Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2017 ACF ACYF CA 1272
This grant opportunity, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration for Children and Families (ACYF/Children's Bureau), funds the creation and operation of a National Quality Improvement Center (QIC) focused on collaborative community court teams serving infants, young children, and families affected by substance use disorders (SUD) and prenatal substance exposure. The core purpose is to help selected local demonstration sites design, implement, and test practical, cross-system approaches that both comply with federal requirements and measurably improve outcomes for very young children and their parents or caregivers. In particular, the work is anchored in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and the additional requirements created by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA), which expanded expectations for how states and local systems respond to infants impacted by substance exposure, including planning and service coordination.
The QIC is expected to build on the established collaborative model associated with infant-toddler court teams, specifically referencing the earlier Quality Improvement Center for Research-Based Infant Toddler Court Teams (QIC-ITCT). The difference here is a sharper, explicit emphasis on substance use disorders and the unique needs of infants and caregivers affected by addiction, treatment access issues, and the health and developmental risks associated with prenatal exposure. The federal intent is not simply to run a short-term pilot, but to develop sustainable strategies, tools, and lessons that can be used nationally as jurisdictions continue to confront high rates of substance use and related child welfare involvement. In practice, this means the QIC must move beyond general collaboration and help sites build durable processes that continue after federal funding ends.
A central responsibility of the QIC is to support demonstration sites in assessing their current capacity and then improving it through a continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach. That includes helping communities examine how well they coordinate and deliver services that address both child safety and well-being and the health, mental health, and SUD treatment needs of parents or caregivers. The CQI expectation also reflects an accountability goal: local entities should be able to determine whether they are meeting CARA-related state requirements and understand how their practices affect families in real time. In other words, sites are expected to use data and structured learning cycles to identify gaps, test improvements, and track whether changes lead to better engagement, timelier services, and stronger outcomes for children and families.
The demonstration sites supported by the QIC must be built around intensive, formal collaboration across systems that often operate separately. Required partners include the child welfare agency, the Court Improvement Program, local courts, and the legal community, alongside substance use treatment providers, prevention-focused service providers, mental health providers, medical providers, and other key stakeholders in the local service continuum. This reflects a recognition that infants and young children affected by substance use disorders are not served effectively by any single agency acting alone. The FOA emphasizes that demonstration sites must include clear plans to build collaborative capacity and enable timely, effective data and information sharing, which is often one of the biggest practical barriers to coordinated case planning and monitoring.
From a funding and structure standpoint, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency expects substantial involvement in the project rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The opportunity anticipates a single national award, with a ceiling of up to $3,000,000 per year for up to three years, for a potential total of up to $9,000,000 across the project period. The assistance listing is CFDA 93.670, and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services. Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; tribes and tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and for-profit organizations (including small businesses).
Key administrative details included in the posting are the funding opportunity number (HHS-2017-ACF-ACYF-CA-1272), the original posting date (June 21, 2017), and the original application due date (July 21, 2017), with electronic submissions required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline. Overall, the opportunity is designed to create a national engine for testing and refining collaborative court-team approaches that help communities respond faster, coordinate better, and comply more clearly with CAPTA/CARA expectations while improving the day-to-day experience and outcomes of infants, young children, and families impacted by substance use disorders.Apply for HHS 2017 ACF ACYF CA 1272
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams to Address the Needs of Infants, Young Children, and Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.670.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2017 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Children's Bureau. It funds the creation and operation of a National Quality Improvement Center (QIC) focused on collaborative community court teams serving infants, young children, and families affected by substance use disorders (SUD) and prenatal substance exposure.
2. What is the main goal of the National Quality Improvement Center (QIC)?
The main goal is to help selected local demonstration sites design, implement, and test practical cross-system approaches that (1) comply with federal requirements and (2) measurably improve outcomes for very young children and their parents or caregivers impacted by SUD and prenatal substance exposure.
3. Which federal laws and requirements does this project focus on?
The work is anchored in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and the additional requirements created by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA). CARA expanded expectations for how states and local systems respond to infants impacted by substance exposure, including planning and service coordination.
