Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2023 ACF ACYF CA 0011
Building Early Childhood-Child Welfare Partnerships to Support the Well-Being of Young Children, Families, and Caregivers is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), under ACYF/Children's Bureau (Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CA-0011; CFDA 93.670). The program is built on the idea that early care and education (ECE) systems and child welfare systems serve many of the same families and are naturally positioned to work together to meet young childrens social-emotional, developmental, mental health, and early learning needs, while also strengthening parental and caregiver stability. A key driver behind this funding is the evidence that participation in high-quality ECE programs such as Early Head Start can improve factors linked to preventing child maltreatment, yet coordination between these systems is often inconsistent, difficult to sustain, and in many places was further strained by challenges heightened during the COVID-19 period.
A central problem the grant is trying to address is the gap between eligibility and actual access. Children in foster care are categorically eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start, but enrollment for this group remains low despite the well-documented benefits. The opportunity aims to help communities and states close that gap by building or strengthening practical, durable partnerships that make it easier for child welfare-involved children and families to connect to early learning programs and related supports. The underlying approach is intentionally whole-family: high-quality ECE participation can provide benefits that extend beyond the enrolled child by connecting parents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and siblings to resources, stabilizing routines, improving parenting supports, and reducing stressors that can contribute to risk.
Grant recipients are expected to use funds to develop and/or enhance multi-system, multi-level collaboration among child welfare, ECE, and other relevant partners. This includes work at both the policy level and the practice level so that improved coordination is not dependent on a few individuals, but becomes institutionalized through procedures, agreements, and shared expectations. Examples of strategies highlighted in the announcement include establishing formal coordination mechanisms between partner agencies (such as MOUs, interagency councils, or standing cross-system workgroups), expanding cross-training and partnership opportunities for staff and leadership across both systems, improving referral and service coordination processes so families move more smoothly between agencies, and ensuring child welfare agencies have ready access to accurate, usable information about ECE options and eligibility pathways. The overall intent is to improve prevention of child abuse and neglect while also ensuring children and families who are at risk of involvement, or already engaged with the child welfare system, receive comprehensive and timely supports.
Eligibility for the program is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. However, applicants must be able to demonstrate the active commitment of the appropriate state, local, or tribal child welfare agency and an appropriate ECE partner as part of the proposed work, reflecting the programs emphasis on real, operational partnership rather than a single-agency project.
The funding details provided in the notice indicate an award ceiling of $275,000, with an anticipated total of 8 awards. The opportunity was posted on January 12, 2023, with an original closing date of March 13, 2023, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the due date. Overall, the grant is designed to help jurisdictions put lasting coordination structures in place so that ECE and child welfare can more reliably share information, align processes, and increase young childrens access to stabilizing early learning experiences that support safety, permanency, and well-being for the entire family system.Apply for HHS 2023 ACF ACYF CA 0011
- 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 "Building Early Childhood-Child Welfare Partnerships to Support the Well-Being of Young Children, Families, and Caregivers" 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 Jan 12, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 13, 2023 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm Eastern Standard Time 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 $275,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 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)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Building Early Childhood-Child Welfare Partnerships to Support the Well-Being of Young Children, Families, and Caregivers.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
This is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), under ACYF/Children's Bureau.
What are the funding identifiers for this opportunity (FON and CFDA)?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CA-0011, and the CFDA number is 93.670.
What problem is this grant intended to address?
The grant targets inconsistent and hard-to-sustain coordination between early care and education (ECE) systems and child welfare systems, especially where collaboration was strained during the COVID-19 period. A central issue is the gap between eligibility and actual access to ECE services for children involved with child welfare, including children in foster care.
Why is early care and education (ECE) a focus of this program?
The program is built on evidence that participation in high-quality ECE programs (including Early Head Start) can improve factors linked to preventing child maltreatment. Since ECE and child welfare systems often serve the same families, the program emphasizes partnering across systems to better meet young children’s social-emotional, developmental, mental health, and early learning needs while strengthening family and caregiver stability.
What is the main goal of the grant?
The goal is to help communities and states build or strengthen practical, durable partnerships between child welfare and ECE (and other relevant partners) so that child welfare-involved children and families can more easily connect to early learning programs and related supports. The overall intent includes improving prevention of child abuse and neglect while increasing timely access to comprehensive supports for children and families who are at risk of involvement, or already involved, with child welfare.
What does the opportunity mean by a “whole-family” approach?
The approach assumes that high-quality ECE participation can benefit not only the enrolled child, but also parents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and siblings by connecting the family system to resources, stabilizing routines, improving parenting supports, and reducing stressors that can contribute to risk.
How does this grant relate to Head Start and Early Head Start access for children in foster care?
The opportunity highlights that children in foster care are categorically eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start, yet enrollment remains low. One major purpose of this funding is to close the gap between eligibility and enrollment by strengthening cross-system partnerships and pathways to access.
What types of activities are grant recipients expected to carry out?
Recipients are expected to develop and/or enhance multi-system, multi-level collaboration among child welfare, ECE, and other relevant partners. The work is meant to occur at both the policy level and the practice level to make coordination durable and not dependent on a few individuals.
What partnership-building strategies are specifically mentioned in the notice?
Examples of strategies listed include:
- Establishing formal coordination mechanisms (for example, MOUs, interagency councils, or standing cross-system workgroups)
- Expanding cross-training and partnership opportunities for staff and leadership across both systems
- Improving referral and service coordination processes so families move more smoothly between agencies
- Ensuring child welfare agencies have ready access to accurate, usable information about ECE options and eligibility pathways
What does “institutionalized coordination” mean in the context of this grant?
It means building coordination into procedures, agreements, and shared expectations so improved collaboration is sustained over time and is not dependent on specific individuals or informal relationships.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility is broad and includes:
- State, county, and local governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
- For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Are there partnership requirements that applicants must meet?
Yes. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the active commitment of (1) the appropriate state, local, or tribal child welfare agency and (2) an appropriate ECE partner. The emphasis is on a real, operational partnership rather than a single-agency project.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed in the notice is $275,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The notice anticipated a total of 8 awards.
When was the opportunity posted and when was it originally due?
The opportunity was posted on January 12, 2023, with an original closing date of March 13, 2023.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically.
What time was the application due on the closing date?
Applications were due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the due date.
What outcomes does this program ultimately seek for children and families?
The program is intended to improve coordination so that young children and families can access stabilizing early learning experiences and related supports in a timely way. The stated focus includes supporting safety, permanency, and well-being for young children and the broader family system, alongside prevention of child abuse and neglect.
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