria identifies the
measures that will be used to evaluate applications.
Project Summary/Abstract
Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with
reference to the funding request.
Objectives and Need for Assistance
Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial,
institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need
for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate
objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting
documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from
concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any
relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred
to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and
participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the
project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to
provide information on the total range of projects currently being
conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be
outside the scope of the program announcement.
Approach
Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how
the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or
activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might
accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the
proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of
the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in
cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the
accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such
terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities
accomplished.
When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function,
list them in chronological order to show the schedule of
accomplishments and their target dates.
If any data is to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated,
clearance may be required from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). This clearance pertains to any ``collection of information that
is conducted or sponsored by ACF.''
List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key
individuals who will work on the project along with a short description
of the nature of their effort or contribution.
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Organizational Profiles
Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and
cooperating partners, such as organizational charts, financial
statements, audit reports or statements from CPAs/Licensed Public
Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond carriers,
contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses and other
documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance
with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of
experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. If the
applicant is a non-profit organization, submit proof of non-profit
status in its application.
The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing: (a) A
reference to the applicant organization's listing in the Internal
Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations
described in the IRS Code; (b) a copy of a currently valid IRS tax
exemption certificate, (c) a statement from a State taxing body, State
attorney general, or other appropriate State official certifying that
the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the
net earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals; (d) a
certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or
similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status, (e) any of
the items immediately above for a State or national parent organization
and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant
organization is a local non-profit affiliate.
Budget and Budget Justification
Provide a budget with line item detail and detailed calculations
for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form.
Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit
costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the
calculation to be duplicated. Also include a breakout by the funding
sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the
categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness,
and allocability of the proposed costs.
General
Use the following guidelines for preparing the budget and budget
justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed
and justified in the budget and narrative justification. ``Federal
resources'' refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying.
``Non Federal resources'' are all other Federal and non-Federal
resources. It is suggested that budget amounts and computations be
presented in a columnar format: first column, object class categories;
second column, Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s),
and last column, total budget. The budget justification should be a
narrative.
Personnel
Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.
Justification: Identify the project director or principal
investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time
commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project
(as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary,
wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel
costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to
be financed by the applicant.
Fringe Benefits
Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as
part of an approved indirect cost rate.
Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages
that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA,
retirement insurance, taxes, etc.
Travel
Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the
applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).
Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s),
travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if
privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs
and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ACF-
sponsored workshops should be detailed in the budget.
Equipment
Description: ``Equipment'' means an article of nonexpendable,
tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year
and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the
capitalization level established by the organization for the financial
statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note: Acquisition cost means the
net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of
any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus
necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired.
Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit
insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded
from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular
written accounting practices.)
Justification: For each type of equipment requested, provide a
description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units,
the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or
disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant
organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide
a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the
equipment definition.
Supplies
Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than
that included under the Equipment category.
Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their
costs. Show computations and provide other information which supports
the amount requested.
Contractual
Description: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except
for those that belong under other categories such as equipment,
supplies, construction, etc. Include third party evaluation contracts
(if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations,
including delegate agencies and specific project(s) or businesses to be
financed by the applicant.
Justification: Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will
be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical,
open and free competition. Recipients and subrecipients, other than
States that are required to use Part 92 procedures, must justify any
anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without
competition and exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41
U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at $100,000).
Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-award
review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals or
invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.
Note: Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of the
project to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailed
budget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, by agency
title, along with the required supporting information referred to in
these instructions.
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Other
Enter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicable
and appropriate, may include but are not limited to insurance, food,
medical and dental costs (noncontractual), professional services costs,
space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer use,
training costs, such as tuition and stipends, staff development costs,
and administrative costs.
Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description and a
justification for each cost under this category.
Indirect Charges
Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should
be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate
approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or
another cognizant Federal agency.
Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the
grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the
applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or
renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, it
should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal
based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with
the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates,
and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of
their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an
indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect
cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant.
Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is
allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the
applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the
applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.
Non-Federal Resources
Description: Amounts of non-Federal resources that will be used to
support the project as identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
Justification: The firm commitment of these resources must be
documented and submitted with the application so the applicant is given
credit in the review process. A detailed budget must be prepared for
each funding source.
Evaluation Criteria:
The following evaluation criteria appear in weighted descending
order. The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance
that ACF places on each evaluation criterion; however, applicants need
not develop their applications precisely according to the order
presented. Application components may be organized such that a reviewer
will be able to follow a seamless and logical flow of information (e.g.
from a broad overview of the project to more detailed information about
how it will be conducted).
In considering how applicants will carry out the responsibilities
addressed under this announcement, competing applications for financial
assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against the following
criteria:
Approach (50 points)
In reviewing the approach, the following factors will be
considered: (50 points)
(1) The extent to which there is a sound timeline for effectively
implementing the proposed project, including major milestones and
target dates. The extent to which the proposed project would develop an
appropriate implementation plan during the first year of the project,
complete the implementation of the new model or the replication of the
existing model or selected components in a timely manner and conduct a
thorough evaluation of its effectiveness within the next two years of
the project time frame.
(2) The extent to which the proposed project would enhance the
capacity of state and local child welfare agencies to develop and
implement effective policies and procedures for identifying and
coordinating timely services to substance exposed newborns and their
families and through dissemination of findings from the projects,
transfer knowledge into practice. The extent to which specific
measurable outcomes will occur as a result of the proposed development
or replication of model policies and procedures and promising
practices. The extent to which there will be a strong relationship
between the proposed model development or replication projects and
improved outcomes for substance exposed newborns and their families.
(3) The extent to which there will be an effective administrative
and organizational interface between the applicant and the appropriate
State child welfare agencies, substance abuse treatment agencies,
health care providers, and other community agencies. The extent to
which there are appropriate letters of commitment from these partner
organizations.
(4) The extent to which the application demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the challenges and complexities of replicating a model
that establishes policies and procedures for the identification,
referral and service provision to substance exposed newborns and their
families. The extent to which the application demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the challenges that the proposed project will have in
planning, implementing and evaluating the project and in maintaining
fidelity to the original program or practice being replicated. The
extent to which the applicant provides a sound plan explaining how the
project would successfully overcome these challenges.
(5) The extent to which the proposed project will be capable of
serving diverse populations.
(6) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from child welfare, child abuse and neglect and
substance abuse research and literature. The extent to which the
proposed model development or replication project is innovative and
involves strategies that build on, or are an alternative to, existing
strategies.
(7) The extent to which the project's evaluation plan would measure
achievement of project