Basic Center Program

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is offering funding for the Basic Center Program (BCP), as announced in Notice of Funding Opportunity HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-CY-0006. The BCP is a federal initiative under the Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Act designed to provide temporary emergency shelter, counseling, and supportive services to youth under the age of 18 who are experiencing homelessness or have run away from home. The program’s objective is to help these youth stabilize their situations, ensure their safety, and assist in family reunification when appropriate. The Basic Center Program addresses a pressing need for youth who are unable to live safely with a parent, guardian, or relative. Eligible youth may have left home without permission, been forced to leave, or face threats of harm or neglect at home. In response, grantees are expected to provide up to 21 days of emergency shelter, as well as individual, group, and family counseling. The shelters must be licensed youth-serving facilities, and services must be available 24/7, including accessible transportation, crisis support, and follow-up care. Services must also align with trauma-informed practices and a Positive Youth Development framework. The total expected funding for the program is $23,364,000, with 67 awards anticipated. Applicants may request between $199,999 and $350,000 for the first budget period. A three-year project period is planned, divided into annual budget periods with continuation contingent on satisfactory performance and fund availability. This grant requires a 10% cost share, which can be met through cash or in-kind contributions. Additionally, optional services such as intensive street outreach, drug prevention education, home-based support, and STI/STD testing can enhance proposals, particularly if they align with program goals and performance standards. Eligible applicants include a broad range of public and private nonprofit entities such as governments, school districts, institutions of higher education, housing authorities, tribal organizations, and community-based nonprofits. For-profit and foreign entities, as well as individuals, are not eligible. Applications requesting funding above the ceiling or submitted after the July 28, 2025, deadline will be disqualified. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov unless an exemption for paper submission is granted in advance. The application process requires a detailed project narrative, a logic model, a line-item budget, and several attachments, including proof of nonprofit status, MOUs, letters of support, and documentation of organizational capacity. Applications are evaluated based on six key merit criteria: need for assistance, approach, organizational capacity, performance evaluation, sustainability, and budget/oversight. Up to 10 bonus points are available for applicants proposing intensive street outreach. Awards will be announced via a Notice of Award (NoA), with successful projects expected to start by September 30, 2025. For technical assistance or questions about the program, applicants may contact Gloria Watkins at Gloria.Watkins@acf.hhs.gov or (202) 205-9546. Grants management questions may be directed to Sarah Viola at Sarah.Viola@acf.hhs.gov or (202) 401-4832. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 28, 2025, through Grants.gov. Comprehensive information, including the full NOFO and application instructions, can be accessed through the Grants.gov search using the opportunity number listed above.