FY27 CAR Perinatal and Family Resource Program

FY27 CAR Perinatal and Family Resource Program

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

The Building Resilience in Caregivers and Kids (BRICK) Perinatal and Family Resource Program is designed to bridge the gaps in services and resources most needed by rural parents, caregivers, and families. Through this direct service and parent education program Provider will use a comprehensive approach that builds individual skill development while strengthening support systems, enhancing family relationships, and improving access to essential resources.

Service delivery will include peer parent mentorship, parent education and concrete supports for parents, caregivers, and families experiencing challenging circumstances such as poverty, lack of resources, substance use and mental health challenges, and homelessness.

Provider will operate the program Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Provider will discuss any demonstrated need for hours outside of this schedule with the Program Monitor prior to adjusting. Provider staff must be available during regular operational hours.

Provider will offer parent education using the Nurturing Parenting education curriculum in a weekly group setting, with supporting materials from the Celebrating Families curriculum used in a one-on-one mentorship. Through these services, Provider will strengthen participant’s parenting skills, improve family functioning, and build resiliency and use of protective factors. All evidence-based curriculum will follow the minimum training, intensity and duration recommendations outlined in the California Evidence Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare https://www.cebc4cw.org/, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Each cycle must be designed to enhance positive family interactions, strengthen overall family functioning, and support successful family reunification efforts. Virtual group sessions are allowed; however, Provider must establish and enforce clear attendance and participation standards to ensure that each session meets program requirements and qualifies as a completed class session. One-on-one in person classes may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. If a participant misses a class, they have the option to schedule a makeup class. They are discharged after two missed classes without successful contact

Provider will also provide essential supports for expecting and new parents, including diapers, formula, gas and grocery cards, and infant safety equipment. Provider will base access to material supports on client engagement milestones. The Provider must maintain guide indicating what participation prerequisites must be met before accessing material supports.

Rapid rehousing services will be provided to eligible families needing help with the initial rental costs. Provider will also partner with community-based organizations to help families meet basic needs including diapers and formula and other infant care items when possible. To promote a safe start for new and expectant parents, Provider will also provide convertible car seats to fit children age birth to five; as well as facilitate a safe sleep initiative, which will provide a pack and play and safe sleep education to families.

Provider Perinatal services will include evidence-based perinatal health education, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening, perinatal substance use disorder screening, emotional support, and care coordination services at no charge. Provider will use materials from INJOY Health Education to provide perinatal health education to program participants. and materials from Postpartum Support International to provide education and resources to antenatal parents. Provider’s Perinatal substance use disorder education will be based on the Pregnancy and Substance Use Harm Reduction Toolkit developed by Illinois’ PCC Community Wellness Center in collaboration with the National Center for Harm Reduction and Provider will use the following evidence-based screening tools for PMADs and PSUDs: 5Ps Prenatal Substance Abuse Screen for Alcohol and Drugs (Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative) and the Combined EPDS,MDQ,GAD-7, PC-PTSD-5 Screening Tool (recommended by ACOG).

The program will:
• Use motivational interviewing skills to support parents experiencing substance abuse/mental health challenges
• Provide evidence-based parenting education through one of the above noted curriculums
• Provide 1:1 parent mentorship
• Facilitate linkage to other resources/referrals with warm handoff for program clients
• Use lived experience to provide peer support services & parent mentorship to program participants
• Provide health education on relevant topics
• Conduct non-clinical screening for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders/Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders
• Provide a total of 6 community education/outreach/family activities/training events annually within the geographical service area
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CLIENTS

Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 30
Capacity at Any Given Time: 7

Client Capacity Under Program: 100
Capacity at Any Given Time: 30

Average Length of Services: 6 months

The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters.

