Infant Adoption Awareness Training (93.254)

Program

93.254 Infant Adoption Awareness Training

Federal Agency

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

Authorization

Public Health Service Act, Children's Health Act of 2000, Title XII, Subtitle A and B, Section 330F and Section 330G, Public Law 106-310.

Program Number

93.254

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To develop and implement programs to train designated staff of eligible health centers in providing adoption information and referrals to pregnant women on an equal basis with all other courses of action included in non-directive counseling to pregnant women.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grant funds may be used to plan and implement: (1) approved programs directly or through grants or cooperative agreements with other adoption organizations; (2) a training curriculum, consistent with best practice guidelines; (3) reimbursement to eligible health centers for all costs in obtaining the training. Project funds may not be used for construction.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Nonprofit private national, regional, or local organizations among whose primary purposes are adoption and are knowledgeable in all elements of the adoption process, e.g., types of adoptions, relevant State and local laws regarding relinquishment procedures and putative father involvement and medical and financial resources for birth mothers, and on providing adoption information and referrals to pregnant women.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Private nonprofit organizations, health professionals, health staff of Federally funded voluntary family planning projects supported under Section 1001 of the Public Health Service Act, staff of community health centers, migrant health centers, and centers providing services to homeless individuals and centers providing services to residents of public housing supported under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. PHS-funded school health centers, and public health clinics, or any health professional providing option counseling to pregnant women.

Credentials/Documentation

Demonstration of 501(c)(3) status or status pending with the IRS. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Application procedures can be obtained via the World Wide Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/index.html.

Award Procedure

Review is conducted by at least three nonfederal professionals. Final funding decisions will be made by Commissioner, ACYF.

Deadlines

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days. Application deadlines can be obtained via the World Wide Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/index.html.

Appeals

Other - Not Specified.

Renewals

Other - Not Specified.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

One to Five years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Recipients will be required to submit programmatic performance reports semi-annually. PSC-272. Progress reports are not applicable. Recipients will be required to submit financial expenditure reports semi-annually. 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.

Records

Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a period of 3 years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In Fiscal Year 2008, there were six programs funded under the Infant Adoption Awareness Program. The national program was awarded to Spaulding for Children. There were five regional programs funded. Harmony Adoptions of Tennessee, Inc. will train health care workers in the eight states in DHHS Region IV. Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota will conduct training in the six states in DHHS Region VIII. Arizona's Children Association will train workers in Arizona and Nevada.The National Council for Adoption will conduct Infant adoption awareness training for Region III(DE,DC,MD,PA,VA,WV). Latino Family Institute, Inc. will train services in 11 highly populated, multicultural counties in south California. Spaulding will contract with adoption agencies in the remaining states and territories to conduct the required training. A Unified Adoption Curriculum has been developed and each of the funded programs will base their training approach on that document. In addition, the training has been translated into Spanish and the Latino Family Institute, Inc will review the document for cultural appropriateness.Part B of the Children's Health Act supports the Adoption Photo Listing. Fiscal Year 2009: Funds were awarded in FY 2009 and will continue, based on the availabily of funds, through 2011. Fiscal Year 2010: Funds will continue to be awarded through 2011, based on the availabily of funds.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1536-0-1-506.

Obligations

(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 08 $12,453,000; FY 09 est $12,953,000; FY 10 est $12,953,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY 08: $722,944 to $4,228,357 with an average of $1,503,856.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Not Applicable.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Julie Lee Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 8113, Washington, District of Columbia 20024 Phone: (202) 205-8640 Fax: (202) 260-9345

Web Site Address

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

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Approval of any application will be based on an analysis of the following factors: (1) The administrative and management capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project in a cost-effective manner: (2) the extent of responsibleness to the project requirements, guidelines, and application requirements; and (3) the potential effectiveness of the proposed project in carrying out the training purposes of Section 330F of the Children's Health Act of 2000. In making awards of grants under this Section, preference will be given to any qualified applicant that is nationally recognized as a leader in adoption advocacy and (1) Has a broad based membership of adoptive parents, adopted persons, voluntary licensed adoption agencies (sectarian and non-sectarian) and independent adoption intermediaries; (2) is knowledgeable in all current and historic elements of the adoption process, and on providing adoption information and referrals to pregnant women; (3) has the ability to subcontract with other nonprofit regional and local adoption organizations for providing training to those counseling pregnant women; (4) experience in developing best-practice guidelines on the provision of adoption information with a variety of adoption organizations; (5) experience in developing and disseminating training materials and counseling curricula to diverse providers including federally funded family planning programs; and (6) has experience in arranging for the provision of training on non-directive counseling of pregnant women to staff working in Title X family planning clinics, federally funded Community Health Centers and Migrant Health Centers, centers for the homeless, residents of public housing and PHS funded school health centers. Under Part B of the Health Act, approval of any application will be based on an analysis of the following factors: the administrative and management capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project in a cost-effective manner; the extent of responsibleness to the project requirements, guidelines, and application requirements; and the potential effectiveness of the proposed project in carrying out the purposes of Part B of The Children's Health Act.