Support for a National Electronic Interstate Records Exchange System

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) and the Children’s Bureau, has announced a funding opportunity titled "Support for National Electronic Interstate Records Exchange System." This opportunity, designated HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CO-0079, aims to enhance the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE), a digital system facilitating the placement of children across state lines for foster care, adoption, or residential treatment under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). NEICE was initially launched in 2013 to replace outdated paper-based information sharing processes, resulting in expedited placements and substantial cost savings for participating jurisdictions. The program seeks to ensure that all 52 jurisdictions under ICPC (the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands) are fully integrated into NEICE by the statutory deadline of October 1, 2027, per the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2017. With 50 jurisdictions already onboarded, the funding will support the final phase of implementation, including continuous security and technological upgrades. The cooperative agreement will fund a single awardee to manage this national infrastructure, which must align with federal interoperability standards such as those set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), FedRAMP, and Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) regulations. Key objectives include providing ongoing support for remaining jurisdictions to onboard; refining the system for efficiency, security, and real-time data exchange; enabling interoperability with critical systems like Medicaid and Child Abuse Registries; and maintaining a close working relationship with the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC). The system must meet the varied needs of different states and offer sustainable tools for data analysis, performance monitoring, and administrative simplification. Applications are due by March 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. While submitting a Notice of Intent by February 16, 2026, is optional, applicants are encouraged to do so. The expected start date for funded projects is September 30, 2026. The award ceiling for the first budget period is $1,600,000, with a floor of $1,450,000. The total program funding is also expected to be $1.6 million for the first year, with a project period spanning five years in total, divided into five one-year budget periods. No cost-sharing or matching is required under this funding opportunity, and all qualified public or private organizations—excluding individuals and foreign entities—are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit their materials through Grants.gov and adhere to formatting and documentation requirements outlined in the NOFO. Required components include a detailed project narrative addressing specific program objectives, a timeline, logic model, evaluation plan, organizational capacity description, budget narrative, and relevant attachments. Applications will be reviewed for responsiveness, eligibility, and scored on approach, evaluation, organizational capacity, and budget. Final selections will consider not only merit but also geographic diversity, past performance, and compliance with program restrictions, including the prohibition on using funds for DEI/DEIA or gender ideology programming. Inquiries regarding the program can be directed to Kara Allen-Eckard at [email protected] or by calling 888-203-6161. For assistance with submissions, Grants.gov provides 24/7 support. Prospective applicants are advised to begin registrations early for SAM.gov and Grants.gov due to lengthy processing times. Recipients of the cooperative agreement must comply with post-award regulations, including semiannual performance and financial reporting using forms ACF-OGM-PPR and SF-425, respectively.

Proposals should clearly address interoperability, cybersecurity, NEICE upgrades, and timelines. Failure to meet formatting or submission standards leads to disqualification.