HHS – Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt (2016)

By NLADA on June 10, 2016

Applications Due: July 8, 2016, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Description:
The overall goal of the PJAC demonstration is to increase reliable child support by offering an alternative to contempt that is guided by procedural justice principles. These grants will test the efficacy of an alternative to contempt that helps increase child support compliance and reliable payments by emphasizing procedural justice principles in the following business practices: (1) gathering information through screening, outreach, and case conferencing; and (2) taking the right action at the right time, which includes applying the right child support tool as well as using other appropriate support services if needed. The evaluation of the PJAC demonstration will result in information on how to design an alternative to contempt that is based on procedural justice principles that can be incorporated into regular child support business operations. It can produce evidence on whether or not these practices improve reliable child support payments, impact other program outcomes, and are more cost effective than traditional contempt practices. PJAC also seeks to increase parent’s trust and confidence in the child support process, reduce arrears, minimize the need for continued enforcement actions/sanctions by increasing voluntary compliance, and reduce the inappropriate use of contempt.

Funding Title: Procedural Justice Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC)

Agency Name: Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement

Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2016-ACF-OCSE-FD-1172

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement

Express Language for Legal Aid: No, but IV-D agency grantees can partner with legal aid, law schools and court-based self-help center to support program implementation.

OCSE expects grantees to partner with other agencies with core competencies in providing the required employment services and domestic violence services. OCSE also expects grantees to partner with other agencies for other support services. Grantees may decide to provide the required dispute resolution services themselves or partner with an organization that has core competency in dispute resolution. Grantees are also expected to obtain the support of the court (in jurisdictions where contempt procedures are used) and child support attorney’s office (if independent from the child support agency), as evidenced, at a minimum, by a letter of support included in the grant application. Grantees may also partner with the court (e.g., a problem solving court) or child support attorney’s office as long as these entities are willing to cooperate with and adhere to the implementation and evaluation of the demonstration.

Examples of other partnerships that grantees may establish to support program implementation include, but are not limited to:

Corrections/reentry programs;
Fatherhood and parenting programs;
Community colleges, high schools, vocational training, GED centers;
Financial literacy and coaching organizations;
Cooperative parenting service providers and Access and Visitation grantees;
Legal services;
Pro se Legal Assistance Centers;
Court Facilitators;
Mental health and substance abuse treatment providers;
Medicaid, CHIP, Healthcare Exchanges/Navigators;
Faith and community-based groups;
Access to justice experts; and
Law Schools.

Target Population: Parents who owe child support arrears and would normally be scheduled for a contempt action

Expected Number of Awards: 9

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,600,000

Award Ceiling: $200,000

Award Floor: $117,647

How to Apply: For information on applying for grants, please visit “How to Apply for a Grant” on the ACF Grants Page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

Current Closing Date for Applications: by July 8, 2016, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time

Eligible Applicants: State IV-D agencies (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin

Islands) and Tribal Title IV-D agencies or the umbrella agency of the IV-D program are eligible to receive awards under this FOA.

Link to Full Announcement: Here

Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact ACF Applications Help Desk: app_support@acf.hhs.gov