Funding Announcement Home Visiting Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) are pleased to send you the first Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the new Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, created as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act or ACA).

The FOA can be downloaded by pointing your browser to Grants.gov, “FIND or APPLY” and enter either CFDA # 93.505 or the full announcement number (HRSA-10-275). The FOA will also be posted on HRSA’s web site at http://www.hrsa.gov.

This FOA is the first of three that will be issued to complete the FY 2010 application process. This process will includes submitting a State needs assessment and an Updated State Plan with application for a State Home Visiting Program grant. An FOA for funding available to Indian Tribes, consortia of Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations and Urban Indian Organizations will be announced separately.

Please note that a complete needs assessment that meets the requirements outlined in section 511(b) (1-2) of the Act is required of every State as a condition of receiving payment of FY 2011 Title V Block Grant funds, regardless of whether the State intends to apply for a grant to provide home visiting services.

This first FOA provides instructions for States to submit an application for 2010 funding. It includes instructions for States in assessing the availability of data for completing the needs assessment, identifying additional information needing to be collected, specifying how the State plans to go about conducting the needs assessment over all, and meeting requirements for a Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant.

Approval of the State’s application in response to this first FOA will serve as the basis for obligating FY 2010 funding for your State under the ACA Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Approximate funding levels for each State are identified in Appendix D of this FOA. The anticipated award date award is July 15, 2010.

All but $500,000 of the State’s allocation will be restricted and unavailable for expenditure until the State submits an approvable needs assessment, Updated State Plan, and application for a home visiting program grant. The unrestricted funds, however, may be used for planning or implementation activities associated with establishing an early childhood home visiting program.

State Governors are responsible for designating which entity or group of entities will apply for and administer home visiting program funds on behalf of the State. Regardless of the designated entity, however, the State’s application must include the written concurrence of the Director of the State’s Title V agency; Director of the State’s agency for Title II of CAPTA; Director of the State’s Single State Agency for Substance Abuse Services; and Director of the State’s Head Start State Collaboration Office.

HRSA and ACF look forward to partnering with the States and all other interested parties as we move forward with this important new initiative.

Audrey M. Yowell, PhD, MSSS, HRSA Moushumi Beltangady, MSW, MPP, ACF