Grants Management Unit (GMU)

Child Welfare Grant Funding Opportunity

Title IV-E Reimbursement Program for Legal Services Notice of Funding Opportunity

• SFY-2025- Title IV-E Reimbursement Program for Legal Services NOFO

Victim Service Grant Funding Opportunity

• FFY-25-Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Fillable versions of the application are available by request. Email your request to: dcfsgrants@dcfs.nv.gov 

GMU Trainings

• DCFS Victim Services GMU Workbook Webinar SFY25
• DCFS Grant Instructions and Requirements (GIRs) SFY25
• iMPRoVE Tool – Measuring Outcomes in Nevada for Service Providers
• Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) – Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) SFY25 Program Requirements
• Victims of Crime (VOCA) 101 Webinar for SFY25
• Nevada’s Protective Factors Survey Training - Database
• Nevada Funded Agency Protective Factors Survey (PFSODS) Implementation Training

Grants Management Unit
Child Welfare Unit
Notice of Funding Opportunity Schedule

 Child Death Review (CDR)  

Purpose: The purpose of this funding announcement is to support innovative programming that supports the activities of the Executive Committee to Review the Death of Children (Executive Committee). Activities funded by the Executive Committee funding include public awareness, education campaigns and training to prevent the death of children pursuant to NRS Chapter 432B.403 to 432B.4095.

There are five primary responsibilities of the Executive Committee, as outlined in NRS 432B.409:

1. Create statewide protocols on the functioning of the Regional CDR teams; ensure these teams are functioning appropriately and oversee training and development of these teams as needed
2. Create regulations and carry out the regulations outlined in NRS 432B.403-432B.4095
3. Create Bylaws for this committee and operate within those Bylaws
4. Create an annual Statewide report of child deaths in our state, including up to date statistics and policy change recommendations
5. Oversee the Review of Death of Children Account

Children's Justice Act (CJA) 

Purpose: The Children's Justice Act (CJA) provides grants to States to improve the investigation, prosecution, and judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation, in a manner that limits additional trauma to the child victim. CJA grantees are responsible for implementing the requirements of the CJA grant program to reform state processes for responding to child abuse and neglect.

Children's Trust Fund (CTF) 

Purpose: The Children's Trust Fund (CTF) is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It was established in 1985 by the State Legislature (NRS 432.131) and is administered by the Division of Child and Family Services Grant Management Unit (GMU).

The CTF is a special account that receives fees from Nevada birth and death certificates. To supplement the Fund, the GMU submits an annual application for federal Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) grant funds, established by Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996 and most recently reauthorized by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010.

Community Based Child-Abuse (CBCAP) 

Purpose: Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) programs, which are authorized as part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), has a rich history of promoting efforts to support families and prevent child maltreatment. The law emphasizes support for community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate initiatives, programs, and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Educational and Training Vouchers (ETV) Program 

Purpose:  The ETV program provides monetary assistance to eligible youth who are enrolled in an accredited postsecondary institution of higher education. Title IV-E federal funding is designed to provide postsecondary educational and training vouchers to eligible youth who are in or age out of foster care or who have been adopted from foster care after turning 16 years old.

Financial Assistance to Former Foster Youth (FAFFY) 

Purpose:  The Nevada Independent Living Program is designed to assist and prepare foster and former foster youth in making the transition from foster care to adulthood by providing opportunities to obtain life skills for self-sufficiency and independence. Nevada provides financial assistance to former foster youth through the passage of Assembly Bill 94, also known as the Financial Assistance to Former Foster Youth Program (FAFFY). Each of these programs provides a variety of services and may have special requirements.

Chafee Foster Care Independent Living (CHAFEE) 

Purpose:  The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood offers assistance to help current and former foster care youths to achieve self-sufficiency. Grants are offered to States and Tribes who submit a plan to assist youth in a wide variety of areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood.

Activities and programs include, but are not limited to, help with education, employment, financial management, housing, emotional support and assured connections to caring adults for older youth in foster care. The program is intended to serve youth who are likely to remain in foster care until age 18, youth who, after attaining 16 years of age, have left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, and young adults ages 18-21 who have "aged out" of the foster care system. 

