Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Quality Improvement Fund - Improving Access to Dental Services for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (QIF-DNDD)

The Fiscal Year Quality Improvement Fund - Improving Access to Dental Services for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (QIF-DNDD) is a federal grant opportunity administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opportunity is forecasted under opportunity number HRSA-26-062 and is associated with Assistance Listing 93.224 under the Health Center Program. The initiative is designed to support Health Center Program award recipients in expanding and improving access to dental services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. HRSA intends this investment to strengthen patient outcomes by encouraging health centers to implement evidence-based practices and innovative service delivery models tailored to this population. The purpose of the program is to increase access to preventive and additional dental services while improving oral health outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. HRSA specifically notes that funded organizations are expected to build upon existing evidence-based models and pilot innovative approaches that improve access to dental services. Proposed projects must also include plans to advance the skills and knowledge of the health center workforce in serving children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The emphasis on workforce development indicates that applicants should focus not only on direct patient service expansion but also on provider training, care coordination, patient engagement strategies, and organizational readiness to support children with complex developmental and behavioral needs. The funding opportunity is categorized as mandatory and supports grant-based funding activities within the health category. HRSA anticipates making approximately 25 awards with an estimated total program funding amount of $50,000,000. Each award is expected to provide up to $2,000,000, and the listed award floor is also $2,000,000, indicating a fixed award amount per recipient. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds, which lowers financial barriers for eligible applicants. The project start date and estimated award date are both listed as September 1, 2026, suggesting that awardees will begin implementation immediately upon award issuance. The announcement describes the funding as a one-time investment, and no language indicates recurring annual cycles. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to organizations that currently receive an active H80 Health Center Program award funded under Section 330(e) of the Public Health Service Act. This means only existing Health Center Program award recipients are eligible to apply. The eligibility restriction significantly narrows the applicant pool and excludes organizations that do not currently hold active H80 funding. Because the opportunity is tied specifically to the federal Health Center Program infrastructure, applicants are expected to already possess the operational capacity, patient population experience, and federal compliance systems necessary to implement expanded dental access initiatives for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The application timeline indicates that the opportunity was forecasted on May 6, 2026, with an estimated posting date of May 15, 2026. Applications are expected to be due on June 2, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time for electronically submitted applications. The opportunity remains archived through October 1, 2026. No pre-application requirement, letter of intent, or concept paper requirement is identified in the source material. Likewise, the announcement does not specify review criteria, scoring methodology, or detailed application components beyond requiring project work plans describing evidence-based models, innovative approaches, and workforce training plans. Applicants will likely receive additional instructions and application requirements when the full notice of funding opportunity is formally released. HRSA provides contact information for prospective applicants through the Bureau of Primary Health Care funding office. Questions may be directed to bphcfunding@hrsa.gov or by telephone at 301-594-4300. Additional information is available through the HRSA support portal linked in the announcement. The forecast notice does not provide a PDF funding announcement link or a detailed period of performance beyond the listed project start date. Since the opportunity is described as a one-time investment and no recurring cycle language is included, the grant should be treated as a non-recurring funding opportunity unless future announcements indicate otherwise.

Emphasize evidence-based dental service models, innovative access strategies, workforce training plans, and measurable improvements in dental health outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.