The Children’s Bureau has announced new discretionary grants authorized under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) for, Partnerships to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Supportive Housing for Families in the Child Welfare System. Five pilot program community partnerships will be funded to support families at risk of separation or unable to reunite because of housing problems. There is a five year grant period and the awards will range from $500,000 to $1 million. Applications will begin to be accepted tomorrow through July 28, 2012 and programs are due to begin in September 2012.
A range of entities are eligible, spanning public to private non- and for-profit groups, faith-based agencies, and tribal governments. Applicants are expected to partner with diverse stakeholders: law enforcement, schools, health care organizations, faith organizations and social service and family support agencies, including disability, substance abuse, health care, domestic violence, mental health, schools, and faith organizations. Together these agencies are expected to develop or expand a triage system to serve families who come to the attention of the child welfare system with housing needs, consistent with CWLA’s legislative priorities promoting integrated systems of care. The system should integrate critical services with housing supports, including trauma-informed case management and an evaluation process. CWLA is also pleased to see the specific reference to trauma-informed service provision, another 2012 CWLA legislative priority for federal policymaking.