Executive Summary:

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to establish, through a cooperative agreement, the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS).  NRCCPS will work with other members of the Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Network to build the capacity of State, local, Tribal, and other publicly administered or publicly supported child protection systems.  The primary mission of NRCCPS is to help these entities improve their systems and develop and integrate policies and practices that improve the prevention, reporting, assessment and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

Description

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the Federal Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.  Within HHS, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is the agency responsible for Federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.  The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within ACF administers national programs for children and youth; works with States, Tribes, and local communities to develop services that support and strengthen family life; seeks joint ventures with the private sector to enhance the lives of children and their families; and provides information and other assistance to parents.  Many of the programs administered by ACYF focus on children from low-income families; abused and neglected children; children and youth in need of foster care, independent living, adoption or other child welfare services; preschool children; children with disabilities; runaway and homeless youth; and children from Native American and migrant families. 

Within ACYF, the Children's Bureau (CB) plans, manages, coordinates, and supports child abuse and neglect prevention and child welfare services programs.  CB is the agency within the Federal Government that is responsible for assisting child welfare systems by promoting continuous improvement in the delivery of child welfare services.  CB programs are designed to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of all children, including those in foster care, available for adoption, recently adopted, abused, neglected, dependent, disabled, or homeless, and to prevent the neglect, abuse, and exploitation of children. 

The purpose of CB's programs is to promote strengthening of the family unit in order to help prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families and encourage reunifying families, when possible, if separation has occurred.  State and Tribal child welfare systems are designed to deliver direct services that protect children who have suffered maltreatment, who are at risk for maltreatment, or who are under the care and placement responsibility of the State and/or Tribe because their families are unable to care for them.  These systems also focus on securing permanent legal placement with families, such as reunification, guardianship, and adoption for children and youth who are unable to return home.  (For more information about CB's programs, visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb.)

Child Welfare Training and Technical Assistance Network

CB's Child Welfare T/TA Network is designed to improve child welfare systems and to support States and Tribes in achieving sustainable, systemic change that results in greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families.  The T/TA Network is currently comprised of a group of T/TA providers funded entirely or partially by CB through grants, contracts, and interagency agreements.  For over a decade, CB has provided funding for a growing network of National Resource Centers (NRCs), Child Welfare Information Gateway, and other child welfare T/TA providers.

T/TA Network members serve a variety of systems, agencies, organizations, and institutions and perform a diverse range of services.  Despite being authorized by different statutes and charged with diverse tasks and objectives, members of the T/TA Network are collectively charged with the successful promotion of systems change that will ultimately improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in the United States and its territories.  T/TA Network members hold program-specific topical expertise in multiple aspects of child welfare systems and across the continuum of child welfare practice and as such, they are expected to provide States and Tribes with the necessary information, T/TA, and consultation to build capacity within their child welfare systems.  Together, T/TA Network members are expected to facilitate positive change in service delivery, and in some cases comprehensive cross-system reforms, that collectively build systemic capacity and result in more effective and promising practice.

Knowledge development and transfer, leadership development, information management, and dissemination of effective and promising practices have all been key objectives of the T/TA Network.  While network members have overlapping responsibilities in several of these areas, their roles are also complementary.  National Quality Improvement Centers (NQICs) develop knowledge by demonstrating and evaluating innovative practices.  NRCs transfer knowledge to State, Tribal, and local systems and identify evidence-based approaches, while serving as repositories of national expertise in topical areas of child welfare.  Child Welfare Information Gateway houses, manages, produces and disseminates child welfare information and resources.  The Workforce Institute delivers training and cultivates leadership among professionals in child welfare.  The Technical Assistance Implementation Centers provide resources and in-depth, long-term technical assistance to implement multi-year State and Tribal projects for systemic change.  Other members of the T/TA Network support similar activities intended to build capacity, improve systems, and improve policy and practice in child welfare.  (More information about T/TA Network members can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/tta/index.htm.)

CB NRCs are important members of the CB T/TA Network.  The following table lists CB NRC funding opportunities that are being announced in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.

One T/TA Network

CB expects for its T/TA providers to function as "one T/TA Network." Members are expected to function as a seamless entity in their provision of T/TA service delivery to States and Tribes.  They are expected to individually provide topical expertise as a part of the whole T/TA Network; each member of the Network is expected to: collaborate; coordinate their T/TA; perform project activities that complement one another; subscribe to common principles; cross refer to the appropriate T/TA Network member as needed to be responsive to the needs of States and Tribes; and participate fully in common messaging that clearly identifies each provider with the T/TA Network.

Whenever a T/TA Network member performs activities and provides T/TA that are either entirely or partially supported by CB, these services must be clearly identified with the T/TA Network and perceived by the individual provider's client to be a service of CB.  States and Tribes should be made aware of any existing T/TA Network efforts related to their child welfare systems.  All T/TA Network members are expected to inform their clients about the full array of relevant T/TA Network resources when addressing requests for T/TA.  Integrated service delivery must be pursued when beneficial to the client and collaboration shall take precedence over concerns about an individual T/TA provider's scope of responsibility.  A T/TA Network member is expected to consult and partner with its Network peers at the request of a client or if additional support or expertise is appropriate, when such collaboration would increase the likelihood of successfully achieving the objectives of the T/TA, and/or when it is appropriate to do so in order to effectively address the T/TA needs of the client.

Coordination

For several years, CB has worked closely with the T/TA Network to continuously develop a more coordinated strategy and approach to working with States and Tribes.  This was a progression from the previous work and mission of NRCs, which historically worked independently of one another in the provision of T/TA.  Collaboration, communication, and coordination among T/TA Network members have greatly increased as a result of this evolution.  Membership in the T/TA Network has been expanded in response to the important contributions that these CB initiatives collectively offer in building capacity for systemic change.  T/TA Network members have developed into a community of resources and centers of topical expertise that are flexible, responsive, collaborative, and coordinated in responding to changing Federal priorities and emerging challenges from the field.  To this end, CB is committed to continuing to plan, implement, and foster a stronger, formalized, coordinated, and seamless T/TA strategy across the network of T/TA providers to support State and Tribal child welfare systems in their change efforts.

CB does not expect any individual T/TA provider to have comprehensive expertise across all aspects of child welfare practice in a child welfare system.  Therefore, NRCs are expected to regularly engage with their peers in joint consultation, training, and other T/TA activities when collaboration or partnership is necessary to most effectively serve clients' T/TA needs.  NRCs will collaborate and work closely with Federal staff in CB central and regional offices when States and Tribes submit requests for on-site T/TA and other substantial services.  Each NRC will follow all approval and coordination procedures for T/TA requests and will work cooperatively with the entity designated by CB to coordinate T/TA delivery.  Each NRC will be prepared to serve, if necessary, as a facilitator of collaborative consultation and training in response to T/TA requests related to its area of focus and topical expertise.  NRCs will refer requests to other T/TA Network members when appropriate and collaborate when the expertise of more than one provider is necessary to achieve the objectives of a T/TA request or need.   CB expects T/TA Network members to operate collectively as a single, integrated T/TA service delivery system, providing coordinated and timely implementation delivery of T/TA that avoids delays or duplication of effort.

