Awards for Coordination of Children’s Advocacy Center Services for Military Families Program

The Awards for Coordination of Children’s Advocacy Center Services for Military Families program is administered by the National Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit organization that serves as the accrediting body and national association for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the United States. The organization works in partnership with federal agencies, particularly through a cooperative agreement with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the U.S. Department of Justice, to distribute federal funding and strengthen coordinated responses to child abuse. Through this national subgrants program, the funder has historically supported the development and expansion of Children’s Advocacy Centers, which provide multidisciplinary services to child victims of abuse and their families. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the establishment, expansion, and coordination of Children’s Advocacy Center services specifically for military families. The program focuses on enhancing collaboration between Children’s Advocacy Centers and military installations to improve responses to child abuse cases involving military-affiliated children. The grant supports both organizations that are initiating military partnerships and those that are expanding existing collaborations. Funded activities include developing coordinated investigative protocols, increasing service capacity, implementing technology for case management, strengthening partnerships with military personnel, and delivering training and outreach using trauma-informed practices. Funding under this program is provided as reimbursement-based subawards, meaning recipients must document allowable expenses and receive reimbursement after verification. Awards are subject to federal regulations and must align with the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide and Uniform Administrative Requirements. Allowable uses of funds include personnel costs such as dedicated case managers or victim advocates, technology improvements, training initiatives, and service expansion efforts. Funds cannot be used for unallowable activities such as lobbying, fundraising, or expenses unrelated to project goals. All expenditures must occur within the designated project period and adhere to strict cost principles. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to existing accredited Children’s Advocacy Centers that are in good standing with the National Children’s Alliance. Applicants must be either public entities or private nonprofit organizations and must maintain compliance with federal requirements such as possessing a valid unique entity identifier and active registration in the System for Award Management. Additional eligibility conditions include maintaining accreditation status, meeting reporting obligations for prior awards, and demonstrating organizational capacity to manage grant funds and implement proposed activities. The application process requires submission through the National Children’s Alliance online grants portal. Applicants were required to submit their proposals by August 8, 2025. Required components include organizational information, a proposal abstract, a detailed program narrative addressing needs, design, capacity, and evaluation, a logic model, budget documentation, and supporting attachments such as letters of support, organizational charts, and financial documentation. Applications were evaluated through a peer review process based on criteria including need, project design, organizational capacity, data collection plans, and budget quality. Additional considerations such as geographic diversity and service to underserved populations were also factored into award decisions. The award period for funded projects is expected to run from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, with the possibility of additional funding in subsequent years for projects demonstrating strong performance and continued need. Award recipients are required to submit regular financial and performance reports, including quarterly progress and expenditure reports, and must comply with monitoring and audit requirements. The program is recurring on an annual basis through the National Children’s Alliance subgrants cycle, though funding availability depends on federal appropriations and agency priorities. Technical assistance is available through the funder via email support, and applicants are encouraged to engage with available resources such as webinars and guidance materials throughout the application process.

Ensure strong alignment between identified needs and proposed activities. Provide clear data to support the problem statement and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Ensure the budget is detailed and directly tied to project objectives.