National Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for Tribes

THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT IS MODIFIED. CHANGES ARE MADE TO SECTION III.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to establish by cooperative agreement a National Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for Tribes (CBCT). The mission of the CBCT is to, in collaboration with other Children's Bureau (CB) supported initiatives, improve child welfare systems, and help tribes and states achieve sustainable, systemic change that results in greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families. The CBCT serves as the focal point for coordinated and culturally competent training and technical assistance to title IV-B and title IV-E programs in American Indian and Alaska Native Nations. The CBCT is intended to: successfully engage tribes and states, to be the primary provider of universal, targeted, and intensive tribal training and technical assistance; facilitate peer-to-peer consultation between tribes and states regarding child welfare issues; enhance tribal access to and utilization of CBCT support; increase cultural competence and sensitivity to tribal voices in tribal and state child welfare systems; and reduce cultural barriers to adoption by supporting innovative specific projects that will assist tribal systems to implement an array of culturally responsive permanency options for Native children and youth. The CBCT should address the unique needs of CB-supported tribal grantees and support culturally-responsive tribal technical assistance projects by building the capacities of tribal agencies, courts, and organizations to support the successful administration of child welfare programs and increase the ability of tribes to provide effective child welfare services. The CBCT assists tribes identify and respond to their unique child welfare needs; improves tribal child welfare practices; and helps tribes achieve greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families. By promoting the development and delivery of an array of culturally-appropriate services for tribal child welfare professionals and tribal nations, including tools, training, coaching, products, and tailored consultation, the CBCT enhances the ability of these organizations to improve outcomes for children, youth and families. This will be a 60-month program.