Promoting Safe and Stable Families- Title IVB, subpart 2 (IVB-2)

Purpose: The purpose of the PSSF program is to promote flexibility in the development and expansion of a coordinated child and family services program that utilizes community-based agencies and ensures all children are raised in safe, loving families, by:

1. Protecting and promoting the welfare of all children.
2. Preventing the neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children.
3. Supporting at-risk families through services which allow children, where appropriate, to remain safely with their families or return to their families in a timely manner.
4. Promoting the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in foster care and adoptive families; and
5. Providing training, professional development and support to ensure a well-qualified child welfare workforce.

Title IV-E Reimbursement Program for Legal Services

Purpose:  The Title IV-E Reimbursement Program for Legal Services ensures that parents, children and youth and child welfare agencies receive high quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings, and to maximize allowable Title IV-E administrative reimbursement for children in Title IV-E foster care and their parent(s) in foster care legal proceedings. Numerous studies and reports point to the importance of competent legal representation for parents and children in ensuring that salient information is conveyed to the court, parties' legal rights are protected and that the wishes of parties are effectively voiced.

Child Welfare Service Programs

Adoption Incentive (AI)
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CHAFEE)
Child Abuse and Neglect (CANS)
Child Death Review (CDR)
Children's Justice Act (CJA)
Children's Trust Fund (CTF)
Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP)
Differential Response (DR)
Educational Training Voucher (ETV)
Financial Assistance to Former Foster Youth Program (FAFFY)
Promoting Safe and Stable Families- Title IVB, subpart 2 (IVB-2)
Title IV-E Legal Services

GMU Grant Instructions Requirement (GIRs)

• SFY25 Grant Instructions and Requirements (GIRs)

Program Reports

• Community Based Child-Abuse (CBCAP) and Children's Trust Fund (CTF)
• TITLE IVB-2-Quarterly Service Data Reports-SFY-25
• Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Service Data Report-SFY-2025

Victim Services

• Victim Services Grant Management Unit (GMU)

Grievances

• Grievance Process

VOCA Needs Assessment

• 2020 Meetings/Trainings

Civil Rights

• Civil Rights Complaint Procedure
• Civil Rights-Written Statement of Concern / Complaint with Grant Programs

SFY-2024-DCFS Community service Directory

• SFY-2024-DCFS Community service Directory

2022 Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Assessment

• 2022 Needs Assessment on the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect in Nevada
• 2022 Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect in Nevada

GMU Unit Forms

• Agency Self-Assessment Form
• Subaward Section B- Scope of Work Form
• DCFS GMU Budget Modification Form
• Budget Narrative Form (Excel Format)
• SFY-23 Title IVB-2 Referral Number Report (Excel Format)
• GMU Travel Request Form

Grant Timeline

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

The VOCA Formula Grant Program, created under the 1984 Victims of Crime Act, provides federal funding nationwide to support victim assistance and compensation programs, to provide training for diverse professionals who work with victims, to develop projects that enhance victims' rights and services and to undertake public education and awareness activities on behalf of crime victims.

VOCA is administered at the federal level through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) which annually awards a grant to each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories. States have sole discretion in determining which organizations will receive funds and in what amounts, as long as the recipients meet the requirements of VOCA and the Program Guidelines http://ojp.gov/ovc/voca/vaguide.htm

The Crime Victims' Fund is the source of funding for these programs. Millions of dollars are deposited into this fund annually from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorneys' Offices, federal U.S. courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. To date, Crime Victims' Fund dollars have always come from offenders convicted of federal crimes, not from taxpayers.

The primary purpose of VOCA is to support the provision of services to victims of crime throughout the nation. According to the VOCA Program Guidelines, services are defined as those efforts that (1) respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims; (2) assist primary and secondary victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization; (3) help victims understand and participate in the criminal justice system; and (4) provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security. For the purpose of the VOCA crime victim assistance grant program, a crime victim is a person who has suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime. Funding cannot be used for the investigation of crimes, collection of evidence to further the prosecution of crimes or for prevention activities.

