Grants / Department of Health and Human Services / Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB

HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CT-0062: Fingerprinting Infrastructure Modernization for Child Welfare

Closed Closed August 31, 2026 Opportunity HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CT-0062 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$200,000
• Award floor$50,000
• Total funding$4.0 million
• Expected awards20
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to state and local governments and tribes.

• State governments
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

State IV-E agencies and Tribal IV-B/IV-E agencies. 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.

More grants for state and local governments, tribes.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Child Welfare Research Training or Demonstration awards averaged $3.2 million; this notice allows up to $200,000 per award.
• Most of the program's money (62% over five years) went to nonprofits.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

This program supports state and tribal child welfare agencies in modernizing fingerprinting and background check infrastructure to accelerate the safe placement of children into family homes. By investing in mobile fingerprinting and office-based Live Scan stations, the initiative addresses critical delays that prevent timely caregiver approval and placement. Funded activities focus on expanding access to fingerprinting services while integrating fingerprint collection into existing child welfare workflows such as home visits and office-based licensing processes. In parallel, the program supports system modernization efforts that reduce or eliminate barriers in background check processing. These improvements are designed to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance with federal requirements, and reduce administrative burden. The expected measurable outcomes include significantly reduced turnaround times for fingerprint-based background checks, increased availability and accessibility of qualified caregivers, and improved capacity for agencies to place children more quickly in safe, stable, and nurturing homes. This program supports the ACF's A Home for Every Child initiative by aligning infrastructure investments with operational needs, advancing broader efforts to strengthen child welfare systems, increasing placement stability, and expanding the pool of approved kinship, foster, and adoptive families.

Category: Income Security and Social Services.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.