DCF Grant Application Opportunities

pen and notebook

Below you will find listings for current DCF Grant Application Opportunities. Each opportunity includes additional information about the opportunity, including the award amount, synopsis, who is eligible to apply, requirements, how to apply, and any deadlines and requirements for submitting.

Additional competitive DCF opportunities may be found on eSupplier. eSupplier is managed by DOA where many state agencies publish competitive Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Request for Bids (RFBs) and accept electronic responses. Opportunities listed here will not be found on eSupplier unless noted in the synopsis.

Any awards made from opportunities listed here will require a contract be signed. There is a link to the left for the DCF Standard Contract. This is a sample upon which most contracts are based. All contracts, at minimum, will include the DOA Standard Terms & Conditions and DOA Supplemental Terms & Conditions also linked to the left.

How to Respond

For all opportunities, responses should be submitted per the instructions in the announcement. Responses must be received no later than the due date and time for that opportunity. The applicant is responsible to ensure that their submission is complete and fully transmitted by the due time. Applications not received timely will not be considered.

Open Grant Opportunities

Tribal Support Services for Sexual Assault Survivors Due: March 1, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

Synopsis:

We are pleased to announce that the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) has issued to states a historic investment for rape crisis centers and sexual assault programs to support sexual assault survivors impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Feedback from local stand-alone sexual assault and dual domestic violence/sexual assault programs have made it clear that all programs and survivors they serve have been impacted somehow by the COVID-19 pandemic and can benefit from additional funds. Tribal Support Services for Sexual Assault Survivor funds will be distributed using this grant application process.

Eligible Applicants:

A tribal organization that provides intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault without regard to their age is eligible to apply. However, applications will only be accepted from tribal programs that do not currently receive Support Services for Sexual Assault Survivor funding through contract 437003-G22-0001955.

Issue Date:

January 2, 2023

Due Date and Time:

February 24, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

Documents and Comments

Please visit DCFs domestic abuse page to obtain materials and details, including contact information regarding this opportunity.

RSS, RMS, RHP, SOR, ReMHI Grants Due: June 3, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CST

Synopsis:

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is soliciting applications for projects within each of the programs listed below. Please see corresponding attachments in document section for additional program information.

  • Refugee Support Services – Employment & Employability (RSS-E&E)
  • Refugee Support Services – English as a Second Language (RSS-ESL)
  • Refugee Support Services – Other Services (RSS-OS)
  • Services to Older Refugees (SOR)
  • Afghan Services to Older Refugees (ASOR)
  • Refugee Medical Screening (RMS)
  • Refugee Health Promotion (RHP)
  • Afghan Refugee Health Promotion (ARHP)
  • Afghan Health Promotion – Family Strengthening Initiative (AHP-FSI)
  • Refugee Mental Health Initiative (ReMHI)
  • Refugee Mental Health Initiative – Statewide Capacity Building (ReMHI-CB)

Eligible Applicants:

These applications are open to all who want to apply and meet the criteria listed in Section 4 of the specified Grant Applications Attachments A - Attachment K.

Issue Date:

May 3, 2022

Due Date and Time:

June 3, 2022 at 5:00 PM CST

Technical Assistance Conference:

Technical Assistance Conferences will be held for public interest on May 17, 2022 at 1:00 - 2:30 PM CST and May 20, 2022 at 9:00 - 10:30 AM. The May 20th conference is being held for anyone who did not have availability to attend the May 17th conference. Neither conference is mandatory. Please contact DCProcurement at dcfprocurement@wisconsin.gov for a Zoom meeting invite by May 16, 2022 at 4:00 PM CST for either meeting and please clarify which meeting date you would like an invite for.

Submission Instructions:

Please enter all applicant information in 2025 - Application Form. Read Attachments A-K and complete each attachment relevant to the program(s) for which you are applying. Complete the Budget and Annual Service Plan (Appendices 1 and 2) as instructed in Attachments A-K. Submit Application Form, relevant Attachments A-K, and Appendices 1 and 2 and email them in their original and unlocked document format (Microsoft Word or Excel) to DCFProcurement at dcfprocurement@wisconsin.gov. Please reference "437004-G23-0002025 Grant Application Submission" in your email subject line for submission.