Child Welfare Monitoring and Technical Assistance

CB employs several monitoring tools, including CFSRs, Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Assessment Review, and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) Assessment Review, to ensure conformity with Federal child welfare requirements and to help States achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for children.  (For more information about child welfare monitoring, see http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/index.htm.)

Section 1123A of the Social Security Act requires that technical assistance be made available to States, to the extent feasible, to enable them to develop and implement corrective action plans that address those areas needing improvement.  Program Improvement Plans (PIPs) have become an important tool for planning corrective action and pursuing strategies for change.  PIPs are expected to build on child welfare systems' strengths and address areas needing improvement which were identified during Federal monitoring reviews.  PIPs emphasize building capacity and implementing changes that will improve child welfare outcomes. 

While the work of several T/TA Network members focuses on improving State and Tribal compliance with Federal requirements, helping jurisdictions apply the knowledge gained from Federal child welfare monitoring reviews, and assisting with the development and implementation of PIPs, the ultimate purpose of the T/TA Network is to improve child welfare systems, build capacity, and to support States and Tribes in achieving sustainable, systemic change that yields better outcomes for children, youth, and families.  CB has learned that systemic reform requires a proactive approach to T/TA as well as a commitment to strategic, focused, and sustained planning and implementation.

Specific strategies adopted by a State or Tribe to improve a particular outcome or an area of practice must be part of a larger, cohesive, and comprehensive vision for change that permeates the child welfare system at all levels of responsibility and leadership.  The principles that drive the change effort need to inform and infuse each step of the reform process and to be supported before, during, and after implementation.

Systems of Care Framework and CFSR Guiding Principles

T/TA Network members who provide services directly to child welfare agencies and courts are expected to subscribe to a common set of guiding principles.  The Systems of Care (SOC) framework and CFSR principles have become the foundation for an evolving model of practice that guides the manner in which the T/TA Network entities supports States and Tribes in their pursuit of necessary systemic change.  CB expects T/TA Network members to operate collectively as a single, integrated T/TA service delivery system.

Adopted from its application in the mental health field, SOC refers to a conceptual framework and set of principles that directs child welfare agencies and systems to pursue individualized, coordinated, and holistic approaches to working with children, youth, and families.  In child welfare, SOC is characterized by shared, cross-cutting principles and a continuum of integrated services from prevention to permanency support that span programs, agencies, and institutions.  A SOC approach is community-based, child-centered, family-focused, strengths-based, culturally competent, and comprehensive.  It addresses the physical, mental, emotional, social, educational, and developmental needs of children, youth and their families while taking into account the individual, family, community, and broader systemic risk and protective factors that contribute to a child's safety and well-being.  (More information regarding SOC can be found at http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service/soc/.)

The guiding principles of the CFSR are consistent with this SOC framework.  Child safety, permanency, and well-being are closely tied to principles of service delivery for effective practice including: prevention services; family-focused and community-based services; flexible, accessible, and coordinated services; culturally appropriate services; and strengths-based and individualized services.  Services should be organized along a continuum and linked to a wide service array to meet the multiple service needs of children, youth, and families.  The principles of the CFSR are more commonly described to be:

• Family-centered practice;
  
  
• Community-based services;
  
  
• Individualizing services; and
  
  
• Strengthening the capacity of families.

In the context of T/TA service delivery, subscribing to SOC and CFSR principles means that NRCs are expected to collaborate with other T/TA Network members and CB and to collectively offer client-centered, individualized, and strengths-based services to States and Tribes.  NRCs will occupy a critical niche in an array of T/TA service providers who address multiple legislative and child welfare service priorities and address practice areas across the continuum of child welfare service delivery.  NRC's T/TA will be proactive, collaborative, coordinated, accessible, and culturally competent.

Together, members of the T/TA Network will build relationships and engage child welfare systems.  Frequently, they will conduct joint assessments, provide collaborative consultation, and produce shared products, particularly in programmatic areas where T/TA entities share responsibility for practice issues.  Network members will accept individual and shared accountability for the quality of their consultation and products and their ability to facilitate sustainable systemic change.  Furthermore, NRCs are responsible for ensuring that the consumers of its T/TA, State and Tribal child welfare systems and ultimately the children, youth, and families they serve, have a voice in decision-making regarding the quality and content of service provision.  T/TA Network members will work with States and Tribes to consider how system change activities will support a seamless experience of service delivery for children, youth and families.  (Further information about implementing SOC principles in child welfare can be found in Primer Hands On Child Welfare, Improving Child Welfare Outcomes through Systems of Care: Building the Infrastructure, and other publications at http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service/soc/build/soctoolkit.cfm.  More information about changing systems can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/changing_culture.htm.)

While its approach to service delivery must be aligned with the SOC framework and CFSR principles, the substance of NRC's T/TA activities will be guided by them as well.  Whether assessing systemic problems, constructing strategic plans, facilitating dialogue, or designing T/TA with its State and Tribal consumers, NRCs will observe and critically examine management and practice issues through the lens of the CFSR and SOC principles.  While these principles are central to the T/TA Network's operation and vision for change, CB does not expect NRCs to uniformly advise States and Tribes to adopt the SOC framework or to articulate their principles in the same way.  States and Tribes will differ significantly in their strengths and challenges, organizational cultures, visions for the future, and strategies for change.  CB intends for SOC and CFSR principles to guide NRC's service delivery approach rather than become prescribed content that is uniformly disseminated to States and Tribes.  NRCs are expected to tailor their T/TA to each of its clients and to consider the impact of service delivery as children, youth and families are transitioned to different programs within the child welfare agency.

Once a State or Tribe has identified a particular need, barrier, or issue that requires attention, an NRC is expected to partner with its T/TA peers, CB, and the client to comprehensively assess and mutually define the problem in the context of broader systemic conditions.  Rather than assuming that a problem is isolated, NRCs will approach identified problems as opportunities for further investigation, broad systems thinking, and change that will result in sustainable improvement.

