Executive Summary:

The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Administration on Children, Youth and Families' (ACYF) Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is accepting applications for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) program.  This program supports the creation and maintenance of one-on-one mentoring relationships between children of incarcerated parents and caring, supportive adult volunteer mentors.  The intent of this program is to support the establishment or expansion and operation of mentoring programs, using a network of public and private community entities, in areas with substantial numbers of children of incarcerated parents.  The MCP program is designed to be a community-based mentoring program in which children and youth ages four up to age 18, are appropriately matched with an adult mentor, who has been screened and trained, for a one-on-one (one mentor/one youth), friendship-oriented (non curriculum-based) mentoring relationship.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

Section 439 of the Social Security Act (available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/content/aboutfysb/documents.htm), the original law authorizing the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Amendments of 2001 (P.L. 107-133) and the reauthorizing law as amended by the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-288), authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for the purpose of supporting the establishment or expansion and operation of community-based programs to provide one-on-one mentoring relationships between a child of incarcerated parent(s) and a caring, supportive adult mentor under the MCP program.

Description

Nearly two million children in the United States experience the detrimental economic, social, and emotional effects of having an incarcerated parent. These children may experience the trauma of multiple changes in caregivers and living arrangements.  They often succumb to depression and drug usage, and statistics indicate that, without intervention, many of these children will follow the footsteps of their parent(s) into the criminal justice system.   

A quality, enduring mentoring relationship with a caring adult can be a promising intervention for children of prisoners (mentees).  Research indicates that mentoring can reduce mentee risk behaviors and thus may also reduce the likelihood of the mentee's future involvement in the criminal justice system.  

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, $45 million in funding was awarded to a total of 215 organizations (grantees) including faith-based and community organizations, State and local governments, and Tribes to operate these community-based mentoring programs.  

Purpose

The purpose of the MCP program is to create quality, lasting, one-on-one relationships that provide young people with caring role models for future success.  In collaboration with networks of public and private entities, MCP grantees match children, ages four up to age 18, with a screened and trained adult volunteer for a one-on-one (one adult matched with one youth) mentoring relationship.  Caring adult mentors interact with mentees on a regular and consistent basis to provide support, encouragement, and advice; providing opportunities for mentees to gain new skills and interests and expand their experiences beyond their families, schools, and neighborhoods.  Successful mentors do not try to take the role of parent or teacher, but act as a trusted friend, guide, and role model for mentees. 

Scope of Services

Organizations funded under this program announcement are used to create and support mentoring relationships.  Qualified staff recruit, screen, and train potential volunteer mentors; identify and recruit eligible children of prisoners in their communities; and match each mentor with a mentee based on the interests and preferences of the mentor, mentee, and caregiver(s).  MCP grantees facilitate the match between the mentor and mentee and continue to monitor the relationship to ensure that the needs and expectations of the mentor, the mentee, and the mentee's caregiver(s) are being met so that the match continues successfully.

The MCP program is a one-on-one mentoring program.  Group mentoring (one mentor meeting with more than one mentee at the same time) and team mentoring (multiple mentors meeting with multiple mentees at the same time) are not the intent of this program.  Group activities, in which multiple mentors and mentees meet together, may supplement, but not take the place of, regular one-on-one activities.  The MCP program is not based on an academic or life-skills curriculum.  Mentees involved in this program may experience improved academic performance, develop personal goals, and improve social competencies as an indirect result of the supportive mentoring relationship and the presence of an additional caring adult in their lives.

All project activities funded under this program announcement work toward the goal of creating high-quality, lasting mentoring relationships, and activities that fall outside the scope of this task, or do not directly support the mentoring relationship, are not supported by FYSB grant funds or grantee match funds (for example, family emergency funds, job search services, or mental health counseling). 

Program Requirements

Applicants should take special note of the following when designing their projects:

1.  Community-Based Mentoring Approach  

Applicants must provide a community-based mentoring approach.  A "Community-based" approach refers to a mentoring program that has a community presence and that can connect the social fabric of a community with a youth receiving services.  Traditionally, a community-based approach encourages mentors and mentees to meet independently of the mentoring organization.  For example, mentoring activities could take place at a variety of locations including: the zoo, a museum, or at the mentee's house where the mentor and mentee engage in community activities, service or friendship.  

Mentoring programs may find that geography, transportation, or safety issues, among others, make it difficult for mentors and mentees to meet independently.  Under these special circumstances, applicants may also propose a community-based mentoring approach that is location-specific.  A justification or data that supports this need should be provided.  Some examples of location-specific mentoring programs are:

• A mentoring program that is located at a community center where mentors and mentees meet weekly for different activities as selected by each mentor and mentee or just to spend time together.
  
