Executive Summary:

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to establish the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC). The NRCPFC will work with other members of the Children's Bureau (CB) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Network to build the capacity of State, local, Tribal, and other publicly administered or publicly supported child welfare systems. The NRCPFC will provide T/TA and consultation on Federal requirements administered by CB related to children, youth and families involved with foster care systems which access title IV-E and IV-B funding. Special attention will be given to assisting States in improving conformity with the outcomes and systemic factors defined in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) and the requirements assessed in other monitoring reviews conducted by CB (such as Title IV-E, AFCARS and SACWIS). These efforts will focus on systems change and the development, expansion, and improvement of the quality and effectiveness of child welfare services to children, youth and families. The NRCPFC will engage agencies in strategies to strengthen the integration of policy and practice thereby improving the delivery of services and the outcomes for children and youth. A primary focus of the NRCPFC will be to work with other CB T/TA providers to assist States 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. In addition, the NRCPFC will provide T/TA and on-site consultation to grantees funded under the Family Connection Grants program. 

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

The statutory authority for this announcement is the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Section 435 (d) of the Social Security Act {42 U.S.C. 629e}.

Description

Background

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) 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. The 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 the 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 Training and Technical Assistance Network (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 training and technical assistance (T/TA) providers funded entirely or partially by the CB through grants, contracts, and interagency agreements. For over a decade, the 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. National Resource Centers (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.)

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

One T/TA Network

The 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 the 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 the 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, the 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 the 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, the 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.

The 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 the 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.  The 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

The CB employs several monitoring tools, including the Child and Family Services Reviews (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. The 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 support States and Tribes in their pursuit of necessary systemic change. The 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 direct 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;
• Individualized 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 the CB and to collectively offer client-centered, individualized, and strengths-based services to States and Tribes. The 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. The 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, the 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 the 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, the CB does not expect the 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. The CB intends for SOC and CFSR principles to guide the NRC's service delivery approach rather than become prescribed content that is uniformly disseminated to States and Tribes. The 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, the 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, the 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

The CB awards discretionary research and demonstration grants for projects that test innovative approaches to addressing a variety of child welfare issues. The 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 the NRC as it provides T/TA, and to make the most of potential connections between the 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 Permanency and Family Connections 

The Need for NRCPFC

The need for permanency for children and youth in foster care and the importance of permanency planning and timely decision-making for these populations was initially established by Public Law (P.L.) 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. Protections for children and youth in foster care were established, including the requirement for case plans which included goals, a description of the placement and its appropriateness, periodic administrative reviews, and judicial permanency placement determinations. The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 focuses on moving children and youth who are in placement and care of the States into adoption or other permanent placements as well as expediting children and youth's permanent placement in families. ASFA embodies five key principles:

1. The safety of children is the paramount concern that must guide all child welfare services.
   
   
2. Foster care is a temporary setting and not a place for children to grow up.
   
   
3. Permanency planning efforts for children should begin as soon as a child enters foster care and should be expedited by the provision of services to families.
   
   
4. The child welfare system must focus on results and accountability.
   
   
5. Innovative approaches are needed to achieve the goals of safety, permanency, and well-being.

Child welfare programs require assistance in translating the philosophy of these principles into concrete practice which casework staff can effectively implement. Clearly there has been progress on which States can build. In Child Welfare Outcomes 2002-2005: Report to Congress, the 2005 data suggest that, in many States, a majority of children discharged to reunification were reunified in a timely manner. Across States, the median length of stay of children reunified was 6.8 months; the median percentage of reunifications occurring in less than 12 months was about 70 percent. While data specific to children who were reunified shows promise in relation to timeliness, longitudinal analysis of children from the time of entry into foster care documents challenges in achieving permanency in a timely manner. In at least 75 percent of the States, the majority of children who entered foster care in the last 6 months of 2004 were still in foster care 12 months later. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo05/index.htm

Additionally, the Report to Congress documents that reentry into foster care is an area needing improvement for many States. The median for reentry into foster care within 12 months of discharge is close to 15 percent across States, and in five States, approximately 25 percent or more of the children exiting foster care in 2004 reentered foster care in less than 12 months.  During the period from 2002 to 2005, there were no national patterns of improvement or decline in performance on measures pertaining to reduction of time in foster care to reunification without increasing reentry.