Working with CB Research and Demonstration Grantees

CB awards discretionary research and demonstration grants for projects that test innovative approaches to addressing a variety of child welfare issues.  NRCs will be expected to consider the knowledge being developed by these projects as a potential resource.  Throughout the life of their cooperative agreements, NRCs will work with their Federal Project Officers (FPOs) and others to identify topically relevant discretionary grant activities, to determine areas of knowledge being developed by these grantees that could be utilized by NRC as it provides T/TA, and to make the most of potential connections between CB's knowledge development and knowledge transfer initiatives.  Information about CB Research and Demonstration grants is available through the Discretionary Grants Library.  This is an online tool that allows users to search for and view CB program announcements and other information related to specific CB grant projects: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/index.htm#disc  

The National Resource Center for Child Protective Services

T/TA by NRCCPS will assist State, local, Tribal, and other publicly administered or publicly supported child welfare agencies to:

• Implement the Federal legislation administered by CB; with a particular focus on the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA);
  
  
• Institutionalize a safety-focused, family-centered, and community-based approach to meet the multiple and complex needs of children, youth and families who come to the attention of Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies;
  
  
• Assess children, youth and families' strengths and needs and identify when children and youth are at risk;
  
  
• Engage families, children and youth in developing a plan to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors;
  
  
• Provide family support and oversight after family reunification to prevent recurrence of maltreatment;
  
  
• Engage all family members, including fathers in comprehensive assessment, case planning, and receipt of appropriate services; and
  
  
• Collaborate with community members and other related disciplines to develop coordinated plans for family support and the safety of children and youth.

NRCCPS will provide T/TA and consultation on the requirements of CAPTA.  Special attention will be given to assisting States in improving conformity with the outcomes and systemic factors defined in CFSR.

A primary focus of NRCCPS will be to work with other CB T/TA providers to assist States and Tribes in planning and implementing systemic change as defined in the States' Child and Family Services Plan and the program improvement plans (PIPs) related to all Federal monitoring reviews.

The most recent annual data from the States (Child Maltreatment 2006) indicate that some 905,000 children and youth were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect.   During the same period, an estimated 1,530 children and youth died as a result of abuse of neglect.  Abuse and neglect are the most frequent reasons for children and youth to be removed from their homes and placed in out-of-home care.  Preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility and requires a community effort.  However, the day to day responsibility for prevention and intervention rests with the State, Tribal and local Child Protective Services (CPS) agency.

CAPTA is one of the key pieces of legislation that guides child protection.  CAPTA provides guidelines and funding for States and Tribes regarding implementing child protection programs and services.  Through this legislation, Congress asserts that a successful response to child maltreatment requires a comprehensive, integrated, culturally sensitive, and coordinated approach that supports necessary training for professionals.

CB employs several monitoring tools including the CFSR, Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Assessment Review, and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) Assessment Review to ensure conformity with Federal child welfare and child protection requirements and to help States achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth.  The most recent results of these monitoring efforts, in particular the CFSR; demonstrate that States continue to struggle to meet requirements for child safety in both in-home and out-of- home care and to prevent initial and recurring child maltreatment. 

NRCCPS is designed to provide the necessary information, T/TA, and consultation to improve systems and build capacity within child protection systems to prevent and respond appropriately to child abuse and neglect.  NRCCPS' mandate is consistent with the CAPTA requirements for programs to train professionals that work in the field of child welfare and for the establishment of resource centers for the purpose of disseminating information to the field.

Expectations

NRCCPS will support the delivery of child welfare services in modalities which reflect family-centered, community-based and individually-focused approaches.  Improvement of systems and enhancement of service delivery models which strengthen such practices will be viewed as a relevant consideration in development of T/TA activities.  NRCCPS will be expected to promote the following practices:

• Family-centered practice designed to strengthen and empower families to protect and nurture their children; safely preserve family relationships and connections when appropriate; recognize the strong influence social systems have on individual behavior; enhance family autonomy; respect the rights, values and cultures of families; and focus on an entire family rather than selected individuals within a family.
  
  
• Community-based services designed to support the needs of children and youth within the context of their families and communities; emphasize prevention-oriented services and support; and provide local communities a role in identifying, designing, implementing and overseeing services within the community. 
  
  
• Individualized services designed to tailor interventions to meet the specific needs of children, youth and families served; recognize that children, youth and families are affected by both individual and environmental factors; recognize that children, youth, families and the environments in which they operate are unique; and offer children, youth and families opportunities to provide input into their strengths, needs, and goals and the means to achieve those goals.

In collaboration with other members of the T/TA Network and CB, NRCCPS will work with States and Tribes across the nation to address both specific problems and broad child welfare performance issues.  NRCCPS will:

• Subscribe to a Systems of Care (SOC) framework and CFSR principles in the coordination, administration, and delivery of TA;
  
  
• Support and facilitate peer-to-peer mentoring and networking between State and Tribal child welfare systems and courts;
  
  
• Perform outreach and marketing that will engage and inform States and Tribes and prompt their participation in utilization of available T/TA and other resources from appropriate members of the CB T/TA Network;
  
  
• Build the capacity of State and Tribal child welfare systems to achieve systemic change and improve outcomes for children, youth and families;
  
  
• Provide T/TA that builds State, court and Tribal capacity to develop and implement culturally competent systems and to ensure that child welfare services are provided in a culturally competent manner;
  
  
• Demonstrate a commitment to meaningful stakeholder involvement by building State and Tribal capacity to consistently involve courts, youth, families, Tribes and other relevant stakeholders in program planning, implementation and evaluation and other systems change initiatives;
  
  
• Partner closely with CB, other members of the T/TA Network, States, Tribes, and other stakeholders;
  
  
• Provide proactive T/TA that supports the implementation of State, Tribal and court strategies for improved child welfare and child protection practice;
  
  
• Utilize the experience and expertise of CB Central and Regional Offices, other members of the T/TA Network, stakeholders, and other resources; making referrals and developing collaborative T/TA strategies when appropriate;
  
  
• Provide coordinated and individualized T/TA that supports existing services and resources available to States, Tribes and courts;
  
  
• Develop and conduct self evaluation and use the results for continuous quality improvement;
  
  
• Participate fully in any national evaluation activities sponsored by CB, if applicable; and
  
  
• Consider the knowledge being developed by CB discretionary research and demonstration projects as a potential resource in the T/TA they provide, as described in the background section of this program announcement.

Roles and responsibilities  

The Children's Bureau has supported a national resource center devoted to child maltreatment issues for more than two decades.  NRCCPS is responsible to assist States and Tribes to effectively implement the requirements of CAPTA and, within the scope of these requirements, to develop knowledge, identify emerging trends, manage resources, transfer knowledge of effective and promising practices, and provide T/TA to support systemic change.

NRCCPS will make its T/TA available nationwide.  It will serve as a national expert on all areas related to child safety including safety intervention and management, child maltreatment recurrence, and safety decision- making.  NRCCPS will work with States, Tribes and courts on strategies for CPS intake, investigation and/or assessment, case disposition and case planning.