Please note a question came up regarding the submission instructions, please see question #11 below for the question and answer.

Documents and Comments:

Please direct any questions regarding the 437004-G23-0002025 Grant Application to Luke Reible at dcfprocurement@wisconsin.gov

437004-G23-0002025 - Grant Application Form

437004-G23-0002025 - Appendix 1 - Annual Service Plan

437004-G23-0002025 - Appendix 2 - Budget - Revised Formula in AA46-61 & AB46-61 

*We have been notified of a small formula error with the revised Appendix 2 - Budget. We would like to assure you that any errors due to formulas will be corrected by DCF. Any such formula error will not count against anyone in the evaluation process. Please completely fill out Appendix 2- Budget doc in the white and yellow cells as instructed.*

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment A - Refugee Support Services – Employment & Employability (RSS-E&E)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment B - Refugee Support Services – English as a Second Language (RSS-ESL)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment C - Refugee Support Services – Other Services (RSS-OS)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment D - Services to Older Refugees (SOR)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment E - Afghan Services to Older Refugees (ASOR)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment F - Refugee Medical Screening (RMS)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment G - Refugee Health Promotion (RHP)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment H -  Afghan Refugee Health Promotion (ARHP)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment I - Afghan Health Promotion – Family Strengthening Initiative (AHP-FSI)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment J - Refugee Mental Health Initiative (ReMHI)

437004-G23-0002025 - Attachment K - Refugee Mental Health Initiative – Statewide Capacity Building (ReMHI-CB)

Questions and Answers:

1. One of the allowable activities and services was for naturalization and citizenship preparation.  Do participants in a citizenship preparation program need to meet the 60 month eligibility requirement? 
The RSS grant requires that eligible populations are within 60 months of their date of arrival.  Due to the specifics of citizenship policy, individuals would be eligible to receive citizenship services beyond 60 months of their date of arrival.  This service is the one exception.  Most applicants will do citizenship services in addition to other services. If you will only be providing citizenship services, you would need to indicate how you are not replicating services in your area or how you would be sure to not duplicate services to the same clients. 

2. Since they cannot apply for citizenship until 57 months at the earliest, how would it work for programs to receive funding for citizenship preparation services?  Can we only count the participants we serve who have been here for less than 60 months?  Or would the 60 month eligibility requirement be waived for citizenship preparations services?
Citizenship is the exception; it can be provided beyond the 60 month mar.  Indicate how you will have access to the population served and what services you will provide.  The Service to Older Refugees (SOR) and Afghan Service to Older Refugees (ASOR) grants also have the possibility of providing citizenship services within them, but this is only one of the many allowable services under the SOR and ASOR grants.   

3. In the allocated amounts listed in the attachments, A-J, Dane County and Marathon County are listed at the exact same amounts each time.  Is that intentional and correct?
Yes, this is correct.  The funding levels were calculated based on the number of projected arrivals in each county.  It happened that both Dane County and Marathon County has similar total projected arrivals and so the funding levels available are the same for each grant.  

4. Please clarify this verbiage in attachments A and C under "allowable activities":  Attachment A (Refugee Support Services - Employment & Employability): "English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, with an emphasis on English as it relates to obtaining and retaining a job. (While ESL is allowable under RSS-E&E, BRP will not award RSS-E&E funding for ESL.  Applicants who wish to receive funding for ESL should apply for the RSS-ESL program."
The funding for Refugee Support Services is split between the three main categories so that the applicants for employment services are not competing against applicants for ESL and vice versa as it relates to total funding available.  There are agencies that primarily provide employment services and may offer ESL as it relates to employment specifically but their offering of ESL is only one of many activities related to employment.  ESL under this grant are activities such as on the job language training, specific language training sessions to obtain a certain language skill level to start an employment offer or be considered for an employment opportunity, etc.  This type of applicant should apply under the E&E grant (Attachment A). 

