# Home Visitor Services (Number: OPE-HVS-5) > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-8757 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** April 10, 1995 - **Citation:** 60 FR 18103 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Home Visitor Services (Number: OPE-HVS-5) AGENCY: Office of Policy and Evaluation (OPE), ACF, DHHS. ACTION: Announcement of the availability of funds and request for applications to provide research assistance for the Home Visitor Services Demonstration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Office of Policy and Evaluation of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces the availability of Federal funding to provide research assistance for the Home Visitor Services Demonstration. Funding under this announcement is authorized by section 1110 of the Social Security Act governing Social Services Research and Demonstration activities (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.647). DATES: The closing date for submission of applications is June 9, 1995. ADDRESSES: Application receipt point: Applications may be mailed to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., MS 6C-62 OFM/DDG, Washington, DC 20447; Attn: Mrs. Shirley Parker; Reference: Announcement Number OPE-HVS-5. 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 20447. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Administration for Children and Families, Office of Policy and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447; Attn: Nancye Campbell, telephone (202) 401-760. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Policy and Evaluation of the Administration for Children and Families announces that competing applications are being accepted for Federal financial assistance to provide research assistance for the Home Visitor Services (HVS) Demonstration. A single award will be made under this announcement. The recipient will receive an initial financial award for 12 months and be eligible to apply on a non-competitive basis for a continuation award of 12 months duration. The recipient will also be expected to enter into a cooperative agreement with ACF. This program announcement consists of four parts. Part I provides background information about the HVS demonstration. Part II describes the activities supported by this announcement and application requirements. Part III describes the application review process. Part IV provides information and instructions for the submission of applications. Part I--Introduction ACF has entered into a partnership with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to develop and assess a demonstration of home visiting services for teenage parents on AFDC who are required to participate in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program. Through a separate [[Page 18104]] competitive process, ACF provided funding support for five state welfare agencies to plan, implement and conduct the demonstrations. Such funding support was only available to the single state agency responsible for the administration of the AFDC program as required by section 1115 of the Social Security Act. The Kaiser Foundation has awarded a grant to the University of Pennsylvania to provide background analysis, project design assistance, and research assistance for the HVS initiative. However, the research assistance which can be provided through the Kaiser grant is insufficient. Background on the Demonstrations: The Assistant Secretary for Children and Families sent a letter to the all state welfare directors announcing the availability of funds for demonstration grants to conduct the HVS demonstration. In the September of 1994 ACF awarded planning and development grants and waivers to five states (Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas) to enable them to begin the design and development of a demonstration to incorporate home visiting services into their JOBS program for teenage parents and to participate in the demonstration. Based on performance during the feasibility (planning and development) phase, up to three states will be selected to continue full demonstration operation for an additional 24-month period. The central goals of the HVS initiative are to help young AFDC families achieve economic self-sufficiency and to add to current knowledge regarding the effectiveness of strategies designed to improve the social, personal, health, and economic outcomes among teenage parents and their children. To achieve these goals, home visits by paraprofessionals will be included as a part of the JOBS program in demonstration sites and the interventions effect on a range of outcomes will be measured. It is expected that the home visitors will establish a close relationship with the teens and their children while they are also providing them with instruction and supportive guidance in four areas: parenting; family planning; obtaining appropriate health care; and accessing community resources and supports. In addition to the provision of direct services in the four areas mentioned, the home visitors will also be a link between the teen and the JOBS program and welfare agency. Through the relationships developed through regular, weekly visits to provide the instruction and guidance in the four key areas discussed above, it is also expected that the visitors will be able to identify potential problems early and bring appropriate attention to the problems or otherwise help the young mother resolve the problem as it relates to participation in JOBS or other areas. The home visits will be targeted to teen parents who are applying for AFDC for the first time or who have their first child while on AFDC, and who are required, through waiver authority, to participate in education, training or employment activities under JOBS. The home visitors will be ``housed'' in two types of JOBS settings: the program staffed by the welfare agency and a program staffed by a service provider in the community (e.g., a community-based organization). While participation in the JOBS program and with the home visiting component is mandatory, considerable sensitivity to the concerns of the teens or other family members to having someone come into their home will be required. Therefore, the meetings between the teen and the visitor can occur at any suitable location. The curriculum to be used by the sites to