Collaborative Approaches to Adoption for Children with Complex Needs

The Collaborative Approaches to Adoption for Children with Complex Needs 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 address persistent challenges in placing children and youth with complex or high acuity needs into stable adoptive homes. These populations often include individuals with significant medical, behavioral, or emotional conditions, and the program seeks to generate rigorous evidence on how collaborative systems can improve permanency outcomes through adoption. The initiative aligns with broader federal priorities focused on child welfare, family stability, and evidence based research. The primary purpose of this grant is to support the implementation and evaluation of collaborative, system level approaches that recruit, train, support, and retain adoptive families capable of meeting the needs of children with complex conditions. Funded projects must incorporate strong research components, including both implementation studies and effectiveness evaluations. Applicants are expected to test clearly defined theories of change, utilize rigorous research methodologies, and contribute generalizable knowledge to the field. Partnerships are central to the program, and applicants are encouraged to collaborate with entities such as Medicaid demonstration projects, private adoption agencies, and community or faith based organizations. Funding for this opportunity is provided through cooperative agreements, with a total program funding level of 6450000 dollars and approximately three awards anticipated. Individual awards range from 1500000 dollars to 2150000 dollars for a three year project period. The funding is fully allocated for the entire period of performance, and there is no cost sharing requirement. However, recipients must adhere to strict federal cost principles, including restrictions on construction, real property acquisition, and certain other expenditures. Indirect costs are permitted under approved or de minimis rates, and salary limitations tied to federal executive pay levels apply. Eligibility for this opportunity includes state, tribal, or county public child welfare agencies, private child welfare agencies under contract with public agencies, and research organizations that partner with eligible agencies. Applicants that are not public agencies must demonstrate active partnerships with public child welfare entities operating in the target geography. Applications from individuals, foreign entities, or federal agencies are not eligible. The program emphasizes collaborative engagement across stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, and community members, to ensure relevance and rigor in both implementation and evaluation activities. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes multiple components such as a project narrative, budget, and supporting attachments. Applicants must maintain active registrations in SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission. The application package consists of two primary files and several standard federal forms. The project narrative is a critical component and must address objectives, research design, partnerships, data collection, analysis, and dissemination strategies. Evaluation criteria are extensive and include objectives, approach, expected outcomes, organizational capacity, budget justification, and alignment with agency priorities, with a total possible score of 115 points. The application deadline is August 26, 2026, with submissions required by 1159 pm Eastern Time. The expected project start date is September 30, 2026. Applications undergo an initial compliance review followed by a merit based evaluation conducted by an independent review panel. Awards are contingent upon federal funding availability and applicant risk assessments. Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award outlining all terms and conditions, and recipients must comply with reporting requirements, including semiannual performance and financial reports. Program contacts include designated staff within the Children’s Bureau, with support available via email and phone for both programmatic and grants management inquiries.

Ensure strong research design and clear theory of change; demonstrate active partnerships with child welfare agencies; align proposal with ACF priorities and evidence based practices