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.
This funding opportunity is open to any entity that is a nonprofit organization and meets the additional eligibility requirements. See the eligibility guidance under "There are a few things you need to do before you can apply" (pg. 11):
- Only nonprofits may apply. (For more information on faith-based organizations, see p. 42.)
- Only those with demonstrated experience working with children in foster care who have experienced severe trauma can apply.
- Individuals, including sole proprietorship, or foreign organizations are not eligible.
- The Administration for Children and Families will determine your eligibility by reviewing your proof of nonprofit status, the project narrative’s Experience section, and the letter of support from your child welfare agency.
This funding opportunity is not region specific. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides the following guidance under There are a few things you need to do before you can apply (pg. 11):
Make sure your organization is eligible.
- Only nonprofits may apply. (For more information on faith-based organizations, see 42.)
- Only those with demonstrated experience working with children in foster care who have experienced severe trauma can apply.
- Individuals, including sole proprietorship, or foreign organizations are not eligible.
- The Administration for Children and Families will determine your eligibility by reviewing your proof of nonprofit status, the project narrative’s Experience section, and the letter of support from your child welfare agency.
The issue of whether or not visitation rights extend to the grandparents is a matter for the family courts to decide. You may wish to consult with and/or obtain the services of an attorney in your State who practices in the area of family law. If assistance is needed in locating an attorney, the American Bar Association (ABA) website provides a variety of services to the general public, including a lawyer referral directory and the Find Legal Help webpage, which includes pro bono attorney referrals and links to court resources.
Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. Stopbullying.gov provides information on state antibullying laws and policies.
Custody and visitation orders are handled by the courts and enforceable by State law. If your visitation order was violated, you may wish to consult with and/or obtain the services of an attorney who is knowledgeable in family law matters in the applicable State. Your attorney should be able to help you explore your legal options and/or provide guidance on how to file a motion for contempt of court.
AFCARS is the only Federal national data set that collects case level information on all children in foster care and children adopted with the involvement of the title IV-E (child welfare) agency.
This web page contains a summary of all Federal responses to questions posed by States regarding implementation of the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) at national meetings hosted by the Children's Bureau.
If you have any specific questions concerning the Trauma Interventions for Children and Youth in Foster Care With Complex Mental, Behavioral, and Physical Health Needs NOFO, please email cb@grantreview.org.
The Administration for Children and Families does not provide direct guidance or instruction in the development of an applicant’s project design or on the writing of their applications. Applicants should use their best judgment in determining whether they are able to meet the requirements contained in the NOFO, whether they are able to develop an application they believe to be responsive to the NOFO, and in designing and writing their applications. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by objective review panels using the criteria described in the Merit Review Criteria section of the NOFO, which aligns with the requirements listed in the Format and Application Components sections. The review panels will use the NOFO as the principal guidance available to them in the same way that it is the principal guidance for applicants.
Associations and organizations throughout the United States work to promote the safety, well-being, and permanency of families by empowering parents to be engaged in family life through education, support, advocacy, and outreach activities.
Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, provides links to summaries of some aspects of State adoption laws and other relevant legal information in its web section State Laws on Adoption.