address the key areas is being developed under the guidance of the University of Pennsylvania research team. The welfare agencies which were considered for the demonstration grants were ones which proposed to operate the demonstration in sites which have an adequate caseload to identify approximately 425 new AFDC teen parent cases over a 12-month period and in which the JOBS program currently provides a comprehensive set of services targeted to teen parents. The community provider programs considered were ones in the same site which provide a comprehensive set of services in a single location and can enroll and serve at least 75 new teen parent cases. Specifically, in addition to the provision of appropriate education, training or employment activities, a comprehensive program is expected to provide: assistance with child care and transportation, specialized case management, and additional services targeted to teen parents such as parenting or life skills development. The selected sites were required to document their ability and willingness to randomly assign new teen parent cases to: (1) The current welfare-agency staffed JOBS program for teen parents, which will serve as the control group; (2) The welfare-agency staffed JOBS program with home visitors; and (3) The provider staffed JOBS program with home visitors. In order to be considered as a site, the welfare agency was required to document their willingness and ability to collect and provide the data necessary to support research analyses related to process, impacts, and costs which will be conducted by the University of Pennsylvania researchers through the Kaiser grant as well as that which will be conducted through this expanded effort. Part II--Project Design Purpose: The purpose of the research assistance is, through technical support and impact, process, and cost analyses, to inform the public, including states, regarding the difference the addition of an intervention of regular home visits makes to teenage parents and, through them, to the lives of their children. This assistance is being sought because the extent of the research assistance to be provided through the grant from the Kaiser Foundation to the University of Pennsylvania for the initiative is not sufficient to address the complete scope of the planned effort. ACF is interested in (1) Expanding the knowledge base to include information about more sites and about the differential impacts of the two treatment groups: the intervention administered through the welfare agency, and the intervention administered through a provider agency (e.g., a community- based organization) and (2) Providing technical support to the sites regarding implementation and evaluation issues. The extent of the research assistance currently provided for through the Kaiser grant is limited to analyses of process, impacts, and costs in two sites with a single treatment group and a control group. The primary measures to be used to assess program impact include, but are not limited to: Participation in education or employment-related activities under JOBS; High school/GED completion; Employment and earnings; Public assistance use; Repeat pregnancies and births; Immunizations for young children; Health status of mothers and children; Parent-child relationships. The recipient will perform data collection and initial analyses that focus on the differential costs, processes, and impacts between the two treatment streams (i.e., welfare agency staffed setting and provider agency staffed setting) in all the sites. The analyses and technical support are expected to improve the available knowledge on how to help teenage parents who receive public assistance move toward economic self-sufficiency and provide safe and appropriate environments for their children. The results of the HVS [[Page 18105]] initiative are intended to assist States, other government agencies, and community organizations in improving and enhancing their employment and social service delivery systems for teen parents and their children. Eligible Applicants: Organizations eligible to apply for financial assistance under this announcement include States, for-profit organizations, and public or private nonprofit organizations. Any non- profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission. The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate, and by providing a copy of the articles of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or association is domiciled. Applications from nonprofit organizations that do not include the documentation will be rejected and receive no further consideration. ACF is interested in providing financial support for this effort to an organization with staff with (1) experience in executing multi-site social experiments, (2) an understanding of the demographics and experiences of welfare dependent teenaged parents who are required to participate in activities designed to increase economic self- sufficiency and improve family planning skills, (3) experience in doing research involving waivers of federal AFDC and JOBS policies, and (4) experience in working directly with and obtaining relevant data (e.g., welfare data, participation data, earnings) from multiple state welfare programs. Minimum Requirements for Project Design: In order to compete successfully in response to this announcement, the applicant should develop and submit a plan which: Includes an outline of a research design which takes into account specific features of the funded demonstration, the research objectives, and the components and services that comprise the JOBS programs which will be a part of the study. The outline should include proposed hypotheses to be addressed. Describes how a differential impact analysis will determine the effects of the different demonstration service delivery systems on participants and their children. The information to be included in this analysis should include impacts on participation in education and training activities, welfare use, employment and earnings, repeat pregnancies and births, and parenting abilities, as well as others to be suggested by the applicant. Describes how a cost analysis will be conducted. The information to be included in the analysis should include program costs, support service costs, and welfare costs, as well as indirect costs, if appropriate, and other