FY27 CAR Family Foundations

FY27 CAR Family Foundations

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

This program includes the delivery of ongoing parent education and skill-building sessions designed to promote positive family interactions, strengthen family functioning, and support family permanency and reunification. The program will utilize the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP) evidenced based curriculum competency-based lessons, customized to meet the specific needs of the families. Services are based on the assessed needs of the family, identified in conjunction with the caregivers and parent educator. Lessons can be taught in a home setting, in a group setting, or in a combination group and home setting.

The Family Foundations program shall offer these services to the general community, including those with previous or current DCFS involvement who have children ages birth to 18. Family Foundations shall provide this 16-week program to parents and their children to strengthen families’ skills and protective factors and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect.
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DETAILS

Services shall include face to face group sessions, pre- and post-assessments, home coaching visits, delivered in accordance with the evidence-based curriculum and program requirements.

Program services open to the community with a focus of working with families not yet involved with the child welfare system, or at-risk families including but not limited to families in need of support, guidance, and/or foster families struggling to provide the much-needed nurturing of children placed in their homes. Those with previous or current DCFS involvement, who have children ages birth to 18, shall also be accepted when meeting criteria and eligibility.

Parenting education classes shall be provided on an ongoing, rolling basis throughout the contract period, operating in continuous 16–20 week cycles, totaling approximately 48 instructional hours, and shall be designed to promote positive family interactions, strengthen family functioning, and support family reunification efforts. Virtual group sessions are permitted; however, the Contractor shall establish and enforce attendance and participation requirements to ensure that each session meets program standards and qualifies as a completed class session.

The program shall allow participants to enter at any point within the ongoing cycle and complete the full sequence of parenting education sessions, regardless of their initial start date. Accepted participants shall be placed into the next available class cycle to minimize wait times.

The Provider shall utilize the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2.1) and the Nurturing Skills Competency Scales (NSCS), built in assessment tools to access parenting beliefs, knowledge and skills. Pre, post, and process assessment tools shall measure the impact of the program.

Home visits shall be conducted in accordance with the evidence-based curriculum, where parents and children interact and practice new skills, offering parent coaching, aiming to strengthen the family unit. The home visiting services shall be documented and completed by the facilitators to address specific issues relevant to the family.

One-On-One Individual and/or Family Sessions may be conducted to referred clients to allow the client and the Parent Educator the opportunity to identify specific parenting tools to incorporate when bonding and interacting with their children. Parents served by the Provider (due to their issues with addiction and mental health) fare better in a one-on-one mentoring environment in conjunction with services delivered in a class or group setting. Services provided in the one-on-one session extend far beyond the education directed toward eliminating the generational cycle of poverty, child abuse and neglect.

Other Activities: The Provider may offer community events, diaper pantry, activities related to child abuse prevention awareness, family strengthening and promotion of the protective factors. The versatility of this program allows the educator to take their client to GED testing, mental health assessments, job interviews and focus on achieving service plan and individual goals that will ultimately lead to family strengthening. Family Educators and clients may also schedule and attended various appointments with service providers in the community such as early childhood screenings, well child checkups, housing interviews, etc. The Program Coordinator and other Parent Educators are involved in Child and Family Team Meetings to advocate and encourage family reunification and stabilization.

Client assistance with transportation may be provided to parents to support/facilitate the parent(s) ability to attend parent education classes. The Provider may offer transportation reimbursement to attend group sessions.

Program participants shall be offered satisfaction surveys at the completion of the program. Home parent coaching sessions shall be documented by direct service staff and verified through client signature at the conclusion of the weekly session.

Staff shall be available to conduct services to participants during normal business days/hours (Monday-Friday 8-5pm), but evening and weekend hours are permitted to accommodate parents/caregivers’ schedules.

Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP): NPP is a curriculum-based psycho-educational and cognitive-behavioral group intervention that seeks to modify maladaptive beliefs that contribute to abusive parenting behaviors and to enhance parents’ skills in supporting attachments, nurturing, and general parenting

Nurturing Skills Competency Scales (NSCS): The NSCS is a criterion referenced, self-report inventory designed to provide comprehensive information about the “quality of life” issues that families face as they attempt to put into practice the new parenting beliefs, knowledge and skills. Each NSCS addresses the unique needs of children in different developmental groups: prenatal; birth to five; school-age; teen parents and parents and their adolescents. The NSCS is an inventory that gathers information, both past and current, about individuals and their families in order to alert family members as well as professionals about on-going conditions that could lead to (1) the initial occurrence of child maltreatment; or (2) the recurrence of child maltreatment.
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STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS

Direct Service -
Lead Trainer/Facilitator: Minimally, a lead trainer shall possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in human services, early childhood development, or family life and have three (3) years of relevant child welfare/human services experience. Must have successfully completed the appropriate NPP parent training curriculum prior to facilitation of group/home visiting sessions.

Para-Professional Trainers: Trainers under the Lead Trainer (e.g., a team training approach) shall have a high school diploma or GED, be 21 years of age or older and trained in the appropriate parent training or childcare curriculum.

Supervisory -
Program Supervisor shall possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in human services from an accredited school with at least 5 years relevant child welfare/human services experience, and previous supervisory experience. A master’s degree preferred.
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MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS

Each class shall be staffed by up to four (4) group facilitators, consisting of two (2) facilitators assigned to the adult group and two (2) facilitators assigned to the children’s group, as needed based on program enrollment and service requirements. No staff member shall be assigned more than fifteen (15) active cases at any given time.

The Provider shall require direct service staff to successfully complete the NPP curriculum training prior to providing services to clients.
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TARGET POPULATION

The client to be serviced under this agreement will be the family unit. The Program serves those involved with DCFS or identified as an at-risk family by DCFS and is also open to the families in the community not involved with the child welfare system referred by family court systems, social service agencies, self-referrals. Family includes parents/caregivers and all children residing in the same home where at least one child is between the ages of birth to 18.

Inclusions:
The Family Foundations program shall offer services to the general community, as well as those with previous or current DCFS involvement, who have children ages birth to 18.

Exclusions:
Clients not meeting the specified criteria. Clients will not be accepted if maximum caseload capacity has been reached; clients will be placed on a waiting list and referred for the next available session.

Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 150
Capacity at Any Given Time: 35

Client Capacity Under Program: 175
Capacity at Any Given Time: 40

Average Length of Services: 16-20 weeks

NPP services run for a minimum of 16 weeks; with 1 assessment and 1 post-intervention session and up to 16 home sessions to reinforce skills, address specific family needs, and promote healthy parent-child relationships. The length of service under this contract will be based on the specific needs of the client and the number of units that are authorized by the designated DCFS staff person.

Client capacity projections are based upon number of parent participants engaged in parenting education and coaching. Children served are not included in the projection, as this Agreement aims to strengthen parent skills.

The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS

Clients will remain free from indicated reports of child abuse or neglect during their participation.
% of clients with no indicated reports; target = 90%.

Parents will maintain their children safely in the home throughout services.
% of participating parents maintaining children at home; target = 90%.

Participants will report positive program experiences.
Client satisfaction survey results; 85% report satisfactory or good experience.

Participants will show measurable gains in parenting knowledge.
Comparison of pre- and post-test scores; at least 70% demonstrate improvement.

Parents will complete all program requirements successfully.
Attendance and completion records; 60% of enrolled parents graduate.

Clients will demonstrate greater awareness and ability to access community services.
Post-program assessments or self-reports; 80% show improvement.

Details

• Awarding Agency: Department Of Children And Family Services
• CSFA Number: 418-00-3572
• CSFA Popular Name: Family Foundations
• Funding Opportunity Number: 418 - Family Foundations
• Assistance Listings Number: 93.669
• Announcement Type: Modification Of Previous Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $398,124.00
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Funding Sources: Federal Or Federal Pass Through, State
• Indirect Costs Allowed: Yes
• Posted Date: 2026-04-28
• 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 200.414(c) and 2 CFR 300.414

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.