Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Voluntary Agency Programs (93.567)

Program

93.567 Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Voluntary Agency Programs

Federal Agency

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

Authorization

Refugee Act of 1980, Section 412, Public Law 96-212, 94 Stat. 111, 8 U.S.C 1522; Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 , Public Law 106-386; Defense Authorization Act, 2008, Public Law 110-181; FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill , Public Law 111-08; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 , Public Law 110-161.

Program Number

93.567

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To assist refugees in becoming self-supporting and independent members of American society, by providing grant funds to private nonprofit organizations to support case management, transitional assistance, and social services for new arrivals.

Types of Assistance

Cooperative Agreements

Uses and Use Restrictions

Federal funds of up to $2,200 per refugee are provided on a matching basis of $2.20 of Federal funds matched by $1.10 of private funds and in-kind contributions. Required services include case management, job development, and maintenance assistance for four to six months. Funds may also be used for English language training concurrent with employment services, job training, and cash allowance.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Grant awards are limited to States and private, nonprofit organizations which have a Reception and Placement Cooperative Agreement with the Department of State or Department of Homeland Security.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Refugees must be enrolled within 31 days of arrival. Entrants/asylees must be enrolled within 31 days of granting of parole or asylum.

Credentials/Documentation

Newly arriving refugees, certain Amerasians, Cuban or Haitian Entrants, asylees, and Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrants, as evidenced in the documentation from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), and victims of trafficking with certification documents issued by HHS. Cost principles for nonprofit organizations will be determined by OMB Circular No. A-122. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. 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. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102.

Award Procedure

Eligible applicants submit an application to HHS. This document includes a detailed program proposal and budget. Subsequent to review by an independent panel and consideration of past performance, the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement makes final funding decisions and grant awards are issued.

Deadlines

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Deadlines are established in the notice of funds availability, which is published on grants.gov and the ORR website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Contingent of funds availability, grantee performance, and the best interest of the government.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: Percent: 50.%. Grants are awarded on a basis of $2.20 in Federal funds for each $1.10 of private funds up to a maximum of $2,200 per refugee. Up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share may be through in-kind donations, with a minimum required cash match of 20 percent.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funds are awarded with a 3-year project period and incremental 1-year budget periods. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program progress reports are required every four months; and financial status reports are required semi-annually. An interim final financial status report is due 90 days after the program period has ended; and a final financial status report is due 210 days after the project period. Cash reports are not applicable. Program progress reports are required every four months; and financial status reports are required semi-annually. SF-269 Financial status reports are required semi-annually. The program has an annual monitoring schedule to conduct site visits to approximately 5-10% of all local affiliates. On monitoring visits to local affiliate, the team selects representative caseload for review and evaluates eligibility for the program, self-sufficiency plan, case notes, employment outcomes and also conducts interviews with staff to assess their respective knowledge of the program requirements. The team will also interview select clients and visit local employers of refugee clients to assess local agency-employer-client relations. Also, Matching Grant program guidelines include the requirement that national volags must monitor their affiliates and report back to ORR on an annual basis.

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. Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's systems of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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

The grantee shall maintain individual case records on all eligible refugees counted as receiving match grant services.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In Program Year 2008, the nine voluntary agencies continued to serve refugees eligible for the Matching Grant program. Outcomes for the program included: refugees entered employment at a rate of 57.1%; refugees were self-sufficient (not dependent on any cash assistance) within the first four months (120 days) after arrival at a rate of 62.1%; and refugees were self-sufficient (not dependent on any cash assistance) within the first six months (180 days) after arrival at a rate of 78.3%. Fiscal Year 2009: The nine voluntary agencies are expected to continue to serve eligible refugee populations in Program Year 2009. Fiscal Year 2010: The nine voluntary agencies are expected to continue to serve eligible refugee populations in Program Year 2010.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1503-0-1-609.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $59,998,400; FY 09 est $60,000,000; FY 10 est $60,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

The range of grant amounts in FY 2008 was from $1,485,000 to $18,268,800.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

All inquiries should be directed to the Information Contact listed below.

Related Programs

93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_State Administered Programs; 93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Discretionary Grants; 93.583 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Wilson/Fish Program; 93.584 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Targeted Assistance Grants; 93.598 Services to Victims of a Severe Form of Trafficking

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Ronald Munia 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW, 8th Floor West, Washington, District of Columbia 20009 Email: ronald.munia@acf.hhs.gov Phone: (202) 401-4559 Fax: (202) 401-0981

Web Site Address

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

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: In Program Year 2008, the nine voluntary agencies continued to serve refugees enrolled in the Matching Grant program in approximately 230 local affiliate grant sites nationwide. Fiscal Year 2009: In Program Year 2009, the nine voluntary agencies continued to serve refugees enrolled in the Matching Grant program in approximately 219 local affiliate grant sites nationwide. Fiscal Year 2010: In Program Year 2010, the nine voluntary agencies are expected to serve refugees enrolled in the Matching Grant program in over 200 local affiliate grant sites nationwide.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Matching grant awards are made on the basis of the evaluation criteria in the notice of funding availability.