OJJDP FY 2023 Subgrants Program for State and Local Court Appointed Special Advocates Organizations | O OJJDP 2023 171856

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171856

The OJJDP FY 2023 Subgrants Program for State and Local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Organizations is a discretionary Department of Justice funding opportunity (administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, OJJDP) designed to expand and strengthen CASA services for children involved in dependency courts due to abuse or neglect. The core idea is to fund one primary organization through a cooperative agreement, and that organization will then run a national subgrants program that issues funding to state and local CASA programs. Those sub-awards are intended to help programs start up where CASA services are limited, keep existing programs operating, and scale services in places that need them most, especially communities with low rates of CASA representation, high numbers of abused and neglected children, and service systems that are struggling to meet family and child needs.

This opportunity sits within broader Department of Justice priorities that emphasize civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, support for crime victims and justice-impacted people, stronger community safety, and improved trust between communities and the justice system. OJJDP frames its youth justice approach around transforming juvenile justice so that systems treat children as children, keep children at home with their families and in their communities whenever safe and appropriate, and create real opportunities for system-involved youth. While CASA programs operate primarily in child welfare and dependency court contexts, OJJDP is signaling that any work involving young people should clearly align with these youth-centered principles and demonstrate how it advances fair, effective, and developmentally appropriate responses to children and families.

A central expectation is meaningful youth and family partnership. Applicants are required to explain how their proposed work will integrate and sustain youth and family engagement in both the project plan and the budget. OJJDP describes this engagement as potentially happening at multiple levels: at the individual level (for example, including youth and families in case planning and service delivery before, during, and after system involvement), at the agency level (such as involving them in program design, implementation decisions, evaluation activities, staffing or advisory structures, and even budget development), and at the system level (including strategic planning, system improvement initiatives, advocacy, and reform work). The emphasis is on making youth and families active partners rather than passive recipients, and on building structures that keep those partnerships in place beyond a single grant cycle.

CASA programs themselves are built around trained community volunteers who are appointed by a family or juvenile court to advocate for a child’s best interests. These volunteers gather information and coordinate with child welfare agencies, educators, medical and behavioral health providers, and other service systems so the court has a clearer picture of the child’s needs and circumstances. The intended impact is better informed judicial decision-making and improved outcomes for children, including meeting psychological, educational, and social needs while working toward safe, stable, and permanent living situations.

Under this solicitation, OJJDP planned to make a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) with an award ceiling of $13,500,000. The selected awardee is responsible not only for distributing subgrants to state and local CASA entities, but also for providing training and technical assistance across the lifespan of the project. That support is meant to help potential subgrant applicants prepare strong applications and help sub-awardees successfully implement, manage, and administer their awards in compliance with federal requirements. In practice, this positions the main recipient as both a grantmaking hub and a capacity-building provider for the CASA field.

The opportunity was issued as Funding Opportunity Number O-OJJDP-2023-171856 under CFDA 16.756, categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services, and used a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically implies substantial federal involvement in guiding or collaborating on the project. Eligibility was broad and included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The opportunity was created on August 8, 2023, with an original application closing date of September 25, 2023.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2023 Subgrants Program for State and Local Court Appointed Special Advocates Organizations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.756.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 08, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 25, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $13,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

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