variables to be suggested by the applicant. Includes a description of the final report due at the end of this project period. This report is intended to inform State income maintenance and social service departments of the usefulness of different service delivery systems for the HVS intervention and to further general knowledge about serving teenage parents within the JOBS program. Includes the recipient's approach for working efficiently and effectively with the selected sites to provide technical support regarding implementation issues, random assignment implementation and monitoring, and evaluation data collection requirements. The technical support should focus on strengthening the sites' ability to deliver the services as prescribed by Federal guidelines in the context of their unique program models and their ability to meet the needs of the research effort (e.g., data collection and reporting, implementation and maintenance of random assignment) while also attempting to minimize the burden on the sites to meet those research needs. Includes financial support for HVS in addition to Federal funding to ensure uninterrupted research activities over the demonstration period. Applicants should provide evidence of funding commitments from organizations such as private foundations. Also, the recipient must be prepared to enter into a cooperative agreement with ACF which will outline the terms of ACF's involvement in the HVS demonstration as well as the responsibilities of the recipient. The cooperative agreement: (a) Will provide that ACF retain authority for review of the ongoing policy design decisions in the demonstration; (b) Will provide that ACF approve the continuation of waivers and grant awards to any site in the demonstration; (c) will provide that ACF receive and review written guidelines or directives provided to the sites; (d) require ACF approval of the technical support and research design to be employed; and (e) will provide for ACF review of reports (other than quarterly progress reports) before publication. Project Duration: This announcement is soliciting applications for project periods up to 2 years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year budget period, although project periods may be for 2 years. Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the one-year budget period but within the 2-year project period will be entertained in the subsequent year on a non-competitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government. Federal Share of the Project: The maximum Federal share of the project is not to exceed $250,000 for the first budget period or $300,000 for the total two-year project period, subject to the availability of funds. Matching Requirement: Grantees must provide at least five 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 $300,000 in Federal funds must include a match of at least $15,789 (5% total project cost). Anticipated number of Projects to be Funded: One project will be funded under this announcement. Part III--The Review Process A. Review Process and Funding Decisions Timely applications from eligible applicants will be reviewed and scored competitively. After a determination has been made that the minimum requirements, as set forth in this announcement, have been met, reviewers will use the evaluation criteria listed below to review and score the application. In addition ACF may refer applications to other Federal or non- Federal funding sources when it is determined to be in the best interest of the Federal Government or the applicant. It may also solicit comments from ACF Regional Office staff, other Federal agencies, interested foundations and national organizations. These comments along with those of the reviewers will be considered by ACF in making the funding decision. In making a funding decision, ACF may give preference to applications which reflect experience in working directly with multiple state welfare agencies which provide specialized services, including case management and employment-related services, to [[Page 18106]] teen parents since such experience on the part of a recipient has the potential to substantially improve the theory and practice of designing service delivery systems for teenaged parents and their children on AFDC. B. Evaluation Criteria Using the evaluation criteria below, reviewers will review and score each application. Applicants should insure that they address each minimum requirement listed above. Reviewers will determine the strengths and weaknesses of each application in terms of the appropriate evaluation criteria listed below, provide comments, and assign numerical scores. The point value following each criterion heading indicates the maximum numerical weight that each criterion may be given in the review process. Review Criteria (1) Organizational Experience (10 points) The application should provide evidence of organizational experience in providing research assistance for social experiments. (2) Staff Skills and Responsibilities (25 points) The application should provide evidence of staff experience (a) providing research assistance for social experiments involving multiple state AFDC and employment and training programs, particularly direct involvement with data collection through the State's public assistance, JOBS, and Unemployment Insurance data systems (include a list of published studies of these programs); (b) providing research assistance for multi-site experiments by state welfare agencies which provide case management and employment-related services for teen parents receiving AFDC; and (c) providing research assistance for demonstrations involving private foundations and Federal agencies. Applicants should list each consultant or other key individuals who will work on the project along with a short description of the nature of their contribution. Summarize the background and experience of the project director and key project staff. Applicants are encouraged to discuss staff experience in working with teenaged parents and programs which serve them. (3) Knowledge of Teenage Parents Who Are AFDC Recipients (15 points) The application should provide evidence of the applicant's understanding of the demographics and experiences of teenaged parents on AFDC. Evidence of this understanding should include (a) familiarity with how teen parents interact with state