# Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Children's Bureau Discretionary Funds Program; Availability of Funds and Request for Applications > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-11246 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** May 9, 1995 - **Citation:** 60 FR 24700 ## Text [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 9, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 24700-24732] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-11246] [[Page 24699]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part VI Department of Health and Human Services _______________________________________________________________________ Administration for Children and Families _______________________________________________________________________ National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Children's Bureau Discretionary Funds Program; Availability for Fiscal Year 1995 and Request for Applications; Notice Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 9, 1995 / Notices [[Page 24700]] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Children's Bureau Discretionary Funds Program; Availability of Funds and Request for Applications AGENCY: Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), HHS. ACTION: Announcement of the availability of funds and request for applications to conduct child abuse research or training projects as authorized by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended and child welfare research, demonstration or training projects as authorized by Titles IV-B and E, of the Social Security Act, as amended. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN), and the Children's Bureau (CB), within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announce the availability for Fiscal Year 1995 funding. Funds from NCCAN are for research on the causes, prevention, identification, treatment and cultural distinctions of child abuse and neglect; for research on appropriate, effective and culturally sensitive investigative, administrative and judicial procedures with respect to cases of child abuse; and for demonstration or service programs and projects designed to prevent, identify, and treat child abuse and neglect. Child Welfare Research and Demonstration funds provide financial support to State and local governments and other nonprofit institutions, agencies, and organizations engaged in research or demonstrations in the field of child welfare to study problems related to child welfare, foster care and related issues. Child Welfare Training provides discretionary grants to accredited public or other nonprofit institutions of higher learning to develop and improve educational and training programs and to assist child welfare agencies to upgrade skills and qualifications of staff. This announcement contains forms and instructions for submitting an application. DATES: The closing date for submissions of applications is July 10, 1995. Applications must be either received by or hand-delivered no later than the deadline date. ADDRESSES: Mail applications to: FY 1995 NCCAN/CB Discretionary Funds Program, Department of Health and Human Services, ACF/Division of Discretionary Grants, 6th floor, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: NCCAN/CB-95-1, Alece Morgan, Acting. Hand deliver applications during the normal working hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, on or prior to the established closing date to: Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 6th Floor, ACF Guard Station, 901 D Street SW., Washington, DC 20047, Attn: NCCAN/CB-95-1, Alece Morgan, Acting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The ACYF Operations Center, Technical Assistance Team at 1-800-351-2293, is available to answer questions regarding application requirements and to refer you to the appropriate contact person in ACYF for programmatic questions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you are going to submit an application, send a post card with the following information: The name, address, and telephone number of the contact person; the name of the organization; and the priority area(s) in which you may submit an application, within two (2) weeks of the receipt of this announcement to: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Operations Center, 3030 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 240, Arlington, VA 22201. This information will be used to determine the number of expert reviewers needed and to update the mailing list of persons to whom program announcements are sent. This program announcement consists of three parts. Part I provides information on NCCAN and the Children's Bureau; the statutory funding authorities applicable to this announcement; and general information on the application procedures. Part II describes the review process, additional requirements for NCCAN and Children's Bureau grant applicants, the criteria for the review and evaluation of applications, and the programmatic priorities under which applications are being solicited. Part III provides information and instructions for the development and submission of applications. The forms to be used for submitting an application follow Part III. Please copy as single-sided forms and use in submitting an application under this announcement. No additional application materials are available or needed to submit an application. Applicants should note that grants to be awarded under this program announcement are subject to the availability of funds. Outline of Announcement Part I. Introduction A. National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect B. Children's Bureau, Child Welfare Part II. The Review Process and Priority Areas A. Eligible Applicants B. Review Process and Funding Decisions C. Evaluation Criteria 1. Criteria for Research Projects 2. Criteria for Demonstration and Training Projects D. Available Funds E. Structure of Priority Area Descriptions F. Research, Demonstration and Training Priorities 1. Child Abuse and Neglect Research and Training Priorities 1.01R National Data Archive for Child Abuse and Neglect 1.02R Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment Projects 1.03T Training and Technical Assistance for Community-Based Family Resource Programs 2. Children's Bureau Child Welfare Research, Demonstration and Training Priorities 2.01R Assessing the Quality of Out-of-Home Care in the Child Welfare System 2.02R How Decisions to Change the Case Plan Goal Are Initiated 2.03D Involving Parents in Service Design 2.04T Foster Care Review Systems 2.05T Professional Education for Public Child Welfare Practitioners 2.06T The Child Welfare Fellows Program: Tenured Faculty Development 2.07T Innovative Training for Exemplary Practice Part III. Instructions for the Development and Submission of Applications A. Required Notification of the State Single Point of Contact (NCCAN only) B. Deadline for Submission of Applications C. Instructions for Preparing the Application and Completing Application Forms 1. SF424, page 1, Application Cover Sheet 2. SF424A, Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs 3. Project Summary Description 4. Program Narrative Statement 5. Assurances/Certifications D. Checklist for a Complete Application E. The Application Package Part I--Introduction A. National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect In 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (the Act) established the NCCAN in the Department of Health and Human Services. It is located organizationally within the Administration on Children, Youth and [[Page 24701]] Families (ACYF) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect conducts activities designed to assist and enhance national, State and community efforts to prevent, identify and treat child abuse and neglect. These activities include: Conducting research and demonstrations; supporting service improvement projects; gathering, analyzing and disseminating information through a national clearinghouse; and providing grants to eligible States for developing, strengthening and carrying out child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment programs and programs relating to the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. In addition, the legislatively mandated Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect produce periodic reports regarding child abuse and neglect activities. The NCCAN portion of this announcement identifies two research priorities and one training priority for FY 1995. NCCAN solicits applications under the authority of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.) as amended. The Act was most recently reauthorized through September 1995 and was further amended through the Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Adoption, and Family Services Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-295, 5/28/92), the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act Amendments of 1992, and Title IV of the Human Services Amendments of 1994. Due to the limited amount of discretionary funds available for this fiscal year, NCCAN is publishing its final priority areas for FY 1995 only at this time. Pending reauthorization of the legislation at the end of this fiscal year, NCCAN will consider publication of other research and demonstration topics for FY 1996 in a subsequent announcement. The priority areas were developed in accordance with needs identified in a study done by the National Research Council in 1993 (published by the National Academy of Sciences, supported by NCCAN grant 90-CA-1483). The two research priority areas chosen were selected after a review and analysis of comments received in response to a notice by NCCAN soliciting those comments. That notice was published on October 25, 1994 in the Federal Register (59 FR 53652). A 60-day period was provided to allow the public to comment on the proposed areas. NCCAN received 81 written responses from a variety of sources, including the following: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service/Indian Health Service; State and County Departments of Social Welfare, Health and Human Services; a State Child Death Review Board Administrator and a County Medical Examiner; a State Department of Corrections; a State Children's Trust Fund program; community-based prevention and treatment programs; hospitals and children's medical centers; health associations; community mental health centers and an agency specializing in services to children with disabilities; universities; the National Court Appointed Special Adovcates (CASA) Association, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and local non-profit organizations; an Indian Business Council; corporations; a doctoral candidate and other individuals. The largest number of written responses came from universities, followed by State and County Departments of Social Welfare, Health and Human Services. The comments were generally supportive of the notice of proposed priorities including projects identified for continued funding, the four research and demonstration priorities, and the working groups and symposia topics. Specific comments were also submitted on the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment, each of the four research and demonstration priority areas, work groups, symposia topics, and recommendations on additional priority areas. The largest group of written comments were in response to the two research priority areas on child abuse and neglect with a focus on the impact of community-based family support and family preservation programs on child abuse and neglect (37 responses) and model development for centers for excellence in research (25 responses). A number of written comments were also received in response to the two demonstration priorities on models on neglect (17 responses) and Guardian ad Litem model demonstration (11 responses). To the extent feasible, NCCAN is addressing the public comments in preparing both Fiscal Year 1995 and 1996 priority areas and work groups and symposia plans. Comments intended to further clarify and focus the priorities will be incorporated into the revised descriptions. In the case of the priority on model development for centers for excellence in research, a number of respondents questioned this approach and made other suggestions such as partnerships with other agencies. NCCAN intends to pursue these suggestions prior to the next announcement. Specific comments were also received in support of the graduate research and medical research fellowships which were included under this priority area. Other comments indicated the need to acknowledge the role that parental substance abuse may play in cases of child abuse and neglect and to support research and demonstration priorities on Shaken Baby Syndrome. NCCAN will, when appropriate, reiterate the need to focus on parental substance abuse as an issue and plans to provide several substance abuse-focused products for use by the field that will result from the experiences and findings of projects already funded through the Emergency Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services program. NCCAN is considering plans to include Shaken Baby Syndrome in the future prevention symposium. A few comments were also received in support of the Hawaii Healthy Start model and the Healthy Families of America initiative for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. NCCAN is funding an evaluation of the Hawaii Healthy Start program and upon completion of the study will distribute the findings to the field. Several responses suggested reinstating the previously funded priority area on field initiated research on child abuse and neglect. NCCAN recognizes the importance of innovative research from the field and will take such comments into consideration when developing subsequent announcements. Information on prior research and demonstration projects supported by NCCAN as well as on other studies on child maltreatment are available through the Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, P.O. Box 1182, Washington, DC 20013, (1-800-FYI-3366). The Clearinghouse is also a member of the Consortium of Clearinghouses and can provide information on the other Clearinghouses and Resource Centers referred to in this announcement. B. Children's Bureau, Child Welfare The Children's Bureau plans, manages, coordinates and supports child welfare services programs. It administers the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Program, the Child Welfare Services Program, the Independent Living Program, the Child Welfare Research, Demonstration and Training Program, the Adoption Opportunities Program, the Temporary [[Page 24702]] Child Care and Crisis Nurseries Program, the Abandoned Infants Assistance