This webpage will connect you to the most frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) on many child welfare topics, including child abuse and neglect, foster care and other out-of-home placements, adoption, and more.
If you do not find an answer to your question, you can submit a question by clicking on the Ask a Question box.
The Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), funds two types of grant programs: State grant and discretionary grant programs. The Children’s Bureau website includes a brief description of each type of grant and how it is funded.
The Children's Bureau (CB) has developed the Discretionary Grants Library, an online tool that allows users to search for and view information related to specific CB discretionary grant projects.
In intercountry adoption, (i.e., adopting a child from a foreign country), prospective adoptive parents are required to follow the laws in their state, the laws of the child’s country of origin, the policies and regulations of the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and, when appropriate, Hague regulations.
The basic adoption process for adoptions involving multiple States is similar to the process for adoptions within the same State.
The NOFO provides the following guidance under Submitting Your Application (p. 39):
Electronic Submission
You must submit your application through Grants.gov unless the Administration for Children and Families has given you an exemption for a paper submission. For more information, see Exemptions for Paper Submissions (p. 43).
Submission Instructions
- Grants.gov has information about the online application process.
- See how to register and apply through Grants.gov (p.42) for critical information about submitting your application.
- See How to Apply for Grants on Grants.gov for electronic submission instructions.
- For more help, go to How to Apply for Grants and Training Resources and Videos for Grants.gov.
The goal of foster care is to provide a safe, stable, nurturing environment until a child is able to return home or until a permanent family is found for the child.
Only the court has the power to modify child custody arrangements to meet the needs of the child and to respond to changes in the parents’ lives due to illness, a job change, etc.
Most states have laws authorizing a statewide central registry, which is a centralized listing of child maltreatment records.
If you viewed disturbing images depicting child abuse on the internet, please contact your local child protective services or law enforcement agency so that professionals can assess the situation and intervene as needed. If you are able to determine the video's filming location, it is important to alert local authorities in that jurisdiction so they can respond. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1.800.4.A.CHILD) offers immediate assistance. Staffed by trained counselors, Childhelp operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls are anonymous.
The NOFO provides the following guidance under Step 2: Get Ready to Apply, "There are a few things you need to do before you can apply" (p. 11):
Submit an optional letter of intent. You do not need to do this to apply, but it helps us.
Send an email with the NOFO number, title, and your organization name to CB@grantreview.org.