National Center on Child Maltreatment Fatality Data Practices and Reporting

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its Children’s Bureau, has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to establish the National Center on Child Maltreatment Fatality Data Practices and Reporting. This center will serve as a national resource aimed at improving how child maltreatment fatalities are documented, analyzed, and shared. The initiative is rooted in the understanding that preventing child abuse-related deaths is a public health imperative requiring better data and coordination across systems. Under statutory authority 42 U.S.C. 5106(b)(5), this funding opportunity supports the creation of a centralized, cross-disciplinary hub that will provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to states, jurisdictions, and tribal partners. The overarching goal is to enhance national capacity to collect, analyze, and act upon data related to child maltreatment fatalities. By building partnerships across agencies—including child welfare, public health, law enforcement, and tribal authorities—the center aims to develop tools, guidance, and analytic approaches that can drive more effective interventions and systemic reform. The funding structure involves a five-year cooperative agreement totaling $13,250,000, with $1,250,000 available in the first year and $3,000,000 allocated annually for years two through five. One cooperative agreement is expected to be awarded. A minimum of 15% of total funds must be dedicated to evaluation and continuous quality improvement. The award prohibits the use of funds for construction, real estate purchases, or major renovations, and imposes a salary rate cap equivalent to the Executive Level II rate. The indirect cost rate may either be federally negotiated or a de minimis rate of 15% of modified total direct costs. Eligible applicants include states, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and public or private agencies or combinations thereof. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible. Faith-based and community organizations may apply, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. Applicants must submit electronically through Grants.gov and comply with formatting and submission guidelines, including a 90-page limit across two files and adherence to specific file formats. ACF will only consider the final timely submission in cases of multiple applications. The application process includes multiple components: a detailed project narrative, organizational charts, resumes for key personnel, budget justification, and standard federal forms. Evaluation criteria include clarity of objectives, approach, organizational capacity, budget reasonableness, and plans for sustainability and dissemination. Applications will be reviewed for responsiveness before undergoing merit-based evaluation. Disqualifying factors include missing deadlines, exceeding award limits, and non-compliance with formatting requirements. The deadline to submit a notice of intent is February 17, 2025, while final applications are due by May 19, 2025. The anticipated start date for the project is September 30, 2025. Inquiries should be directed to Cara Kelly at cb@grantreview.org or 888-203-6161 for program-related questions, and to Telina Bennett-Reed at the same contact details for grants management. Additional application materials and information are available at Grants.gov by searching for opportunity number HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-CA-0074.

Adherence to formatting rules is strictly enforced; exceeding page limits or incorrect file formats will lead to disqualification.