Standing Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants | HHS 2025 ACF ACYF CS 0067

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACF ACYF CS 0067

The Standing Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants (HHS 2025 ACF ACYF CS 0067) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and the Children s Bureau. It offers one-time funding to help eligible Tribal applicants build the foundation needed to operate Tribal title IV-E programs, specifically foster care, adoption assistance, and guardianship assistance. The core aim is plan development: recipients use the grant period to prepare and submit a Tribal title IV-E plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for review and approval.

A central requirement of the award is timing. Each funded recipient must submit its title IV-E plan within 24 months of the project start date. The funding is therefore designed as a start-up and readiness investment rather than ongoing operational support. It is meant to help Tribes and Tribal entities put the necessary administrative, programmatic, and court-related elements in place so they can meet federal requirements associated with title IV-E participation.

Grant funds may be used for costs directly tied to developing a title IV-E plan under section 471 of the Social Security Act to carry out a program under section 479B. The NOFO specifically highlights several common readiness areas that often require concentrated planning and systems work. Examples include developing or improving data collection and reporting systems that can support case management and compliance, creating a cost-allocation methodology to properly assign and document costs consistent with federal expectations, and establishing or refining agency procedures and Tribal court procedures needed to satisfy the federal case review system requirements described in section 475(5) of the Act. The announcement also allows funds to be used for other plan-development costs as long as those costs are attributable to meeting any requirement necessary for approval of a title IV-E plan, which gives applicants flexibility to address their own gaps in readiness.

Eligibility is limited to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia. The NOFO points to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638) for the definitions of Indian Tribe and Tribal organization, and also references sections 479B(a) and 476(c)(2)(A)(iii) of the Social Security Act as relevant authority. The eligible applicant categories listed include federally recognized Native American Tribal governments and Native American Tribal organizations (other than federally recognized Tribal governments). Individuals, including sole proprietorships, are not eligible, and foreign entities are also not eligible; applications from those ineligible groups will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration.

From a funding overview standpoint, the program is listed under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 93.658, within the Income Security and Social Services activity category. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $300,000, and the agency expects to make about 5 awards. The opportunity has an original closing date of 2026-01-12, and it was created on 2025-09-04. In practical terms, the grant is intended to help Tribal child welfare systems do the intensive planning and infrastructure development work required for a successful title IV-E plan submission within a two-year window, positioning them to administer foster care and permanency support programs under Tribal title IV-E.

• The Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Standing Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.658.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-12. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

Apply for HHS 2025 ACF ACYF CS 0067

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