Advancing Aging Network Capacity to Support Family, Kinship and Tribal Family Caregivers: Understanding, Testing and Evaluating Caregiver Navigator Services

Background
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to implement the demonstration authority in Section 373(i) of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended (OAA), using the framework provided by the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act and the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (the Strategy). The project seeks to better understand the extent to which caregiver/care navigator services are used in the programs and entities funded under Title III-E of the OAA; design and test new materials and methods for delivering these services; and evaluate the effectiveness and opportunities for scaling and replicating them. ACL will award one cooperative agreement to a single entity to undertake activities of a national scope and reach.

Grant Details
The project will last for a duration of 36 months, with three, 12-month budget periods. The amount of federal funds available will be up to approximately $882,000 per year, pending availability of federal funds.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program and the Native American Caregiver Support Program (Title III-E/NFCSP and Title VI-C/NACSP, respectively), were established by Congress in the 2000 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act of 1965. The programs fund a range of supports that assist family, kinship, and tribal caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. The NFCSP/NACSP requires the availability and provision of five essential services and supports: Information to caregivers about available services and supports; Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to services and supports; Individual counseling, organization of support groups, and caregiver training; Respite care; Supplemental services. Through this NOFO, ACL wishes to strengthen the “assistance” component of the NFCSP/NACSP by better understanding and supporting family caregivers with navigating the range of supports and options available to them.

Eligibility Requirements
The intended recipients of the technical assistance developed in this project are those entities typically involved with implementing and operating programs funded by the OAA, including state units on aging (SUAs); area agencies on aging (AAAs); local aging services and family caregiver support providers; kinship, grandparent and grandfamily services providers; tribes and tribal entities.