T/TA activities to be conducted by NRCCPS will include, but are not limited to:

1. Conducting regular and ongoing assessments of State, local and Tribal child protective services and courts needs, incorporating applicable findings from other statewide needs assessments processes such as the CFSR;
   
   
2. Assisting States, Tribes and courts in improving the delivery of  investigation, comprehensive assessment, intervention and treatment services to at-risk, abused or neglected children, youth and their families;
   
   
3. Providing T/TA and consultation directly on-site as well as through state-of-the-art communication and technology-based methods to State, local, Tribal child welfare and child protective services agencies and courts;
   
   
4. Supporting States in the development and implementation of their PIPs regarding child abuse and neglect related issues identified through the CFSR;
   
   
5. Fostering an understanding, appreciation and knowledge of family-centered practices including healthy marriage, community collaboration strategies, individualized services; and how substance abuse, mental illness and domestic violence relate to  child maltreatment prevention and intervention strategies;
   
   
6. Identifying, disseminating and supporting the implementation of promising and innovative practices that address emerging issues related to child abuse and neglect prevention, investigation, assessment, intervention, and treatment using a family-centered approach;
   
   
7. Building the capacity of child welfare and child protection agencies and courts for systems change by developing and disseminating materials, including curricula, guidelines and training materials;
   
   
8. Providing financial support and effective coordination for the State Liaison Officers (SLOs) for child protective services and the Children's Justice Act (CJA) state coordinators and task forces.  The purpose of these collegial groups is to keep each other informed on the latest program, policy and practice developments, laws, and strategies to maintain efficient, state-of-the art child protection and children's justice programs to improve the outcomes of safety and well-being for children and youth at risk of being abused or neglected.  It is anticipated that the SLOs and CJA grantees will meet once a year to discuss relevant issues and will include relevant CB staff in the meeting;
   
   
9. Working with CB regional offices to facilitate regional roundtables on topics of interest to SLO's, CJA, CBCAP, PSSF and other related CB grantees as well as regional meetings of the Citizen Review Panels, as required by CAPTA;
   
   
10. Be knowledgeable of all members of CB's T/TA Network including CB's newly funded National Quality Improvement Center (QIC) on Differential Response in Child Protective Services and National QIC on Preventing the Abuse and Neglect of Infants and Young Children;
    
    
11. Conducting a range of special initiatives based on evolving needs, including:
    1. Ensuring safety of placements;
    2. Replicating successful practice models;   
    3. Developing successful implementation guidelines; 
    4. Implementing effective supervision as a key ingredient in systemic reform;
    5. Interviewing and information collection to support quality decision making; 
    6. Addressing disproportionality in safety decision making; and
    7. Implementing comprehensive assessments.
12. Participating in twice-a-year team meetings of CB's T/TA Network;
    
    
13. Collaborating with other CB T/TA Network members, other related agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services and other agents of CB to strengthen T/TA efforts, avoid duplication and manage resources effectively;
    
    
14. Providing data needed by CB's national cross site evaluator to evaluate the results and benefits of the T/TA provided by NRCCPS; and
    
    
15. Providing information and cooperation needed by CB as it manages, maintains and updates, to improve functionality when needed, the web-based tracking system for T/TA requests.  This system enables CB to track NRC responses to T/TA requests.

Dissemination

NRCCPS will be a repository for information and resources and a vehicle for dissemination for products that address a broad range of issues related to its topical areas of responsibility in the T/TA Network.  NRCCPS is also expected to play a critical role in the dissemination of evidence-based and evidence-informed practices.

Evidence-Based Practices are approaches to prevention or treatment that are validated by some form of documented scientific evidence.  This could be findings established through scientific research, such as controlled clinical studies, but other methods of establishing evidence may be valid.  

Evidence-Informed Practices use the best available research and practice knowledge to guide program design and implementation within context.  This informed practice allows for innovation and incorporates the lessons learned from the existing research literature.

CB expects NRCCPS to be the point of contact for easily accessible, well-organized, and user-friendly resources for States and Tribes.  In addition to storing and organizing information, NRCCPS will be responsible for assessing the quality of its resources and for being knowledgeable about their content.  NRCCPS will make general information about itself, the T/TA Network, applicable programs and services, as well as specific training curricula, research, reports, tools, or other resources widely available.  NRCCPS is expected to consult with the Child Welfare Information Gateway and other T/TA Network members to capitalize on opportunities to link useful information and facilitate easy navigation by website users without unnecessarily duplicating effort.

Collaboration

NRCCPS will lead collaborative efforts in its area of topical expertise.  It will also partner with other CB and the T/TA Network members to address important systemic and practice issues that are closely linked to child protection service delivery but for which NRCCPS will not have principal responsibility.  For example, CB expects NRCCPS to partner closely with: the National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse and Prevention (FRIENDS) in the areas of prevention of child abuse and neglect; the National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response on issues related to alternative response; the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections on reunification and safety in out-of home placement services; the National Resource Center for Youth Development on aftercare and safety for youth, and the National Resource Center for Adoption regarding post-adoption services.  In areas of child welfare service delivery and practice that are common across multiple program areas, such as family support services, family engagement, and assessment of safety and risk, NRCCPS will collaborate with its peers to provide resources and T/TA that are most appropriate in the context of child protection services.

In addition, NRCCPS will provide consultation to CB's Regional Technical Assistance Implementation Centers and participate in collaborative assessment activities and preparation that will support their execution of implementation projects.  NRCCPS will work with Child Welfare Information Gateway to ensure that products and resources are easily accessible and effectively disseminated.  It will also partner with the National Resource Center for Tribes to support the provision of effective, culturally competent, child protection services in Tribal communities.  NRCCPS will explore opportunities to collaborate with other T/TA Network members, such as the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute and the National Quality Improvement Centers to improve training related to child protection service and to understand new findings related to engaging nonresident fathers, establishing public-private child welfare partnerships, implementing differential response, and preventing maltreatment of young children.

National cross-site evaluation

NRCCPS must allocate funds and devote sufficient resources to participate fully in a national cross-site evaluation and to conduct its own center-specific evaluation activities.

NRCCPS will participate fully in CB's National Cross-site Evaluation of the T/TA Network.  The cross-site evaluation employs a participatory and utilization-focused approach to 1) evaluate the activities, processes, and approaches of the CB T/TA Network members in their efforts to successfully achieve systems change, and 2) examine the degree to which networking, collaboration, information sharing, adherence to common principles, and common messaging occurs across the T/TA Network.  The National Cross-site Evaluation of the T/TA Network began its design phase in Federal Fiscal Year 2009.