  
• A mentoring program that is located at a local school where mentors and mentees engage in mutually determined activities, such as playing on playground facilities, reading together, or talking.

Please note: A site-based mentoring approach to this program is not an allowable approach.  A program is considered to have a site-based approach when the location and the goals of the mentoring relationship are inherently similar.  Examples of these could include, but are not limited to:

• A curriculum-based mentoring program at a local school where the intent of the mentoring relationship is to improve the mentee's school and academic performance.
  
  
• A mentoring program based at a local social service agency where the intent of the mentoring relationship is to assist the mentee in creating and adhering to a life development plan or developing specific competencies.

2.  Volunteer Management

Applicants must recruit, screen, and train volunteer adult mentors who are able to commit to a lasting one-on-one mentoring relationship that meets on a regular and consistent basis.

Research has shown that youth in mentoring relationships that last for a year or more accrue the greatest amount of positive benefits, whereas youth in mentoring relationships that terminate early (in the first three to six months of the relationship) actually suffer declines in their feelings of self-worth and perceived scholastic competence.  Frequent and consistent meetings, generally consisting of weekly or bi-weekly scheduled meetings, over the course of the mentoring relationship are necessary for the mentor and mentee to develop trust and friendship.  For these reasons, it is important that mentoring organizations carefully define the responsibilities of mentors, convey program expectations to potential mentors, and train mentors appropriately.   

3.  Background Checks

By submitting an application, the applicant agrees to conduct background checks on all staff, mentors, and volunteers using available State and local criminal records (http://apps.mentoring.org/safetynet/factsheet.adp) and the national sex offender registry (http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/criminal-bkg-check.htm).  Additionally, where available, successful applicants must consult their State child abuse central registry.  The above websites are provided as recommendations and are not to be considered all-inclusive; grantees will also identify and utilize additional appropriate record sources for their background checks.  All staff, mentor and volunteer background check results are to remain confidential and shall be used for the sole purpose of ensuring the safety of mentee's.  All results shall be stored in a secured area under lock. 

4.  Positive Youth Development (PYD)

FYSB has worked to promote a PYD framework for all its funded grant programs and activities. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to develop their project descriptions with the PYD framework in mind as discussed below.

The PYD approach is predicated on the understanding that all young people need support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence, a time of rapid growth and change. With this support, they can develop self-assurance and create a healthy, successful life. Key elements of PYD are:

• Healthy messages to adolescents about their bodies, their behaviors and their interactions;
  
  
• Safe and structured places for teens to study, recreate and socialize;
  
  
• Strengthened relationships with adult role models, such as parents, mentors, coaches or community leaders;
  
  
• Skill development in literacy, competence, work readiness and social skills; and
  
  
• Opportunities to serve others and build self-esteem.

If these factors are being addressed, young people can become not just "problem-free" but "fully prepared" and engaged constructively in their communities and society.  These key elements result in the following PYD outcomes:

• Increased opportunities and avenues for positive use of time;
• Increased opportunities for positive self-expression; and
• Increased opportunities for youth participation and civic engagement.

5.  Record Keeping

Applicants must agree to keep adequate statistical records for profiling the youth and families served under this Federal grant.  This information is required by program legislation.  By submitting an application, the applicant agrees to cooperate with any research and evaluation efforts sponsored by ACF.  The applicant also agrees to track and report data required by FYSB's Online Data Collection System.

Please reference Section VI.3 for additional information on reporting.     

6.  Training and Technical Assistance

A.  Attendance and budgeting for training events.  MCP legislation has provisions for Technical Assistance and as such, Applicants are encouraged to attend FYSB-sponsored MCP training events, meetings and conferences.  It is further encouraged that Applicants  send two representative(s) to the designated conferences and meetings.  Applicants should budget for a minimum of at least twelve conference days (six days for two people) and travel costs per budget year. This is based on the estimate that two people from each grantee agency will attend the following conferences and meetings:  a three-day National MCP Conference held annually in Washington, DC; a two-day Regional MCP Meeting (location to be determined).  Applicants will also have the option of attending non-required training events that are not included in this estimate.  

B. Technical Assistance.  As MCP legislation has provisions for Technical Assistance, Applicants are encouraged to receive and participate in technical assistance efforts as recommended by Federal staff.