In 2005, States were particularly successful in achieving permanent homes for children and youth discharged from foster care who were legally free for adoption at the time of discharge (median = 95.7 percent). However, the median percentages across States with regard to achieving permanency for children with a diagnosed disability (median = 79.0 percent), and for children who were older than age 12 when they entered foster care (median =73.1 percent) were less than the median percent for all children exiting foster care (median = 87.8 percent). This pattern was true for all four years, 2002 through 2005, and suggests that greater efforts are needed to achieve permanency for these children.

Additionally, there are children and youth who spend a large portion of their formative years in foster care. The data suggests that, in many States, a substantial percentage of children and youth emancipated from foster care in 2005 were in foster care for long periods of time before they were emancipated. In about one-half of the States, 28 percent or more of the children and youth emancipated from foster care were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care and 48 percent or more of the children and youth emancipated from foster care were in foster care for 3 years or longer. The data for 2002 through 2005 reveals that 12.2 percent of children exiting foster care did not achieve permanency at the time of discharge. Most of these children leave foster care when they reach the age of legal majority and/or are emancipated. Consequently, they face the considerable responsibilities of independent living at a young age and usually without the supports that often are provided by a family.

A primary purpose of the NRCPFC is to provide T/TA and information services to build the capacity of State, local, and Tribal child welfare foster care systems in expediting permanency to support children's and youth's long-term needs for safe family connections. In order to accomplish this task, the NRCPFC will utilize the framework of the seven outcomes in the domains of safety, permanency, and child and family well-being defined in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). Additional information on the outcomes may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/tools_guide/procedures/appendixb.htm

Expectations

T/TA by the NRCPFC will assist State, local, Tribal, publicly administered or publicly supported child welfare agencies, and Family Connection grantees to:

• Institutionalize a safety-focused, family-centered, and community-based approach to meet the multiple and complex needs of children, youth and families when out-of-home placement is required for children's safety;
  
  
• Assess children and families' strengths and needs;
  
  
• Engage families, children and youth in developing a plan to remediate family needs and build on strengths; 
  
  
• Develop, support and maintain a range of services which can be individualized for children and youth in out-of-home care and for their families;
  
  
• Provide safe quality care for children and youth in the placement care of the State or Tribe;
  
  
• Increase the utilization of family-based placements and reduce reliance on congregate care;
  
  
• Maintain continuity and relationships for children and youth in care through parent/child visitation and sibling visitation, enhancing parent/child relationships, and identifying and maintaining cultural and other important connections for children and youth in care;
  
  
• Plan effectively and expeditiously for children and youth to be moved from foster care to safe, permanent family placements;
  
  
• Utilize concurrent planning, dual licensure of foster and adoptive homes, and other effective permanency program supports;
  
  
• Provide supports to families to build parental capacity, expedite reunification when safe and appropriate, and prevent re-entry into foster care;
  
  
• Provide a range of post-permanency stabilization supports after reunification, relative placement, or guardianship has been achieved;
  
  
• Improve the quality of caseworker contacts with children, youth, and parents;
  
  
• Engage all family members, including fathers and absent parents in assessment, case and permanency planning, service assessment, and placement stabilization;
  
  
• Collaborate with judicial systems in developing effective, efficient permanency planning and oversight;
  
  
• Improve outcomes, such as timeliness to permanency, reducing re-entry, and increasing placement stability for children and youth in placement; and
  
  
• Implement the Federal legislation administered by CB as well as achieve the goals of ASFA, title IV-B, MEPA, and ICWA.

The NRCPFC will support the delivery of child welfare services in modalities which strengthen parental capacity and reflect approaches that are family-centered, community-based, culturally competent, and individually focused. Enhancement of service delivery models which strengthen such practices will be viewed as a relevant consideration in the development of training and technical assistance activities. The NRCPFC will support the following practices:

• Family-centered practice models 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 on selected individuals within a family. 
  
  
• Community-based practice designed to support the needs of children within the context of their families and communities; emphasizing prevention-oriented services and support; and providing local communities a role in identifying, designing, implementing, and overseeing services within the community. 
  
  
• Culturally competent practice designed to incorporate in child welfare agencies and organizations appropriate values, principles, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that, when integrated through policy making, administration, practice, service delivery, and the systematic involvement of consumers, enhance the capacity of key stakeholders and communities to work effectively in a variety of cultural contexts and program settings. Cultural competency is defined as a developmental process that evolves over an extended period. Both individuals and organizations are at various levels of awareness, knowledge and skills along the cultural competence continuum (adapted from Cross, T., Bazron, B., Dennis, K. & Isaacs, M.  (1989),  Towards a culturally competent system of care: A Monograph on Effective Services for Minority Children Who Are Severely Emotionally Disturbed: Volume I Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center).
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Strengthening parental capacity through practices that enhance services and support for both parents and recognize the value of involving both parents in care of their children; promote parents' strengths and self-esteem by emphasizing partnership with service providers; and balance parental need for autonomy in decision-making with the need for ongoing support.
  

