FY27 CAR Child Death Investigation Task Force

FY27 CAR Child Death Investigation Task Force

This grant award will have an initial period of performance starting in FY27 (07/01/2026 (or upon execution of the agreement) through 06/30/2029). A budget should be submitted for FY27 only.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force (CDITF) acts to coordinate and provide trained investigators from various agencies that are involved to investigate sudden unexplained and unexpected serious life-threatening injuries and death of each child in the state, under the age of eighteen. The Team consists of Law Enforcement Officers, DCFS Investigators, and Coroners/Deputies that must be available for 16 training hours each fiscal year.

Referrals are routed through the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline and directed to the DCFS Manager. The DCFS Manager will coordinate with the CDITF Commander to offer assistance to the lead agency. At the request of the Lead Investigating agency, the CDITF can be activated for review and/or to assist the department in a child’s death or serious injury of a child’s case.

The grantee acts to support the CDITF Board of Directors by planning board meetings, board agendas, minutes, monitoring all task force protocols, handling all financial and budgets related expenses, and communicating with CDITF as needed to facilitate service arrangements. The grantee is responsible for planning quarterly trainings, monitoring required educational hours for each CDITF member, researching topics, locating speakers, registration, training sites, and making necessary accommodations for all training events. Grantee is also responsible for maintaining at least quarterly contact with CDITF to provide quarterly reports to the DCFS Contract Monitor, or upon request.

Other duties include, but are not limited to:
• Coordinate with the Board of Directors and the Task Force Commander to plan and manage training for task force members
• Update and keep current Task Force team member rosters and send out to Task Force Commanders as necessary
• Track all contracts and budgets

Referrals are generated from the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline and directed to the DCFS Manager, who alerts the CDITF when a death or serious life-threatening injury has occurred. The CDITF Commander will contact the Lead Investigating Agency to determine if services should be activated within a 24-hour period. Cases accepted past 24 hours should be extreme circumstances and documented. Once a referral is taken a decision will be made to determine if the Task Force should be activated. After the decision is made to activate the Task Force Commander will notify the District Commander, who will work with the lead investigating agency on the case. The Task Force tracks all cases that are accepted or denied. All decisions to accept or deny services should be shared with the Coordinator for tracking and monitoring purposes.

Specialized services may be available based on recommendations, authorized approvals, and outcomes to support the efforts of the CDITF and the annual budget. A county may request special services to financially assist with autopsy, x-rays, morgue fees, and any special testing or examining assistants to assist in finalizing activated cases.

Upon the closing of an investigative case, the leading agency will retain the records of the case. All agencies utilizing CDITF services for billable services must contact grantee within 60 days of service for payment. Within 90 days of an activated case, the CDITF Coordinator will gather updates on the case from the District Commanders.

Grantee will provide fiscal oversight to the CDIFT, that will enable the CDIFT to prepare and present an Annual Report, no later than May 30th for the year in which the deaths have been reviewed.
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DCFS Clients - Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 40 / Capacity at Any Given Time: 3
Agency Clients - Client Capacity Under Program: 0 / Capacity at Any Given Time: 0

Average Length of Services: 5 Days (initial phase) The initial phase includes crime scene processing & gathering of evidence.
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CLIENTS

DCFS clients or victims under the age of 18 with the following criterion:
• Sudden unexplained and unexpected serious life-threatening injuries and deaths of children
• Suspicious serious life-threatening injuries and death of children
• Unusual serious life-threatening injuries and deaths of children
• Serious life-threatening injuries and deaths resulting from inflicted injuries
• Activated cases – Cases that are accepted by the Task Force for investigation
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TARGET POPULATION

• A DCFS youth in care
• The subject of an open service case maintained by the Department
• The subject of a pending child abuse or neglect investigation
• A child who was the subject of an abuse or neglect investigation at any time during the 12 months preceding the child’s death
• Any other child whose death is reported to State Central Register as a result of alleged child abuse or neglect which report is subsequently indicated.
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STAFFING

Direct Service
CDITF Coordinator – Qualifications include academic credentials such as a Bachelor’s degree in social services, public administration, human services or other related fields, and experience in a human service organization; demonstrates administrative and/or management abilities, experience in the areas of child abuse/neglect, community outreach, and fiscal reporting.

