Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant - National Capacity Building Center to Expand Services for Children, Youth, and Abused Parents Impacted by Domestic Violence (ESCYAP) | HHS 2021 ACF ACYF EV 1942

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACF ACYF EV 1942

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant for a National Capacity Building Center to Expand Services for Children, Youth, and Abused Parents Impacted by Domestic Violence (ESCYAP) is a federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). The goal is to fund one national center that strengthens how domestic violence service systems respond to children and youth who are exposed to domestic violence, and to nonabusing parents who are supporting those children. Rather than paying for direct local services in one place, the emphasis is on building national capacity: improving skills, tools, evaluation approaches, and practical supports that help programs across the country deliver stronger, more developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed services.

This award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which means the federal government is expected to be actively involved in how the project is carried out. Instead of the grant operating with minimal oversight, ACF/FYSB anticipates substantial involvement beyond routine reporting, including ongoing collaboration such as regular conference calls and site visits. In practical terms, the funded organization would work closely with federal staff to shape technical assistance priorities, align deliverables with FVPSA goals, and ensure that what is developed is usable for the field and responsive to emerging needs.

The center funded through ESCYAP is expected to expand the capacity of a broad range of stakeholders. That includes domestic violence service providers, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, and other professionals who interact with families affected by domestic violence. The services being strengthened are specifically those focused on children and youth exposed to domestic violence, such as age-appropriate counseling and supportive interventions, as well as services for nonabusing parents that reinforce their caregiving role. A key point is that the opportunity explicitly includes approaches that work with the nonabusing parent and child together, reflecting a family-centered model that supports safety, healing, and the parent-child relationship.

A major required function of the ESCYAP grantee is to provide programmatic and evaluation technical assistance to FVPSA-funded projects operating as Specialized Services to Abused Parents and their Children (SSAPC) Demonstration Sites. This means the center is not only expected to help programs implement services well, but also to help them measure and learn from their work. The center will also facilitate a peer-to-peer mentorship component that connects current SSAPC demonstration sites with past SSAPC grant recipients, so lessons learned and practical implementation knowledge can be transferred through structured mentoring rather than relying only on formal trainings or written guidance.

Another core deliverable is maintaining and further developing an online resource center focused on work with children, youth, and abused parents impacted by domestic violence. The online resource center is expected to include, at minimum, content in several specific areas: an interventions database (so programs can find and compare models and approaches), culturally relevant interventions and programming (to support services that are appropriate and effective across communities), staff capacity building materials (training and tools that strengthen workforce readiness), and strategies for parent support and engagement (so services effectively involve nonabusing parents and reflect their needs and strengths). Overall, this online platform is intended to be a practical hub that providers can return to as they design services, train staff, and improve quality over time.

The ESCYAP center is also intended to operate as part of a larger FVPSA-supported network of resource centers, including National, Special Issue, Culturally Specific, and Capacity Building Resource Centers. That network structure signals that the center is expected to coordinate, share resources, and align efforts with other national initiatives serving domestic violence survivors and their children, rather than operating in isolation. The broader purpose is to provide leadership, training, technical assistance, and field-facing resources that help improve systems and programs nationwide.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1942) under CFDA 93.592, with an award ceiling of $1,700,000 and an expectation of one award total. The opportunity was posted May 5, 2021, with an original application deadline of July 5, 2021, and electronically submitted applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.

In plain terms, the government is investing in one national-level organization to serve as a backbone for improving how domestic violence programs support children, youth, and nonabusing parents. The work centers on high-quality technical assistance, practical tools and online resources, peer learning and mentorship, and stronger evaluation capacity, all designed to help local and tribal programs deliver more effective, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate supports for families impacted by domestic violence.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children Families - ACYF/FYSB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant - National Capacity Building Center to Expand Services for Children, Youth, and Abused Parents Impacted by Domestic Violence (ESCYAP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.592.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 05, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 05, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $1,700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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