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

• Subscribe to a SOC framework and CFSR principles in the coordination, administration, and delivery of T/TA;
  
  
• Support and facilitate regional peer-to-peer mentoring and networking between State and Tribal child welfare systems;
  
  
• Perform outreach that will engage States and Tribes and prompt their participation in utilization of available T/TA and 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;
  
  
• Partner closely with CB, other members of the T/TA Network, States, Tribes, and other regional and national stakeholders;
  
  
• Provide proactive T/TA that supports the implementation of State and Tribal strategies for improved child welfare practice;
  
  
• Utilize the experience and expertise of CB Regional Offices, 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 and Tribes;
  
  
• Participate fully in any national evaluation activities, if applicable;
  
  
• Develop and conduct self evaluation;
  
  
• Present self evaluation findings to CB and the T/TA Network;  
  
  
• Collaborate across regions to address common issues, improve cross-system networking, and jointly develop and execute mutual (NRC) evaluation activities;
  
  
• 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; and
  
  
• Coordinate and provide limited T/TA to grantees funded under the Family Connection Grants program.  The Family Connection Grants program funds demonstration projects designed to connect children and youth who are in, or at risk of entering, foster care with family members; to provide support for kinship caregiver families; to support family finding and engagement efforts; to support family group decision-making meetings; and/or to support residential family treatment programs.

Roles and Responsibilities

Within the CB T/TA Network, the NRCs develop knowledge, identify emerging trends, transfer knowledge of effective and promising practices, and provide T/TA to support systemic change nationwide. The NRCPFC will provide national expertise in serving children in out-of-home care and their families; engaging parents to effect reunification, relative placement, guardianship and adoption plans for children; connecting children who are in, or at risk of entering, foster care with family members; and assessing children and families to identify and address needs related to safety, permanency, and well-being.

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

1.       Fostering an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of effective permanency and concurrent planning activities based in active family engagement, resulting in improved outcomes for the children, youth and families involved with the child welfare system (including collaboration with National Foster Care Month activities);

2.       Facilitating and assisting State, local, Tribal, public and private agencies in the coordinated planning and development of a range of services and supports which can be individualized to meet the safety, permanency and well-being needs of children and youth in out-of-home-care and their families, provide quality care for children and youth in the care and custody of the State, and achieve permanency plans for children and youth;

3.       Conducting regular and ongoing needs assessments that will be used to identify unmet needs and which also incorporate findings from other statewide assessment processes such as Federal monitoring reviews; and developing a national T/TA strategy to improve permanency planning and family engagement.

4.       Providing on-site T/TA and consultation to State and Tribal child welfare agencies

5.       Coordinating and providing T/TA to grantees funded under the Family Connection Grant program.

6.       Identifying and disseminating promising, innovative, and evidence-based or evidence-informed practices that address emerging child welfare issues related to safety-focused family-centered practices, effective community collaboration strategies, culturally competent practice, and foster care and permanency planning;

7.       Demonstrating a commitment to meaningful stakeholder involvement across the spectrum of programs which serve families involved with child welfare, especially youth in foster care, and the programs and services which serve them, by building State and Tribal capacity to consistently involve courts, youth, families, Tribes, and other relevant stakeholders in program planning, implementation, evaluation, and other systems change initiatives;

8.       Supporting States in the development and implementation of their Program Improvement Plans resulting from Federal monitoring reviews;

9.       Building the capacity of child welfare agencies and enhancing collaboration with courts by developing and disseminating information and materials, including curricula, guidelines, and training materials;

10.   Providing financial support and effective coordination for the National Association of State Foster Care Managers (NASFCM), including support of an annual meeting. The purpose of this Association is to allow State foster care managers to keep each other informed on the latest program, policy and practice developments, laws, and strategies to maintain an efficient, state-of-the art foster care and permanency planning program to improve the outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth in foster care. It is anticipated that NASFCM will meet once a year to discuss relevant issues and will include relevant CB staff in the meeting;

11.   Coordinating with CB's TTA Network, ACF Regional Offices and State and Tribal agencies in the development of T/TA strategies;

12.   Processing all on-site T/TA requests through the single point of entry established by CB. This will involve the Regional Office staff, the appropriate T/TA Network members, and CB staff as needed, as well as any other critical stakeholders. These partners will facilitate an assessment of T/TA needs and a coordinated and immediate response that avoids delays or duplication of effort;

13.   Actively participating in twice-a-year team meetings of CB's T/TA Network and the T/TA Coordination Committee;

14.   Collaborating with other CB T/TA network members, other 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;

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 the NRC's responses to T/TA requests;

16.   Providing data needed by CB to evaluate the results and benefits of the T/TA provided by the NRCPFC; and

17.   Considering the knowledge being developed by CB discretionary research and demonstration projects as a potential resource in the T/TA it provides, as described in the background section of this program announcement.

