The funding opportunity "National Center on Child Maltreatment Fatality Data Practices and Reporting," issued by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), aims to establish a resource to improve data collection and reporting on child maltreatment fatalities. The center will focus on enhancing knowledge and capacity, fostering cross-agency collaboration, and providing training and technical assistance (T/TA) to state and jurisdictional child welfare agencies and their partners, including tribes. The project also seeks to address disparities in fatality rates across racial and demographic groups and to disseminate culturally responsive strategies to prevent child maltreatment fatalities.

A single cooperative agreement will be awarded under this opportunity, with an expected total funding of $1,250,000 for the first year. The project will run for a five-year period, with maximum annual funding of $3,000,000 for subsequent years, contingent on funding availability and project performance. Eligible applicants include states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, public or private agencies, or combinations of these entities. Faith-based and community organizations meeting eligibility requirements can also apply. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible, and no cost-sharing is required for this grant.

Applications are due by March 19, 2025, and must be submitted through Grants.gov unless an exemption for paper submission has been approved. Required materials include a project narrative, line-item budget with justification, a logic model, and documentation of organizational capacity, such as resumes and letters of commitment from partner organizations. File formatting requirements, including a combined 90-page limit for narratives and attachments, must be strictly adhered to. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent by February 17, 2025.

Evaluation criteria will assess the applicant’s ability to meet the program’s objectives, including building knowledge and capacity for data practices, fostering collaboration across child welfare and related agencies, and providing culturally responsive T/TA. The merit review process will score applications on their objectives (15 points), approach (40 points), evaluation plan (20 points), organizational capacity (20 points), and budget (5 points). Successful applicants must demonstrate their ability to implement a robust evaluation plan and provide a sound sustainability strategy to continue operations beyond federal funding.

Post-award requirements include semi-annual financial and performance reporting, participation in an annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and a minimum allocation of 15% of funds to evaluation and continuous quality improvement (CQI). Awardees will also collaborate closely with the Children’s Bureau (CB) on strategic planning, data-sharing initiatives, and development of T/TA resources. Additionally, they must ensure compliance with all federal regulations, including nondiscrimination and confidentiality laws, and submit a plan for safeguarding sensitive information.

The center will focus on universal, specialized, and tailored technical assistance to states, jurisdictions, and tribes, with an emphasis on improving the reliability and validity of child maltreatment fatality data. The project also includes a national needs assessment, the establishment of an interdisciplinary group of experts, and the dissemination of best practices and innovative strategies. The aim is to develop effective, replicable models for system reform and to create sustainable networks that improve data practices and outcomes in child welfare systems.

This funding opportunity reflects ACF’s commitment to addressing child maltreatment fatalities through improved data practices, cross-agency collaboration, and targeted technical assistance. By establishing a centralized resource, the program seeks to enhance the capacity of child welfare systems to identify, prevent, and respond effectively to child maltreatment fatalities, with a focus on equity and sustainability.