NRCCPS will have regular contact with the cross-site evaluation contractor and participate as an important stakeholder in the evaluation.  NRCCPS will be actively involved in the execution of the cross-site evaluation, participating as necessary in the development of evaluation instruments, collection of qualitative and quantitative information, interpretation of data, and utilization of findings.  NRCCPS will be required to enter information into the T/TA Network's automated data collection system within the timeframes set by CB and the cross-site evaluation.  CB expects regular and timely reporting of on-site T/TA and other activities into the web-based tracking system currently known as the Technical Assistance Tracking Internet System (TATIS).  NRCCPS will be responsible for including a quality assurance component in its evaluation plan that tracks timely and accurate reporting into the system.

Center-specific evaluation

In addition to performing evaluation activities that meet the requirements of the cross-site evaluation, NRCCPS will conduct its own center-specific evaluation activities.  CB expects NRCCPS to regularly evaluate its performance and to use this information to improve its processes and services.  NRCCPS will design and conduct an evaluation using multiple measures, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods as necessary.  Center-specific evaluation activities must complement NRCCPS' participation in the cross-site evaluation and avoid unnecessary duplication.

In its center-specific evaluation activities, NRCCPS will build on the components of the national cross-site evaluation, addressing more nuanced questions or examining different evaluation questions that are likely to yield practical information and promote the improvement of its T/TA modalities.  Center-specific evaluation findings are expected to be substantive, highlighting both project strengths and challenges.  During the course of the project period, NRCCPS will facilitate communication for the purpose of T/TA improvement ("feedback loops"), ensuring that its findings are shared with other members of the T/TA Network and CB's Central and Regional Offices.

A list of potential "domains" and examples of questions for center-specific evaluation can be found in Section IV.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: APPROACH.

Upon award of the cooperative agreements, NRCCPS will share its preliminary center-specific evaluation plans with other members of the T/TA Network and the cross-site evaluation contractor.  NRCs may choose to include common evaluation components (i.e., methods, collection tools, processes, outputs, and/or outcomes) in their center-specific designs, particularly when evaluating joint activities and collaborative T/TA that is provided to a State or Tribal child welfare system by multiple T/TA Network members.

All evaluation plans must be approved by the FPO.  Prior to beginning its evaluation activities, NRCCPS will review and revise its center-specific evaluation design in partnership with CB.

NRCCPS will regularly update its FPO about ongoing evaluation activities and findings in required progress reporting and provide CB with a written report at the end of the project.  NRCs will collaborate with each other, their State and Tribal partners, CB, the national evaluation contractor, and other members of the T/TA Network when necessary to produce a comprehensive evaluation report at the conclusion of the project period and present findings to CB, the T/TA Network, and other stakeholders.

Specific tasks to be performed-Planning Phase

Each applicant is required to submit a narrative (with accompanying logic model and charts such as a Gantt chart, bar chart or other chart that illustrates project schedules) that clearly and concisely describes its strategy for a six-month Planning Phase (Phase I) followed by a 54-month Implementation Phase (Phase II). 

During the Planning Phase, NRCCPS will:

• Meet with CB Federal Project Officer (FPO) and other representatives of CB to discuss the scope of work of NRCCPS in the context of the current environment;
  
  
• Work with CB FPO to transition all materials and other resources from the previous NRCCPS grantee as appropriate and needed;
  
  
• Identify the roles and responsibilities of other T/TA Network members  to determine the relationship of these entities to the work of NRCCPS;
  
  
• Build and strengthen relationships with CB, other members of the T/TA Network, and other key stakeholders;
  
  
• Initiate needs assessment of relevant State and Tribal constituents;
  
  
• Prepare final marketing plan, based on draft submitted in application, including materials and other resources to engage and inform the constituencies of NRCCPS services and resources;
  
  
• Review the work plan submitted as part of the application process to determine areas that need to be revised or strengthened based on new information obtained;
  
  
• Work with CB FPO, CB ROs, and others as required to identify and implement the plan for coordinating with the ROs,  and other T/TA Network members in the provision of T/TA;
  
  
• Work with CB FPOs, CB ROs and other CB T/TA Network members  to identify any changes in process for receiving, reviewing and approving T/TA requests from States and Tribes; 
  
  
• Assess NRCCPS self-evaluation plan in relation to the requirements of CB's plan for a National Cross Site Evaluation of the CB T/TA Network;
  
  
• Work with FPOs for SLOs and CJA Grants to design the plan for supporting grantees through materials development, teleconferences, meetings, web pages, and other identified resources and media;
  
  
• Obtain approval from CB FPO for revised plans; and
  
  
• Respond to T/TA requests from States and Tribes.

Specific tasks to be performed-Implementation Phase

During the Implementation Phase, NRCCPS will:

• Implement revised work plan;
  
  
• Implement marketing and outreach plan to engage States and Tribes;
  
  
• Continue assessment and analysis of needs and strengths of States and Tribes begun during the Planning Phase;
  
  
• Respond to T/TA requests and provide coordinated and individualized T/TA that supports the implementation of strategies for systems change;
• Collaborate and regularly consult with CB FPO, CB ROs, and other members of the T/TA Network;
  
  
• Collaborate with CB T/TA Network members to develop individualized strategies which address the specific needs of State and Tribal child welfare systems;
  
  
• Support SLOs and CJA grantees through various communication and knowledge development strategies including providing CJA and SLO web pages on NRCCPS web site, sponsoring up to 3 teleconferences and/or webinars each year for each group (6 total per year), and preparing quarterly newsletters for each;
  
  
• Support the SLOs and CJA grantees in the development and implementation of their annual grantee meetings  in Washington, DC (up to 2 days in length each), including convening and directing their individual planning committees in the identification of specific needs, issues, trends, speakers, and knowledge development related to child maltreatment including investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases; 
  
  
• Assist States and Tribes in disseminating knowledge and promising practices though peer-to-peer T/TA and presentations;
  
  
• Actively participate in knowledge development, dissemination and implementation initiatives;
  
  
• Annually review work plan incorporating the information gained from T/TA and evaluation activities as well as findings from the CFSR;
  
  
• Collect evaluation data and coordinate data collection with the National Cross Site Evaluator; and
  
  
• Complete required reporting and distribute evaluation findings.

In its application, each applicant must describe how it will complete its required and proposed activities within the planning and implementation phases of the project.  After the award of the cooperative agreements and prior to implementation, plans may be revised to accommodate coordination of activities with other grantees.  The applicant's plans will be subject to review, revision, and final approval by CB. 

Logic Model

The applicant is required to submit in its application a logic model for its planning and implementation.  The logic model also must accompany all subsequent submissions of plans related to this announcement to CB.