Specific Tasks to be Performed- Planning Phase

Each applicant is required to submit a narrative (with accompanying logic model) that clearly and concisely describes its strategy for a three-month planning phase (Phase I) followed by a 57-month implementation phase (Phase II). 

During the Planning Phase, the NRCPFC will:

• Meet with the Federal Project Officer(FPO) and other representatives of CB to discuss the scope of work of the NRCPFC in the context of the current environment;
  
  
• Build and strengthen its relationships with CB, members of the T/TA Network, and other key stakeholders;
  
  
• Work with the CB FPO to transition all materials and other resources from previous National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice and Permanency Planning grantee as appropriate and needed;
  
  
• Review program announcement descriptions of required areas of T/TA as well as roles, responsibilities, and expectations to determine areas in which the work plan could be strengthened to better respond to the announcement requirements;
  
  
• Revise and refine work plans and planning documents for outreach to CB Regional Offices, States, and Tribes in conjunction with the CB and the T/TA Network a regional forum;
  
  
• Assess its evaluation plan in relation to the CB TTA Network cross-site evaluation activities;
  
  
• Obtain approval from CB for its revised work plans; and
  
  
• Initiate outreach to targeted States and Tribes and Family Connection grantees.  

SpecificTasks to be Performed During the Implementation Phase

During the Implementation phase, the NRCPFC will:

• Implement the revised work plan, as approved by CB;
  
  
• Continue to engage States and Tribes and Family Connection grantees;
  
  
• Collaborate in the assessment and analysis of needs and strengths of States and Tribes;
  
  
• Respond to T/TA requests;
  
  
• Collaborate and regularly consult with CB and the T/TA Network;
  
  
• Provide coordinated and individualized T/TA that supports the implementation of strategies for systems change;
  
  
• Collaborate with other members of the CB T/TA Network to develop individualized strategies which address the specific needs of State and Tribal child welfare systems;
  
  
• Coordinate and provide limited T/TA to grantees funded under the Family Connections grant program;  
  
  
• Support the National Association of State Foster Care Managers (NASFCM) in the development of their annual conference and collaborate with foster care managers in identification of specific needs, issues, trends, and knowledge development related to foster care, out-of-home care, and permanency achievement;
  
  
• Assist States and Tribes in disseminating knowledge and promising practices though peer-to-peer T/TA, training and conference presentations;
  
  
• Actively participate in knowledge development and dissemination initiatives;
  
  
• Annually review and revise the NRCPFC work plan, incorporating the information gained from evaluation activities;
  
  
• Obtain FPO approval of revised work plan; and
  
  
• Complete required reporting and distribute evaluation findings.

In its application, each applicant must describe how it proposes to complete its required and proposed activities within the planning and implementation phases of the project. After the award of the cooperative agreement and prior to the implementation phase, 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. 

Collaboration

The NRCPFC will lead collaborative efforts in its area of topical expertise and will partner with other T/TA Network members to address important systemic and practice issues related to topical areas of expertise of other members of the T/TA network and for which NRCPFC will not have principal responsibility. The NRCPFC will provide consultation to CB's Implementation Centers and participate in collaborative assessment activities and preparation that will support the execution of their implementation projects. The NRCPFC will work with Child Welfare Information Gateway to ensure that products and resources are easily accessible and effectively disseminated and it will partner with the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes to support the provision of effective, culturally competent, foster care services in Tribal communities. The NRCPFC will explore opportunities to collaborate with other T/TA Network members. For example, it will work with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute to consider training content related to enhancement of supervision skills and the National Quality Improvement Centers to understand new findings related to engaging nonresident fathers, establishing public-private child welfare partnerships, implementing differential response, and preventing maltreatment of young children. Additionally, the NRCPFC will collaborate with the National Resource Center for Legal and Judicial Issues as needed.