Attachment B is for those interested in primarily providing ESL services as their main grant activity and not required to relate the ESL to employment and employability.  This grant is for those that provide general ESL services to adults.  Those agencies that mainly provide ESL services in a general teaching capacity should apply under RSS-ESL.  They may also apply under RSS-OS (other services) as applicable. 

5.  Please clarify this verbiage in attachments C under "allowable activities":  Attachment C (Refugee Support Services - Other Services): "English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, without an emphasis on English as it relates to obtaining and retaining a job, or for non-employable participants in accordance with ORR Policy Letter 20-01.  (While ESL is allowable under RSS-OS, BRO will not award RSS-OS funding for ESL. Applicants who wish to receive funding for ESL should apply for the RSS-ESL program.)"
Attachment C is for those who wish to provide other services.  ESL can be one activity under other services but is not the only service that can be provided.  Agencies may be awarded for ESL if applying for the Attachment C other services.  However, that is not the main purpose of the other services grant.  ESL is one activity that is for purposes other than ESL related to E&E(Attachment A) OR general ESL (Attachment C).  The type of ESL that would be appropriate under Attachment C is citizenship classes or general ESL to adults not served under the general E&E application.  If applying for OS, the primary activity outlined should not be for ESL related to employment or employability and ESL would likely only be one of many activities provided under other services.  Examples include ESL for the purpose of citizenship and other services such as child care, transportation, outreach, etc. 

6. The bolded segments seem to contradict the rest of the text, and we want to be sure we understand, especially since we currently offer ESL services under both E&E and OS, for workforce English and English for citizenship, respectively.  Does the bolded text mean:  1. Providers should not apply for funding for general ESL services under E&E and OS? (But that workforce English and English for non-employable participants would be allowed?).  OR 2. Provers that offer ESL services (whether for employability, citizenship, or other purposes) should only apply for funding under Attachment B (Refugee Support Services - ESL)? That no funds for other services listed, A-J, will be put toward ESL services?
We have split up the funding to be funding for Employment and Employability, funding for ESL, and funding for other services.  There are clearly defined services and funding thresholds for each RSS bucket.  If you are interested in applying for more than one, you need to apply separately for each funding opportunity (Attachment A, B, C) but you must show how you meet the criteria to provide the priority services under each category.  For example, if you are applying for RSS-E&E, you must show how you will be helping clients with employment and employability activities.  If you are not an employment specialized agency, you likely would need to apply for one of the other RSS categories. 

With the change to split up funding for Employment and Employability separately from ESL, you would not be eligible to receive funding for Employment and Employability unless your primary focus was employment services.  ESL is an approved activity under the E&E funding, but it is one of many activities.  So, you would likely be eligible to apply for RSS-ESL.  

The structure has changed to split out Employment and Employability from ESL and Other Services.  There are now 3 funding buckets.  If you are providing primarily employment and employability services, you should apply for E&E and tell us all the activities you will conduct including Employment related to ESL.  If you are applying to conduct primarily general ESL services, you should apply for the ESL grant (Attachment B).  If you apply for one of these grants, you may also apply for Other services (Attachment C) to provide other services such as citizenship, etc. Yes, all ESL likely related to having greater skills to get a job but if your ESL program is not focused on employment and employability as the only reason you are offering ESL services, you should apply under RSS-ESL and RSS-OS.  

7. The level of fundng for my County appears to have decreased.  Why is that?
The level of funding per county was determined by projected arrivals in each county.  Those that will serve more arrivals will need more resources to do so.  We have also broken out the services typically provided under RSS into three categories:  1. RSS-Employment and Employability (E&E); 2. RSS-ESL; 3. RSS-Other Services (OS).

