This program will fund projects focused on technology-enabled strategies that improve adoptive matching, placement, and permanency for children in foster care awaiting adoption. The funds, awarded to four regional centers, will be used to design, implement and evaluate these strategies.

These centers will focus on children with an adoption permanency goal or who are legally free for adoption due to child welfare involvement. Centers will partner with state, territorial, tribal, and local child welfare agencies and courts to develop secure, accessible technology solutions that improve how families are matched with children in need of permanent homes. Proposed solutions must be interoperable with existing systems and may include tools such as data-informed recruitment support, AI-assisted matching, and predictive analytics.

Each center will strengthen data infrastructure, support continuous quality improvement, and develop scalable resources that jurisdictions nationwide can adopt. ACF will define four national service regions to ensure full U.S. coverage. Centers will provide regional innovation support, training, technical assistance, and dissemination of best practices while collaborating nationally on shared learning.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in match timeliness, placement stability, and adoption finalization outcomes. 

Education

• Public and state institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education

Business

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses

Government

• County governments
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• State governments
• City or township governments

Nonprofit

• Other Native American tribal organizations
• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Miscellaneous

• Other