Program and the recently enacted Family Preservation and Family Support Program. The Children's Bureau's programs are designed to promote the welfare of all children, including those disabled, homeless, dependent, abused or neglected children and their families. The programs aid in preventing and remedying the neglect, abuse and exploitation of children. The programs also encourage the strengthening of the family unit to help prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and reunify families, where possible, when separation has occurred. Part II--The Review Process and Priority Areas This Part describes the screening and review processes, the criteria for the evaluation of applications, and the programmatic priorities under which applications are being solicited. A. Eligible Applicants Before applications are reviewed, each application will be screened to determine whether the applicant organization is eligible as specified under the selected priority area. Applications from organizations which do not meet the eligibility requirements for the priority area will not be considered or reviewed in the competition, and the applicant will be so informed. In addition, inadequate preparation or omission of essential components of the application or failure to comply with format specifications as described in Part III C will result in the application being withdrawn from further consideration. Applications will be screened for categorical appropriateness. If applications are found to be inappropriate for the priority area in which they were submitted, applicants will be contacted for verbal approval of redirection to a more appropriate priority area. Redirection does not affect decision-making in the competitive process which follows the initial screening. Each priority area description contains information about the types of agencies and organizations which are eligible to apply under that priority area. Since eligibility varies among priority areas depending on statutory provisions, it is critical that applicants carefully consider the ``Eligible Applicants'' section under each specific priority area. Only agencies and organizations, not individuals, are eligible to apply under any of the priority areas. On all applications developed jointly by more than one agency or organization, the application must identify only one organization as the lead organization and official applicant. The lead organization must meet the criteria for an ``Eligible Applicant''. The other participating agencies and organizations can be included as co-participants, subgrantees, or subcontractors. For-profit organizations are eligible to participate as subgrantees or subcontractors with eligible non-profit organizations under all of the priority areas. Any non-profit agency which has not previously received Federal support must submit proof of non-profit status with its grant application. The non-profit agency can accomplish this by: making reference to its listing in the most recent Internal Revenue Service list of tax-exempt organizations or by submitting a copy of its letter from the IRS under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). The ACYF cannot fund a non-profit applicant without acceptable proof of its non-profit status. B. Review Process and Funding Decisions Applications within the page limitations as set forth in Part III section C, No. 4, will be reviewed and scored competitively against the published evaluation criteria (see Part II C of this announcement) by experts in the field, generally persons from outside the Federal government. The results of this review are the primary consideration in making funding decisions. The NCCAN, Children's Bureau and ACYF reserve the option of discussing applications with, or referring them to, other Federal or non-Federal funding sources when this is determined to be in the best interest of the Federal government or the applicant. The NCCAN, Children's Bureau or ACYF also may solicit comments from ACF Regional Office staff, other Federal agencies, interested foundations, national organizations, specialists, experts, States and the general public. These comments, along with those of the expert reviewers, will be considered by NCCAN, Children's Bureau and ACYF in making funding decisions. To the greatest extent possible, efforts will be made to ensure that funding decisions reflect an equitable distribution of assistance among the States and geographical regions of the country, rural and urban areas, and ethnic populations. In making these decisions, NCCAN, Children's Bureau and ACYF may also take into account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. C. Evaluation Criteria There are two sets of evaluation criteria: Research applications will be evaluated against one set; demonstration and training applications will be evaluated against another set. A panel of at least three reviewers will evaluate each application to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal in terms of the appropriate evaluation criteria listed below. They will also provide written comments and assign numerical scores for each application. The point value following each criterion heading indicates the maximum numerical score that each section may be given in the review process. These section scores will be summed for each application to yield a total evaluation score. 1. Criteria for Research Projects The following research priority areas will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria: 1.01R National Data Archive for Child Abuse and Neglect 1.02R Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment Projects 2.01R Assessing the Quality of Out-of-Home Care in the Child Welfare System 2.02R How Decisions to Change the Case Plan Goal Are Initiated Competing applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (a) Objectives (maximum of 5 points) The extent to which the application concisely states the specific objectives of the project and describes what the research project is intended to accomplish. Also, how well the research issue(s) are addressed, the specific theory driven question(s) are answered (if applicable), and the hypothesis(es) to be tested (if applicable) are formulated will be evaluated. (b) Background and Significance (maximum of 19 points) The extent to which the application effectively discusses the current state of knowledge relative to the issue or area that is addressed, and provides a review of the literature, including previous work of the author(s) of the proposal. (A list of references must be included with the application.) The results of any pilot tests are described. The application indicates how the proposed research will build on the current knowledge base and contribute to policy, practice and future research. [[Page 24703]] (c) Approach (maximum of 51 points) The extent to which the application delineates how the terms used in the study will be defined and used, identifies variables and data sources, and discusses the selection, adaptation or development of instruments to be used, including information on reliability and validity. The extent to which application outlines the design features and the procedures for data collection, processing, analysis and interpretation. As applicable, it will include a sampling plan for the selection of site(s) and subjects. The sample sizes must be sufficiently large for both statistical power and significance. The extent to which the application describes the characteristics of the target population, and details recruitment procedures for the study subjects. It describes and addresses the rationale for the gender and ethnic composition and subject recruitment procedures of the proposed study sample. For intervention studies, the theory base, ecological setting, and level of intervention are described. The application discusses any potential difficulties in the proposed procedures, provides realistic estimates of attrition and discusses statistically appropriate ways of adjusting the sample. The extent to which the application reflects sensitivity to ethical issues that may arise, such as potential deception, delayed or diminished treatment for control groups placed on waiting lists, provision for treatment and removal from the project if a potentially dangerous behavior is exhibited, plans for stopping an intervention that proves harmful or unsuccessful, or lag in debriefing the subject. The extent to which the applicant addresses procedures for the protection of human subjects, confidentiality of data and consent procedures. A Protection of Human Subjects Assurance must be included with the application for research on child abuse and neglect, in addition to the other required assurances. The extent to which the application indicates that the data will be collected utilizing approaches, measures, and instruments that are culturally sensitive and/or presents thoughtful explanations for using those whose cultural sensitivity may not yet have been empirically determined. The extent to which the application indicates that the data will be analyzed utilizing approaches that are appropriate to the scientific objectives of the study and how the proposed analyses reflect appropriate examinations of gender and ethnic issues. The extent to which the application includes plans to prepare data sets according to sound data processing and documentation practices to ensure the potential of these data sets for subsequent use by other researchers. The application for NCCAN funds provides for these data sets to be made available at the conclusion of the project to the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. Child welfare research participation in the Data Archive is optional. The extent to which the application indicates that the final report will be prepared in the suggested format that ensures its ease for dissemination and utilization and proposes strategies for dissemination of findings in a manner that will be of use to researchers and practitioners in the field. The extent to which the application outlines a sound and workable plan of action and details how the proposed work will be accomplished. The activities to be carried out are listed in chronological order, showing a reasonable schedule of accomplishments and target dates. The application includes an adequate staffing plan that lists key staff and consultants along with their responsibilities on the project, and that allocates a sufficient amount of time for each person to these activities. The application delineates how the research team will be assembled and the use of any advisory panels. It also lists each organization, agency, or other key groups that will work on the project, along with a description of their activities and training plans. The application indicates the ability to gain access to necessary information, data and clients. A sound administrative framework for maintaining quality control over the implementation and operation of the study is detailed. The author(s) of the application and his/her role in the proposed project is/are identified. The proposed project costs are reasonable, and the funds are appropriately allocated across component areas and are sufficient to accomplish the objectives. (d) Staff Background and Organization's Experience (maximum of 25 points) The extent to which the application describes the background, experience, training and qualifications of the key staff and consultants, including work on related research and similar projects. The extent to which it describes the personnel resources available for sampling, experimental design, statistical analysis and field work. Key personnel have a working knowledge of the proposed research and are geographically accessible. (The curriculum vitae for each key person must be included with the application.) The adequacy of the available facilities and organizational experience related to the tasks of the proposed project are detailed. (A two page organizational capability statement must be included with the application.) Any collaborative efforts with other organizations, including the nature of their contribution to the project, are described. (Letters of commitment for key staff and for collaborative efforts, where appropriate, must be included with the application.) The extent to which the application demonstrates the ability of the staff and organization to effectively and efficiently administer a project of the size, complexity and scope proposed. It further reflects the capacity to coordinate activities with other agencies for the successful accomplishment of project objectives. The application describes the relationship between this project and other work planned, anticipated or underway by the applicant with Federal assistance. 