The overall purpose of the VOCA legislation is the expansion and development of victim services. Under the VOCA Program Guidelines, funding priority is given to programs serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. At least 30 percent of each year's formula grant must be allocated to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse services, 10% for each category. An additional 10% must also be allocated to victims of violent or property crime who are "previously underserved," which indicates that the particular victim population historically or currently has not had access to or been provided with specialized or adequate services. DCFS has determined that the previously underserved populations that will be targeted for funding are: Children and Minors, Immigrants, Elderly, People with Disabilities, LGBTQIA2+, Tribal Communities and Homeless.

• VOCA Notice of Funding Opportunity SFY 24
• VOCA SFY24 Application
• VOCA Guideline and Rule
• Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
• DPBH Trauma Resources

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA)

The Family Violence Prevention and Services (FVPSA) formula grants to states and territories. FVPSA funds more than 1,600 local public, private, nonprofit and faith-based organizations and programs demonstrating effectiveness in the field of domestic violence services and prevention. These domestic violence programs provide victims of domestic and dating violence and their children with:

• Shelter
• Safety planning
• Crisis counseling
• Information and referral
• Legal advocacy
• Additional support services/ Related Assistance

Victims of Domestic Violence fund (ML)

The State of Nevada will fund, pursuant to NRS Chapter 217.400 to 217.460, one or more programs that serve victims of domestic violence to include children and adolescents exposed to domestic violence.

Funding supports innovative programming in nonprofit and public agencies and funds are awarded on a state fiscal year basis based marriage license revenue that has been collected. The Nevada Revised Statutes guarantees a base amount of $7,000 to all counties with a population of less than 100,000 and a base amount of $35,000 for counties in excess of 100,000. In addition, all counties whose population exceeds 20,000 receive an additional per capita allotment from the balance of funds after the base amount is identified

Funding provides services to Victims of Domestic Violence as follows, not inclusive: support shelter, hotline, food assistance for clients, counseling services, obtaining legal, medical, outreach, psychological or vocational help and education and training for members of the community.

Child Welfare Grants

These grants are awarded to non-profit, governmental and community agencies that provide Child Welfare Services.

Adoption Incentive

The Adoption Incentives program provides for the payment of incentive funds to eligible states and territories that increase the number of children adopted from public foster care. The program began in fiscal year 1998 as part of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and has since been reauthorized twice: as part of the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 and as part of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.

Independent Living

The Nevada Independent Living Program was created by the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999. The Independent Living Program is designed to assist and prepare foster and former foster youth in making the transition from foster care to adulthood by providing opportunities to obtain life skills for self-sufficiency and independence. Some young people who leave the foster care system may need continuing services and support to help them on their way to adulthood. The Independent Living Program does this by providing many learning and training opportunities along with financial assistance.

The three major sources of funding to assist foster and former foster youth in Nevada come from the federal and state government. The federal funding comes from the Foster Care Independence At of 1999 which established the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. Federal funding also supports the Education and Training Vouchers. The State of Nevada also provides financial assistance to former foster youth through the passage of Assembly Bill 94, also known as the Financial Assistance to Former Foster Youth Program (FAFFY). Each of these programs provides a variety of services and may have special requirements.

Some of the services provided through the Independent Living Program include:

• Daily living skills
• Money management
• Decision making
• Housing assistance
• Substance abuse prevention, nutrition education and pregnancy prevention
• Preparation for postsecondary training and education
• Mentors
• Financial assistance with college or vocational schools
• Medical coverage
• Counseling
• Assistance in obtaining the GED

Title IV-B 2

The purpose of this program is to enable States to develop and establish, or expand, and to operate coordinated programs of community-based family support services, family preservation services, time-limited family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support services to accomplish the following objectives:

• To prevent child maltreatment among families at risk through the provision of supportive family services.
• To assure children's safety within the home and preserve intact families in which children have been maltreated, when the family's problems can be addressed effectively.
• To address the problems of families whose children have been placed in foster care so that reunification may occur in a safe and stable manner in accordance with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
• To support adoptive families by providing support services as necessary so that they can make a lifetime commitment to their children.