The NRCPFC is expected to build relationships with other Federal T/TA providers external to CB's T/TA Network. The NRCPFC will work with CB to identify and pursue T/TA partnerships across Federal bureaus, offices, and agencies when appropriate.

Dissemination

The NRCPFC 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. The NRCPFC 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 outcomes evaluation. This could be findings established through scientific research, such as controlled clinical studies, but other methods of establishing evidence may also 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.

The CB expects the NRCPFC to be point of contact for easily accessible, well-organized, and user-friendly resources for States and Tribes. In addition to storing and organizing information, the NRCPFC will be responsible for assessing the quality of its resources and for being knowledgeable about their content. The NRCPFC 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. The NRCPFC is expected to consult with 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.

National Cross-Site Evaluation

The NRCPFC 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.

The NRCPFC 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.

The NRCPFC will have regular contact with the cross-site evaluation contractor and participate as an important stakeholder in the evaluation. The NRCPFC 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. The NRCPFC 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). The NRCPFC 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, the NRCPFC will conduct its own center-specific evaluation activities. CB expects the NRCPFC to regularly evaluate its performance and to use this information to improve its processes and services. The NRCPFC will design and conduct an evaluation using multiple measures, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods as necessary. Center-specific evaluation activities must complement the NRCPFC's participation in the cross-site evaluation and avoid unnecessary duplication.

In its center-specific evaluation activities, the NRCPFC 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, the NRCPFC 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, the NRCPFC will share its preliminary center-specific evaluation plans with other members of the T/TA Network and the cross-site evaluation contractor. The 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 Federal project officer. Prior to beginning its evaluation activities, the NRCPFC will review and revise its center-specific evaluation design in partnership with CB.

The NRCPFC will regularly update its Federal project officer about ongoing evaluation activities and findings in required progress reporting and provide CB with a written report at the end of the project. The NRCs will collaborate with each other, their State and Tribal partners, the 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 the CB, the T/TA Network, and other stakeholders.

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, the NRCPFC 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 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.

Within six months of the award of the cooperative agreements, the NRCPFC project director, project evaluator, and representatives of other key partners and/or subcontractors involved in the execution of the award, if applicable, must make an oral presentation to CB staff in Washington, D.C., describing and supporting its implementation plans for each of the major areas of activity.

The applicant's budget for the first 12-month budget period should include anticipated costs for these two meetings, as well as costs for two key staff persons to attend at least two CB conferences annually as identified with the Federal project officer.

In addition, the NRCPFC 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 also 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:

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 V, 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).

Non-Federal Resources (if applicable). Provide a letter of commitment verifying the actual amount of the non-Federal share of project costs (see Sections III.2 and V).

Indirect Charges. If claiming indirect costs, provide documentation that the applicant currently has an indirect cost-rate approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or another cognizant Federal agency.

Third-Party Agreements. If applicable, include a letter of commitment or Memorandum of Understanding 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, Gantt chart, 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 the Children's Bureau'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: 05/26/2009

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 clear and thorough understanding of 1) the need for providing coordinated training and technical assistance about foster care, permanency planning, timely achievement of permanency, building parental capacity, and finding and maintaining family connections to public and private child welfare agencies responsible for serving the target population(s), and 2) the goals of the applicable legislative mandates.
   
   
2. The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding of 1) the Systems of Care framework, systems thinking, and the Child and Family Service Review principles that will guide the project's activities, and 2) the structure and purpose of the T/TA Network.
   
   
3. The training and technical assistance objectives of 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 foster care system.
   
   
4. The applicant presents a clear, concise, and appropriate vision for the proposed project. The overall vision for the training and technical assistance approach reflect an understanding of the priorities described in the "Purpose", "Expectations" and "Roles and Responsibilities" section of the grant announcement.
   

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. There is a reasonable timeline (e.g., charts such as a Gantt chart, bar chart or other chart that illustrates project schedules) for implementing the proposed project, including the activities to be conducted in chronological order, showing a reasonable schedule of accomplishments and target dates and the factors that may accelerate or decelerate the work.
   
   
3. The application provides 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. The overall plan for the training and technical assistance approach reflect an understanding of the priorities described in the "Expectations" and "Roles and Responsibilities" sections of the grant announcement.
   
   
4. The application presents a sound and feasible Planning Phase and Implementation Phase that are consistent with the expectations described in this announcement.
   
   
5. The application describes sound strategies for effectively providing technical assistance and building the capacity of State, Tribal and local public and private agencies to create and support networks of coordinated resources and activities designed to strengthen and support families to enhance their parenting capacity and aimed at improving outcomes for the children, youth and families involved with the foster care system.
   