2. Criteria for Demonstration and Training Projects The following demonstration and training priority areas will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria below: 1.03T Training and Technical Assistance for Community-Based Family Resource Programs 2.03D Involving Parents in Service Design 2.04T Foster Care Review Systems 2.05T Professional Education for Public Child Welfare Practitioners 2.06T The Child Welfare Fellows Program: Tenured Faculty Development 2.07T Innovative Training for Exemplary Practice Competing applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (a) Objectives and Need for Assistance (maximum of 20 points) The extent to which the application pinpoints any relevant physical, economic, social, financial, institutional or other problems requiring a solution; demonstrates the need for assistance; states the principal and subordinate objectives of the project; provides supporting documentation or other testimonies from concerned interests other than the applicant; and includes and/or footnotes relevant data based on the results of planning studies. The [[Page 24704]] application must identify the precise location of the project and area to be served by the proposed project. Maps and other graphic aids may be attached. (b) Results or Benefits Expected (maximum of 20 points) The extent to which the application identifies the results and benefits to be derived, the extent to which they are consistent with the objectives of the proposal, and the extent to which the application indicates the anticipated contributions to policy, practice, theory and/or research. The extent to which the proposed project costs are reasonable in view of the expected results. (c) Approach (maximum of 35 points) The extent to which the application outlines a sound and workable plan of action pertaining to the scope of the project, and details how the proposed work will be accomplished; cites factors which might accelerate or decelerate the work, giving acceptable reasons for taking this approach as opposed to others; describes and supports any unusual features of the project, such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvements; and provides for projections of the accomplishments to be achieved. It lists the activities to be carried out in chronological order, showing a reasonable schedule of accomplishments and target dates. The extent to which, when applicable, the application identifies the kinds of data to be collected and maintained, and discusses the criteria to be used to evaluate the results and successes of the project. The extent to which the application describes the evaluation methodology that will be used to determine if the needs identified and discussed are being met and if the results and benefits identified are being achieved. The application also lists each organization, agency, consultant, or other key individuals or groups who will work on the project, along with a description of the activities and nature of their effort or contribution. (d) Staff Background and Organization's Experience (maximum of 25 points) The extent to which the application identifies the background of the project director/principal investigator and key project staff (including name, address, training, educational background and other qualifying experience) and the experience of the organization to demonstrate the applicant's ability to effectively and efficiently administer this project. The application describes the relationship between this project and other work planned, anticipated or underway by the applicant with Federal assistance. D. Available Funds Under this announcement, approximately $1.4 million is available for new NCCAN grants for FY 1995. The size of the actual awards will vary. For the Children's Bureau, $3 million is available for FY 1995. Each priority area description includes information on the maximum Federal share of the project costs and the anticipated number of projects to be funded. The term ``budget period'' refers to the interval of time (usually 12 months) into which a multi-year period of assistance (project period) is divided for budgetary and funding purposes. The term ``project period'' refers to the total time a project is approved for support, including any extensions. Where appropriate, applicants may propose project periods which are shorter than the maximum periods specified in the various priority areas. Non-Federal share contributions may exceed the minimum amounts specified in the various priority areas when the applicant is able to do so. For multi-year projects, continued Federal funding beyond the first budget period is dependent upon proof of satisfactory performance and the availability of funds from future appropriations. E. Structure of Priority Area Descriptions Each priority area description is composed of the following sections: Eligible Applicants: This section specifies the type of organization which is eligible to apply under the particular priority area. Specific restrictions are also noted, where applicable. Purpose: This section presents the basic focus and/or broad goal(s) of the priority area. Background Information: This section briefly discusses the legislative background as well as the current state-of-the-art and/or current state-of-practice that supports the need for the particular priority area activity. Relevant information on projects previously funded by ACYF, NCCAN, Children's Bureau and/or others, and State models are noted, where applicable. Some priority areas specify individuals to contact for more information. Requirements for Project Design: This section presents the basic set of issues that must be addressed in the application. Typically, they relate to project design, evaluation, and community involvement. This section also describes specific information on the proposed project. Project products, continuation of the project effort after the Federal support ceases, and dissemination/utilization activities, if appropriate, should also be addressed in this section. Applicants should note that non-responsiveness to the requirements will result in a low evaluation score by the panel of expert panel reviewers. Applicants should be certain they clearly identify the specific priority area under which they wish to have their applications considered, and tailor their applications accordingly. Project Duration: This section specifies the maximum allowable length of time for the project period; it refers to the amount of time for which Federal funding is available. Federal Share of Project Costs: This section specifies the maximum amount of Federal support for the project. Matching Requirement: This section specifies the minimum non-Federal contribution, where applicable, either through cash or in- kind match, that is required in relation to the maximum Federal funds requested for the project. Anticipated Number of Projects To Be Funded: This section specifies the number of projects that ACYF anticipates it will fund in the priority area. CFDA Number: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is the number required on the SF 424, (item 10). F. Research, Demonstration and Training Priorities F.1. Child Abuse and Neglect Research and Training Priorities 1.01R National Data Archive for Child Abuse and Neglect Eligible Applicants: Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions of higher learning. Purpose: To support a national data archive on child abuse and neglect to continue the processing and housing of high quality data sets and related activities that facilitate the use of archived data. Background Information: In this priority area, ACF seeks to ensure funding for one of the components of a research infrastructure identified as critical in the report of the Panel on Research on Child Abuse and Neglect of the National Research Council for the support of research on the prevention, identification and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Since September 30, 1988, NCCAN has provided funding for the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. The Archive is located at Cornell University, Family [[Page 24705]] Life Development Center, G20 MVR Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-4401 (telephone 607-255- 7794). This is a centralized facility for the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of machine-readable data sets relevant to the study of child maltreatment. The Archive currently holds 19 data sets and has produced a document that has been widely disseminated to the field on ``The Preparation of Data Sets for Analysis and Dissemination: Technical Guidelines for Machine-Readable Data.'' Both information on the data sets and the manual can be obtained from the Archive. It is expected that the successful applicant will continue and build on these activities. While a major function is to process, house, and preserve quality data sets from studies on child abuse and neglect, an archive also plays a critical role in setting standards and establishing good practices for documentation of data sets. Establishing such procedures enables data to be more readily available and easily shared with other researchers and provides the additional capacity for further and secondary analysis. All investigators regardless of their funding sources are encouraged to house data sets with the National Data Archive. As of FY 1994, all research grantees funded by NCCAN are required to prepare data sets according to sound data processing and documentation practices and to house these data sets with the National Data Archive at the conclusion of the projects. Archive staff are expected, therefore, to be available and provide technical support on data entry, processing, data analysis, and documentation. Plans should also include the housing of data sets from related national surveys such as those conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Department, the national incidence studies, the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), and housing of the database on measures for use in child abuse and neglect. A centralized archive can facilitate collaboration among researchers for knowledge building and encourage new researchers to enter the field. An archive should also provide training and technical assistance opportunities for new researchers or postdoctoral candidates through the conduct of summer training institutes which bring a small number of researchers together to work on these data sets. Support for secondary analysis of various data sets in the archive can be provided through these training institutes as well as through small grants to researchers to work with these data sets. Support may be provided for graduate research or postdoctoral research fellows to work in residence with archive staff on research related to the holdings. Workshops and training sessions can also be held at major national conferences. Dissemination is a major function of an archive. This includes providing innovative tools such as CD-ROM and a range of ready-to-use formats that make archived data sets more easily accessible to the research community; publishing information on projects of the archive and new acquisitions; preparation of technical guidelines outlining data processing standards and user guides to archive holdings; and development and maintenance of electronic mail services to facilitate networking and information exchange among researchers in the field of child abuse and neglect, including their access to a database on measures appropriate for researchers in this field. Requirements for Project Design: In order to compete successfully under this priority area, the applicant should: Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and problems associated with a national data archive on child abuse and neglect. Demonstrate an awareness of current activities being undertaken on this component and how the approach being proposed would build on this work. Propose an approach that is comprehensive and reflects cultural sensitivity to the issues being addressed. Describe the approach that would be employed for the specific functions being addressed, including training and technical assistance, and demonstrate sufficient resources and the appropriate facilities to undertake the project. Demonstrate an ability to gain access to necessary information, data sets, and data bases, as applicable and plans for addressing any ethical issues that may arise in the use of these data sets. Describe strategies for the dissemination of the products that would be of use to other researchers and practitioners in the field. Provide all required assurances and certifications, including a Protection of Human Subjects Assurance as specified in the policy described on the HHS Form 596. Provide assurances that at least one key staff person will attend a three-day annual spring meeting in Washington, DC. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 60 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share of the project is not to exceed $250,000 per 12-month budget period. Matching Requirements: There is no matching requirement. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that one project will be funded at the maximum funding level. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 93.670, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment. 1.02R. Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment Projects Eligible Applicants: Currently funded Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment projects initially funded for implementation in 1990 and 1991. Purpose: To support a second implementation phase of the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment for conducting and coordinating prospective studies of young children at risk of or who have already been maltreated. These studies are expected to contribute to the knowledge of the etiology and consequences and provide new insights into the prevention, identification and treatment of child maltreatment. Background Information: In FY 1989, the NCCAN funded two successful applicants in response to the priority area for the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Juvenile Protective Association in Chicago received a planning grant award for the central grantee and satellite grantee respectively. This planning grant was for a year to collaborate to develop a feasible plan for a longitudinal study. This was successfully accomplished. As stated in the original announcement, upon completion of this planning year, a central grantee and up to three satellites would be funded for a five-year period and possibly longer pending statutory authority and the availability of funds. It went on to state that additional satellite projects may be funded in the future. In FY 1990 and FY 1991, NCCAN awarded five-year grants to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Juvenile Protective Association for the implementation of the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment. The University of North Carolina received the award for the central grantee and for two satellite sites (in North Carolina and Seattle) and the Juvenile Protective Association received the award for a satellite grantee (in Chicago) thus implementing the proposed plan for the Consortium [[Page 24706]] coordinating center and three satellite sites. In FY 1990, the San Diego State University Foundation received a grant in response to the priority area on Psychological Impact of Child Maltreatment and by FY 1991 had signed an agreement to participate as a satellite site in the Consortium. In FY 1991, the University of Maryland at Baltimore received a grant in response to the priority area on Field Initiated Research for Child Abuse and Neglect and agreed as part of their application to coordinate with the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies. The University of Maryland at Baltimore also signed an agreement to participate as a satellite site in the Consortium. The Consortium currently consists of the coordinating center and five satellite sites. The collaborative effort is multi-disciplinary in the composition of its members and has taken the name of the LONGSCAN Consortium. In this priority area, NCCAN seeks to address the needs identified by the NRC report for collaborative studies in the longitudinal developmental framework and theory based longitudinal research to examine the antecedents and consequences of child abuse and neglect. LONGSCAN is a consortium of prospective studies designed to examine the life course of young children who are at risk of maltreatment or who have already been maltreated. The total projected sample size is about 1,500 children who are recruited at age four or younger. Baseline data is collected through child and primary caretaker interviews on all children in each of the studies at age