Travel for Meetings, Conferences, and Presentations

Approximately six weeks after the award of the cooperative agreement, NRCCPS project director, the project evaluator, and representatives of other key partners and/or subcontractors involved in the execution of the award, if applicable, will be required to attend a one-day kickoff meeting with the Federal project officer and other Federal staff in Washington, D.C.  The purpose of this meeting is to review and approve activities and planning timelines in year one of the award and to clarify expectations for the project.

The applicant's budget for the first 12-month budget period should include anticipated costs for this meeting, as well as costs for two key staff persons to participate in up to two additional CB sponsored meetings.  In addition, NRCCPS project director or another designated representative will attend T/TA Network meetings held twice annually in the Washington, D.C. metro area over the duration of the five-year project period.  All expenses related to attendance at these two-day meetings as well as the one-day kickoff meeting and the two additional meetings should be included in the applicant's proposed budget. 

Project Requirements

The acceptance of funds for projects responsive to this announcement will signify the applicant's assurance that it will comply with the following requirements:

II. AWARD INFORMATION

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

Additional Information on Awards:

The cooperative agreement awarded will be for a project period of 60 months.  The initial award will be for a 12-month budget period.  The award of continuation beyond each 12-month budget period will be subject to satisfactory progress on the part of the awardee and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Federal Government.

Description of Anticipated Substantial Involvement under the Cooperative Agreement:

A cooperative agreement is a specific method of awarding Federal assistance in which substantial Federal involvement is anticipated. A cooperative agreement clearly defines the respective responsibilities of CB and the grantee prior to the award. CB anticipates that agency involvement will produce programmatic benefits to the recipient otherwise unavailable to them for carrying out the project. The involvement and collaboration includes:

• CB review and approval of planning stages of the activities before implementation phases may begin;
  
  
• CB and recipient joint collaboration in the performance of key programmatic activities (i.e., strategic planning, implementation, information technology enhancements, T/TA, publications or products, and evaluation);
  
  
• Close monitoring by CB of the requirements stated in this announcement that limit the grantee's discretion with respect to scope of services offered, organizational structure, and management processes; and
  
  
• Close monitoring by CB during performance which may, in order to ensure compliance with the intent of this funding, exceed those Federal stewardship responsibilities customary for grant activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

Collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary approaches are acceptable. Applications from collaborations must identify a primary applicant responsible for administering the cooperative agreement.

Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement.

Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply under this announcement.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: None

3. Other:

Disqualification Factors

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
Phone:  866-796-1591
Phone 2:  or TTY 711
Email: cb@dixongroup.com

2. Content and Form of Application Submission:

Each application must contain the following items in the order listed:

Application for Federal Assistance.  (Standard Form (SF) 424, SF-424A and SF-424-B).  Follow the instructions that accompany the forms and those in Section IV.2, Application Review Information.

Certifications/Assurances.  See Forms, Assurances, and Certifications, below.

Table of Contents.  List the major sections of the application, and show the page that each section begins on.

Project Summary/Abstract (one page maximum, double spaced).  See Section IV.2, Project Description.  Clearly mark this page with the applicant name as shown on SF-424, identify the program announcement and the title of the proposed project as shown on SF-424 and the service area as shown on SF-424.  The summary description should not exceed 300 words.

Care should be taken to produce a summary/abstract that accurately and concisely reflects the proposed project.

The Project Description.  Applicants should organize their project description in this sequence: 1) Objectives and Need for Assistance; 2) Approach; 3) Evaluation; 4) Organizational Profiles; and 5) Budget and Budget Justification.  

Budget and Budget Justification.  Include information on the required cost item of Travel for Meetings and Presentations (see Section I).

Indirect Charges.  If claiming indirect costs, provide documentation that the applicant currently has an indirect cost-rate approved by HHS or another cognizant Federal agency.

Third-Party Agreements.  If applicable, include a letter of commitment or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from each partner and/or contractor describing their role, detailing specific project tasks to be performed, and expressing commitment to participate if the proposed project is funded.  Note: General letters of support not expressing specific commitments are not required and will not be considered by reviewers under the evaluation criteria.

Staff and Position Data.   Include job descriptions and curriculum vitae/ resumes for proposed project staff.

Page Limit.  The length of the entire application package may be less than but must not exceed 110 pages.  This includes but is not limited to the required Federal Standard Forms and certifications (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, and Certification Regarding Lobbying), table of contents, project summary, project description, logic model, charts, budget/budget justification, supplemental documentation, proof of non-profit status, summaries of sub-grants and contracts, letters of agreement, resumes, CVs and any other pages included in the application package.  All pages of the application package must be sequentially numbered, beginning with page one.  All pages of each application will be counted to determine total length.  All pages exceeding the 110 page limit will be removed and will not be considered in the reviewing process.  A cover letter and general letters of support are not required.  Applicants are reminded that if a cover letter and general letters of support are submitted, they will count towards the 110-page limit.

Each applicant must organize its application in the order listed in this section and number all application pages.  Pages will be counted in the order they are submitted in hard copy and numbered when received electronically.  All pages that exceed the page limit will be removed and will not be reviewed.

General Content and Form Information.  To be considered for funding, each application must be submitted with the Standard Federal Forms and must follow 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 award.

The project description must be typed and double-spaced on a single side of 8.5 x 11 inch plain white paper with a least one inch margins on all sides, using black print with 12-point size Times New Roman font.

For charts, budget tables, supplemental letters and documents, applicants may use a different point size and font, but no less than 10-point size and single spaced.

All copies of an application must be submitted in a single package.   A separate package must be submitted for each funding opportunity.  The package must be clearly labeled for the specific funding opportunity 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.  Use a clip (not a staple) to securely bind the application together.  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 and support the purpose and objectives of the applicable legislation.   Reviewers expect applicants to understand the goals of the legislation and CB's interest in each topic.  A "responsive application" is one that addresses and follows all of the evaluation criteria in ways that demonstrate this understanding.  Applications that are considered to be "unresponsive" or do not clearly address the evaluation criteria or program requirements generally receive very low scores and are rarely funded.

CB's website (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb) provides a wide range of information and links to other relevant websites.  Before preparing an application, applicants can learn more about CB's mission and programs by exploring the website.

Organizing the Application.  Reviewers will use the specific evaluation criteria in Section V of this funding announcement 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) Evaluation; 4) Organizational Profiles; and 5) Budget and Budget Justification.  The applicant must use the same headings as these criteria, so that reviewers can readily find information that directly addresses each of the specific review criteria.

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 available on the Internet at www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/developing/toolkit/.

