Collaborative Approaches to Adoption for Children with Complex Needs
Agency: Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB
Assistance Listings: 93.652 -- Adoption Opportunities
Last Updated: July 27, 2026
Description
This funding opportunity aims to support innovations that build evidence on how to help children and youth with complex or high-acuity needs achieve permanency through adoption. The projects will focus on collaborative, system-level efforts to recruit, train, support, and retain families who can meet these children's needs.Projects must be led by researchers who work within a child welfare agency or work in close partnership with one or more child welfare agencies. Together, researchers and child welfare program staff will identify and evaluate promising collaborative approaches.Collaborations that...
include Medicaid Section 1115 Research and Demonstration Projects, private adoption agencies, or community- or faith-based organizations are of particular interest.You'll be expected to: (1) Study how the model works in practice (i.e., implementation study). (2) Evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. (3) Use the most rigorous research designs, methods, and analytic techniques that are appropriate and sufficient to address the research questions of interest.Projects are expected to build on the existing research evidence and contribute generalized knowledge.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Business
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
Nonprofit
- Other Native American tribal organizations
- Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
- Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
Government
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- City or township governments
- State governments
- County governments
- Special district governments
- Public and Indian housing authorities
Miscellaneous
- Other
Education
- Public and state institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
Additional information
N/A Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible for awards under this funding opportunity.
Grantor contact information
Description
Kathleen Dwyer
cb@grantreview.org
cb@grantreview.org
Documents
| File name | Description | Last updated |
|---|---|---|
| hhs-2026-acf-acyf-co-0055.pdf | hhs-2026-acf-acyf-co-0055.pdf | Jul 27, 2026 08:26 PM UTC |
Link to additional information
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Closing: August 26, 2026
Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the listed application due date.
Award
$6,450,000
Program Funding
3
Expected awards
$1,500,000
Award Minimum
$2,150,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CO-0055
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
No
Funding instrument type:
Cooperative agreement
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
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Category of Funding Activity:
Income security and social services
Category Explanation:
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History
Version:
2
Posted date:
July 27, 2026
Archive date:
September 25, 2026