four. Teacher assessments on each child are collected at subsequent follow-ups, after the child enters school. The studies use common data collection instruments and a common developmental perspective so that applied analyses of data as well as comparisons among sites and site-specific analyses can be accomplished. To date the specific common measurement batteries have been selected for ages four, six and eight. Tracking is carried out annually. Each site is responsible for selecting and maintaining a sample to follow at the designated data points for up to twenty years. The study duration of twenty years has been selected for conceptual reasons only and the actual duration of the effort will be contingent upon the availability of financial support. The Principal Investigators have signed and abide by a Governance Agreement that describes the operating structure of the Executive Board and seven Committees (Publication, Measures, Human Subjects, Communication, Field Procedures and Tracking, Data Handling and Analysis, Funding and Development) and policies related to ownership, local analysis and authorship. The Executive Board and Committees meet twice a year and use the Internet in between to discuss issues that arise and to reach agreement on the most appropriate procedures and actions to take. Samples of children for the five sites vary by their level of risk and exposure to maltreatment. The studies include children identified at birth as ``at risk'', children identified in pediatric clinics during their first year of life as ``at risk'', children reported to child protective services agencies, children in treatment because of their maltreatment, children who have been removed from their families and placed in foster care following their maltreatment. Each site is also collecting data in addition to the common measures. For example, one site has recruited children in their first year of life and has a special focus on use of videotaped observations of parent-child interactions as a means of assessing attachment and bonding. Two sites are obtaining information on the role of the fathers in caring for the children. During the first five years of implementation, the sites will have completed recruitment of their samples; collected site-specific data; selected, piloted and trained on administering measures for the age four and six year old follow-ups; three sites have been scheduled for the eight year old follow-up and training on use of the computer- assisted interviewing system developed for age eight; developed procedures and conducted annual contact interviews with the samples; developed forms and conducted CPS record reviews. During the first five years of implementation, the coordinating center will have provided for coordination of measurement selection and development; production of instruments and operational manuals and training for site staff; development of the data entry system and training of site staff in entry and analysis; receipt and checks for the data; development and maintenance of datasets; and conducting analyses of pooled data. Three sites will have completed the baseline data collection on the four year olds. Consortium members have written papers and presented individually and on panels at various national professional conferences. NCCAN seeks to fund a second phase of the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies to enable a complete set of baseline measures at age four and a six year old follow-up for all children in the samples. There is a four year range in the ages of the children in the studies so that additionally at least three of the five sites will complete the age eight follow-up. It is also expected that the pre-adolescent common measurement battery will be developed and used in a twelve year old or younger follow-up in at least one of the sites. This will provide for data analyses and findings for baseline and one follow-up of the samples and preliminary analyses for the next developmental transition into early adolescence. Requirements for Project Design: In order to compete successfully under this priority area, the applicant should: Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and problems associated with being a coordinating center with satellite sites, or with being a satellite site, and participating in the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Maltreatment. Describe activities undertaken during the first implementation phase and how the approach being proposed for the second five-year effort would build on this work; describe the study samples(s) and how attrition of the study samples(s) will be addressed; explain how the issues of research definitions of child abuse and neglect have been and will be addressed. Propose an approach that is comprehensive and developmentally appropriate and reflects cultural sensitivity to the issues being addressed. Describe the approach that would be employed for the specific functions of a coordinating center with satellite sites, or of a satellite site, being addressed and demonstrate sufficient resources and the appropriate facilities for carrying out the project, as applicable. Demonstrate an ability to gain access to necessary information. Delineate data processing and documentation procedures, and indicate how aggregate or single site data analysis will be addressed by either the coordinating center or by satellite sites, as applicable. Describe plans for individual site data analyses for the satellite sites or plans for site-specific comparisons among sites and pooled data analyses, for the coordinating center. Describe plans for providing Consortium datasets to the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect in order to ensure the potential of these data sets for use by other researchers. A manual describing such practices, The Preparation of Data Sets for Analysis and Dissemination: Technical Standards for Machine-Readable Data, can be obtained free of [[Page 24707]] cost from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect located at Cornell University, Family Life Development Center, G20 MVR Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-4401 (telephone: 607-255-7794). Provide information on articles, papers and presentations on the projects to date as well as those planned; describe the strategies for the dissemination of the products, interim findings as appropriate and reports that would be of use to other researchers and practitioners in the field. Provide all required assurances and certification, including Protection of Human Subjects Assurances, as specified in the policy described on the HHS Form 596. Discuss how the issues of informed consent have been and will be addressed for the child, primary caregiver, teacher and record reviews; describe use of the Certificate of Confidentiality and how any legal and ethical issues that may arise will be addressed. Provide assurances that at least one key staff person would attend a three-day annual spring meeting of research grantees in Washington, DC; and plan for two meetings of the Consortium Executive Board and Committees with one meeting to be held in Washington, DC. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 60 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share of each of the three satellite sites is not to exceed $250,000 per 12-month budget period. The maximum Federal share of the coordinating center with satellite sites is $750,000 per 12-month budget period. Each project, including the satellite sites of the coordinating center, is expected to submit an individual application in response to this priority area. The coordinating center with satellite sites are to submit a combined budget, detailed for each project. Matching Requirements: There is no matching requirement. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: We anticipate that a coordinating center and five satellite sites will be funded up to the maximum funding level. CFDA Number: 93.670, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment 1.03T. Training and Technical Assistance for Community-Based Family Resource Programs Eligible Applicants: Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions of higher learning. Collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged. Purpose: The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement is to provide financial support for training and technical assistance (T/TA) to promote the purposes of the Community-Based Family Resource Program (CBFRP). This T/TA is intended to build the capacity of States and CBFRP lead agency staff to: (1) Facilitate and assist efforts of State, local, Tribal, public and private agencies in the interdisciplinary, coordinated planning, development, and implementation of a continuum of child-centered, family-focused, neighborhood-based family support services--including the coordinated implementation and delivery of those services; and (2) encourage public and private partnerships in the establishment and expansion of family resource programs. Expected outcomes include State CBFRP lead agencies that have the capacity to conduct multi-disciplinary, integrated and coordinated: (1) Needs assessments, (2) policy development, (3) service delivery, and (4) program evaluations. This project is expected to train State agencies and facilitate effective interagency cooperation and collaboration that involves all stakeholders, including families, and promote public-private partnerships. This should be achieved through delivering on-site training, technical assistance, and consultation to all appropriate stakeholder groups. Training and technical assistance needs will be identified by State CBFRP lead agency staff in collaboration with ACYF Central and Regional Office personnel, and coordinated with other ongoing national training and technical assistance. Background: Title IV of the Human Services Amendments of 1994, signed into law on May 18, 1994, established a new Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act entitled Community-Based Family Resource Programs. The purpose of the CBFRP is to assist States to develop and implement, or expand and enhance, a comprehensive, Statewide system of community-based family resource services through innovative funding mechanisms and collaboration with existing education, vocational rehabilitation, health, mental health, employment and training, child welfare, and other social services agencies within the State. Under the CBFRP, grants are to be made to States for the purposes of: (1) Establishing and expanding Statewide networks of community- based family resource programs, including funds for the initial costs of providing specific family resource services, that ensure family involvement in the design and operation of family resource programs that are responsive to the unique and diverse strengths of children and families; (2) Promoting child abuse and neglect prevention activities; (3) Promoting the establishment and operation of State trust funds or other mechanisms for integrating child and family services funding streams in order to provide flexible funding for the development of community-based family resource programs; (4) Establishing or expanding community-based collaboration to foster the development of a continuum of preventive services for children and families which are family-centered and culturally competent; (5) Encouraging public and private partnerships in the establishment and expansion of family resource programs; and (6) Increasing and promoting interagency coordination among State agencies. In redefining its relationship with State, local, public and private agencies and organizations, the Federal government is forging new partnerships based on coordination, collaboration, cooperation, and communication. Subpart 2 of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act (1993), entitled Family Preservation and Support, and Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (1994), authorizing the Community-Based Family Resource Programs, are two recent pieces of legislation that demonstrate this collaborative principle. Inherent in the implementation of both pieces of legislation is the necessity for Federal, State, local, public, and private agencies and organizations to participate together in the planning of programs and services. In light of the practical need to increase interagency and interdisciplinary coordinated planning, development and implementation, and to involve all stakeholders, including customers, in the process, State agencies may need to develop new skills. More expansive and more cooperative ways of thinking are necessary to maximize programmatic potential and achieve legislatively-mandated goals. The training and technical assistance required to change attitudes and create a climate for new partnerships at Federal, State and local levels is a significant challenge. NCCAN intends to support one training project through a Cooperative Agreement. (A Cooperative Agreement [[Page 24708]] is Federal financial aid in which substantial Federal involvement is anticipated. The respective responsibilities of Federal staff and project staff are negotiated prior to award.) Requirements for Project Design: Applicants must describe their capabilities, related experience, and their plans for building the capacity of Federal, State, and local public and private agencies to increase interagency and interdisciplinary coordination and collaboration in the development and implementation of a continuum of child-centered, family-focused, neighborhood-based family support services, and to involve all stakeholders, including customers, in the total process. This must include a plan for assisting States in the building of partnerships between State agencies and local public and private agencies including child welfare agencies, child protective services, education agencies and programs, and the broad array of health services. In order to successfully compete under this priority area, the application must: Provide documentation of the applicant's experience in providing training and technical assistance, in identifying T/TA needs and developing or participating in the development of a plan to meet those needs, and in recruiting, assigning, and deploying staff with appropriate experience in the delivery of T/TA. The application must also provide information about the applicant's expertise in designing training, developing training materials, and organizing and conducting training sessions. Provide documentation of the experience of the applicant in areas directly relevant to the purposes of this Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement, including the applicant's capability, experience, and capacity-building strategies for increasing interagency and interdisciplinary