Each of the three categories have funding thresholds per county.  the purpose of doing this was so that agencies that will provide RSS employment and employability services are not competing against those that will provide ESL general services.  Each category has different funding buckets.  If you total the three buckets, you will see the total RSS funding for each county.  However, keep in mind that each bucket is there to define what services can be provided under each funding budget and how much funding is available in each bucket.  Agencies can apply for all three RSS grants if they are eligible and will be providing the services outlined in each category.  For example, if you will be providing E&E services, apply for the E&E grant with the cost of your services proposed.  This should be based on the projected arrivals and the number of services you will be providing.  If you would like to provide ESL services, you should apply separately for the RSS-ESL program.  You may also apply for the RSS-OS to provide all the other services that your agency will provide that are not related to Employment and Employability, such as information and referral, outreach, citizenship, social adjustment services (emergency services, health related services, home management services), etc.  Apply for the grants for which you are eligible and will be providing services.  

8. I request clarification on the current RSS grant award that we have, and whether it is presented in the new RFPs. I have carefully read the Mental Health Initiative, and the MH capacity Building requests, but I don't see the RSS portion that we are now operating.  I appreciate the clarification here.

The RSS-OS (Other Services) grant allows for mental health/behavioral health services under the Social Adjustment Services umbrella, Health Related Services Category. 

The ReMHI grant and ReMHI Capacity building grants are new grants this year, which can fund mental health services and mental health capacity building respectively. 

It is also possible to provide mental health services under RHP and ARHP, although RHP and ARHP grants are limited to refugee resettlement agencies (RAs) or licensed healthcare providers (e.g., clinics, hospitals).

The Five grants through which mental health services could be provided are: RSS-OS, ReMHI, ReMHI Capacity Building, RHP, ARHP. Read Section 2: Program Description to understand which types of organizations can apply for funding under each grant. To understand which services can be provided under each grant, read Section 5: Required and Allowable Services for each grant opportunity you are interested in.  It will be up to each organization to determine which grants they are eligible for and explain the types of services they are proposing in each grant application, be as specific as possible in the application. 

9. On the (RHP service plans) annual service plan – what is the pre and post service assessment? (located under RHP-OS and Afghan RHP)

The RHP program should focus on providing direct services for ORR-eligible populations to promote their health, both routinely and during time of crisis (e.g., pandemics). Activities may include: health education classes and targeted health outreach to individuals, medical and mental health navigation and support, and adjustment groups, skill-building networks, or peer support meetings.

Under the RHP and ARHP grants, pre and post tests are required for any activities and services that involve groups (wellness groups, peer support meetings, group health education classes, adjustment groups, skill building networks etc.) 

For any services and activities provided in a group format, grantees must:

1. Annually assess relevant health topics, activities, and identify target populations;
2. Provide services based on validated curricula, if available, effective interventions, or promising
practices;
3. Deliver services in a manner that participants will understand; and
4. Conduct pre and post-assessments of group activities and use the information to improve
program services

On the ASP, you should indicate how many pre and post tests you intend to administer. This should be based on how many individuals you plan to serve in group activities as indicated in your grant application. 

10. On RMS service plan – is the RMS funded by RMA (Medical assistance through the State of Wisconsin)?  We bill everything through State of Wisconsin Medicaid.

The RMS grant is for the administrative costs associated with Refugee Medical Screening. The RMS program funds activities and services related to the administration and coordination of initial medial screenings for refugees such as: coordinating medical screening appointments, transportation, interpretation, and translation services as described in ORR State Letter 12-13, ORR State letter 12-13 Guidance Clarification, and 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 400. The actual cost of the medical services provided are billed to clients’ health insurance directly (BC+, RMA, Medicaid) and not covered under this grant.

11. Should we be submitting an appendix for each application or just one file with all programs listed in file name since there are multiple tabs for programs in the file?

We can accept either.
i.    (Preferred) One file listing your organization’s name and the acronyms for each grant you are applying for in the file name . EX: ASP_Bureau of Refugee Programs_RSS EE_RSS OS_RHP_ARHP_SOR
ii.    Will accept multiple files with just one tab filled out.

