Best Practices to Strengthen Family Support in Child Maltreatment Reporting and Prevention

This Notice of Funding Opportunity will support the development and national dissemination of best practices to strengthen the capacity of child abuse hotlines to distinguish between poverty and willful neglect. More than 60 percent of maltreatment determinations are for neglect without abuse (Children’s Bureau, 2021). Further, poverty, implicit bias, and systemic inequalities continue to fuel disproportionate child abuse reporting and child welfare system involvement among families of color and other marginalized communities across the country. As a result, there has been a growing national awareness and interest in encouraging mandated reporters to become “mandated supporters,” whereby equal importance is placed on supporting families who would benefit from economic and concrete supports to avoid unnecessary contact with the child welfare system. This funding will support building a national messaging campaign on how individuals can become a source of support to families in their community by acknowledging the impact of racial inequities and seeking solutions that can help mitigate child safety concerns before they rise to the level of crisis. Funding will also focus on the development of best practices for training and equipping child abuse hotline staff to navigate complex and wide-reaching needs such as understanding the distinction between poverty and willful neglect, implicit bias, addressing social and behavioral health needs, how and when to report child abuse, and providing warm hand-offs to local resources whenever possible. Recipients must have plans for continuous quality improvement, evaluation of the effectiveness of proposed strategies in a hotline environment, and dissemination of findings widely to relevant audiences.Recipients must have the capacity to coordinate with other Administration for Children and Families (ACF)-funded entities including the National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), Child Welfare Information Gateway, and other hotlines administered by ACF.

Per the statute, “The Secretary may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, entities that are states, Indian tribes, or tribal organizations, or public agencies or private agencies or organizations (or combinations of such entities)…” (42 U.S.C. 5106(a)). Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.