FY25 ADP Adoption Respite Program (Repost)

This grant will be awarded from 7/01/2024 to 6/30/2027. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Respite and mentoring services will be provided to youth who were former youth in care of DCFS and who were adopted or are in a subsidized guardianship placement, as well as private and international adoptions. The respite and mentoring services will be described throughout this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Provider agrees to support achievement of the outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for children and their parents and other family members served under this Agreement. The Provider also agrees to ensure the safety and well-being of all clients while receiving services under this Agreement. The physical plant must be safe, adequately maintained, and free from damage. Staffing levels must assure the adequate supervision necessary to provide therapeutic treatment to clients. A safe and caring environment is critical for supporting therapeutic treatment, and the Provider must facilitate and maintain this environment so that all treatment services provided to clients are supported. The Provider will ensure services are provided in the primary language or method of communication of each youth and, as applicable, to the youth’s parent(s), guardian(s) and/or other significant persons involved with the youth. Services are family-driven; they will be individualized to each family with sensitivity to cultural and adoption issues. The family plays a crucial role in establishing how the service will look. Services can be provided to one youth, a sibling group or the entire family, dependent on need. Therapeutic respite/mentor workers are matched with families receiving individual respite or mentoring based on the family requests and the best clinical fit. A single worker is assigned, when possible, to the same family throughout the duration of services, allowing for consistency, building of trusting relationships, and improved quality of care. The program operates from the belief that parents are experts on what their family needs, so development of a positive relationship between parent and provider is crucial. The program tries to ensure development of such a relationship in several ways. Parents are key participants in the planning and delivery of services. Parents assist in the development of the service plan, which defines how, when and where the service is delivered. Individual therapeutic mentoring is available 7 days per week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. This can be flexible if agreed upon by the Provider and the family. Sessions typically occur in settings throughout the community or can be in the home if identified as a need by the family. Therapeutic mentors provide activities that promote the youth’s adaptive skill set and serve to better link the entire family with the community. They also work in conjunction with the Adoption and Guardianship Support and Preservation therapist or case manager, or other identified service providers, if applicable, to assist with working towards therapeutic goals. Therapeutic mentors engage the youth(s) in the natural resources available throughout the community (such as park districts, libraries, recreation centers, churches, synagogues etc.) that will be available to the family once the services end. Sessions are typically 3 hours in duration, most typically scheduled once per week. Average length of service in the program is 6 months, with services being reviewed every 3 months for continued need and progress toward goals. Services will not exceed 1 year without prior permission of the Statewide Post Adoption Program Manager. Respite services are available 7 days per week, either throughout the day or overnight. Respite services are provided to assist families with youth who have special needs and require ongoing additional or specialized care needs. The respite is meant to provide a break to ensure that the family has some relief to best care for the youth in their home. Typically respite providers are chosen by the families and are vetted by the Provider to ensure the respite provider has cleared a background check or that the parent has properly executed a release of liability. Respite services typically occur once per month but can be assessed based off of the family’s needs and the program’s allotted funding. Respite services can also include specialized camps, funding for specialized camps, and services that provide relief and therapeutic guidance throughout the school day for youth who have been suspended from school. Respite cases are also assigned a therapist, case manager, or supervisor who will check in with the family on a monthly basis to ensure goals are being met and services are being properly provided. The frequency and duration of respite and mentoring services will be determined by the Provider based on the individual needs of the referred client within the timelines established in the Agreement. The respite Provider shall submit a Request for Extension of respite services to the Post Adoption Program Manager if an extension of services is needed. The request must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the end of the initial one (1) year service period and shall include the following information: • the reason for the request; • the types of service required; and • the anticipated length of time service will be required. A response to the request will be made within 10 business days of the request. Exception to Maximum Time Frames: In rare circumstances, a family may require an additional period of services in excess of the 24-month period allowed because there have been changes in the family situation. In those instances, the provider shall submit an Exception to Maximum Time frames to the Post Adoptions Program Manager. These Extension exceptions must be submitted every 3 months to the Statewide Post Adoption Program Manager for approval. Funds from the Agreement shall be held for services to be provided to eligible families who are not currently open for respite in the Adoption Support and Preservation program. These families can access funding for summer day camp, and respite provided by family or personal friends of the adoptive family. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CLIENTS DCFS Clients • Former DCFS Client Capacity Under Agreement (Annually): varies • Capacity at Any Given Time: varies Agency Clients: N/A Projected Average Length of Services: The projected average length of service is dependent on the type of respite or mentoring services required by the youth and family. The maximum length of service is limited to two (2) years. However, services will require an approved extension request in 6 month increments from the Post Adoption Program Manager in order to be extended beyond one (1) year. Extension approvals will be based on child’s/family’s circumstance. The Provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DEFINITIONS • Client: Any youth who is covered by a DCFS Adoption Assistance or Subsidized Guardianship agreement, was adopted through the Department but did not receive a subsidy or was adopted privately or internationally. • Unit of Service: One unit is equal to one hour. The units of service will be determined by the funding level and will be used as a measurement tool/ documentation for the grant payment with end of year reconciliation. • Respite Service: Respite Services are defined as short-term, temporary care provided for youth accepted for service to give some relief to the adoption or guardianship family. Respite components may include any or all of the following: hourly in-home, out-of-home and overnight respite care; and specialized camp experiences or day programs for youth who are suspended from school. The respite care may be regularly scheduled or may be requested in advance or on an emergency basis. • Mentoring Services: Mentoring Services are defined as services provided by a qualified mentor. The mentor, the youth and the family work together to develop therapeutic goals and outcomes to improve the youth’s adaptive and life skills, behavioral concerns and other identified needs. They also are a support system for the youth and the family. The mentor generally works with the youth in the community. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TARGET POPULATION Inclusions: Any youth who is covered by a DCFS Adoption Assistance or a Subsidized Guardianship Agreement, any youth who was adopted through the Department but did not receive subsidy, or any youth who was adopted privately or internationally are eligible for respite services as defined in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Exclusions: Referrals where the family is requesting respite for the purpose of providing babysitting service or day care services, when there is not an identified youth with special needs, will not be considered for the program. This exclusion will be based on information gathered at the time of intake. If there is question about whether or not a family qualifies for service, the agency worker shall contact the DCFS respite liaison for disposition of the referral. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REFERRAL AND ADMISSION PROCEDURES Provider Responsibility • Referral Decision-Making Criteria: The Provider will screen self-referrals initiated by the family and referrals made by DCFS or another community resource, through a telephone request for service. The Provider will complete a brief assessment document to determine initial appropriateness of the referral. The Provider may request additional materials from the family when needed. • Admission Procedures: Within 3 business days of receipt of the referral and determination of its appropriateness, the Provider will arrange an initial appointment with the family to develop a plan for service delivery or will inform the family of placement on the waitlist. If there is a waitlist, Provider must also inform the DCFS Post Adoption Program Manager. At the initial appointment, the Provider will request the family to sign a Consent to provide services and a Consent for Release of Information Form so the Provider can communicate with DCFS about the family and their service needs. Department Responsibility • The DCFS Respite Program Liaison will work with the Provider, offering technical assistance and guidance regarding the program and will make dispositions when there is question about whether or not a family qualifies for service. The DCFS Liaison will also collect and analyze data from the Provider to determine the effectiveness of the respite program. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS • Provider shall offer respite opportunities designed to give some relief to 100% of families served by the program. • Provider shall prevent the re-entry of youth into the child welfare system for at least 95% of the youth served by the program. Treatment Goals/Service Plans • 90% of youth receiving services will maintain or improve level of functioning in the home and community. • The respite program will have the primary goal of providing relief from caregiving to 100% of the adoptive parents or recipients of subsidized guardianship for former youth in care of the State who have come from difficult backgrounds including abuse, neglect or any form of trauma that may require additional care due to this exposure. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ GEOGRAPHIC AREAS COVERED $283,514.00 - Cook Interested agencies must provide services to all counties listed in each specific award. Agencies may submit more than one application to serve more than one geographical area. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 10% 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. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Department of Children and Family Services must receive a full application by the date and time listed. Applications received past the due date and time will not be reviewed or considered.