Evaluation.   Project evaluations are very important.  If the applicant does not have the in-house capacity to conduct an objective, comprehensive evaluation of the project, then CB advises that the applicant contract with a third-party evaluator specializing in social science or evaluation, or a university or college, to conduct the evaluation.   In either case, it is important that the evaluator has the necessary independence from the project to assure objectivity.  A skilled evaluator can help develop a logic model and assist in designing an evaluation strategy that is rigorous and appropriate given the goals and objectives of the 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 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/pm_guide_eval/reports/pmguide/pmguide_toc.html.

Protection of Human Subjects.    See "Certifications" later in this section. General information about the HHS Protection of Human Subjects regulations can be obtained at http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/.  Applicants may also contact OHRP by email (ohrp@csophs.dhhs.gov) by phone (240-453-6900) or by Toll-Free Telephone within the U.S. (866) 447-4777.

Electronic Submission

Applicants that submit their application electronically are advised to be sure that they secure and retain their service ticket number for reference whenever they have any interaction with the Grants.gov Contact Center.

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: 04/27/2009

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

ACF will not 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:

6. Other Submission Requirements:

Submission by Mail

Hand Delivery

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. CRITERIA:

OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE - 20 points

In reviewing the objectives and need for assistance, reviewers will consider the extent to which:

1. The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding of  the Child and Family Services Review principles that will guide the project's activities; 2) capacity building and systemic change; 3) the goals and requirements of the applicable legislative mandates; 4) the structure and purpose of the T/TA Network; and 5) the role and purpose of NRCCPS.
   
   
2. The applicant demonstrates a thorough understanding of child protective services and interventions.
   1. Citing appropriate legislation, literature, and other sources, the applicant concisely demonstrates a strong historical understanding of risk assessment, safety planning, parental capacity building, and discusses current, best and promising child protection program models and interventions.
      
      
   2. Citing sufficient and appropriate research, literature, and other evidence to support its information, the applicant discuses current, best and promising child protection models and practices that effectively engage families, build parental capacity, reduce risk and ensure safety of children and well being of families. 
3. The applicant demonstrates a clear and thorough understanding of the State and Tribal needs for /TA related to child protection.
   1. Citing relevant data, CFSR findings, research, literature, and/or other evidence, the applicant demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of State and Tribal child welfare/child protection systems and the issues these systems face. 
      
      
   2. The applicant demonstrates a clear and thorough understanding of the need for coordinated training and technical assistance about all aspects of public child protection including receiving and screening reports, conducting investigations and assessments, providing appropriate interventions and ensuring safety throughout the life of the case.
4. The applicant demonstrates (through research, literature, etc) a thorough knowledge and understanding of multiple capacity building, systemic intervention, and change management methods and strategies in child welfare and child maltreatment systems and the barriers that prevent systemic change from occurring.
   1. The applicant describes the need for effective capacity building and system change approaches in child welfare/child protection and identifies current, best and promising practices for achieving organizational change.
      
      
   2. The applicant demonstrates sufficient knowledge of and sensitivity to challenges faced by State and Tribal child welfare/child protection systems, suggesting that the applicant could successfully engage and provide helpful T/TA to States and Tribes, as described in this announcement
5. The applicant presents a clear, concise, and appropriate vision for the proposed project. 
   1. The applicant provides a clear description of the activities and services to be provided.  The activities and services are linked to a reasonable statement of goals (the intended results of an effective project) and objectives (the measurable steps for reaching these goals) of the proposed project.
      
      
   2. The applicant demonstrates that the goals, objectives and proposed activities reflect an understanding of the priorities described in the "Purpose", "Expectations" and "Roles and Responsibilities" sections of the grant announcement.
      
      
   3. The applicant demonstrates that the goals and measurable objectives for the project will effectively build the capacity of State and Tribal agencies to develop, operate, expand, and enhance effective evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies aimed at improving outcomes for the children, youth and families involved with the child protection system
      

APPROACH - 40 points

In reviewing the approach, reviewers will consider the extent to which:

1. The applicant clearly demonstrates that it would function as a member of "one T/TA Network" as described in the Background section of this funding opportunity announcement.  The application includes a detailed description of how it would collaborate, coordinate its T/TA, perform project activities that complement the work of its CB T/TA Network partners, subscribe to common principles, and participate fully in common messaging that would clearly identify itself with the T/TA Network.
   
   
2. The applicant provides a reasonable timeline (e.g., charts such as a Gantt chart, bar chart or other chart that illustrates project schedules) and narrative for implementing the proposed project, including the activities to be conducted in chronological order, major milestones and target dates.
   1. The applicant describes the factors that could speed or hinder project implementation and proposes how these factors will be managed. 
3. The applicant describes a workable plan of action.  The plan relates to the stated objectives and scope of the project and reflects the intent of the legislative mandates.
   1. The applicant describes a responsive plan for supporting the State Liaison Officers (SLOs), Children's Justice Act (CJA) grantees, CB Regional Offices and Citizen Review Panels as described in the "Roles and Responsibilities" and "Planning and Implementation Tasks" in the grant announcement.  
4. The applicant presents a sound and feasible Planning Phase and Implementation Phase that are consistent with the expectations described in this announcement.
   1. The applicant provides a sound and detailed marketing and outreach plan that is comprehensive, targeted, prioritized, and culturally competent to engage States and Tribes and uses a variety of techniques, approaches and media (technology) as appropriate to its TTA audiences. 
      
      
   2. The applicant describes sound strategies for effectively providing technical assistance and building the capacity of States and Tribes to create and support networks of coordinated resources and activities designed to protect children and strengthen and support families to improve outcomes for the children, youth and families involved with the child protection system.
      
      
   3. The applicant details how its T/TA will be highly accessible, coordinated, and individualized.  The applicant explains how T/TA Network members and stakeholders will be engaged and facilitated to support State and Tribal child welfare/child protection agencies and their partners and how the duplication of efforts and services will be avoided.
      
      
   4. The applicant's approach to T/TA is client-directed and includes sound plans for supporting State and Tribal child welfare/child protection agencies and their partners with expert consultation in assessment, strategic planning, and implementation that is likely to result in systemic change.
5. The applicant describes strategies that promote the movement towards evidence-based and evidence-informed programs and practices.  The applicant's T/TA strategies would ensure that agencies successfully adopt, implement, and sustain these programs.
   1. The applicant provides a detailed plan for delivering intensive T/TA to its State and/or Tribal constituents.  The applicant describes the types of T/TA that it expects to provide and the frequency and intensity of services that will be available.
      
      
   2. The applicant demonstrates a commitment to developing protocols and other joint efforts for coordinated T/TA to States and Tribes with other members of the T/TA Network.  This should include a description of plans to coordinate with the other members of the CB T/TA Network including NRCs, the Regional TA Implementation Centers (ICs), the National Quality Improvement Centers (QICs) and others.
      