   
6. 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 agencies and their partners and how the duplication of efforts and services will be avoided. The applicant's approach to T/TA is client-directed and includes sound plans for supporting State and Tribal child welfare agencies and their partners with expert consultation in assessment, strategic planning, and implementation that is likely to result in systemic change.
   
   
7. The application describes strategies to help lead agencies 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.
   
   
8. The applicant provides a convincing plan for delivering T/TA to its State and/or Tribal partners. The applicant describes the types of T/TA that it expects to provide and the frequency and intensity of services that will be available.
   
   
9. The application describes effective strategies to help State and Tribal child welfare agencies develop a child-focused, family-centered approach to the delivery of foster care, permanency, and family connection programs and activities that reinforce and complement the State's efforts to provide services to enhance the capacity of families and achieve safety, permanency and well-being for children. The plan includes strategies that will enhance State and Tribal child welfare agencies capacity to promote protective factors and reduce risk of re-entry in to foster care. The plan includes strategies that promote parent and youth leadership and involve parents and youth in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of funded programs. The plan includes strategies to ensure that system change activities will support a seamless experience of service delivery for children, youth and families.
   
   
10. The project would promote: (1) interagency collaboration and implementation of new procedures for blending and leveraging funding streams; (2) collaborative long-range planning of foster care, permanency, and family connections delivery options; and (3) management improvement strategies that facilitate interagency coordination. The awardee would assist State and Tribal child welfare agencies to become more active in partnering in various systems change efforts such as the Child and Family Services Reviews, Program Improvement Planning processes, Child and Family Services Plan, and other related Federal and State initiatives.
    
    
11. 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.
    
    
12. 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.
    
    
13. 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 agencies and their partners.
    
    
14. The applicant would effectively coordinate activities with other members of the T/TA Network funded by CB.
    
    
15. The applicant includes plans to collaborate and coordinate with other Federal and national efforts. 
    
    
16. The applicant's services, program activities, and materials will be developed and provided in a manner that is racially and culturally sensitive to the population being served.
    
    
17. 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 logic model effectively illustrates the project's approach and guides its evaluation plan.  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 awardee will collect appropriate data. The project proposes appropriate measure(s) for each goal, objective, result or benefit.
   
   
2. 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. The applicant proposes a sound process for making certain that evaluation findings are provided to the TTA 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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, if applicable.
   

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 contractors, 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 systems, foster care, permanency planning and achievement, and building family capacity and connections, family centered practice, family engagement, and out-of-home care issues to provide high quality TA. The applicant possesses sufficient knowledge about State and Tribal child welfare systems and populations to develop sound, State and Tribal child welfare 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 and delivering training and technical assistance including recruiting, assigning, and deploying staff with appropriate experience; and (4) designing, developing, delivering and evaluating training materials. If the project involves partnerships with additional agencies, organizations or subcontractors; the each partnering organization has the ability and organizational capacity to fulfill its roles and functions.
   
   
4. The roles, responsibilities, and time commitments of each proposed key project staff position, including consultants, subcontractors and/or partnering agencies or organizations, are clearly defined and appropriate for the successful implementation of the proposed project. The applicant has secured commitments from its key partners, if applicable. The application includes appropriate Memorandum(s) of Understanding (MOU) or letters of commitment from key partnering organization(s) as appropriate. 
   
   
5. The proposed project director and key project staff possess sufficient relevant knowledge, experience and capabilities to implement and manage a project of this size, scope and complexity effectively. The role, responsibilities and time commitments of each proposed project staff position, including consultants, subcontractors and/or partners, are clearly defined and appropriate to the successful implementation of the proposed project.
   
   
6. There is a sound management plan for achieving the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines and milestones for accomplishing project tasks and ensuring quality. The plan clearly defines the role and responsibilities of the lead agency. The plan clearly describes the effective management and coordination of activities carried out by any partners, subcontractors and consultants (if appropriate). There would be a mutually beneficial relationship between the proposed project and other work planned, anticipated or underway with Federal assistance by the applicant.
   
   
7. 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, in view of the activities to be conducted and expected results and benefits. The budget includes the costs associated with travel to provide on-site T/TA to States, Tribes and Family Connection grantees, support for the NASFCM's annual conference and for collaboration each year with National Foster Care Month activities.
   
   
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:

Patsy Buida
Children's Bureau
1301 Young Street, Room 945
Dallas, TX 75202-5433
Phone:  214-767-1971
Email: patsy.buida@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 March 25, 2009