12. We are in the process of finalizing our grant application.  On the Refugee Mental Health Initiative (ReMHI) application, Section 3: Awards and Funding Levels states "ReMHI funds will only be awarded to organizations who also apply for and are awarded funds from the RHP program."  Can you please clarify, does this mean that whoever is applying for ReMHI has to also apply for RHP? 

Yes, you must apply for RHP and be awarded funding for RHP to receive funds for ReMHI. The purpose of RHP is to promote health and wellbeing, which can be any number of services and activities. Applicants could propose mental health specific services in the way of education, wellness groups, support groups, etc. if applying for the RHP grant. More information is provided in the RHP grant application. RHP and ReMHI programs can be closely related in that ReMHI may build off of a proposed RHP program. In this instance, services could be similar while ensuring that there is a mental health focus in at least in the ReMHI program. The proposed RHP and ReMHI applications could also have different services proposed. It is up to the applicant to decide what services to provide in each grant while adhering to the grant requirements of each. What are the needs of the population you are proposing to serve? Ensure you are meeting and responding to the requirements of each grant. 

The ReMHI- Capacity building (CB) grant  does not require that the applicant also apply for the RHP or ReMHI grants. The ReMHI Capacity Building (CB) grant is designed to help one or two agencies increase the mental health capacity statewide so that more mental health and ReMHI allowable activities can be provided to the refugee population. If an organization is interested in applying for the ReMHI CB grant, they must submit an application that proposes to build capacity for mental health services statewide. Examples of types of services under this grant would be training and professional development of mental health professionals and/or mental health organizations. 

13. Is there match requirement for 2023? 

No match requirement for any of the grants on the RFA or Fiscal year 2023. 

14. The application states "The applicant must answer all questions in the budget narrative tab."  I'm having trouble finding a narrative tab on the budget form.  Can you please direct me to what this is referring to?  Thanks.

DCF confirms there is no budget narrative tab in Appendix 2 – Budget. We meant to remove "The applicant must answer all questions in the budget narrative tab." from attachments A-K, but apparently did not. So there is no budget narrative tab that you need to fill out and submit for this grant application.

*Please see the attached notes in links below from the two Technical Assistance calls, which included additional Q&A*

TA Call Notes 5-17-22

TA Call Notes 5-20-22

Child Care Licensing Assistance ProgramDue: August 19, 2022, 2:00 p.m.

Synopsis:

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is soliciting applications for  a new Child Care Licensing Assistance Program. The Northern and Western regions of Wisconsin, including rural and tribal communities, lack an adequate supply of licensed child care to meet the needs of children, families, and communities. To address this issue, the Joint Committee on Finance recently approved $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist unregulated child care providers to become regulated, including, but not limited to, assistance with licensure fees, background checks, compliance with regulations, and training and certifications. The motion requires DCF to focus the grant program in the Western and Northern licensing regions of the state. The funding will be available through June 30, 2024.  

Eligible Applicants:

Any organization that is not currently licensed to offer child care in Wisconsin. 

Requirements for the Grant Administrator(s) include, but are not limited to:

  • Experience administering a grant program, including the ability to describe each process in the administration.
  • Experience with contract administration, including making payments in a timely manner to child care providers or other businesses.
  • Experience running a clear and transparent grant process, including soliciting applications, evaluating applications, and making final awards.
  • Regional presence in child care/education, economic development, workforce development, or other community support.
  • Working relationships with child care providers and other agencies engaged in supporting them.

Issue Date:

July 29, 2022

Due Date and Time:
August 19, 2022 by 2:00 PM CST

Webinar:

An information webinar will be held for public interest on August 8, 2022 at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CST. The webinar is not mandatory. Please contact DCFProcurement for a Zoom meeting invite by August 5, 2022 at 4:00 PM CST.

