Kinship Navigator Programs: Evaluations

The Kinship Navigator Programs Evaluations funding opportunity is administered by the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically through the Administration on Children, Youth and Families and its Children’s Bureau. This program is designed to strengthen the evidence base for kinship navigator programs by supporting both implementation and rigorous evaluation activities. The funding aligns with federal priorities to improve outcomes for children and families involved in or at risk of entering the child welfare system, with a particular focus on kinship care arrangements where relatives or close family friends serve as primary caregivers. The primary purpose of the opportunity is to expand the number of state and tribal child welfare agencies implementing kinship navigator programs that can meet federal Title IV E requirements. These programs are intended to connect kinship caregivers with services such as legal assistance, financial resources, training, and peer support. The funding emphasizes generating high quality evidence through rigorous evaluation methods so that programs may qualify for designation as promising, supported, or well supported by the Title IV E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. This designation is critical for long term federal funding eligibility and broader adoption across jurisdictions. Funding will support a three year project period structured into two phases. The first phase consists of a six month collaborative planning and initial implementation period during which recipients refine program models and evaluation plans in coordination with federal technical assistance providers. The second phase focuses on executing a rigorous evaluation, including implementation, impact, and cost studies. Allowable uses of funds include program implementation, evaluation design and execution, data collection, staffing, and coordination with partner organizations. Certain costs are explicitly disallowed, including construction, real property acquisition, major renovations, and fundraising activities. Eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal child welfare agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. Applicants that are not Title IV E agencies are strongly encouraged to secure formal agreements with such agencies to ensure program implementation and data sharing. A required cost sharing component mandates that applicants contribute 25 percent of the total project cost, which may include both cash and in kind contributions, though in kind contributions are capped at 50 percent of the non federal share. The program prioritizes applicants serving jurisdictions that do not currently operate a Title IV E kinship navigator program. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes a comprehensive project narrative, budget justification, evaluation plan, and supporting documentation such as letters of commitment and organizational capacity materials. Applications are evaluated based on criteria including program need, approach, evaluation rigor, organizational capacity, budget justification, and alignment with federal priorities. Bonus points are awarded for projects that expand services into underserved jurisdictions without existing kinship navigator programs. Applications are due by August 7, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, with an expected project start date of September 30, 2026. Applicants must maintain active registrations with both SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission. Successful applicants will receive cooperative agreements, which involve substantial federal collaboration throughout the project lifecycle, including oversight of implementation and evaluation activities. Contacts for programmatic and grants management support are provided via a centralized email and phone number, ensuring applicants have access to assistance throughout the application process.

Prioritize rigorous evaluation design using RCT or quasi experimental methods ensure strong partnerships with Title IV E agencies and clearly align project outcomes with ACF priorities