Supervisory
The Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force Board of Directors will oversee the operations of the CDITF Coordinator and the CDITF Commander.
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS

• As a result of services, the Task Force will review 95% of activated cases to help develop and identify training needs for professionals that may help reduce the incidents of child deaths.
• The Task Force will review and study annual baseline data collection of information to help increase and recruit 4 additional trained and professional members for each district.
• As a result of training, the Task Force will maintain a minimum of 60 trained investigative task force members, at all times.
• The Task Force will investigate a minimum of 40% of the calls received per year.
• Of the investigated cases at least 75% of cases will have documented outcomes within 6 months of the case closing.
• Establish a Public Service Campaign to address Child Deaths in Illinois.
• The goal of the Coordinator is to facilitate training needs and approaches to help reduce/avoid activated cases, or child death reviews.
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GEOGRAPHIC AREA(S)

Southern Region CDITF - $188,504: Alexander, Bond, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson.

Central Region CDITF - $200,000: Adams, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Iroquois, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Pike, Platt, Putnam, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, and Woodford.

Details

• Awarding Agency: Department Of Children And Family Services
• CSFA Number: 418-00-3571
• CSFA Popular Name: Child Death Investigation Task Force
• Funding Opportunity Number: 418 - Child Death Investigation Task Force
• Assistance Listings Number: State
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $388,504.00
• Expected Number of Awards: 2
• Funding Sources: State
• Indirect Costs Allowed: Yes
• Posted Date: 2026-04-21
• Award Period: 2026-07-01 – 2027-06-30

Funding Restrictions

Grant awards will be subject to state statutory requirements that limit the administrative costs to 20%. Fringe benefits cannot exceed 25% of total salaries.

Indirect Cost Description

Indirect Costs are allowed. To charge indirect costs to a grant, the applicant organization must have an annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

There are three types of NICRAs:

1. Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding, may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. The organization must provide a copy of the federal NICRA.

2. State Negotiated Rate. The organization may negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate. If an organization has not previously established an indirect cost rate, an indirect cost rate proposal may be submitted to the State of Illinois through the indirect cost rate system no later than three months after the effective date of the award. If an organization previously established an indirect cost rate, the organization must continue to use that rate until its expiration. Upon expiration, the organization may re-submit a new indirect cost proposal through the system annually, within six months after the close of the grantee’s fiscal year, OR an organization may elect to use the de minimis rate instead of their State Negotiated Rate.

3. De Minimis Rate. An organization may elect a de minimis rate of 15% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate.
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NOTE
• All grantees must complete an indirect cost rate negotiation or elect the De Minimis Rate in the indirect cost rate system to claim indirect costs. Indirect costs claimed without an established negotiated rate or a De Minimis Rate election in the system may be subject to disallowance.
• Grantees have discretion not to claim payment for indirect costs. Grantees that elect not to claim indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs.
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Restrictions on Indirect Costs

Yes

Citation Governing Indirect Cost Restriction

2 CFR Part 200, §200.414

State Award Notices

REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
All applications must be submitted by the posted deadline. IDCFS staff conducts an initial review of all applications received for eligibility and GATA compliance. Reviewers may consist of DCFS GATA staff, division leadership, and other internal DCFS staff. Each proposal will be reviewed by a minimum of three reviewers. The review and selection of grant award recipients is conducted in a fair and equitable manner that evaluates and selects grantees most likely to be successful in delivering results based on program objectives, and with limited disruption to the continuity of services. Proposals will be approved based on funding available.

While recommendations from the review team will be a key factor in funding decisions, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the scores of the review team to be non-binding recommendations. The Department reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering geographic distribution of awards (e.g., ensuring coverage of certain counties or service areas), client needs, and overall programmatic/ financial risk assessments in its pre-award decisions. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information.

Final award decisions will be made by the Director (or their designee). The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, locations, etc. Funds are disbursed based on the schedule agreed upon and included within the Uniform Grant Agreement. The release of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not obligate the Department to make an award.
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AWARD NOTIFICATIONS
An award status notification (approval or denial) will be delivered via an automated email from Euna Grants. This email will serve as notification that an award has been made. However, this email is not an authorization to begin performance or incur costs.
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APPEALS
Competitive grant (and in some cases non-competitive) appeals are limited to an appeal related to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested.

An appeal must be submitted in writing in accordance with the grant application document. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days of Award denial.
The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following:
i. the name and address of the appealing party
ii. identification of the grant for which you are appealing the evaluation/review process
iii. a statement of reasons for the appeal

Response to Appeal
a. DCFS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
b. DCFS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required.
c. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by DCFS within the time period set in the request.

Reporting

Grantees will be expected to submit both (monthly or quarterly) periodic performance reports and monthly financial reports. The exact reporting requirements of this award will be defined in the program plan of the Uniform Grant Agreement.