FY27 TLS Countdown to 21: D-CIPP

FY27 TLS Countdown to 21: D-CIPP

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

Services are to promote permanency by maintaining, strengthening and safeguarding the functioning of families to (1) prevent substitute care placement (2) promote family reunification, (3) stabilize foster care placements, (4) facilitate youth development, and (5) ensure the safety, permanency and wellbeing of children. All services will be available to all clients.

Countdown to 21 is a Department initiative aimed at improving outcomes for emancipating youth that embeds improved youth driven transition planning activities at age 19 and continuing until the youth’s 21st birthday. The model of practice for Countdown to 21 supports emancipating youth through the following activities: Countdown to 21 Meetings (C21M) (formerly known as D-CIPP) at age 19 and 20.75, financial literacy for all youth exiting from care and the establishment of eligibility requirements for the availability of youth to receive one-time financial assistance as they exit care.

Countdown to 21 meetings is scheduled within 30-days of youth reaching their 19th birthday. The final Countdown to 21 staffing is convened within 90-days prior to the youth’s 21st birthday. The C21 Meeting relies on a facilitator-guided, youth-driven, team decision-making process with the youth, caseworker, casework supervisor caregiver, family, and other stakeholders to help determine the array and intensity of support and services and housing options needed to assist the youth in planning for a successful discharge from care. The primary objective of the C21 Meeting will include the development of the updated/revised CFS-2032-1, Youth Driven Transition Plan and CFS 375-2.

For purposes of this contract, (9) FTE will be provided to fulfill the various positions that comprise and support the D-CIPP Teams statewide. These program personnel include a designated DCIPP Manager (1) who oversees and supervises two (2) Intake staff, six (6) Facilitators. All C21 staff will be located at assigned C21 meeting sites statewide or work remotely, as directed by the provider's Statewide Program Administrator.
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CLIENTS

DCFS Clients
Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 1500
Capacity at Any Given Time: 24/week

Agency Clients
Client Capacity Under Program: 1500
Capacity at Any Given Time: 24/week

Average Length of Services: 1 day

Services beyond the program plan service parameters: The provider agrees to obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters.

Clients: DCFS/ Child Welfare Contributing Agency (CWCA) youth-in-care currently in the Department’s care– male and female and transgender their families and caregivers, involved professionals all ages with all levels of behavioral, mental health and other placement issues. There are no exclusionary characteristics.
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TARGET POPULATION

Inclusions:
Youth aged 18 through 21 who have open cases with the Department.
All youth in care, their caregivers and their adult support/family system convene to develop plans to prepare for discharge from care. Also involved are other current or recent professionals who are involved with the youth and caregiver. A C21 staffing will also include the capacity for be bilingual services as well as sign language if necessary.

Exclusions:
Youth with an IQ less than 60 and youth who are incarcerated may be excluded from a C21 Meeting on a case-by-case basis.
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DEFINITIONS

Administrative Case Review (ACR): A review open to the participation of parents of the Client, conducted by a panel of appropriate persons, at least one of whom is not responsible for the case management of, or the delivery of services to, either the Client or the parent(s) who are the subjects of the review.

Child and Family Team: A group of persons identified by and with the family who are committed to the family and child and invested in helping them move towards positive changes. Members of the team most commonly include the caregiver, the child (when age appropriate), concerned family members, concerned persons from the community (i.e., juvenile justice, education), the licensing representative, the assigned worker, service providers, the child’s parents when the child/youth is returning home, and a child’s guardian ad litem.

Caregiver: Relative or non-relative foster parent, worker from IGH facility where youth is placed or TLP/ILO caseworker.

C21 Facilitator: someone who prepares, conducts/leads the discussion in the meeting and documents the outcome of the C21 Meeting.

C21 Intake: persons collect, review, and help complete the referral for C-21, helps caseworker identify appropriate participants for the C21 and coordinates the scheduling of the C21.

Placement Resources (PR formerly CMT): centralized committee who participates in Clinical Staffings (formerly CIPP) and matches recommendations for a new placement and higher level of care to specific providers.

Youth Identified Supports: usually non-professionals with whom the youth a relationship and feels support, family member or relative, teacher, mentor previous caretaker.
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REFERRAL AND ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Referral Decision-Making Criteria:
Provider intake staff will process all referrals for scheduling. All questions or concerns related to intake and referral will be presented to the Program Manager or Program Administrator for resolution.

Admission Notification Procedures:
The provider's C21 contract staff adheres to Countdown to 21 policy and procedures for case notification, referral, scheduling, and meeting guideline.

Department Responsibility:
C21 meetings will be scheduled based on a department monthly automated listing of youth birthdays. The C21 intake staff will contact the DCFS/CWCA caseworker and/or supervisor and coordinate the C21 meeting.
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OUTCOMES AND METRICS

Program Level Outcomes:

1. Ensure timely access to C21 Meetings to improve transition planning and youth well-being.
• Anticipated outcome for benchmark: 65% of all C21 staffings are to be held within the targeted age benchmarks-age 19.6.
• Anticipated outcome for benchmark: 80% of all C21 staffings are to be held within the targeted age benchmarks- age 20.75.

2. Completion of the youth driven transition plan for 90% of youth who participate in a C21 Meeting.

Client Level Outcomes
75% of youth age 19 and older will participate in their C21 meeting and have input and support in transition planning.

Details

• Awarding Agency: Department Of Children And Family Services
• CSFA Number: 418-00-2818
• CSFA Popular Name: Countdown to 21: D-CIPP
• Funding Opportunity Number: 418 - Countdown to 21: D-CIPP
• Assistance Listings Number: State
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $973,416.00
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Funding Sources: 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)

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.