7.  Measuring Program Success

FYSB is committed to fulfilling the objectives of its governing statutory authorities set forth in section 439 of the Social Security Act., by providing community-based one-on-one mentoring services between caring adults and children of prisoners.

The presence of caring adults is imperative to a child's success in life and their ability to develop a healthy and positive outlook.  In addition, for children of prisoners, mentoring relationships may be a successful intervention strategy to reduce risky behaviors and potential involvement in the criminal justice system. FYSB collects quarterly information from MCP program grantees in regards to their number of mentoring matches, the duration of mentoring matches, the frequency of match meetings, and other measures, through the OMB-approved Online Data Collection (OLDC) instrument.  OLDC provides extensive technical support to assist grantees providing these reports.

Since relationships that terminate prematurely can be troubling to young children, FYSB is committed to reducing to 17 percent by 2009 the percentage of matches that terminate at three months or less as a percentage of matches ending within 12 months.

To assess the dynamics of the mentor/mentee relationships, the Relationship Quality Survey Instrument (RQI) is utilized.  This instrument   assesses:  mentee satisfaction with the mentoring relationships; the extent to which mentors have helped mentees cope with problems; how happy mentees feel when they are with their mentors; and whether there is evidence of trust in the mentoring relationships.  These surveys are currently being conducted among all youth (ages nine and above) engaged in long-term mentoring relationships through the MCP program.  Every year, FYSB will collect and analyze this data to measure the quality of mentoring relationships, and is committed to an annual two percent increase in the percentage of mentees surveyed whose responses to the survey indicate positive relationships. 

Additionally, the MCP program requires organizations to recruit adults who are able to commit to regular and consistent meetings with their mentees, to properly screen and train mentors to work with mentees, and to develop relationships with existing service providers to provide key services to youth and their families.  To measure progress towards these activities, FYSB uses the OLDC and grantee progress reports to collect caseload demographics and assess such factors as:

1. The average number of days that a child is on the waitlist for a mentor;
   
   
2. The number of hours that children met with their mentors over the course of the reporting period;
   
   
3. The average number of hours in pre-training/orientation that mentors received and the average number of hours in post-training that mentors received; and
   
   
4. The number of staff contacts with mentors to address mentor skills or critical issues.

It is a crucial requirement of the grant program that MCP programs collect and report timely and accurate data so that FYSB can measure results and tell the story of this program's ongoing progress.

Definitions

Caregiver - A parent or legal guardian charged with the responsibility of caring for a child while one or both parents are incarcerated.

Children of Prisoners (Also Referred to as the Mentee) - Children with one or both parents incarcerated in a Federal, State, or local correctional facility. The term is deemed to include children who are in an ongoing mentoring relationship in this program at the time of their parents' release from prison, for purposes of continued participation in the program.

For the purposes of this grant program, a child of a prisoner is eligible for services if:

• The match process is initiated after the child's 4th birthday and prior to the child's 18th birthday,

       And

• The match process is initiated while one or both of the incarcerated parent(s) is serving a sentence in a Federal, State, or local correctional facility. 

Jail - A detention facility for those awaiting trial or convicted of minor offenses. 

Mentor - An adult volunteer (age 18 and older) who is willing to serve as a trusted guide to a youth mentee.  A successful mentor is viewed by a mentee as a friend, rather than as a parent or teacher. Mentors may not receive financial compensation for providing mentoring services.

Mentoring - A structured, managed program in which children are appropriately matched with screened and trained adult volunteers (age 18 or older) for one-on-one relationships, involving meetings and activities on a regular basis, intended to meet, in part, the child's need for involvement with a caring and supportive adult who provides a positive role model.

Mentoring Services - Those services and activities that support a structured, managed program of mentoring, including the management by trained personnel of outreach to, and screening of, eligible children; outreach to, education and training of, and liaison with sponsoring local organizations; screening and training of adult volunteers; matching of children with suitable adult volunteer mentors; support and oversight of the mentoring relationship; and establishment of goals and evaluation of outcomes for mentored children.

New Match - a newly created match or a re-match of the mentor (or of the mentee after their previous match is terminated).

Non-Federal Share - represents contributions that are allowable, reasonable and necessary to a MCP program -- from a non- Federal source.  Non-Federal share contributions may be in cash or in-kind. "In-Kind" is described as anything owned by the MCP grantee that would have ordinarily been paid for and is an allowable expense; such as donated time, materials, services, fees, space, etc.