Submission Instructions:

Applicants must submit a completely filled out and signed Application Form and Attachment A. In your application response to Attachment A, please include a plan that addresses questions 1 through 10 (maximum 30 pages). Application responses should be submitted in a separate Microsoft Word document from this application with 11 point, Roboto font, single-spaced, 1- inch margins on top, bottom, left and right. Answers should be numbered with corresponding requirements (1-10) listed below: Applicants must also fill out a budget and budget narrative which can be found in Attachment B. Applicants must submit all documents described above to be eligible to be awarded grant funding. The Grant Application and required documents described above must be emailed to dcfprocurement@wisconsin.gov by the due date. No submissions received after 2:00 PM CST on August 19, 2022 will be accepted.

Documents:

2068 - Grant Application Form 
2068 - Attachment A - Child Care Licensing Assistance Program
2068 - Attachment B - Budget Proposal

2068 - Webinar Deck Slides

Questions and Answers:

1.  The RFA describes separate funding amounts for Western and Northern regions and says the top scored application for each region will be selected. While it notes that an applicant may apply for both regions and must submit a separate budget for each, it is unclear whether separate narratives and applications overall are required. Can one application with a single narrative response and two budgets count as application for both regions, or must they be submitted as separate applications?

Applicants should submit one narrative response. Additionally, if applying for both regions, applicants should fill out the separate tabs for each region in Attachment B, which is required to be completed as well. If applying for only one region, applicants should only be filling out the tabs for the corresponding region they're applying for in Attachment B.

2. The primary focus of the RFA is to assist unregulated child care providers to become regulated. At what level is this a capacity-building opportunity to also support newly licensed programs that need assistance with firmly establishing their businesses? This would be particularly important if the pool of unregulated providers is not interested in pursuing licensing, despite efforts to communicate the benefits. In other words, is the focus exclusively on programs that are operating but not currently in the licensing pipeline, or can additional assistance be offered to help increase the number of viable child care programs? 

The central focus of the project should be on the grant program for unregulated providers. Additional types of assistance may be proposed and offered with focus on attaining licensure and building a viable business during the first year of licensure. 

3. How many new providers does DCF want to be moved from unregulated to regulated?

80-100 is our goal (over 18 months)

4. The motion requires DCF to focus the grant program in the Western and Northern licensing regions of the state. Is there the potential to serve other rural areas throughout the state, for example, in Southwestern Wisconsin? The motion passed by JFC establishing this project states “for a new grant program to assist unregulated child care providers to become regulated … as well as rural areas throughout the state” 

This program is only for the Northern and Western regions at this time. 

5. For the purposes of this RFA, are license-exempt programs (school-based, Montessori, religious) considered unregulated? 

Yes, this program will fund their child care start-up and licensure expenses.

6. The Program Goals slide references support prospective or newly licensed child care providers start up and sustainability.  Can you define newly licensed?

Program goal #2 is  to support prospective or newly licensed child care providers' start-up and long-term sustainability and connect them to services available.  Unlicensed child care providers may benefit from the grant to support start-up and licensing costs, however, once licensed these providers may continue to benefit from additional services and programming  to help them sustain their business.

7. Will the slides from the webinar be shared? 

Yes, deck slides will be posted on grant opportunities page.

8. Will a recording of the webinar be available?

The webinar was not recorded, but you can review the deck slides as well as the questions posted on the grant opportunities page.

9.  For this grant, I am reading it as the total funding available is $2,500,000 over a time period of Nov 1 2022 to June 30 2024 (total = 20 months).  The cost proposal (attachment B) has instructions for “Proposers will submit cost proposals with one years budget for each region.”  Therefore should the budget proposal be for $1,500,000 ($2,500,000/20 months * 12 months to get to a one years budget) or for the full amount of $2,500,000?

The budget document has been revised so that it reflects applicants providing a budget for the total funding available ($2,500,000) over a time period of Nov 1 2022 to June 30 2024.

10. The RFA states that eligible providers include unlicensed programs (family, group and day camps), and certified family programs. Would an already licensed FCC or GCC with a goal of expanding capacity within their current site or by creating a new site also be eligible? 

No, current sites that are expanding or opening a new site are not eligible for the program. Yes, certified family providers may apply for the program to support their pursuit of licensure.

