Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Grant Program

The Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Grant Program Competitive Grant Solicitation is administered by the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in coordination with the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Commission. The Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund was established under Georgia law following enactment of Senate Bill 8, also known as the Safe Harbor or Rachel's Law Act. The fund exists in the Georgia State Treasury to support care, rehabilitative services, and social services for sexually exploited children. CJCC serves as the State Administering Agency for criminal justice and victims' assistance programs and is responsible for fiscal and programmatic oversight of Safe Harbor funds. The solicitation is intended to strengthen Georgia's response to the sexual exploitation of youth through increased awareness, stronger coordination and multidisciplinary collaboration, and expanded services for sexually exploited children. Funding supports one or more of three priority areas: Residential Treatment Facility/Safe Home Support, Prevention and Awareness, and Community Based Services to Support Statewide CSEC Response. Residential proposals may address emergency shelter, short-term or long-term housing assistance, transitional housing, new construction, renovation, and staff training. Prevention and awareness proposals should demonstrate collaborative development, adaptation, and dissemination of training and outreach materials related to the statewide 24/7 hotline, statewide service delivery plan, and statewide resource awareness. Community-based proposals may address specialized forensic interviewers, data integration to support coordination, and training and support. Applicants under applicable purpose areas must demonstrate coordinated access to wraparound services such as intake and assessment, case management, shelter, medical and dental care, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, interpretation, education, employment assistance, transportation, legal services, and 24/7 response. The program has up to $346,272 in total funding available across the three purpose areas. Depending on the number of applications received, CJCC and the Safe Harbor Commission reserve the right to cap individual awards at up to $100,000. The award period is October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, and the stated funding source is the State of Georgia Treasury Department. Funds may be used for care, rehabilitative services, residential housing, health services, social services, safe houses, awareness and prevention programs, and necessary operating expenses kept to a minimum in furtherance of the fund's primary purpose. Allowable budget categories include personnel and fringe, travel, equipment, supplies, printing, other costs, consultant fees, and contracts. Funds must supplement existing program resources and may not supplant funds already appropriated for the same purpose. Unallowable costs include acquisition of land, bonuses or commissions, costs outside the award period, construction costs including capital improvements, corporate formation, grant preparation fees, late fees, military-type equipment, direct payments to victims, organized fundraising, certain political activities, and religious teaching or promotion in direct services. No cost share or matching requirement is stated in the solicitation. Eligible applicants may include a person, entity, or program within the State of Georgia that provides care, rehabilitative services, residential housing, health services, or social services and is devoted to awareness and prevention related to sexually exploited children. Applicants must serve as fiscal agent and CJCC point of contact and must assume responsibility for financial, programmatic, and post-award reporting. Where applicable, agencies should be certified for Local Victim Assistance Program funds and as Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Organizations. Agencies without those certifications may apply, but if awarded they must complete applicable certification requirements before funds are disbursed. Residential providers must comply with the State of Georgia Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Standards of Care. Additional requirements include fingerprint-based criminal background checks for direct service and outreach personnel at least once every three years, an Internet Security Policy when minors or staff have internet access in funded program components, fiscal accountability and separate grant records, civil rights and nondiscrimination compliance, limited English proficiency access, confidentiality safeguards, assistance to victims seeking compensation benefits, and compliance with required forms, assurances, certifications, SAM registration, EIN and other requested federal forms. Applications must be submitted online through the CJCC IGX Grants Management System. New applicants must register for access and complete their organization profile before completing the application. The application requests applicant agency information, SAM and certification status, designation of the Project Director, Financial Officer, Authorized Official, and Executive Director when applicable, counties and congressional districts in the primary service area, an agency description, information regarding multidisciplinary teams or human trafficking task forces, staffing levels, an evaluation plan, sustainability information, and a detailed budget and budget narrative. Required attachments include the Budget Narrative, Detailed Budget Worksheet, Organizational Chart, Operational Budget, supporting documentation for budgeted items such as job descriptions, and other supporting documents such as MOUs, letters of support, or MDT membership materials. The Authorized Official must finalize submission by selecting the required certification checkbox and changing the application status to submitted. If more than one application is submitted for the same agency, CJCC will accept only the most recent application. The solicitation was released August 4, 2026, and applications are due Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST. Applications will be reviewed by CJCC staff, external reviewers, and the Commission, and CJCC may decide at any point not to fund a project or a portion of a project. Budget line items are reviewed for allowability, justification, and reasonableness, and CJCC may modify or negotiate proposed budgets at award. Priority consideration is identified for proposals emphasizing secure transportation for victims, legal services connected to remedies under the Survivors First Act, and medical services for expectant mothers. Services must be trauma-informed and culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate. For solicitation questions, applicants may contact Kristy Carter at kristy.carter@cjcc.ga.gov or 404-290-9014. Technical difficulties or emergency circumstances involving the IGX system may be directed to Jonathan Peart at Jonathan.Peart@cjcc.ga.gov or 404-657-1973. The solicitation does not state a recurring annual deadline or a future-cycle schedule.

Address one or more of the three stated priority areas and show a coordinated community-wide approach to wraparound services. Proposals emphasizing secure victim transportation, Survivors First Act legal services, or medical services for expectant mothers receive priority consideration. Demonstrate trauma-informed and culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate services. Provide detailed justification for every budget item because CJCC reviews allowability, reasonableness, and justification. Residential applicants should document compliance with DMST Safe Home Standards, and applicants needing certifications should plan to complete them before drawing funds. Review the entire application for completeness before the Authorized Official submits it; if multiple applications are submitted by the same agency, only the most recent will be accepted.