Guardianship Assistance (93.090)
Guardianship Assistance (Assistance Listing 93.090) is run by the Administration for Children and Families, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It awarded $1.2 billion in 213 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $5.5 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.8 million. Half of the 213 awards fell between $218,393 and $5.4 million, and they ranged from $3,269 to $105 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$1.2 billion
- Grant awards213
- Typical award$1.8 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$257 million
- Size rank235 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceFormula grants
Key findings
- It is the 235th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 91% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 45 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) supports states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations and tribal consortia (tribes) who opt to provide guardianship assistance payments to relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of eligible children that they previously cared for as foster parents. The goal is to prevent inappropriately long stays in foster care and to promote the healthy development of children through increased safety, permanency, and well-being. A list of Title IV-E agencies approved for GAP is available at https://acf.gov/cb/grant-funding/title-iv-e-guardianship-assistance.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Funds are available to states (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa) and to tribes with approved title IV-E plans.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Federal assistance may be used only in support of the care of children who meet the eligibility requirements and their siblings under certain situations as specified in the statute. All relatives assuming guardianship of such children are eligible for the nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining legal guardianship up to $2,000. A state or tribe may receive FFP only if its title IV-E plan has been approved by ACF.
Matching requirements
Statutory Formula: Title IV, Part E, Subpart N/A,Public Law 110-351..The non-Federal share of program costs (difference between total cost and FFP) in each funding category constitutes the required match to be met by the Title IV-E agency. Matching funds from state agencies must be appropriated monies raised from non-Federal revenue sources. Matching funds from tribal agencies must also be appropriated monies, but may, at the option of the tribe, include Federal funds specifically authorized by Federal statutes to be used as match for other Federal programs. Additionally, in accordance with 45 CFR 1356.68, for administration and training cost only, tribal matching funds may include in-kind expenditures (or contributions) from allowable third-party sources.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Fiscal Year 2024: Awards to states ranged from $29,482 to $104,267,962 with an average of $7,463,258.07 Fiscal Year 2024: Awards to tribes ranged from $30,486 to $575,268 with an average of $302,877
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Guardianship Assistance (93.090) awarded $1.2 billion across 213 grant awards, an average of $5.5 million per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 99% of the money, tribes 0.3%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 194 | $1.2 billion | 99% |
| Other | 4 | $14.3 million | 1.2% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 15 | $3.0 million | 0.3% |
By state
37 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 4 | $382 million |
| New York | 5 | $99.5 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $69.5 million |
| Missouri | 5 | $65.5 million |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | $59.3 million |
| Texas | 4 | $51.2 million |
| Tennessee | 5 | $44.6 million |
| Oregon | 4 | $40.3 million |
| Illinois | 5 | $33.4 million |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $32.1 million |
| New Jersey | 5 | $28.1 million |
| Florida | 4 | $23.7 million |
| Connecticut | 5 | $23.4 million |
| Wisconsin | 5 | $22.8 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $22.8 million |
| West Virginia | 6 | $17.9 million |
| Washington | 5 | $16.2 million |
| Montana | 5 | $15.9 million |
| Hawaii | 4 | $15.9 million |
| Michigan | 8 | $14.2 million |
| Alaska | 5 | $10.1 million |
| Arkansas | 5 | $8.4 million |
| Nevada | 5 | $8.2 million |
| Maryland | 4 | $8.0 million |
| New Mexico | 4 | $7.8 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $7.4 million |
| Rhode Island | 5 | $6.7 million |
| Louisiana | 5 | $6.7 million |
| Oklahoma | 4 | $6.5 million |
| District of Columbia | 4 | $6.3 million |
| North Carolina | 9 | $6.0 million |
| Ohio | 2 | $5.0 million |
| Maine | 4 | $4.1 million |
| Indiana | 4 | $2.8 million |
| Virginia | 5 | $2.4 million |
| Nebraska | 5 | $1.1 million |
| Iowa | 5 | $1.0 million |
| Arizona | 7 | $850,017 |
| Puerto Rico | 6 | $818,032 |
| South Dakota | 4 | $804,956 |
| Vermont | 5 | $804,294 |
| Idaho | 4 | $440,422 |
| North Dakota | 5 | $221,117 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $175,573 |
| Wyoming | 4 | $95,152 |