Total Approved Project Cost - sum of the ACF share and the non-federal share (NFS).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

Awards under this announcement are subject to the availability of funds.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The application package should include the following and be in the following order: 

1.  The Required Federal Forms/Certifications - See below for description.  Each application must be submitted by the individual who acts as the applicant's chief executive officer (regardless of his or her official title).

Each application must contain the following assurances:

• That public and private entities and community organizations, including religious organizations and Indian organizations, will be eligible to participate on an equal basis in activities funded under this announcement;
  
  
• That the applicant will maintain such records, make such reports, and cooperate with such reviews or audits as the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary may find necessary for purposes of project activities and expenditures; and
  
  
• That the applicant will cooperate fully with the HHS Secretary's ongoing and final evaluation of the program under the plan, by means including providing the Secretary access to the program and program-related records and documents, staff, and grantees receiving funding under the plan.

2.  Table of Contents - Should reference the order of the application sections and provide page numbers. 

3.  One-Page Project Abstract -  Should contain the following information:  Agency name, city, State; proposed service area (state, county, city, etc); amount of Federal funding requested for 12-month period; short description of program (that includes duration, frequency, and location of mentoring services); age of target population; agency point of contact (includes name, phone, and email); number of new youth to be served in each year of the grant (Year One, Year Two and Year Three).  A suggested sample format is provided in Section VIII, Other Information. 

4.  Project Description - This section is a comprehensive description of the proposed project, what it will accomplish and how it will be implemented.  The Project Description should address each of the categories in Section V.1, and be structured in a manner that addresses each of the evaluation criteria in a logical format in the following order: Objectives and Need for Assistance; Results and Benefits, Approach; Staff and Position Data; Organizational Profiles; and Budget and Budget Justification.  Applicants must title each section accordingly.

5.  Budget and Budget Justification - The budget is a line-item format and must be in a worksheet, table, or spreadsheet that illustrates how calculations were derived.  The budget should reflect a 12-month budget period and include the Federal and NFS of costs.  Each category heading within the line-item budget should correspond with the budget categories listed in Section B of the SF-424A (e.g. Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other, Indirect Charges).   

The budget justification is a narrative that provides a rationale for the items requested and how these items relate to the overall success of the project.

6.  Proof of Non-Profit Status - See Section IV.2 for acceptable documentation that must be submitted by date of award.

7.  Third-Party Agreements - A summary of a monetary subgrant and/or contract must be provided as part of the application package.  The summary must include a description of the project services that will be completed through the subgrant or contract using Federal funds or a non-Federal match, and the process by which the primary applicant will maintain a substantive role with the subgrant and/or contract assuring compliance with the grant requirements and project performance.  If the applicant is proposing to provide services through a different agency or entity based on a non-monetary arrangement, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) is required and the LOA must enumerate the project services that will be completed under the agreement. 

8.  Non-Federal Resources Commitment Letters - Letters from organizations, entities, or individuals agreeing to provide non-Federal resources (cash or in-kind) to the project.

D-U-N-S Requirement

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Part I   THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW

PURPOSE

Part II   GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING A FULL PROJECT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Due Date for Applications: 06/19/2009

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

ACF will provide acknowledgement of receipt of hard copy application packages submitted via mail, courier services, or by hand delivery.  Applicants who submit their application packages electronically via http://www.Grants.gov will receive two email acknowledgements from that website:

• An automatic acknowledgement of the application's submission that will provide a Grants.gov tracking number.
  
  
• An acknowledgement that the submitted application package has passed or failed a series of checks and validations.

4. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs:

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

5. Funding Restrictions:

Activities that do not initiate, support, or maintain the one-on-one mentoring relationship cannot be supported with Federal funds or non-Federal match funds.  Costs that are not permitted under the Federal portion of this program (e.g. supportive services to mentees and families beyond mentoring, inherently religious activities) cannot be counted toward the NFS requirement. Mentor volunteer hours cannot be counted as an in-kind donation under the NFS requirement.

6. Other Submission Requirements:

Submission by Mail

Hand Delivery

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. CRITERIA:

STAFF AND POSITION DATA - 15 points

1. The extent to which the application includes an organizational chart that demonstrates the relationship between all positions (including consultants, sub grants and/or contractors) to be funded through this grant (Federal and non-Federal).  The application must provide the name of the person employed in each position or note that the position is vacant. 
   
