Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards

The Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, this opportunity is managed by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), which focuses on building evidence to improve the effectiveness of programs serving children and families. This grant is part of a broader effort tied to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, a federal initiative that supports voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services for families with young children. The funding opportunity is currently in a forecasted stage, signaling that a formal solicitation is expected but not yet open for applications. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support rigorous research and evaluation projects focused on reflective supervision practices within early childhood home visiting programs. Reflective supervision is a structured form of professional support designed to enhance the skills and well-being of home visitors, ultimately improving outcomes for families. This program specifically requires the use of the Supervisory Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting (SuPRS-HV) measurement tool. Applicants are expected to use this tool to advance understanding of how reflective supervision is implemented, measured, and linked to outcomes in home visiting contexts. Funded projects may pursue several types of research activities. These include refining or validating the SuPRS-HV measure, examining how reflective supervision influences outcomes for home visitors and families, developing tools to support program improvement using the measure, and analyzing variations in supervision practices across different contexts and populations. The scope of allowable activities emphasizes applied research and practical tools that can inform policy and program implementation. Projects must include partnerships with home visiting programs, including at least one program funded by the MIECHV initiative, ensuring that research is grounded in real-world service delivery environments. The total estimated program funding is 990,000 dollars, with an expected three awards issued. Individual awards are anticipated to range from 200,000 to 330,000 dollars. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity, which lowers barriers to participation for eligible organizations. The funding is intended to support discrete research projects, though the exact project duration is not specified in the forecast. Awardees are expected to produce findings that contribute to the evidence base and support improvements in home visiting practice and policy. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes a wide range of organizational types. Eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations; small businesses; and public housing authorities. However, individuals and foreign entities are explicitly excluded from eligibility. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the stated criteria are eligible to apply. This inclusive eligibility structure is intended to encourage participation from diverse research and service organizations with the capacity to conduct high-quality evaluation work. The anticipated application timeline indicates that the opportunity is expected to be posted on June 22, 2026, with applications due by August 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be made by September 15, 2026, with project start dates projected for September 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically, though specific submission systems and required components are not detailed in the forecast. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor the official posting for full instructions, including application requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. For additional information, applicants may contact Nicole Denmark at the Administration for Children and Families via email or phone. As a forecasted opportunity, further details will be released in the official funding announcement. This opportunity does not currently indicate whether it is recurring, and therefore should be treated as a single-cycle funding opportunity unless future notices indicate otherwise.