1) UNIFORM APPLICATION FOR STATE GRANT ASSISTANCE 2) UNIFORM BUDGET TEMPLATE • The budget is REQUIRED to include clear narrative descriptions. The narrative should explain how costs were estimated AND justify the need for the cost. The budget should be as concrete and specific as possible in its estimates. Make every effort to be realistic and to estimate costs accurately. Each section of the budget should be in outline form, listing line items under major headings and subheadings. If needed, each of the major components should be subtotaled with a grand total at the end. A well-prepared budget should be reasonable and demonstrate that the funds being asked for will be used wisely. • The grant award will be subject to state statutory requirements that limit the administrative costs to 20%. Fringe Benefits cannot exceed 25% of total salaries. • If applying for a multi-year award, listed award amounts are for the single fiscal year. For application submission, only one budget is reviewed for expenses incurred for that single fiscal year (i.e. year 1 of the multi-year award). 3) PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS • Please answer all narrative questions in full—being as descriptive and specific as possible. While there is not a set min/max number of characters/words, adequate responses are typically between 250 and 1000 words (between 1/2 page and 2 pages single-spaced) depending on the question. Through answering all questions, the applicant’s responses should highlight: • Experience: an accurate picture of their prior experience in providing the specific program services or related program experience. Areas to address should include (but is not limited to): description of experience providing same or similar services; evidence agency is capable of carrying out the program; brief description of key management staff responsible for the program; description of agency’s readiness to begin services; financial resources to adequately run the program; and description of existing service provider partnerships your agency has in the community. • Program Description: a detailed, clear and accurate picture of the intended program design. Areas to address should include (but are not limited to): description of agency philosophy or intervention strategy in providing human services; brief description of the program model specifically for this program; explanation of how the program will meet the goals and objectives of the program; estimated cost per family/child (total grant divided by total clients served as described in the program plan); agency quality assurance/improvement efforts; and a detailed description of past performance in meeting goals and objectives with the same or similar services. 4) SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS • If assistance is needed to complete the supplemental questions (i.e., to clarify or confirm applicability of a specific question), please direct those questions to DCFS.GATA@Illinois.gov. 5) BOARD OF DIRECTORS LIST • Please either type the information requested for your Board of Directors or upload a file. Files should include contact information including address, email, and phone numbers (including fax). If not applicable, put N/A. Please note the address provided for each board member cannot be the same as the organization/applicant.

