Children’s Justice Act (CJA) Grant

Georgia's Children's Justice Act Program is administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services, in collaboration with the Georgia Children's Justice Act Task Force. The program is supported by the federal Crime Victims Fund, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, with Children's Justice Act grants awarded through the Administration on Children, Youth and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Section 107 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The program is intended to improve how child abuse and neglect cases are assessed, investigated, administratively handled, judicially handled, and prosecuted, while limiting additional trauma to child victims and their families and maintaining procedural fairness to accused persons. Georgia is seeking proposals for projects and activities that create system-level improvements in the response to child abuse and neglect. Projects must support one or more Children's Justice Act goals and objectives, including improving assessment and investigation of suspected child abuse and neglect, improving responses to child abuse or neglect related fatalities, improving investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect including sexual abuse and exploitation, or improving assessment and investigation of cases involving children with disabilities or serious health-related problems. The Task Force also emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration, coordination with Georgia's child welfare agency and the Court Improvement Program, improved legal representation of children and parents, developmentally and culturally appropriate responses, evidence-based or innovative practices, stronger child welfare advocacy, improved reporting, professional specialization, reduced trauma, and long-term sustainability. Additional consideration is given to projects responsive to opportunities identified in the 2024 Three-Year Assessment concerning the quality of legal representation. Approximately $600,000 is estimated to be available for grants, and the maximum award is $100,000 per project. The funding opportunity does not state a minimum award or a required cost share or matching contribution. Grant funds must support activities directly related to approved project objectives and may not be used for prevention programs, treatment, or direct services to child abuse victims and their families. Food costs are prohibited, equipment is identified in the budget worksheet as a non-allowed budget category, and indirect costs are limited to a maximum of 10 percent unless otherwise approved. Payment is made on a reimbursement basis following completion of identified deliverables, and reimbursable costs must be incurred within the approved grant period and in accordance with the approved budget and applicable cost principles. Eligible applicants are Georgia state agencies, local governments including courts, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions that satisfy Georgia DHS contract eligibility criteria. For-profit organizations and individuals are not eligible. Organizations that are debarred, suspended, otherwise ineligible for federal assistance, or prohibited from receiving a state contract may not participate in the project or receive federal funds. Applicants must also satisfy applicable compliance requirements, including current System for Award Management registration without active exclusions, criminal records certification requirements, security and immigration compliance, insurance requirements, and applicant-type-specific documentation for nonprofit organizations or public entities. Applications must be submitted electronically through The Proposal Solution at https://theproposalsolution.com/. Required proposal materials include the Application Cover, Proposal Narrative, Project Timeline, Logic Model Worksheet, Contract Budget and Quarterly Cumulative Expenditure Report, Budget Worksheet and Narrative, and any applicable additional proposal attachments. Required compliance documentation includes Tax Compliance, Supplier Change Request, W-9, Criminal Records Certification, Security and Immigration documentation, Pre-Award Risk Assessment, a current SAM screenshot, and a Certificate of Liability Insurance, with additional Corporate Resolution and Georgia Secretary of State registration documentation for nonprofit applicants or an Authorization for Public Entity for public applicants. Applicant names, authorized officers, titles, identifiers, and other contracting information must be consistent across all forms and supporting records. A mandatory informational webinar for potential applicants was scheduled for March 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with pre-registration required. Applications are initially screened for completeness, applicant eligibility, potential for statewide system-level improvement, absence of prohibited prevention, treatment, or direct-service activities, and responsiveness to Children's Justice Act goals, objectives, and Task Force priorities. Applications passing initial screening are peer reviewed by a Proposal Review Committee composed of Task Force members. The committee may approve a proposal, request revisions, or reject it and may recommend full or partial funding. Applicants were to be notified of application status by email between May 1 and May 15, 2026. The proposal submission deadline was April 8, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. EST. The grant period is October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with all proposed activities required to be completed by September 30, 2027. Quarterly programmatic reports are due January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10, 2027, final expenditure reporting is due October 10, 2027, and the final performance report is due November 15, 2027. Questions regarding the application process, proposal requirements, or programmatic issues may be directed to cjagrants@dhs.ga.gov. The announcement does not explicitly state that this funding opportunity recurs annually or provide a next-cycle application date.