11.  The RFA states that applicants will submit invoices or receipts for approved purchases and then receive reimbursement. Can funds be advanced based on evidence of a purchasing plan and documents expense with requirement of proof of purchase following? An economic barrier will likely prevent programs from making the initial purchase.

DCF will not provide funding in advance. However, DCF can provide weekly reimbursement of approved invoices or receipts submitted.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Due September 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM

Synopsis:

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) is awarding funding to build a culturally responsive Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation model to support early care and education programs across the state. This model should be structured to include other systems and programs that work to support the mental, social, and emotional health of young children such that it results in a holistic, sustainable, statewide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) system. Recognizing that these initial federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) are short term, the vision for this project is to build on Wisconsin’s current early childhood workforce and partners to solidify a long term, more coordinated and comprehensive continuum of IECMH supports for infants, toddlers, young children, families, and the adults who support them. 

Eligible Applicants:

DCF is soliciting applications from either a single organization/company (e.g., counties, non-profits, for-profits, etc.) or from collaborating organizations/companies, to become the Administrator(s) of the IECMHC Program.

Issue Date:

August 15, 2022

Due Date and Time:

September 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM CST

Webinar:

An information webinar will be held for public interest on August 23, 2022 at 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM CST. The webinar is not mandatory. Please contact DCFProcurement for a Zoom meeting invite by August 22, 2022 at 4:00 PM CST.

Submission Instructions:

Applicants must submit a completely filled out and signed Application Form and Attachment A. In your application response to Attachment A, please include a plan that addresses questions 1 through 7 (maximum 12 pages). Application responses should be submitted in a separate Microsoft Word document from this application with 10 point, Arial font, single-spaced, 1- inch margins on top, bottom, left and right. Answers should be numbered with corresponding requirements (1-10) listed below: Requirement 8 must be answered by filling out Attachment B -  Budget Proposal Form. Applicants must submit all documents described above to be eligible to be awarded grant funding. The Grant Application and required documents described above must be emailed to dcfprocurement@wisconsin.gov by the due date. No submissions received after 2:00 PM CST on September 9, 2022 will be accepted.

Documents:

2057 - Grant Application Form
2057 - Attachment A - Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
2057 - Attachment B - Budget Proposal Form 2057 - Webinar Presentation

2057 - Webinar Presentation

Questions and Answers:

1. Can you tell me what the total budget amount can be per agency? Is it $500,000 for two years or $4,500,000 for two years? 

$4,500,000 is allocated for this competitive application of which $450,000-$1,000,000 should be allocated for a subcontract with a research entity to complete a program evaluation.

$500,000 will be allocated through separate contracts to build an IMH consultant workforce registry and build a connection through the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health.

DCF is exploring alternative funding sources to support the administration of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Endorsement system in Wisconsin. Responses to this competitive application should not include these elements in the scope or budget. 

2. Evaluation – Is there special considerations or requirements? Can the evaluator be outside the state?

Evaluator can be any research entity with experience in research and evaluation. Funding should be provided to evaluator by end of grant. All funding out of the door by 6/30/24.

3. Are letters of support/commitment required with application?

No, letters of support should not be submitted and will not be reviewed by evaluators. However, collaboration section can demonstrate support. Focus on the score section of the application. 

4. On pg. 4 of service delivery model, when referencing internal/external references, please define internal vs. external.

Internal is defined as resources internally working within the State/DCF.

5.  When do you anticipate an award to be made?

About a month after the due date, so early October. All applicants will receive a letter with the final determination.


6. Clarification - $500k allocated towards the Registry, that’s for the registry to house the employees who can do this work, correct?

There is $500,000 reserved to be split between two contracts: one with The Wisconsin Registry and one with the Office of Children’s Mental Health at DHS. The contract with The Wisconsin Registry will fund the creation of a directory of individuals who meet the requirements needed to provide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.  The Contractor(s) for this grant program will need to collect and manage data around all aspects of the consultation services that are requested and provided.