Clients: defined as caregivers and parents who are experiencing poverty, lack of resources, substance use, mental health challenges and homelessness with children ages birth to age 17. Both DCFS intact and non DCFS involved clients may be served. The primary client group focus is with at risk families not currently involved with DCFS, with children ages birth to five, with a secondary focus of families with children up to age 17.
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TARGET POPULATION
Inclusions:
The Provider will serve all parents and caregivers who are in need of parenting support and education, especially those with risk factors for child abuse and neglect or experiencing DCFS involvement due to lack of resources and support. The program will serve DCFS intact and non-DCFS involved individuals within the scope of primary and secondary prevention activities.

Exclusions:
Individuals may be excluded if they are not able to function safely due to mental illness, alcohol, drug abuse/impairment, or past demonstration of verbal or physical threats of aggression towards staff.
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REFERAL DECISION-MAKING CRITERIA

Provider will accept all referrals via email or agency webpage submission, within the target population as noted in 2.1 on a no decline basis. The referrals may come from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Child Welfare Contributing Agencies (CWCA), juvenile/family courts or other community service providers. Clients may also self-refer.

Referrals will be accepted during regular business hours via phone, fax or email/mail. The Provider will follow up with the referral source no later than 72 hours after receipt of referral. The Provider will maintain a website, publicly listed phone number and agency email where referral inquiries can be made.

If the Provider is unable to accept the client at the time of referral, they will be informed of the waitlist. If the client cannot wait for services, the Provider will work to provide the client with other community resource referrals.
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STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS

Direct Service -
Peer Support Worker/ Community Health Worker: Minimum education requirement: High School Diploma or equivalent. Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS)/Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) preferred (or plan to complete requirements for certification within 2 years). Lived experience required. Additionally, experience working with families and children strongly preferred.

Doula: Minimum education requirement: High School Diploma or equivalent. Current Doula certification required.

Supervisory -
Consulting Supervisor: Minimum education requirement: Master’s degree in healthcare or social services related field from an accredited school. Additionally, at least 5 years of professional experience in the health care or social services related field.

Project Director: Minimum education requirement: Master’s degree required in Social Work, Human Services, Early Childhood, or a related field from an accredited school. A state approved, clinical license (LCSW or LCPC is required. Additionally, at least 5 years of professional experience in the health care or social services related field.

MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS

Provider must maintain staffing levels to ensure that provider is able to maintain client caseloads with a client to ratio of a maximum of 15 clients to 1 FTE is maintained.
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS

Program level Outcomes will be measured through client file documentation:
• 90% of parent/caregivers will be provided with referrals for resources (employment, legal, housing, education, financial assistance, healthcare, mental health, etc.) to meet identified needs
• 90% of parents/caregivers participating in the curriculum-based programs will complete all educational sessions

Client level outcomes will be measured using the Nurturing Skills Competency Scale:
• 75% of parents/caregivers will demonstrate increased knowledge and understanding of how to use healthy coping strategies in stressful parenting situations.
• 75% of parents/caregivers will demonstrate increased knowledge and understanding of child development and how to meet their child’s physical, emotional and developmental needs.
• 75% of parents/caregivers will show improvement in the goals identified in their care plan

Process outcomes will be measured through case tracking and training documentation:
• The Provider will provide a total of 6 community education/outreach/family activities/training events per fiscal year within the service area
• 100% of parent/caregivers will receive non-clinical screenings
• 100% of parent/caregivers will receive a care plan according to their individual needs

System Outcomes will be measured using the Protective Factors Survey (PFS-2):
• 85% of families receiving services will remain intact, without child welfare case involvement
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GEOGRAPHIC/SERVICE PROVISION AREA(S)

Southern Region

Details

• Awarding Agency: Department Of Children And Family Services
• CSFA Number: 418-00-3575
• CSFA Popular Name: Perinatal and Family Resource Program
• Funding Opportunity Number: 418 - Perinatal and Family Resource Program
• Assistance Listings Number: 93.669
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $281,424.00
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Funding Sources: Federal Or Federal Pass Through, State
• Indirect Costs Allowed: Yes
• Posted Date: 2026-04-27
• 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.