      
   3. The applicant demonstrates a commitment to follow all approval and coordination procedures for T/TA requests and work collaboratively with any national T/TA coordinating entity that CB chooses to establish during the course of the project period.
6. The applicant presents a sound plan for promoting, strengthening, and formalizing peer-to-peer consultation and problem-solving across State and Tribal child welfare agencies and their partners.  The applicant should propose networking activities that are likely to increase peer-to-peer learning and transfer of knowledge and communication between State and Tribal child welfare/child protection agencies and their partners.
   1. The applicant's services, program activities, and materials will be developed and provided in a manner that is culturally sensitive to the population being served.
      
      
   2. The applicant describes how it will utilize the knowledge being developed by CB discretionary research and demonstration projects and other related research in its T/TA activities.
      

EVALUATION - 15 points

In reviewing the evaluation plan, reviewers will consider the extent to which:

1. The applicant has provided a well-organized, one-page logic model that clearly links (a) objectives, problems, needs, barriers, or conditions that prevent sustainable systems change that results in greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families; (b) inputs/resources; (c) project activities; (d) outputs; and (e) short and long term outcomes.
   1. The logic model effectively illustrates the project's approach and guides its evaluation plan. 
2. The evaluation strategy addresses both process and outcomes.  The plan includes methods and criteria to evaluate the results and benefits of the technical assistance project in terms of its stated objectives.  The goals and objectives are stated in specific measurable form and will document change, improvement, and effectiveness.  The project proposes relevant measure(s) for each goal, objective, result or benefit.
   
   
3. The applicant presents a reasonable preliminary evaluation plan that can be expected to provide regular, meaningful feedback for project improvement. The applicant identifies specific evaluation questions for investigation, appropriate methods (e.g., written surveys, questionnaires, conference calls, focus groups, and unstructured telephone or in-person interviews), and realistic timeframes.  Its proposed methods and quantitative and qualitative measures are appropriate for the objectives of the evaluation.
   
   
4. The center-specific evaluation plan is likely to yield substantive and useful information in the domains listed in Section VI.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION- APPROACH.  The plan clearly identifies the domains in which evaluation findings will be pursued and provides sound rationale for these selections.
   
   
5. The applicant proposes a sound process for making certain that evaluation findings are shared with the T/TA Network.  The proposed measures are aligned with the principles of the SOC framework and CFSR principles, and the evaluation design is likely to support a coherent vision for TA with the T/TA Network.
   
   
6. The applicant demonstrates sufficient in-house capacity to conduct an objective evaluation of the project, or provides a sound plan for contracting with a third-party evaluator specializing in social science or evaluation, or a university or college to conduct the evaluation.
   
   
7. The applicant presents 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 evaluation.  Appropriate data sources are identified and relevant data would be collected.  There is a sound plan for collecting and analyzing these data, securing informed consent and implementing an Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and Tribal review, board, if applicable.
   
   
8. The applicant describes plans for coordinating their center-specific evaluation with CB's National Cross Site Evaluation of T/TA. 
   
   

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES - 20 points

In reviewing the organizational profiles, reviewers will consider the extent to which:

1. The applicant organization and its staff document experience and expertise in successful collaboration with a variety of partners in the provision of T/TA.  The applicant makes a strong case that it has the capacity and the commitment to function as a member of "one T/TA Network" as described in the Background section of this funding opportunity announcement.
   
   
2. The applicant (and its partners and subcontractors, if applicable) demonstrates sufficient and relevant experience and expertise in administration, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of similar projects.  The applicant has sufficient experience, expertise and understanding in child welfare/child protection systems, family centered practice, family engagement, and risk and safety issues to provide high quality TTA.  The applicant possesses sufficient knowledge about State and Tribal child welfare/child protection systems and populations to develop sound State and Tribal child welfare/child protection agency focused and culturally competent outreach and networking activities. 
   
   
3. The proposal clearly demonstrates the applicant's ability to administer and implement the project effectively and efficiently.  The applicant and any partnering organizations collectively have sufficient experience and expertise in: (1) identifying the training and technical assistance needs of an agency or organization; (2) developing or participating in the development of a plan to meet those needs; (3) designing, developing delivering, and evaluating training and technical assistance activities, (4) recruiting, assigning, and deploying staff with appropriate experience; and (5) designing, developing, delivering and evaluating training materials.  If the project involves partnerships with additional agencies, organizations or subcontractors, each partnering organization has the ability and organizational capacity to fulfill its roles and functions.
   
   
4.  The proposed project director and key project staff possess sufficient relevant knowledge, experience and capabilities to implement and manage a project of this topic, size, scope and complexity effectively.  
   1. The roles, responsibilities and time commitments of each proposed key project staff position, including consultants, subcontractors and/or partners, are clearly defined and appropriate to the successful implementation of the proposed project.
      
      
   2. Resumes/CVs are provided to demonstrate staff/consultant/subcontractor skills and experience along with identification of their availability for work on this project and time commitments on other projects. 
      
      
   3. The applicant has secured commitments from its key partners, if applicable.  The application includes appropriate MOUs or letters of commitment from key partnering organization(s) as appropriate. 
5. There is a sound management plan for achieving the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including:
   1. Clearly defined responsibilities, timelines and milestones for accomplishing project tasks and ensuring quality;
      
      
   2. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the applicant organization;  
      
      
   3. Description of  how the applicant will effectively manage and coordinate all activities, including those carried out by any partners, subcontractors and consultants (if appropriate); and
      
      
   4. Identification of any mutually beneficial relationships between the proposed project and other work planned, anticipated or underway with Federal assistance by the applicant.
6. The applicant possesses the organizational capability to successfully perform the activities described in this announcement and to fulfill its assigned role and function within the larger T/TA Network.
   

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - 5 points

In reviewing the budget and budget justification, reviewers will consider the extent to which:

1. 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 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:

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 may also solicit and consider comments from ACF Regional Office staff in making funding decisions.  ACYF may take into consideration the programmatic involvement of the private sector, national, or State or community organizations 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 that 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 Federal 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.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates:

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Notices:

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

3. Reporting Requirements:

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Program Office Contact:

Irene Bocella
Children's Bureau
Portals Office Building, 8th Floor
1250 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024
Phone:  202-205-1723
Email: irene.bocella@acf.hhs.gov

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:

Ben Sharp, Grants Officer
Division of Discretionary Grants
ACYF/ Operations Center
c/o Dixon Group, Inc. ATTN: Children's Bureau
118 Q St., NE.
Washington, DC 20002-2132
Phone:  866-796-1591
Phone 2:  or TTY 711
Email: cb@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

Additional information about this program and its purpose can be located on the following website: http://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
Phone: 866-796-1591 or TTY 711

Email: cb@dixongroup.com

Checklist

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

Posted on February 26, 2009