welfare agency programs, including AFDC and JOBS; and (b) knowledge of teen parents' participation in programs designed to improve their educational attainment and employability and affect other life course decisions such as repeat pregnancy and living arrangements. (4) Approach and Project Design (35 points) The application should include: (a) An outline of a research design which takes into account specific features of the planned demonstration, the research objectives, and the components and services that comprise the ``program'' being studied including proposed hypotheses to be addressed; (b) a description of how a differential impact analysis will determine the effects of the demonstration on participants and their children; (c) a description of how a cost analysis will be conducted; and (d) the applicant's approach for providing guidance and assistance to State/local JOBS/HVS staff on the research study and meeting the needs of the research objectives. (5) Public--Private Partnerships (10 points) In order to maximize the potential of using a limited Federal investment to further knowledge about the policies and practice of working with disadvantaged teenage parents, the application should provide evidence of commitments of non-Federal resources to the HVS study, including resources provided from other entities beyond the applicant organization. This criterion will be evaluated based on the amount of the non-Federal resources and the firmness of the commitment of the resources. (6) Budget Appropriateness (5 points) The application should demonstrate that the project's costs are reasonable in view of the anticipated results and benefits. Applicants may refer to the budget information presented in the Standard Forms 424 and 424A. Part IV--Instructions for the Submission of Applications This part contains information and general instructions for submitting applications in response to this announcement. Application forms with instructions may be obtained by contacting: Nancye Campbell, Office of Policy and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC. 20447; telephone (202) 401-5760; fax (202) 205-3598. Applicants requesting financial assistance for a non-construction project must file the Standard Form 424B, ``Assurances: Non- Construction Programs.'' Applicants must sign and return the Standard Form 424B with their applications. Applicants must provide a certification concerning Lobbying. Prior to receiving an award in excess of $100,000, applicants shall furnish an executed copy of the lobbying certification. Applicants must sign and return the certification with their applications. Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and with Part C-- Environmental Tobacco Smoke, of Public Law 103-27. By signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the certifications and need not mail back the certifications with the applications. Applicants must make the appropriate certification that they are not presently debarred, suspended or otherwise ineligible for award. By signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the certification and need not mail back the certification with the applications. A. Required Notification of the State Single Point of Contact This program announcement is covered under Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR part 100, ``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Program and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. All States and Territories except Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, American Samoa and Palau have elected to participate in the Executive Order process and have established Single Points of Contact (SPOCs), listed at the end of this announcement. Applicants from these nineteen jurisdictions need take no action regarding E.O. 12372. Applicants for projects to be administered by Federally-recognized Indian Tribes are also exempt from the requirements of E.O. 12372. Otherwise, applicants should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive any necessary instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. It is imperative that the applicant submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date [[Page 18107]] of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards. 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. When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC. 20447; Attn: Mrs. Shirley Parker; Reference: OPE-HVS-5. B. Deadline for Submittal of Applications The closing date for submittal of applications under this program announcement is found at the beginning of this announcement under the heading DATES. Applications may be mailed to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., MS 6C-62 OFM/DDG, Washington, DC 20447; ATTN: Mrs. Shirley Parker; Reference: OPE-HVS-5. 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 20447; Reference: OPE-HVS-5. Applications shall be considered as meeting the announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date at the place specified above. Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria under Deadline for Submittal of Applications are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the competition under this announcement. Extension of Deadlines: ACF reserves the right to extend the deadline for all applicants due to acts of God, such as floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes; or if there is widespread disruption of the mail. However, if ACF does not extend the deadline for all applicants, it may not waive or extend the deadline for any applicants. C. Submitting the Application Each application package must include a signed original and two copies of the complete application. Each copy should be stapled securely. All pages of the narrative (including charts, tables, maps, exhibits, etc.) must be sequentially numbered. In order to facilitate handling, please do not use covers, binders, or tabs. Applicant should include a self-addressed, stamped acknowledgment card. All applicants will be notified automatically about the receipt of their application. Dated: April 3, 1995. Howard Rolston, Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation. [FR Doc. 95-8757 Filed 4-7-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4184-01-P --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-8757. Public record. Not legal advice.