To
develop and implement programs to train designated staff of eligible
health centers in providing adoption information and referrals to
pregnant women on an equal basis with all other courses of action
included in non-directive counseling to pregnant women.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Grant
funds may be used to plan and implement: (1) approved programs directly
or through grants or cooperative agreements with other adoption
organizations; (2)training curriculum, consistent with best practice
guidelines; (3) reimbursement to eligible health centers for all
costs in obtaining the training. Project funds may not be used for
construction.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Nonprofit private national, regional,
or local organizations among whose primary purposes are adoption
and are knowledgeable in all elements of the adoption process, e.g.,
types of adoptions, relevant State and local laws regarding relinquishment
procedures and putative father involvement and medical and financial
resources for birth mothers, and on providing adoption information
and referrals to pregnant women.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Private nonprofit organizations,
health professionals, birth parents, infants, adoptive parents,
health staff of Federally funded voluntary family planning projects
supported under Section 1001 of the Public Health Service Act,
staff of community health centers, migrant health centers, and
centers providing services to homeless individuals and centers
providing services to residents of public housing supported under
Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. PHS-funded school
health centers, and public health clinics.
Credentials/Documentation:
Demonstration of 501(c)(3) status or status pending with the IRS.
Pre-application
Coordination: Not applicable. This program is
excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: Application procedure can be obtained
via the World Wide Web at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/adopt.
Award
Procedure: Notification is made in writing.
Notice of Grant Award will be issued by the headquarters office.
Deadlines:
Application deadlines can be obtained via the World Wide Web at
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/adopt.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Approximately
3 months.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: One to 3 years.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Recipients will be required to submit both financial and programmatic
performance reports annually.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in OMB Circular No. A-133.
Records:
Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records,
and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained
for a period of 3 years from the date of submission of the final
expenditure report.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-1536-0-1-506.
Obligations:
(Grants) Part A: FY 01 $9,000,000; FY 02 est $9,000,000; and FY
03 est $9,000,000. Part B: FY 01 $3,000,000; FY 02 est $3,000,000;
and FY 03 est $3,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
From $400,000 to $6,000,000; Average: $600,000.
Four awards were made in fiscal year 2001 and 4 continuation awards
are expected to be awarded in FY 2002. For fiscal year 2001, approximately
300 pregnancy counselors were provided professional development
in adoption counseling. The training will enable pregnancy counselors
to feel confident in their knowledge of all elements of the adoption
process, relevant State and local laws, and the legal, medical and
financial resources that can be provided to women with unplanned
pregnancies. In fiscal year 2002, the number of counselors trained
is expected to reach 600. Master Trainers will continually be trained
in FY 03; also FY 03 will start the beginning of training for health
center staff.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
None.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: Contact: Sharon McCarthy Administration
for Children, Youth, and Families, Children's Bureau, 330 C Street
S.W., Room 2427, Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: 202-205-8576,
FAX 202-205-8221.
Web
Site Address: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/adopt; http://acf.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
None.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Approval of any application will be based on an analysis of the
following factors: (1) The administrative and management capability
of the applicant to carry out the proposed project in a cost-effective
manner: (2) the extent of responsibleness to the project requirements,
guidelines, and application requirements; and (3) the potential
effectiveness of the proposed project in carrying out the training
purposes of Section 330F of the Children's Health Act of 2000. In
making awards of grants under this Section, preference will be given
to any qualified applicant that is nationally recognized as a leader
in adoption advocacy and (1) Has a broad based membership of adoptive
parents, adopted persons, voluntary licensed adoption agencies (sectarian
and non-sectarian) and independent adoption intermediaries; (2)
is knowledgeable in all current and historic elements of the adoption
process, and on providing adoption information and referrals to
pregnant women; (3) has the ability to subcontract with other nonprofit
regional and local adoption organizations for providing training
to those counseling pregnant women; (4) experience in developing
best-practice guidelines on the provision of adoption information
with a variety of adoption organizations; (5) experience in developing
and disseminating training materials and counseling curricula to
diverse providers including federally funded family planning programs;
and (6) has experience in arranging for the provision of training
on non-directive counseling of pregnant women to staff working in
Title X family planning clinics, federally funded Community Health
Centers and Migrant Health Centers, centers for the homeless, residents
of public housing and PHS funded school health centers.
