Adoption Opportunities (93.652)

Program

93.652 Adoption Opportunities

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Administration For Children And Families

Authorization

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978, Title II; Public Law 95-266; Public Law 100-294; Public Law 102-295; Public Law 104-234, Public Law 111-8, 42 U.S.C 5111 et. seq.

Program Number

93.652

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To facilitate the elimination of barriers to adoption and to provide permanent,loving home environments for children who would benefit from adoption, particularly children with special needs.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grants and contracts are for (1) the development and implementation of a national adoption and foster care data gathering and analysis system, and a national adoption information exchange system; (2) education, training and technical assistance programs on adoption, (3) ongoing and extensive recruitment on the national level, (4) supporting and studying the placement of children in kinship care arrangements, pre-adoptive, or adoptive homes, (5) maintain a national resource center for special needs adoption, (6) minority recruitment, (7) provision of post legal adoption services, (8) improving the permanent placement rate of children, especially older children, in foster care, (9) improve efforts to eliminate interjurisdictional adoption barriers; (10) study the manner in which interstate placements are financed; (11) best practice recommendations for inter- and intra-state adoptions and how State definitions of special needs differentiate and/or or group similar categories of children; and, (12) research adoption outcomes and factors that affect these outcomes.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Grants or Contracts: State, local government entities, public or private licensed child welfare or adoption agencies or community based other organizations, or adoptive family groups, minority groups, sectarian institutions.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Children who are in foster care and with the goal of adoption.

Credentials/Documentation

Nonprofit organizations which have not previously had Office of Management Services or ACF support must submit proof of nonprofit status. Applicable costs and administrative procedures will be determined by 45 CFR 74 and 92. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Limited consultation available at Headquarters Office. The standard application forms as furnished by DHHS must be used for this program. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Applications must be submitted to the Administration on Children, Youth and Families' (ACYF) Operations Center listed in the program announcement.

Award Procedure

After review and recommendation by a nonfederal panel, the Commissioner, ACYF, makes final decision.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 120 to 180 days. Determined annually and specified in the annual program announcement which is posted to Grants.gov.

Appeals

Appeals are processed in accordance with HHS regulations in 45 CFR Part 16.

Renewals

Renewals are available for multi-year grants through formal submission of progress reports and continuation applications. Funding for multi-year grants is provided on an annual basis.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements; however, administratively-required matching is described in the annual program announcement.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants may extend from 3 to 5 years. Average duration is expected to be 5 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

No program reports are required. PSC-272. Semi-annual progress reports. Final progress report due 90 days after completion of grant. Semi-annual financial reports. Final financial report due 90 days after completion of grant. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Audits are conducted in accordance with the requirements in 45 CFR 74 and 92.

Records

Grantees are required to keep financial and other grant records for 3 years after the completion of the grant or completion of audit whichever occurs first.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In fiscal year 2008, 45 grantees were awarded funds. Fiscal Year 2009: It is anticipated that approximately 38 grants will be awarded in fiscal year 2009. Fiscal Year 2010: It is anticipated that approximately 38 grants will be awarded in fiscal year 2010.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1536-0-1-506.

Obligations

(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 08 $26,379,000; FY 09 est $26,379,000; FY 10 est $26,379,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY 08: $250,000 to $1,800,000 with an average of $475,655.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Priority statements, application information and submission deadline available at no charge.

Related Programs

93.645 Child Welfare Services_State Grants; 93.648 Child Welfare Services Training Grants

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Carole Thompson Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, 1250 Maryland Ave, SW, 8th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20024 Email: carole.thompson@acf.hhs.gov Phone: (202) 260-7794

Web Site Address

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Developing services and support for youth who wish to retain contact with family members in order to improve permanency outcomes; and Field Initiated Services Demonstration projects in the adoption field. The Healthy Marriage Initiative, which began in 2002, is designed to help couples who have chosen marriage for themselves gain access to services that will help them acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) began awarding the initial grants in 2003. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

An assessment is made of: (1) The degree to which proposal shows promise of meeting specific objectives defined in a program announcement; (2) innovation and advancement of the field, (3) reasonableness of cost; and (4) qualification of staff.