4. How is this QIC different from earlier infant-toddler court team initiatives?
The QIC is expected to build on the established collaborative model associated with infant-toddler court teams, specifically referencing the earlier Quality Improvement Center for Research-Based Infant Toddler Court Teams (QIC-ITCT). This opportunity differs by placing a sharper, explicit emphasis on substance use disorders and the unique needs of infants and caregivers affected by addiction, treatment access issues, and risks tied to prenatal substance exposure.
5. Is the purpose to run a short-term pilot?
No. The federal intent is not simply to run a short-term pilot. The QIC is expected to develop sustainable strategies, tools, and lessons that can be used nationally, and to help demonstration sites build durable processes that continue after federal funding ends.
6. What are "demonstration sites" in this opportunity?
Demonstration sites are local jurisdictions or communities supported by the QIC to design, implement, and test collaborative court-team approaches. These sites are where practical, cross-system improvements are put into operation and assessed for impact on children and families affected by SUD and prenatal exposure.
7. What is the QIC expected to do for demonstration sites?
A central responsibility is to support sites in assessing current capacity and improving it through a continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach. This includes helping communities examine coordination and service delivery related to child safety and well-being, as well as the health, mental health, and SUD treatment needs of parents or caregivers.
8. What does "continuous quality improvement (CQI)" mean in this grant?
In this opportunity, CQI refers to using data and structured learning cycles to identify gaps, test improvements, and track whether changes lead to better engagement, timelier services, and stronger outcomes for children and families. It also supports accountability by helping sites understand whether they are meeting CARA-related state requirements and how practices affect families in real time.
9. What types of outcomes is the project aiming to improve?
The project aims to improve outcomes for infants and young children and for their parents or caregivers, including better cross-system coordination, faster and timelier access to services, improved engagement with families, and clearer compliance with CAPTA/CARA expectations as communities respond to prenatal substance exposure and SUD-related child welfare involvement.
10. What partnerships are required at demonstration sites?
Demonstration sites must be built around intensive, formal collaboration across systems. Required partners include the child welfare agency, the Court Improvement Program, local courts, and the legal community, alongside substance use treatment providers, prevention-focused service providers, mental health providers, medical providers, and other key stakeholders in the local service continuum.
11. Why does the opportunity emphasize cross-system collaboration?
The opportunity reflects the recognition that infants and young children affected by SUD are not served effectively by any single agency acting alone. The emphasis is on coordinated, team-based approaches that connect courts, child welfare, treatment, health, and related services to support safer and more effective case planning and monitoring.
12. What does the FOA say about data and information sharing?
The funding opportunity emphasizes that demonstration sites must include clear plans to build collaborative capacity and enable timely, effective data and information sharing, which is identified as a major practical barrier to coordinated case planning and monitoring.
13. What type of award is this?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement. That means the federal agency expects substantial involvement in the project rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
14. How many awards are expected?
The opportunity anticipates a single national award.
15. How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is up to $3,000,000 per year for up to three years, for a potential total of up to $9,000,000 across the project period.
16. What is the project period length?
The project period is up to three years.
17. What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number and activity category?
The assistance listing is CFDA 93.670, and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
18. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, and local governments; tribes and tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and for-profit organizations (including small businesses).
19. What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is HHS-2017-ACF-ACYF-CA-1272.
20. When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?
The original posting date was June 21, 2017. The original application due date was July 21, 2017.
21. What was the submission deadline time and time zone?
Electronic submissions were required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
22. What populations are the focus of the court-team approach supported by this QIC?
The focus is on infants and young children and their families, particularly when children and caregivers are affected by substance use disorders and prenatal substance exposure.
23. What is the core service challenge this opportunity is trying to address?
The opportunity targets the challenge that multiple systems (courts, child welfare, treatment, health, and legal stakeholders) often operate separately. The QIC is intended to help communities coordinate services and case oversight in ways that are timely, practical, compliant with federal expectations, and measurably better for families.
24. What is meant by creating a "national engine" for improvement?
It refers to the QIC developing strategies, tools, and lessons learned from demonstration sites that can be used nationally by jurisdictions confronting high rates of substance use and related child welfare involvement, rather than limiting the work to local benefits only.
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