   
2. The extent to which the application provides a staffing plan that demonstrates a sound relationship between program staff  responsibilities (as they relate to attainment of objectives) and the educational, professional and other experience in working with incarcerated families.  It should include a discussion of position descriptions and resumes of key staff, including consultants and partners, which correspond to the organizational chart and approach.  Note:  Key Staff is defined as those staff members responsible for direct oversight, management, or implementation of the proposed project and/or direct services to youth being served.
   
   
3. The extent to which the application addresses the agency's policy for conducting criminal history and child abuse registry checks on staff or volunteers (other than mentors) who come into contact with children and youth served or proposed to be served by the agency. 
   
   
4. The extent to which the application describes a plan for training project staff in the appropriate topics to safely and effectively serve children of prisoners and to deal appropriately with the issues they will encounter while serving these youth. This must include, but is not limited to, understanding the effects of parental incarceration, mentoring, positive youth development (PYD), and cultural competency.
   

APPROACH - 30 points

1. The extent to which the application identifies the services that will be provided and required by the authorizing MCP  legislation and FYSB program requirements as described in Section I.
   
   
2. The extent to which the application describes how the proposed project will operate programmatically to provide the services required by the authorizing MCP legislation and FYSB program requirements as described in Section I. 
   
   
3. If the application proposes to sub grant or contract a significant portion of the proposed project, the extent to which the application demonstrates that the grant applicant will hold a substantive role in the administration and/or delivery of services of the proposed project. 
   
   
4. The extent to which the application defines the duration of a mentoring relationship and frequency of mentoring activities, and demonstrates that this is sufficient to create a quality, enduring relationship between one adult and one youth. 
   
   
5. The extent to which the application describes an outreach plan that will attract children and families eligible for services.  If the applicant is proposing to serve a subset of children or families eligible for this program (for example, youth ages 10-15 or females only), then the extent to which the application demonstrates a referral mechanism to provide services for otherwise eligible mentees outside of their targeted population. 
   
   
6. The extent to which the application presents a viable plan to recruit mentors.  The plan should provide an implementation schedule that includes specific effective outcomes that support the applicant's approach, objectives, and community needs.
   
   
7. The extent to which the application demonstrates an effective plan to screen mentors (utilizing criminal background checks and the sex offender registry) and policies and procedures to ensure the safety of youth served. 
   
   
8. The extent to which the application demonstrates a plan to provide mentors with the skills or knowledge necessary to work with this population.  This must include, but is not limited to, understanding the effects of parental incarceration, mentoring, positive youth development (PYD), and cultural competency. 
   
   
9. The extent to which the applicant (as feasible and appropriate) consults with public and private community entities, including religious organizations; Indian tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations; family members of potential clients; and Federal, State and local corrections, workforce development, and substance abuse and mental health agencies that will further the success of the project and provide a complement of services.  Also, the extent to which the applicant (as feasible and appropriate) coordinates the program and activities with other Federal, State and local programs serving children and youth.
   

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - 10 points

1. The extent to which a detailed line-item budget for the Federal and NFS of project costs is included and demonstrates how cost estimates were derived.  
   
   
2. The extent to which the narrative budget justification explains how the costs in the line-item budget are necessary to implement the proposed project.  
   
   
3. The extent to which the non-Federal commitment letters demonstrate adequate funds to support the proposed non-Federal match and demonstrate a plan to meet non-Federal share. 
   
   
4. The extent to which the application provides justification for the amount of Federal funds requested for both the creation of new matches and the provision of match support for the duration of each match.
   

OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE - 10 points

1. The extent to which the application describes clear and appropriate program objectives that will fulfill the program purpose, as required by the authorizing MCP legislation and FYSB program requirements as described in Section I.  
   
   
2. The extent to which the application describes a clear need for the proposed project through a discussion of information received, from a community needs assessment, which details  conditions of youth and families in the area to be served
   
   
3. The extent to which the application demonstrates, that the services to be provided will be located in an area that is frequented by and/or easily accessible for the population to be served, through a description of the precise geographic location of program services.  Maps or other graphic aids may be included.
   
   
4. The extent to which the application provides documentation on the number of children of prisoners that are eligible to receive services through the MCP program.  If such data does not exist, the application should state this fact and provide a rationale to estimate the number of children of prisoners in the area.
   

RESULTS OR BENEFITS EXPECTED - 15 points

1. The extent to which the applicant clearly specifies the number of children of prisoners to be served through mentoring services. The application must specify the number of new matches to be made during each 12-month budget period (Year One, Year Two and Year Three), as well as the combined total number of new matches made over the entire project period (the sum of the three-year new matches).
   