REQUIREMENTS Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal or State awarding agency that is exempt from those requirements under 2 CFR §25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal or State awarding agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)) is required to: • Be registered in SAM before submitting its application. To establish a SAM registration, go to www.SAM.gov and/or utilize the instructional link from the https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Pages/default.aspx Resource Links tab; • Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and • Always maintain an active SAM registration with current information during which it has an active Federal, Federal pass-through or State award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal or State awarding agency. The State awarding agency may not make a Federal pass through or State award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the State awarding agency is ready to make a Federal pass-through or State award, the State awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal pass-through or State award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal pass-through or State award to another applicant. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ GATA PRE-QUALIFICATION An entity may not apply for a grant until the entity has registered and pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/. Registration and pre-qualification are required annually. During prequalification, verifications are performed including a check of Federal Debarred and Suspended and status on the Illinois Stop Payment List. An automated email notification to the entity alerts them of “qualified” status or informs how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., inactive DUNS, not in good standing with the Secretary of State). A Federal Debarred and Suspended status cannot be remediated. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ELIGIBILITY All potential applicants are eligible that meet the qualifications above. The funding opportunity is not limited to nonprofit organizations subject to 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) of the tax code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) but is preferred and will be first consideration of choice. You may be requested to submit proof of 501(c)(3) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service. The applicant must comply with all applicable provisions of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination, sexual harassment and equal employment opportunity including, but not limited to: • The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.), • The Public Works Employment Discrimination Act (775 ILCS 10/1 et seq.), • The United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended) (42 USC 2000a and 2000H-6), • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794), • The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 USC 12101 et seq.), and • The Age Discrimination Act (42 USC 6101 et seq.). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline will result in the Department of Children and Family Services returning the application without review or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude the Department of Children and Family Services from making a State award. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An award status notification (approval or denial) will be delivered via an automated email from AmpliFund. 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.

Grantees will be expected to submit both periodic performance and financial reports either monthly or quarterly. The exact reporting requirements of this award will be defined in the program plan of the Uniform Grant Agreement.

Questions regarding this Notice of Funding Opportunity should be addressed to: ILDCFS Accountability Unit Email: DCFS.GATA@Illinois.gov