Child Advocacy Centers
CSFA Number: 418-00-1310
Agency Name
Department Of Children And Family Services (418)
Agency Identification
CAC
Agency Contact
Office of Grant Management & Accountability
(312) 328-2953
DCFS.GATA@Illinois.gov
Short Description
This program provides grant funding to community based agencies that complete interviews and assessments for children who are reported to the DCFS hotline, local law enforcement, or state's attorney's office as suspected victims of sexual abuse, extreme physical abuse, and witnesses to homicides. The purpose of the program is to reduce trauma to child victims of sexual or serious physical abuse. Clients are defined as youth and children for whom the Department is largely responsible and for whom the Department has determined, in consultation with the provider, the client’s needs for rehabilitative, social and other services may best be met by the program and services provided under this contract.
Federal Authorization
N/A
Illinois Statue Authorization
2020 Illinois Compiled Statutes Chapter 55 - COUNTIES 55 ILCS 80/ - Children's Advocacy Center Act. (55 ILCS 80/1) (from Ch. 23, par. 1801)
Illinois Administrative Rules Authorization
N/A
Objective
Services are to promote permanency by maintaining, strengthening and safeguarding the functioning of families to (1) prevent substitute care placement, (2) promote family reunification, (3) stabilize foster care placements, (4) facilitate youth development, and (5) ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of children. The provider is responsible for providing directly and/or ensuring the availability of the following program components: - Child-appropriate facility. - Multidisciplinary team. - Designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations. - Culturally competent policies and practices. - Forensic interviews conducted in an objective, nonduplicative manner. - Medical evaluation and treatment. - Therapeutic intervention. - Victim support/advocacy. - Case review and tracking. Components of this program are associated with the federal Children's Justice to States program (CFDA 93.643): To encourage states to enact reforms which are designed to improve (1) the assessment and investigation of suspected child abuse and neglect cases, including cases of suspected child sexual abuse and exploitation, in a manner that limits additional trauma to the child and the child's family; (2) the assessment and investigation of cases of suspected child abuse-related fatalities and suspected child neglect-related fatalities; (3) the investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation; and (4) the assessment and investigation of cases involving children with disabilities or serious health-related problems who are suspected victims of child abuse or neglect. Components of this program are associated with the federal CAPTA State Grants (CFDA 93.669): To assist States in the support and improvement of their child protective services systems.
Prime Recipient
Yes
UGA Program Terms
Review Grant Agreement for Terms and Conditions.
Eligible Applicants
Government Organizations; Nonprofit Organizations;
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants must be an accredited (or in limited circumstances a "developing") Child Advocacy Center.
Beneficiary Eligibility
N/A
Types of Assistance
Non-competitive
Subject / Service Area
Human Services
Credentials / Documentation
N/A
Preapplication Coordination
No prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or non-governmental units prior to the submission of a formal application to DCFS.
Application Procedures
Refer to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Criteria Selecting Proposals
Proposals are selected based on the criteria listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Award Procedures
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. 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. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information. 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. 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.
Deadlines
Rolling - Refer to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Range of Approval or Disapproval Time
General expectation of the length of time between the application deadline and when an award is made is 30 calendar days.
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. Submission of Appeal 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.
Renewals
Grant awards are made annually with a maximum of two one-year renewals. A new application (either an initial or renewal) is required each year.
Formula Matching Requirements
Match: Matching funds are not required for this grant program. Refer to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for further information.
Uses and Restrictions
Administrative Costs: Reimbursement of administrative costs may not exceed 20% of the costs of other services (20 ILCS 505/5a). Funding allocated under this grant is intended to provide direct services to clients. It is expected that administrative costs, both direct and indirect, will represent a small portion of the overall program budget and should NOT exceed 20%. Administrative means those activities performed by staff and costs which are supportive of and required for project implementation for which there is no direct client contact such as fiscal staff; audit; clerical support; office rent, utilities, insurance; general office equipment etc. Program budgets and narratives will detail how all proposed expenditures are directly necessary for program implementation and will distinguish between Indirect/Direct Administrative and Direct Program expenses. Any budget deemed to include inappropriate or excessive administrative costs will not be approved.
Reports
Reports: The Provider will submit expenditure documentation forms in the format prescribed in the Program Plan. Performance Data: The Provider may be required to submit performance data as prescribed in the Program Plan or as directed by the Department. Audits: The Provider will be subjected to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 USC 7501-7507) and subject F of 2 CFR Part 200, and the audit rules set forth by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (30 ILCS 708/65).
Audits
All grantees must follow Title 44 Illinois Administrative Code 7000.90 (Auditing Standards)
Records
The Provider must follow record retention requirements found in CFR 200.333 and record retention rules as prescribed by the Department.
Account Identification
TBD
Obligations
PY - $5,634,186; CY - $8,759,982; BY - $8,759,982
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
In FY 2023, the range of grant award amounts was from $49,695 to $1,604,660 with an average of $213,658.
Program Accomplishments
It is anticipated that 2 prime recipients and 41 subrecipients will be awarded in FY 2024.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
N/A
Regional or Local Assistance Location
N/A
Headquarters Office
406 East Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62701
Program Website
N/A
Example Projects
N/A
Published Date
7/1/2023
Funding By Fiscal Year
FY 2019 : $4,564,168
FY 2020 : $4,972,200
FY 2021 : $5,484,047
FY 2022 : $5,634,186
FY 2023 : $8,759,982
FY 2024 : $10,752,670
Federal Funding
Notice of Funding Opportunities
Agency IDAward RangeApplication Range
Agency IDGrantee NameStart DateEnd DateAmount
CAC-387177-3871779024Children's Advocacy Center of Illinois07/01/202306/30/202410,712,818
CAC-314808-3148089014 (YR3)Cook County State's Attorney's Office07/01/202306/30/202439,852