   
2. The extent to which the application identifies and demonstrates a sound relationship between program activities and quantitative outcomes for the proposed project that will fulfill the program purpose and scope of services as described in the authorizing MCP legislation and Section 1.  Note: Outcomes are the expected changes that will reasonably occur amongst youth, families and communities based on the program activities.  An example of a project outcome is included in Section I, Measuring Program Success.   
   
   
3. The extent to which the application provides an internal process for collection and use of data to support implementation of quality mentoring services.  The application should identify routine processes that are in place to track program activity against stated quantitative outcomes and to refine program design and operations making adjustments that will improve performance.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES - 20 points

1. The extent to which the application demonstrates the organizational capacity necessary to oversee Federal grants and partnerships with other participating entities through a description of the organization's fiscal controls and an explanation of the organization's governance structure.  The application must also include a list of existing funding sources that will support this program and the organization's plan for meeting the non-Federal share. 
   
   
2. If the application proposes to sub grant and/or contract to another organization that will provide direct services to youth and their families through this grant, then the extent to which the application demonstrates how the sub grant and/or contract will be monitored for grant compliance and project performance. 
   
   
3. The extent to which the application describes the organization's past experience in mentoring children of prisoners and demonstrates a sound relationship between experience and the ability to provide program services as required by the authorizing legislation and FYSB program requirements in Section 1.  If the organization does not have direct experience mentoring children of prisoners, or proposes to sub grant or subcontract these direct services, then the extent to which the application demonstrates experience working with children of prisoners, families affected by incarceration, and/or mentoring services to at-risk youth and demonstrates a sound relationship between experience and the ability to provide program services as required by the authorizing legislation and FYSB program requirements in Section 1.  The application must specify the length and time the organization has provided these services.
   

2. Review and Selection Process:

Each application will be screened to determine whether it was received by the closing date and time (Section IV.3.) and whether the requested amount exceeds the ceiling or upper range value, whichever is appropriate (Section II.) 

Applications submitted under this program announcement will undergo a pre-review screening to determine that (1) the application was received by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions in this announcement, and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding based on the eligibility requirements in Sections II and III. 

Applications that pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel made up of non-Federal reviewers that are experts in the field.  The review panel will use the evaluation criteria listed in Section V.I to review and score the applications.  The panels will assign a score (maximum 100) to each application and identify the application's strengths and weaknesses.   

The results of these reviews will assist the FYSB Associate Commissioner and program staff in considering competing applications.  Reviewers' scores will weigh heavily in funding decisions, but will not be the only factors considered.  Applications generally will be considered in order of the average scores assigned by reviewers.  However, highly ranked applications are not guaranteed funding because other factors are taken into consideration.  These include, but are not limited to: written comments of reviewers and government officials, staff evaluation and input, geographic distribution, previous program performance of applicants, compliance with grant terms under previous HHS grants, audit reports, investigative reports, and an applicant's progress in resolving any final audit disallowance on previous FYSB or other Federal agency grants.  

The evaluation criteria were designed to assess the quality of a proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success.  The evaluation criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.  Points are awarded only to an application that is responsive to the evaluation criteria within the context of this program announcement. 

FYSB has the authority to pass over ranking order based on geographic area (location) and capacity needs.

Please refer to Section IV.2 of this announcement for information on non-Federal reviewers in the review process.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates:

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Notices:

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

3. Reporting Requirements:

OLDC System reports (quantitative data on program progress):

OMB #0970-0266, expires 09/30/2010, 12 burden hours per response

Report due 30 days after the conclusion of each quarter.

Relationship Quality Survey Instrument (qualitative data on match relationship): 

OMB# 0970-0308, expires 08/31/2009, 116 burden hours per response

Report due annually at the end of the budget year.

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.

Electronic reporting of these data is available through ACF's Online Data Collection system (OLDC). 

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Program Office Contact:

Gloria Watkins
Family and Youth Services Bureau
ACYF Operations Center
c/o The Dixon Group, Inc.
118 Q Street, NE.
Washington, DC 20002-2132
Phone:  866-796-1591
Email: FYSB@dixongroup.com

For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)).

Grants Management Office Contact:

Lisa Dammar, Grants Management Officer
Division of Discretionary Grants
Office of Grants Management
Administration for Children and Families
c/o The Dixon Group, Inc.
118 Q Street, NE.
Washington, DC 20002-2132
Phone:  866-796-1591
Email: FYSB@dixongroup.com

For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)).

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

Checklist

You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package.

Posted April 20, 2009