coordination and collaboration between the State CBFRP lead agency and among all stakeholders, including families, at State and local levels. Include a description of staff with appropriate expertise who would provide training and technical assistance to the target recipients. Provide a training and technical assistance plan that will increase the capacity of State CBFRP lead agencies to promote communication, coordination, cooperation and collaboration among agencies within States and communities, and that will result in maximum utilization of existing resources, coordinated referral systems, standardized eligibility and intake procedures, and ease of access for customers and referring professionals. Provide a plan for promoting interagency collaboration and implementation of new procedures for blending funding streams, for collaborative long-range planning of family support services and service delivery options, and for management improvement strategies that facilitate interagency coordination (i.e., re-evaluating current case referral and intake procedures, establishing eligibility criteria that accommodate other-agency referrals that might otherwise cause duplication of programs, designing case management procedures that include interdisciplinary/interagency participation, and streamline record-keeping practices and accessibility without compromising client confidentiality). Provide a plan for assisting State CBFRP lead agencies to improve their cultural competence, including promoting the ability of all participating agencies to serve all families effectively, make culturally appropriate placements, recruit and employ minority staff, deliver culturally relevant support services, assess the factors contributing to the over-representation of minority families in need of support services, and develop strategies to improve outcomes for minority families and children. Provide a plan for identifying, documenting, and disseminating information about innovative and/or exemplary family support services, including innovative and well-coordinated interagency delivery systems. Demonstrate the capacity to articulate a child-focused, family-centered approach to the delivery of family support services, with linkages that reinforce and complement the State's Family Preservation and Family Support program, and with an emphasis that focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Describe a strategy for identifying, documenting and developing innovative and/or exemplary resources such as training curricula and manuals, especially in the area of interagency coordination and collaboration, and for assisting the Regional Offices in adapting such resources to meet specific needs in their States. Provide a plan for assisting State CBFRP lead agencies to develop outcome measures at the child, family, and program levels, and to engage in ongoing evaluation of the CBFRP with particular emphasis on customer input and satisfaction, and the efficacy of interagency efforts. Provide assurances that the project will coordinate and collaborate with the training and technical assistance providers funded by NCCAN and CB. Provide a timeline and budget for implementing this agreement, and include any proposed cost to agencies or customers if it is anticipated there might be reason to assess such costs. Agree to enter into a Cooperative Agreement which will require the grantee to submit to the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect Federal Project Officer, for review and approval: Workplans, including as appropriate, meetings and other activities involving Federal staff in the HHS Central Office and Regional Offices; lists of topics to be covered in training and technical assistance; topics, times and places for conferences; selection and assignment of appropriate staff for the delivery of training or technical assistance; topics for any collection of original data; and draft reports, conference agendas and other materials prior to their finalization and dissemination by the grantee. All applications for this priority area are expected to have an evaluation component. It is recommended that approximately 10 percent of the proposed budget be set aside for evaluation efforts. An external evaluator may be hired or an internal evaluation may be designed. As appropriate to the activities being proposed and project length, either a process or outcome evaluation may be designed. Goals and objectives should be stated in specific measurable form to document change, improvement, or effectiveness. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 17 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share of this project is not to exceed $400,000 for the 17-month budget period. Matching Requirements: Grantees must provide at least 25 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF share and the non-Federal share. The non- Federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. Therefore, a project requesting $400,000 in Federal funds must include a match of at least $133,333 (25% total project cost). Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that one project will be funded under this announcement. CFDA Number: 93.670, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment [[Page 24709]] F.2 Children's Bureau Child Welfare Research, Demonstration and Training Priorities 2.01R. Assessing The Quality of Out-Of-Home Care in the Child Welfare System. Eligible Applicants: Any State, public or nonprofit organization or agency, including institutions of higher education, State, local and community-based social services agencies, colleges and universities are encouraged to submit applications. Purpose: To conduct research which identifies the factors related to high quality foster family homes, including relative foster family homes, and/or non-treatment group homes for children in the child welfare system. Background Information: The numbers of children in out-of-home care in the child welfare system have increased each year since 1983, and particularly between 1988 and 1992. In 1993 it is estimated that almost 440,000 children are under State care, primarily in foster family homes. Many foster family homes are licensed or certified by the State, but relative homes which are not receiving foster care funding from the State may not be certified or licensed. The licensing of group homes is variable depending on the auspices of the group home and on the State. Pre-service and on going training is usually provided to foster families but training is limited and uneven for group home staff. There is no system for evaluation of the quality of care provided in either foster family homes or non-treatment group homes so that it is not possible to relate the quality or content of the training to the quality of care provided by the foster family or group home. In addition, children served range in age from birth to age 18, and may evidence a very wide range of medical, physical, social, emotional and behavioral problems. Obviously, the needs of the children vary widely. Requirements for Project Design: In order to successfully compete under this priority area, the application should: Describe and define the subgroup to be studied, e.g. age range, type of placement, other characteristics of interest, and justify this selection. Describe, based upon a review of the literature, how the project would fill a critical gap in information needed to improve policy, practice, and/or management in foster homes and/or non- treatment group homes used by the child welfare system. Describe the overall research design that would be employed including sampling procedures; types of data to be collected; procedures for data collection; instruments and measurements to be utilized, adapted or developed, including assessments of their reliability and validity; and plans for data analysis. Where possible, standardized instruments should be used or adapted. Discuss the scientific merit of the design selected including its strengths and weaknesses as well as the identification of alternative designs which were considered but rejected and the reasons for rejecting them. Indicate the ability to gain access to necessary information, data, provider agencies and clients. Letters of commitment from all cooperating agencies should be included. Discuss the possible utilization of the findings, including the perspectives of responsible State agencies, provider agencies, monitoring and licensing systems and child advocacy groups. Describe plans to work with these or other appropriate groups to utilize the findings of this research and provide suggestions for next steps in program and research. Describe the reports that would be developed under the project, including the types of information that would be presented, and the steps, including submission for publication to a referred journal, that would be undertaken to disseminate and promote the utilization of project findings. Provide assurances that the principal investigator would attend a four day annual meeting of grantees in Washington, DC. Grant recipients will be expected to follow an NCCAN- suggested format in the preparation of final program reports in order to achieve broader dissemination and successful utilization of findings by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, and copies of final reports and other products shall be provided to the Clearinghouse. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 36 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share is not to exceed $200,000 per 12-month budget period. Matching Requirement: There is no matching requirement. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that 2 projects will be funded. CFDA: 93.608 Child Welfare Research and Demonstration; Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.02R. How Decisions to Change the Case Plan Goal are Initiated Eligible Applicants: Any State, public or nonprofit organization or agency, including institutions of higher education, State, local and community-based social services agencies, colleges and universities are encouraged to submit applications. Purpose: To conduct research that identifies the factors which delay or facilitate decisions to change the case plan goal for children in out-of-home placement in the child welfare system. Of particular interest for this priority area is the decision to change the case goal of ``return home'' to the goal of ``adoption'' or other permanent plan. Background Information: Current child welfare policy and practice emphasize that children develop best in a permanent family home. Family preservation and/or support services should be provided to prevent out- of-home placement, and if placement occurs, reasonable efforts must be made to return the child home. If these reasonable efforts are unable to rehabilitate the parent(s), or if the parent is otherwise not available (dead, in prison for a long term, mentally ill or incapacitated) then the goal of return home is not appropriate. In these cases the agency must move to change the goal and direct its efforts toward an alternative permanent plan for the child. Goals may include adoption, placement with relatives, long-term foster care with a specific family, or independent living. Review of State foster care programs indicate that many agencies persist in having a goal of return home for extended periods of time after it appears clear that the child will not return home. Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 requires that the case plan goal must be established by the time of the six month case review, and the case disposition should be approved by the court at the time of the eighteen month dispositional hearing. The Voluntary Cooperative Information System (VCIS) does not provide information on case goals sufficient to permit any analysis. However, it does indicate that while up to 40% of the children will return home in less than one year, the rest will be in care for more extended periods, and some 10% to 15% will remain in care for five or more years. Further, in 1989, it is estimated that 50% of the children nationally experienced from 2 to 5 placements, and almost 7% had more than 6 placements. These extreme lengths of time in placement and numbers of placements indicate that there are serious problems in case planning and case management for a significant minority of children. [[Page 24710]] Requirements for Project Design: In order to successfully compete under this priority area, the application should: Describe, based upon a review of the literature, how the project would fill a critical gap in information needed to improve policy, practice, management and/or evaluation in child welfare programs. Describe the overall research design that would be employed including sampling procedures; types of data to be collected; procedures for data collection; instruments and measurements to be utilized, adapted or developed, including assessments of their reliability, validity; and plans for data analysis. Designs involving qualitative data collection may be proposed. Propose a research design that would identify the initial decision maker(s) and the incentives and disincentives which influence the worker, supervisor, agency administrator and other participants; degree of dissonance between formal and informal rules; presence of mythology relating to acceptance of such changes; assessment of difficulties related to court review, legal counsel, State law and other system factors insofar as these impinge on the initiation of the goal change decision; and related issues, such as worker turnover, and staff training. Address the issue within the context of ongoing services and real case decisions. Simulated decisions may be proposed only as a preliminary step. Discuss the scientific merit of the design selected including its strengths and weaknesses as well as the identification of alternative designs which were considered but rejected and the reasons for rejecting them. Indicate the ability to gain access to necessary information, data, staff and clients. Letters of commitment from cooperating agencies must be included. Describe the reports that would be developed under the project, including the types of information that would be presented, and the steps, including submission for publication to a referred journal, that would be undertaken to disseminate and promote the utilization of project findings. Provide assurances that the principal investigator would attend a four day annual meeting of grantees in Washington, DC. Grant recipients will be expected to follow an NCCAN- suggested format in the preparation of final program reports in order to achieve broader dissemination and successful utilization of findings by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, and copies of final reports and other products shall be provided to the Clearinghouse. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 36 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share is not to exceed $200,000 per 12-month budget period. Matching Requirement: There is no matching requirement. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that 2 projects will be funded. CFDA: 93.608 Child Welfare Research and Demonstration: Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.03D Involving Parents In Service Design Eligible Applicants: Public and private child welfare agencies. Purpose: To demonstrate effective ways to involve parents in agency program planning and decision-making to improve the acceptability, accessibility and quality of child welfare services. Background Information: The child protection and child welfare system is generally viewed by parents involved in it as an adversary. A report of suspected abuse or neglect triggers an investigation and the parent is vulnerable to possible criminal and/or civil charges; to being the recipient of mandated services and/or to the loss of the children either temporarily, or permanently if the allegations are founded. A voluntary request by parents for help may result in the request being re-classified as involuntary so that services can be provided. Many of the agency policies and ways of operating are perceived by parents as negative and coercive and they frequently complain about a lack of understanding of or appreciation for their cultural values which may differ significantly from the values represented by the agency. For example, agency location, office hours, availability of interpreters, transportation for visits to a child in out-of-home care, and similar factors may make it difficult for a parent to keep appointments or to meet the requirements of the case plan. In addition, misunderstandings about family behavior norms may be interpreted as failure to cooperate. Agency staff who seek to work with the parents to provide education, counseling, support and family preservation services recognize the negative impact of the system. Some workers develop approaches which are positive, stressing acceptance of the family, and recognizing that all families have strengths and that programs designed to assist families must build on those strengths. Requirements for Project Design: In order to successfully compete under this priority area, the application should: Describe, based upon a review of the literature, specifically how the project would involve client parents to fill a critical gap in information needed to shape service delivery through improvement of policy, practice and management in child welfare programs to make them more supportive and less threatening to parents receiving their services. Describe the overall demonstration design to be employed. Applicants may propose to involve clients and community representatives in a variety of ways including: To serve on agency boards; to set up special panels of parents; to conduct focus groups; and/or to implement other approaches to assist the agency to review and revise agency policy and practice. The proposed approach must be simple and low cost in order to be feasible under current conditions when agencies have few additional resources. Describe the overall evaluation plan, including a description of the types of data to be collected, procedures for data collection, analytical strategy and dissemination plan. Applicants may propose an evaluation using a before and after design, a comparison between two sites, or other appropriate evaluation design. Provide assurances from the cooperating agencies regarding their commitment to be involved in the development of the demonstration, and intent to continue the pattern of parent involvement following the completion of the project. Provide assurances that the principal investigator would attend a four day annual meeting of grantees in Washington, DC. Grant recipients will be expected to follow an NCCAN- suggested format in the preparation of final program reports in order to achieve broader dissemination and successful utilization of findings by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, and copies of final reports and other products shall be provided to the Clearinghouse. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 36 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share is not to exceed $75,000 per 12 month budget period, 15% of which must be used for the program evaluation. Matching Requirement: The applicant must provide at least 10 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The [[Page 24711]] total approved cost is the sum of the ACYF share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in-kind contributions. Therefore, a project requesting $225,000 in Federal funds must include a match of at least $25,000 over the three years. (The non-Federal share for the initial 12 month budget period is $8,333.) Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that 2 projects will be funded. CFDA Number: 93.608 Child Welfare Research and Demonstration; Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.04T Foster Care Review Systems Eligible Applicants: Any State, local, public or private nonprofit agency or organization, including accredited colleges and universities. Purpose: The purpose of this Priority Area is to provide training and technical assistance to State child welfare agencies and to review board members to enhance the accountability and efficiency of States' out-of-home care systems in overseeing the quality and appropriateness of care for children in the State foster care system. At a minimum the models must include citizen review boards or other forms of case review systems selected by the states, such as, administrative or other forms of non-judicial review systems. Background Information: In 1993, it was estimated that approximately 440,000 children in the child welfare system were in out- of-home care. Children who are placed in care have been exposed to serious family dysfunction and have experienced physical and/or psychological injury. Out-of-home placement can create additional problems/risks for children who are already at high risk for psychological and behavioral disturbances, developmental delays and academic and social difficulties. Children who remain unnecessarily long in foster care represent a loss in both human and financial terms. Every child in foster care has a right to a permanent, loving stable family relationship either through reunification with a biological family, adoption or placement in kinship or guardianship care. Every child welfare system has a goal of permanency planning for children in their care. Child welfare agencies have been experiencing increasing foster care caseloads consisting of more complex familial problems, especially substance abuse issues. This situation has severely tested the ability of child welfare systems to keep track of the children in their care, especially in terms of length of time in care and appropriateness of placement setting. One way to assist child welfare systems in monitoring the cases in out-of-home care is the use of foster care review boards. The use of foster care review boards began in the 1970s. In 1974, South Carolina became the first State to enact legislation establishing a statewide foster care review system including a foster care citizen review board. In 1977, New Jersey, recognizing South Carolina's success in reducing the number of children remaining unnecessarily long in care, passed legislation requiring administrative and judicial review of children in out-of-home placement. By 1979, Delaware and Maryland had passed legislation requiring the establishment of review boards. The Federal government's approach to increase states' accountability for the children in out-of-home care was the passage of Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. This legislation required a review of each child in care every six months by either an administrative or court review. The purpose of the review is to determine the appropriateness and continuing necessity for the out-of-home placement, the extent of compliance with the case plan and the extent of progress made in alleviating the causes of the placement. The review also helps project a date by which the child can return home, be placed for adoption or be placed in another permanent setting. Reviews have also been used to identify systemic issues which are a barrier to meeting the child's best interest. Anecdotal reports have indicated that the establishment of foster care review systems has increased the child welfare system's accountability and management of cases in foster care beyond what it was in the 1970s. Requirements for Project Design: The applicant should provide State child welfare agencies and foster care review board members with the necessary information, methods and techniques to develop, expand, improve or strengthen foster care review systems. The training and technical assistance provided should be designed to assist the review boards to achieve the following: Objective standards in determining case goal(s), appropriateness of placement and time in care; An integral role for the review board which establishes a partnership with the court and child welfare agency in decision-making on case goals and recommendations; Authority to access the necessary information regarding the case and appropriate services and to serve as an advisor to the court; Timelines which include both the frequency of reviews and the capacity to set firm goals and timetables for cases; Knowledge of agency operations, staff resources, availability of services, service needs of the client families and the ability to make recommendations that are practical and achievable; Enhanced ability to use knowledge acquired through the review process to influence the outcomes for children; and Enhanced knowledge to improve case assessment skills and systems assessment. The applicant will help develop the capacity of State child welfare agencies to establish, expand or improve foster care review systems. Applicants must describe their capabilities and plans to provide training and technical assistance to the State child welfare agencies and review board members. The application should: Describe the applicant's knowledge about the issues and problems involved in establishing, expanding and improving citizen review boards as well as other review systems selected by the State, such as, administrative reviews, or other forms of non-judicial reviews, particularly in bringing about more accountability and efficiency to the process; and a description of the strengths and weaknesses of various models. Describe a plan for providing training and technical assistance to State agencies and interested parties to establish, develop and/or improve the competency of the foster care review boards which will result in improved case outcomes for children in foster care. Describe the applicant's experience in providing training and technical assistance to State agencies which are responsible for operating a variety of foster care review boards, including a procedure to evaluate the consultation provided. Describe the applicant's experience in providing training and technical assistance to foster care review board members, including a procedure to evaluate the consultation provided. Describe a strategy such that the training and technical assistance provided will result in sensitizing the review boards to cultural diversity and developing skills that the review board members can use in serving client populations that are economically, racially and culturally diverse. Describe a plan to ensure that the training and technical assistance is [[Page 24712]] provided by a racially and culturally diverse staff. Describe a plan to establish linkages and partnerships among the foster care review system, the state child welfare agency and the court in order to strengthen communication and coordinated service delivery to children in out-of-home placement. Identify issues around which the relationships can be built. Describe an approach that the foster care review system could use to educate the community about programs and procedural issues affecting the child welfare system including, but not limited to, insufficient preventive and supportive family services; insufficient casework staff; obsolete State legal codes; needed improvements in the court and agency relationships; and the identification of State/county/ city service needs and resource deficits. Describe a plan to develop and disseminate nationally, informational materials on topical issues related to foster care review systems. Provide an assurance that key grantee staff will meet with their Federal project officer and other ACYF staff in Washington, D.C. within sixty days after receiving the award. Provide an assurance that at least one key staff member would attend an annual four day meeting of the Children's Bureau grantees in Washington, D.C. Outline a plan for interaction with ACF for implementation under a cooperative agreement including, as appropriate, Headquarters and Regional Office staff. (A cooperative agreement is Federal Assistance in which substantial Federal involvement is anticipated. The respective responsibilities of Federal staff and the awardee are negotiated prior to award.) Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 36 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The Federal share of the project is $1,000,000 over three years. The first and second 12 month budget period will be funded for $300,000 each and the third 12 month budget year will be funded for $400,000. Matching Requirements: The applicant must provide at least 10 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost is the sum of the ACYF share and the non-Federal share. The non- Federal share may be in cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. Therefore, a project requesting $1,000,000 in Federal funds must include a match of at least $111,112 over the three years. (The non-Federal share for the initial 12 month budget period is $33,333.) Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that one project will be funded as a cooperative agreement. Length of Applications: The maximum length of the application shall not exceed 60 pages including appendices. CFDA Number: 93.658 Foster Care Title IV-E: Section 476 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.05T Professional Education for Public Child Welfare Practitioners Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education with accredited social work education programs or other bachelor or graduate level programs leading to a degree relevant to work in child welfare. Given limited funds and in order to generate and financially support the widest possible variety of issues and approaches, priority will be given to applicants which have not been funded under this priority area in FY 92 and FY 93 or the Interdisciplinary Training Programs for Child Welfare priority area in FY 91 and FY 92. However, previously funded applicants under this priority area will not be precluded from receiving a grant. Purpose: To develop and/or strengthen the training of future and current public child welfare agency staff by offering traineeships and through the provision of competency-based child welfare training with a particular emphasis on imparting critical knowledge and developing skills which are responsive to the problems confronting public child welfare agency clients. Trainees will be enrolled as bachelor's or master's level students at institutions with accredited social work programs. Background Information: This priority area was originally developed for the FY 92 Child Welfare Services Training Program Announcement and was included again in the FY 93 Announcement. The priority area emerged out of a generally recognized need to enhance social work education's ability to effectively prepare students for the realities of contemporary public child welfare agency practice and to invigorate the workforce of the public agency. The Children's Bureau has funded a total of 39 social work education programs to conduct projects in this priority area. In many instances, these projects have prompted an expansion, reorientation, or renewed emphasis of the social work education program's mission to include public service. In virtually all instances, these projects have fostered the development and strengthening of partnerships between schools and departments of social work and public agencies by linking faculty and agency staff to generate sets of competencies, and collaborate in instruction and field work. These projects have also been asked to attract and serve a more diverse pool of students under the assumption that their eventual work in public child welfare will help contribute to a more culturally sensitive practice. In response to the Children's Bureau's request, these professional education grants have gone beyond awarding traineeships. Grantees have been asked to focus on curriculum reform involving the development of specific child welfare courses and the inclusion of child welfare oriented content in courses across the various sequences of the undergraduate and graduate social work curricula. It is believed that an expanded treatment of child welfare will strengthen BSW and MSW graduates' abilities to assess and respond to the multiple and interconnected needs of the children and families being served by publicly administered and publicly supported agencies. Grantees have also been asked to focus on increasing the numbers of field placements in public child welfare agencies and improving the quality of the supervision of those placements. It is believed that greater exposure to public child welfare as a viable employment option, and the benefit of a quality placement experience, increases the likelihood that social work students will seek employment in public agencies. As a result of funding 39 projects through this initiative there is a great deal of momentum and activity throughout the nation at the present time. The funding of a Cooperative Agreement between the Children's Bureau and Florida International University and the funding of 11 interdisciplinary child welfare training grants also built interest in the subject and mobilized involvement. It is important to help sustain the heightened attention and efforts around building partnerships and a quality workforce by again providing support for professional education projects in this year's announcement. In order to be responsive to a number of unique issues and factors in professional education for public child welfare practice this priority area is being subdivided into three subcategories: [[Page 24713]] 2.05TA Professional Education for New Entry Level Agency Staff (Awarding the BSW degree) 2.05TB Professional Education for Existing Agency Staff (Awarding the BSW and/or MSW Degree) 2.05TC Professional Education for New Advanced Level Agency Staff (Awarding the MSW Degree) Applicants must identify which subcategory their application is in response to. An institution may submit only one application under this priority area. Requirements for Project Design: In order to compete successfully under this priority area, the applicant should: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work that has transpired throughout the country around this professional education initiative and indicate how the proposed project either builds on what has transpired and/or seeks to add an innovative dimension. Describe past and/or current collaborative efforts between the educational program and the public (State/local/Tribal) agency. Specify how this project will be used to build on an existing partnership or initiate a partnership agenda. Describe curriculum revision that has taken place or reforms that are planned as a result of this project to strengthen and expand child welfare content. Curriculum reform should involve required courses across the sequences and not just the development of child welfare related electives. Explain how faculty curriculum committees will be involved in this process and provide evidence to confirm commitment to curriculum reform. Include a plan for evaluation which, at a minimum, discusses the competency-based aspects of the child welfare content, making sure to explain how student acquisition of competencies will be assessed. Applicants are especially encouraged to think about ways of integrating field experiences and classroom instruction to determine attainment of competencies. Present a plan for offering traineeships with the grant funds and the criteria to be used in awarding traineeships. A minimum of two-thirds of the funds shall be used for traineeships. Describe who the students would be (undergraduate or graduate level or both); how many are expected to be trained over the life of the project; the criteria for the selection of students as trainees; how the trainees would be recruited to promote the inclusion of persons from communities whose children are over-represented in the child welfare system; and the strategy which would be used to insure that students work in public child welfare after graduation. Include a plan for a follow-up of students to determine their subsequent employment in public child welfare agencies. Describe the final report and/or other products, such as curricula or training modules, that would be developed under the project. Identify relevant audiences for each proposed product and the steps that would be undertaken to disseminate and promote the utilization of project products and findings. Provide assurances that at least one key staff person from the university and one key staff person from the public child welfare agency would jointly attend a one-day annual meeting in the HHS Regional Office shortly after the award of the grant as well as a four day annual meeting in Washington, DC. Describe the social work education program's current access to title IV-E training funds. If they are currently being accessed explain how this grant will be used to enhance and/or expand activity in this area. If title IV-E training funds are currently not being accessed, provide a plan on how those funds will be actively sought during the life of this grant. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 24 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share is not to exceed $75,000 per 12-month budget period. A traineeship must not exceed $7,500 per student per budget year. Matching or Cost Sharing Requirement: No matching funds are required for the portion of the budget which pays for traineeships. Grantees must provide at least 25 percent of the total cost of grant activities other than traineeships. The total approved cost of these activities is the sum of the ACYF share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through a cash contribution. Therefore, a project requesting $20,000 in Federal funds for non-traineeship activities over the 24 month time span of the project (based on $10,000 non-traineeship activities per budget period) must include a match of at least $6,666.66 (25 percent of the total cost for these activities). Because this is a training grant, indirect costs for these projects shall not exceed 8 percent. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that a total of approximately 15 to 24 projects will be awarded, five to eight under each subpriority area 2.05TA, 2.05TB, and 2.05TC. CFDA Number: 93.648 Child Welfare Services Training Program Grants: Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.06T The Child Welfare Fellows Program: Tenured Faculty Development Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education with accredited social work education programs or other bachelor or graduate level programs leading to a degree relevant to work in child welfare. Purpose: This priority area is designed to promote the integration of the applied and theoretical knowledge base of tenured faculty in social work education programs at the BSW and MSW levels regarding contemporary public child welfare practice, and strengthen their abilities to train students for work in the field of child welfare from a more informed perspective. Background Information: There is anecdotal evidence from the field, as well as from projects funded by the Child Welfare Services Training Program in the past several years, which suggests that schools and departments of social work are paying more attention to the recruitment and hiring of new junior faculty with child welfare backgrounds. Moreover, there is a cadre of tenured faculty whose teaching, research and service would be enhanced from greater involvement with public child welfare. It is believed that enriching and expanding the child welfare content knowledge of tenured faculty in social work education programs would result in the more effective preparation of students for positions in public child welfare agencies. This priority area would fund a three year cooperative agreement between the Children's Bureau and an education program which would administer the Child Welfare Fellows Program. During the first year of the cooperative agreement, the successful applicant would establish relationships and work with various relevant organizations and constituencies (the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Deans and Directors of Social Work, the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors of Social Work, National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators) to create visibility, interest, status and support for the effort, and to design and [[Page 24714]] implement a competitive process for selecting and managing a group of fellows from a pool of applicants. During the second year of the cooperative agreement, the selected group of tenured faculty from across the country would receive faculty development grants which would provide them with release time from classroom instruction and allow them to perform a range of tasks in their local public or Tribal child welfare agency. Faculty chosen as Fellows would be expected to use the faculty development grant to update their own knowledge, strengthen their pedagogy, and conduct public welfare research. They are expected to use the agency experience to revise instructional content for the courses they teach by making stronger connections between theoretical frameworks and real world situations and circumstances. They are also expected to advance the school-agency partnership agenda by providing more effective research and service to the public agency. During the summer of the second year, an institute would be held which would bring all the Fellows together and have them assess and analyze their experiences, exchange ideas and insights, and hear from and work with current experts in the child welfare field. Finally, during the second year, a second and larger cohort of faculty would be chosen to participate as Fellows in the third year of the cooperative agreement. A summer institute would also be held for this group during the third year. Requirements for Project Design: In order to successfully compete under this priority area the applicant should: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the issues involved in designing and implementing a Child Welfare Fellows Program and present an overall approach to administering this initiative. Describe a plan for year one focusing on strategies for outreach and enlisting support including identifying key organizations for collaboration and the kinds of activities that would be conducted in order to accomplish outreach and obtain support. The formation of an Advisory Board should be considered. Describe strategies for recruiting and criteria for selecting applicants for participation as Child Welfare Fellows, making sure to present both the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies and the rationale for choosing the strategies that have been selected. Include a plan for evaluation which, at a minimum, discusses proposed outcomes for faculty participating in the program for both the public agency and the social work education program. Propose the size of the fellows group for the second and third years of the project and provide a justification for the size chosen. Provide a detailed design plan for the Summer Institute consisting of proposed length, topics, presenters, formats, and a mock agenda. Propose a plan for establishing cost-sharing relationships with education programs which will be sponsoring faculty to participate as Fellows. Provide assurances that at least one key staff person from the project would jointly attend a four day annual meeting in Washington, DC. Describe the final report and/or other products that will be developed under the project. Identify relevant audiences for each proposed product and the steps that would be undertaken to disseminate and promote the utilization of project products and findings. Agree to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with the Children's Bureau. (A Cooperative Agreement is Federal Assistance in which substantial Federal involvement is anticipated. The respective responsibilities of Federal staff and the awardee are negotiated prior to award.) Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 36 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum federal share is not to exceed $75,000 during the first 12-month budget period. In the second 12-month budget period the maximum federal share is not to exceed $175,000, and in the third 12-month budget period the maximum federal share is not to exceed $250,000. For the total three year project the maximum Federal share is $500,000. Matching or Cost Sharing Requirement: Grantees must provide at least 25 percent of the total cost of grant activities. The total approved cost of these activities is the sum of the ACYF share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through a cash contribution. Therefore, a project requesting a total of $500,000 in Federal funds for all 3 budget periods must include a total match of $166,666.66 (25 percent of the total project cost of $666,666.66.) Because this is a training grant, indirect cost for this project shall not exceed 8 percent. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that one project will be funded. CFDA: 93.648 Child Welfare Services Training Program Grants: Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. 2.07T Innovative Training for Exemplary Practice Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education with accredited social work education programs or other bachelor or graduate level programs leading to a degree relevant to work in child welfare. Purpose: This priority area encourages the development of training packages for in-service education to improve practice in critical areas of child welfare. It also seeks to build on and expand the scope of partnerships between social work education programs and public child welfare agencies. Background Information: Child welfare practice is undergoing profound transformations. The case management aspect of the work performed by child welfare direct service staff is being transformed by demands inherent in the emergence of managed care as well as in wrap- around and integrative service projects. A more relevant repertoire of clinical interventions for child welfare workers is necessitated by the pervasiveness of substance abuse among families being served, heightened levels of domestic and community violence, and increasing numbers of infants coming into substitute care. In order to maintain quality practice in the face of these and other challenges child welfare workers need training to acquire new knowledge and new sets of skills. A number of schools and departments of social work throughout the country already have effective working relationships with public human service agencies to provide child welfare staff training and development. Other social work education programs are in the process of forging agreements to render training. This priority area builds on these efforts. Grantees will be expected to collaborate with the State IV-B/IV-E agency, the local public child welfare agency, or a Tribal or consortium of Tribal child welfare programs, on the design and implementation of innovative in-service training packages for direct service staff. Training packages for exemplary practice should be competency-based and should incorporate stages of awareness and understanding through skill acquisition. It is envisioned that grant activity funded under this priority area will also have a beneficial impact on professional education. Faculty involved in the creation of these training packages will be expected to make changes in course [[Page 24715]] content and in instruction based upon their work in this project. Applicants may submit an application to develop a training package to address any one of the following topics of critical importance: Working with families contending with domestic and/or community violence. Working with families contending with substance abuse. Refining and targeting family preservation services. Working with relatives as foster parents. An institution can submit more than one application under this priority area, but each application can only address one of the above topics. Applications to develop training packages on topics other than those listed above will not be accepted. Requirements for Project Design: In order to successfully compete under this priority area the applicant should: Identify the current status of training and identify existing training resources in the topic. Clarify how the proposed package is innovative and how it will contribute to exemplary practice. Document the need for the particular training, specify and distinguish among different levels of competencies workers will attain, delineate the training design process, provide a detailed outline of the content to be covered, and describe training formats to be utilized. Describe the nature and longevity of the relationship between the social work education program and the child welfare agency making sure to demonstrate the basis for a positive and productive collaboration around the development of the training package. Demonstrate the capacity of both the educational program and agency to develop and deliver the training, by emphasizing the qualifications of the professionals from each institution who will be working together on the project. Describe a plan for how faculty involved in the development of the training package will use the experience to infuse the knowledge and content into their own teaching and courses. Also, describe how faculty will work with other faculty members on an individual basis, as well as through academic program mechanisms such as curriculum committees, to promote broader-based infusion. Provide assurances that at least one key staff person from the university and one key staff person from the public child welfare agency would jointly attend a one-day annual meeting in the HHS Regional Office shortly after the award as well as a four day annual meeting in Washington, DC. Include a plan for evaluation which incorporates pilot testing procedures as well as assessing the competency-based and practice oriented outcomes of the training package. Describe the final report and/or other training products, such as training curriculum, video tapes, software packages, etc. to be developed under the project. Identify relevant audiences for each proposed product and the steps that would be undertaken to disseminate and promote the utilization of project products and findings. Project Duration: The length of the project must not exceed 24 months. Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum federal share is not to exceed $60,000 per 12-month budget period. Matching or Cost Sharing Requirement: Grantees must provide at least 25 percent of the total cost of grant activities. The total approved cost of these activities is the sum of the ACYF share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through a cash contribution. Therefore, a project requesting a total of $120,000 in Federal funds for both budget periods must include a total match of $40,000 (25 percent of the total project cost of $160,000). Because this is a training grant, indirect costs for these projects shall not exceed 8 percent. Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded: It is anticipated that approximately seven to ten projects will be funded. CFDA Number: 93.648 Child Welfare Services Training Program Grants: Section 426 of the Social Security Act, as amended. Part III--Instructions for the Development and Submission of Applications This part contains information and instructions for submitting applications in response to this announcement. Application forms are provided along with a checklist for assembling an application package. Please copy and use these as single-sided forms in submitting an application. Potential applicants should read this section carefully in conjunction with the information contained within the specific priority area under which the application is to be submitted. The priority area descriptions are in Part II. A. Required Notification of the State Single Point of Contact (NCCAN Only) All applications for research or training projects submitted to NCCAN are covered under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, and title 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 100, Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities. Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. Therefore, the applicant should contact his or her State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) directly to determine what materials, if any, the SPOC requires. Contact information for each State's SPOC is found at the end of this section. Children's Bureau applicants are exempt from this requirement. All States and territories, except Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, American Samoa and Palau, have elected to participate in the Executive Order process and have established a State Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Applicants from these 19 jurisdictions need take no action regarding E.O. 12372. Applications for projects to be administered by Federally-recognized Indian Tribes are also exempt from the requirements of E.O. 12372. It is imperative that the applicant submit all required materials to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact, if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form (SF) 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), SPOCs have 60 days from the grant application deadline to comment on applications for financial assistance under this program. These comments are reviewed as part of the award process. Failure to notify the SPOC can result in a delay in grant award. The SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations which may trigger the ``accommodate or explain'' rule. It is helpful in tracking SPOC comments if the SPOC will clearly indicate the applicant organization as it appears on the application SF 424. When comments are submitted directly to ACYF, they [[Page 24716]] should be addressed to the application mailing address located in the front section of this announcement. B. Deadline for Submission of Applications The closing date for submission of applications under this program announcement is July 10, 1995. Applications must be either received by mail or hand-delivered no later than the deadline date. (Applicants are cautioned that postmarks will not be considered as a methodology for meeting this deadline.) Applications receipt point: FY 1995 NCCAN/CB Discretionary Funds Program, Department of Health and Human Services, ACF/Division of Discretionary Grants, 6th floor, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: NCCAN/CB-95-1. Hand delivered applications are accepted during the normal working hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, on or prior to the established closing date at: Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 6th Floor, ACF Guard Station, 901 D Street SW., Washington, DC 20047. An application will be considered as meeting the deadline if it is received on or before the deadline date at the address or receipt point specified in this program announcement. Applicants are responsible for mailing applications well in advance, when using all mail services or commercial carriers (such as UPS, Federal Express, etc.), to ensure that the applications are received on or before the deadline date. Applications which do not meet the above criteria are considered late applications and will not be considered or reviewed in the current competition. The ACYF will send a letter to this effect to each late applicant. The ACYF reserves the right to extend the deadline for all applicants due to acts of God, such as floods, hurricanes or earthquakes; if there is widespread disruption of the mail; or if ACYF determines a deadline extension to be in the best interest of the Government. However, ACYF will not waive or extend the deadline for any applicant unless the deadline is waived or extended for all applicants. C. Instructions for Preparing the Application and Completing Application Forms The SF 424, 424A, 424B, and certifications have been reprinted for your convenience in preparing the application. You should reproduce single-sided copies of these forms from the reprinted forms in the announcement, typing your information onto the copies. Please do not use forms directly from the Federal Register announcement, as they are printed on both sides of the page. Make single-sided copies and use them. Please prepare your application in accordance with the following instructions: 1. SF 424 Page 1, Application Cover Sheet--Please read the following instructions before completing the application cover sheet. An explanation of each item is included. Complete only the items specified. Top of Page Enter the single priority area number under which the application is being submitted. An application should be submitted under only one priority area. Item 1 ``Type of Submission''--Preprinted on the form. Item 2 ``Date Submitted'' and ``Applicant Identifier''--Date application is submitted to NCCAN and applicant's own internal control number, if applicable. Item 3 ``Date Received By State''--State use only (if applicable). Item 4 ``Date Received by Federal Agency''--leave blank. Item 5 ``Applicant Information''-- ``Legal Name''--Enter the legal name of the applicant organization. For applications developed jointly, enter the name of the lead organization only. There must be a single applicant for each application. ``Organizational Unit''--Enter the name of the primary unit within the applicant organization which will actually carry out the project activity. Do not use the name of an individual as the applicant. If this is the same as the applicant organization, leave the organizational unit blank. ``Address''--Enter the complete address that the organization actually uses to receive mail, since this is the address to which all correspondence will be sent. Do not include both street address and P.O. box number unless both must be used in mailing. ``Name and telephone number of the person to be contacted on matters involving this application (give area code)''--Enter the full name (including academic degree, if applicable) and telephone number of a person who can respond to questions about the application. This person should be accessible at the address given here and will receive all correspondence regarding the application. Item 6 ``Employer Identification Number (EIN)''--Enter the employer identification number of the applicant organization, as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service, including, if known, the Central Registry System suffix. Item 7 ``Type of Applicant''--Self-explanatory. Item 8 ``Type of Application''--Preprinted on the form. Item 9 ``Name of Federal Agency''--Preprinted on the form. Item 10 ``Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Nu [Text truncated at 120,000 characters. The full text is on the page linked above.] --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-11246. Public record. Not legal advice.