National Center on Child Maltreatment Fatality Data Practices and Reporting

The National Center on Child Maltreatment Fatality Data Practices and Reporting grant is offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its Children’s Bureau (CB). This funding opportunity aims to establish a national center dedicated to enhancing how data on child maltreatment fatalities is collected, reported, and utilized. The center is part of a broader federal initiative under statutory authority 42 U.S.C. 5106(b)(5) to address systemic weaknesses in child welfare data reporting, with the intent of ultimately preventing child abuse and neglect fatalities. This effort builds on decades of data collection through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), as well as recent recommendations from federal oversight bodies and commissions. The proposed National Center will serve as a technical assistance (T/TA) and knowledge hub for state, local, and tribal child welfare agencies. Its key goals include improving data reliability and validity, increasing cross-agency cooperation, and disseminating culturally responsive tools and practices. The center will carry out its work in two phases over five years. The first year will focus on planning, needs assessments, and convening experts. Years two through five will involve full-scale T/TA implementation, ongoing data collection and dissemination, and evaluation of outcomes. The grant provides funding through a cooperative agreement, reflecting the substantial involvement ACF expects to have in the planning, oversight, and implementation phases. In year one, up to $1,250,000 will be available. Funding may increase up to $3,000,000 annually in subsequent years depending on availability of federal funds and project performance. A minimum of 15% of awarded funds must be used for evaluation and continuous quality improvement. Although there is no matching requirement, recipients will be held accountable for any voluntary contributions. Eligibility for this funding includes states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and public or private agencies, or combinations thereof. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the criteria may also apply. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible. Applicants must submit their application through Grants.gov and be registered in SAM.gov. The full application must include a project narrative, budget, supporting documentation, and specific standard forms including SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B. Applications must comply with detailed formatting, spacing, and page limit requirements. Applications are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 19, 2025, with an optional Notice of Intent deadline on February 17, 2025. The expected project start date is September 30, 2025. Applications will be reviewed based on five criteria: objectives, approach, evaluation, organizational capacity, and budget. The grantor will notify successful applicants via an official Notice of Award. Contacts for this funding opportunity are Cara Kelly (Program) and Telina Bennett-Reed (Grants Management), both reachable at cb@grantreview.org or 888-203-6161. Additional application resources are available through ACF’s website and Grants.gov.

Ensure compliance with file format, font, and page limit rules to avoid disqualification.