FY27 TLS Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account Education Program

This grant award will have an initial period of performance starting in FY27 (07/01/2026 (or upon execution of the agreement) through 06/30/2029). A budget should be submitted for FY27 only. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The primary objective of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Education program is to support youth in care with ABLE accounts across Illinois in developing an increased understanding of their accounts as well as an improved ability to manage their accounts. Because each youth’s engagement with their ABLE account, in terms of both their access to the account and their responsibilities to manage their account, will be unique to their own abilities. ABLE accounts are a type of financial product that make it possible for people with disabilities and their families to save and invest their money for expenses related to living with a disability without impacting their benefits. The Provider will provide both video education regarding ABLE accounts as well as guided, online educational simulation, and print resources. The Provider will provide 4 modules of education for this program, customized based upon the youth’s age and specific life situation (when the youth will transition from care, will the youth have a payee or manage their funds independently, etc.). All the educational materials provided will be prepared in consultation with educational specialists that specifically serve youth in care with disabilities as well as occupational therapists to ensure that the materials are as accessible as possible. The Provider will also consult with the Illinois State Treasurers Office, ABLE program, to review and approve all educational materials. The Provider will include input from a diverse group of youth contributors to ensure the materials produced are culturally competent, and the Provider will consider and apply the principles from the organization’s Resiliency Guide developed with the National Traumatic Stress Network in 2019 to ensure the program education is trauma informed. The initial (6) months of this agreement will include the development of the IDCFS ABLE Education program which will include: technology development of an online learning environment, content development in consultation with subject matter experts including the Office of the Illinois Treasure, print educational materials, evaluation methods and outreach/referral processes. Upon completion of the development period the Provider will offer educational videos within a Learning Management System (LMS), and provide the IDCFS ABLE Education Program in accordance with the below outline: Age 14: ABLE 101 Age 16: ABLE 102 Age 18: ABLE for Adulthood Age 18+: ABLE for Adulthood Virtual Workshops The Provider will track completion of the ABLE education program at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. The permanency worker will receive a reminder at 30 and 60 days regarding the requirements for the ABLE education, and then if the ABLE education is still not completed at 90 days the provider will report to DCFS-FFP and the assigned program monitor. Completion will be tracked by an assessment which the facilitator guides the youth to finish. This assessment will highlight the education that was completed and include responses to a few basic knowledge/behavior measures. A mechanism for the instructor to report or flag concerns will be provided via free response questions; instructions will be provided of a contact person regarding additional supports that may be required if facilitators have concerns with the youth’s understanding of the ABLE account. The provider will also offer weekly “office hour” time slots during which the youth and/or permanency worker can join to ask live virtual questions about ABLE and the ABLE education process. These are optional but available as needed. Client: Youth aged 14-21(up to their 21st birthday) served by DCFS who are eligible for an ABLE account. Unit of Service: The Department will pay per the payment rates listed in Exhibit F “Pricing/Rate Schedule” based on invoice amounts consistent with the approved Budget and subject to an annual close-out process consisting of line-item review audited cost review. ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Account: A taxed-advantaged savings account that allows individuals with disabilities to save and invest money to meet qualified disability expenses without impacting their eligibility for certain government benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Certified Financial Planner (CFP): Develops comprehensive financial plans to help clients achieve their financial goals, covering areas like retirement planning, investments, insurance, taxes, and estate planning. CFPs meet rigorous education, experience, and ethical requirements, including a strict fiduciary duty to act in their clients’ best interest. They analyze a client’s entire financial picture, provide tailored advice and strategies, and monitor plans to adapt to life changes. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REFERRALS The provider will receive a client list from the DCFS Federal Financial Participation (FFP) Unit, identifying all DCFS youth in care who have an ABLE account. This list will include youth demographics, placement details, and the names and contact information of the assigned permanency worker and supervisor. Upon receiving the list, the provider must contact the youth’s permanency worker during the first month of the quarter in which the youth’s birthday falls, each year from age 14 to 21. The provider will give further instructions at that time to support the implementation of the ABLE account education program. Provider will accept all referred youth on a no- decline basis. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS Direct Service: All direct services staff will have at least 3 years of youth development work experience as well as an associate degree from an accredited school. Financial or business experience or education experience is preferred but not required. All staff must complete advanced training with the Provider and complete supervised instruction with the provider’s staff. All direct service staff receive yearly reviews. Supervisory: All supervisory staff will have 5-7 years of youth development experience as well as a bachelor’s degree or associate degree in a related financial or education field from an accredited school. Master’s degree and business or education experience is preferred. MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS Provider must maintain sufficient staffing to provide required trainings to clients and DCFS/CWCA staff. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TREATMENT GOALS/SERVICE PLANS Youth with ABLE accounts will successfully complete the ABLE education program requirements upon enrollment and annually until they reach 21 years or exit DCFS care. Youth who meet the requirements for referral to a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) will be referred and complete a financial advisory consultation. Permanency workers with youth on their caseloads with ABLE accounts will ensure youth complete the necessary ABLE education annually. Requirements include completing a required annual module. This module is determined based on the youth’s age and if the youth manage their ABLE account independently. Requirements will also include a referral to a CFP for youths who will independently manage their ABLE account and are near transition age. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TARGET POPULATION Inclusions: The Provider will serve youth ages 14-20 that are recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and for whom DCFS has opened an ABLE account starting at age 14. Exclusions: Youth prior to their 14th birthday or after their 21st birthday, any youth that is not currently under DCFS care, and youth who do not qualify for ABLE accounts. Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 1,000 Capacity at Any Given Time: 1,000 Client Capacity Under Program: 1,000 Capacity at Any Given Time: 1,000 Average Length of Services: 2-4 hours annually The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS 75% of youth with ABLE accounts will successfully complete the initial education requirements and assessments. 75% of youth with ABLE accounts will successfully complete ongoing education requirements and assessments. 75% of youth enrolled will demonstrate an increased understanding of ABLE accounts.

