Planning Grants to Develop A Model Intervention for Youth/Young Adults With Child Welfare Involvement At-Risk of Homelessness

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These 2-year planning grants are expected to build the capacity of child welfare systems to prevent long-term homelessness among the most at-risk youth/young adults with child welfare involvement. Using the Intervention Model developed by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (http:// www.usich.gov/ resources/ uploads/ asset_library/ USICH_OD_Amendment_WEB_091112v2.pdf), these planning grants will allow grantees during the planning grant to develop, refine, and test the core components of the intervention model, including: Screening and assessment tools; Using culturally-appropriate and effective intervention strategies that target assessed needs and strengths of young adults based on risk and protective factors; Implementing trauma-informed care and positive youth development frameworks; and Implementing practices that impact positive changes in risk and protective factors in order to improve core outcome areas over time that help homeless youth make positive transitions. The core activities developed are expected to produce outcomes in the area of: stable housing, permanent connections, education/employment, and social-emotional well-being. There are three engagement points for the intervention model: 1) youth in child welfare who are the most at-risk of homelessness; 2) youth aging out of foster care; and 3) youth/young adults who are homeless and were involved with child welfare. After the 2-year planning grant, based on a competitive application process, it is being proposed that a limited number of grants will be funded to implement the planned project. This funding opportunity announcement, for Phase I, will award funding to approximately 18 grantees for 24 months to support comprehensive planning. Based on available funding, in 2015, ACF will release a new competitive funding opportunity for Phase II implementation funding. The Phase II grant will award funds to approximately five to six grantees, at approximately $1,000,000 per award, per year, for 5 years.

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