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 15% 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.

NOTE: This application is for Year 1 of a multi-year award. Successful applicants may be eligible to receive two subsequent one-year renewals (i.e., a multi-year grant of up to three fiscal years total). Renewals are at the discretion of the Department and are based on the meeting of performance expectations and compliance requirements. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1) UNIFORM APPLICATION FOR STATE GRANT ASSISTANCE 2) PROGRAM NARRATIVE AND BUDGET • 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 1,000 words (between 1/2 page and 2 pages single-spaced) depending on the question. Applications will be evaluated on answers to questions related to: 1. Organizational Capacity and Experience (15%) 2. Program Design and Implementation Plan (25%) 3. Alignment with Funding Priorities (20%) 4. Outcomes and Performance Measurement (20%) 5. Budget and Cost Effectiveness (10%) 6. Risk and Compliance (10%) For grant award incumbents, satisfactory performance in meeting program plan objectives and requirements will be considered during scoring. As part of the section of the application related to Budget and Cost Effectiveness, an uploaded budget on the provided GATA Budget Template is required in addition to the narrative responses. For the attachment: • 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 direct 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). • Please be sure to fill out the FFATA Data Collection Form (page 5) of the Uniform Grant Budget template. If you answer “no” to Q1, you do not need to proceed to Q2 on the form. 3) 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. 4) 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

Questions from applicants within the application date range can only be directed to and answered by DCFS.GATA@Illinois.gov.

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 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) 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 UEI 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 UEI, 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.

REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS All applications must be submitted by the posted deadline. IDCFS staff conducts an initial review of all applications received for eligibility and GATA compliance. Reviewers may consist of DCFS GATA staff, division leadership, and other internal DCFS staff. Each proposal will be reviewed by a minimum of three reviewers. The review and selection of grant award recipients is conducted in a fair and equitable manner that evaluates and selects grantees most likely to be successful in delivering results based on program objectives, and with limited disruption to the continuity of services. Proposals will be approved based on funding available. While recommendations from the review team will be a key factor in funding decisions, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the scores of the review team to be non-binding recommendations. The Department reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering geographic distribution of awards (e.g., ensuring coverage of certain counties or service areas), client needs, and overall programmatic/ financial risk assessments in its pre-award decisions. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information. Final award decisions will be made by the Director (or their designee). The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, locations, etc. Funds are disbursed based on the schedule agreed upon and included within the Uniform Grant Agreement. The release of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not obligate the Department to make an award. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AWARD NOTIFICATIONS An award status notification (approval or denial) will be delivered via an automated email from Euna Grants. 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. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ APPEALS Competitive grant (and in some cases non-competitive) appeals are limited to an appeal related to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. An appeal must be submitted in writing in accordance with the grant application document. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days of Award denial. The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following: i. the name and address of the appealing party ii. identification of the grant for which you are appealing the evaluation/review process iii. a statement of reasons for the appeal Response to Appeal a. DCFS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received. b. DCFS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required. c. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by DCFS within the time period set in the request.

Grantees will be expected to submit both (monthly or quarterly) periodic performance reports and monthly financial reports. 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