Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2026 ACF ACYF CU 0021
The Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) program is a federal discretionary funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within ACYF/Children's Bureau, designed to bring key systems together to better serve families affected by substance use disorders. The central focus is on improving outcomes for children who are already in out-of-home care, or who are at serious risk of entering out-of-home placement, when caregiver substance misuse is a driving factor. In practice, this means funding coordinated, family-centered treatment and recovery approaches that aim to keep families safely together when possible, shorten unnecessary time in foster care, and strengthen the services that support reunification and long-term stability.
Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to expand access to evidence-based services for families impacted by substance use disorders. The grant allows support for a broad range of related interventions, as long as they fit within a comprehensive, family-based approach. Examples of allowable service areas include long-term substance use disorder treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and in-home treatment and recovery supports. It can also cover early intervention and prevention services, counseling for children and families, mental health services, parenting skills training, and replication of proven models that effectively deliver comprehensive, family-based treatment. The underlying expectation is that grantees will not run isolated programs, but instead build an integrated system of care across child welfare, treatment providers, and the courts.
A defining requirement of RPG is the structure of the partnership itself. Applicants must be regional partnerships established by agencies within a state or across multiple states, and the partnership must include specific mandatory partners set in statute. Those required partners include: (1) the state child welfare agency responsible for the title IV-B or title IV-E state plan under the Social Security Act, (2) the state agency that administers the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant under the Public Health Service Act, and (3) the most appropriate administrative office of the juvenile or state court that oversees proceedings involving families who enter the court system due to child abuse or neglect. Beyond these required members, partnerships may include optional partners such as additional state agencies, Indian tribes, tribal organizations or consortia, faith-based and community organizations, and other public or private entities, including for-profit organizations.
The application must identify a primary lead applicant. This lead organization is responsible for overall direction and must be able to monitor program activities and services, manage grant funds, and meet reporting and accountability requirements. There are special rules for tribal-led partnerships: if an Indian tribe or tribal consortium serves as the lead applicant, it is not required to include the state child welfare agency as a partner. However, a tribal partnership cannot be built only from tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortium of those agencies); the intent is to ensure broader cross-system collaboration rather than a single-system agreement.
The project is structured as a single 60-month award period, broken into five separate 12-month budget periods. It includes a Planning Phase followed by an Implementation Phase, signaling that awardees are expected to use early time to formalize coordination, protocols, and service design before scaling or fully operating the service model. Grantees must also provide a cost-sharing match and report on performance indicators, reinforcing that the program is meant to generate measurable improvements and sustained local investment rather than short-term, stand-alone services.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project (for example, collaboration, guidance, or structured oversight). The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CU-0021 and the CFDA (Assistance Listing) number is 93.087. The application deadline is August 7, 2026. A maximum of 8 awards are expected, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education as the applicant type listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other eligible entities consistent with the partnership rules. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the stated requirements.Apply for HHS 2026 ACF ACYF CU 0021
- The Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Partnership Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-07. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Others.
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Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) Program - FAQs
1) What is the Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) program?
The Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) program is a federal discretionary funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within ACYF/Children's Bureau. It is designed to bring key systems together to better serve families affected by substance use disorders through coordinated, family-centered treatment and recovery approaches.
2) What outcomes is RPG meant to improve?
RPG is focused on improving outcomes for children who are already in out-of-home care, or who are at serious risk of entering out-of-home placement, when caregiver substance misuse is a driving factor. The intent includes keeping families safely together when possible, shortening unnecessary time in foster care, and strengthening supports for reunification and long-term stability.
3) Who is the target population for RPG-funded projects?
The central focus is on families impacted by substance use disorders where caregiver substance misuse contributes to child welfare involvement, including children already in out-of-home care and children at serious risk of entering out-of-home placement.
4) What kind of approach does RPG expect projects to use?
Projects are expected to deliver coordinated, comprehensive, family-based services rather than isolated programs. A core expectation is the creation or strengthening of an integrated system of care across child welfare, treatment providers, and the courts.
5) What types of services can RPG funding support?
RPG can support a broad range of interventions as long as they fit within a comprehensive, family-centered approach. Examples listed include long-term substance use disorder treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and in-home treatment and recovery supports.
6) Can RPG funds be used for prevention, early intervention, and counseling?
Yes. Examples of allowable service areas include early intervention and prevention services, counseling for children and families, and mental health services, as long as they are part of a comprehensive, family-based approach.
7) Can RPG funds support parenting skills training?
Yes. Parenting skills training is specifically listed as an allowable service area when it fits within a broader, comprehensive family-based model.
8) Can RPG fund replication of proven models?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly allows replication of proven models that effectively deliver comprehensive, family-based treatment.
9) What is a required feature of an RPG application?
A defining requirement is that applicants must be regional partnerships established by agencies within a state or across multiple states, and the partnership must include specific mandatory partners set in statute (unless a tribal-led exception applies to one of the required partners).
10) Who are the mandatory partners required by statute?
The required partners include: (1) the state child welfare agency responsible for the title IV-B or title IV-E state plan under the Social Security Act, (2) the state agency that administers the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant under the Public Health Service Act, and (3) the most appropriate administrative office of the juvenile or state court that oversees proceedings involving families who enter the court system due to child abuse or neglect.
11) Can partnerships include additional or optional partners?
Yes. In addition to the required partners, partnerships may include optional partners such as additional state agencies, Indian tribes, tribal organizations or consortia, faith-based and community organizations, and other public or private entities, including for-profit organizations.
12) Can faith-based and community organizations participate or apply?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the stated requirements, including the partnership rules and eligibility restrictions.
13) What is the role of the lead applicant?
The application must identify a primary lead applicant. The lead organization is responsible for overall direction and must be able to monitor program activities and services, manage grant funds, and meet reporting and accountability requirements.
14) Are there special rules for tribal-led partnerships?
Yes. If an Indian tribe or tribal consortium serves as the lead applicant, it is not required to include the state child welfare agency as a partner.
15) Can a tribal partnership be made up only of tribal child welfare agencies?
No. A tribal partnership cannot be built only from tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortium of those agencies). The intent is to ensure broader cross-system collaboration rather than a single-system agreement.
16) How long is the RPG project period?
The project is structured as a single 60-month award period, broken into five separate 12-month budget periods.
17) Does RPG include a planning phase?
Yes. The structure includes a Planning Phase followed by an Implementation Phase. Awardees are expected to use early time to formalize coordination, protocols, and service design before scaling or fully operating the service model.
18) Is cost sharing (matching funds) required?
Yes. Grantees must provide a cost-sharing match, reflecting the expectation of sustained local investment rather than short-term, stand-alone services.
19) Are performance reports required?
Yes. Grantees must report on performance indicators, reinforcing that projects are expected to produce measurable improvements.
20) What type of award is RPG (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project (for example, collaboration, guidance, or structured oversight).
21) What is the opportunity number and Assistance Listing (CFDA) number?
The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-CU-0021. The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number is 93.087.
22) What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is August 7, 2026.
23) How many awards are expected, and what is the maximum award amount?
A maximum of 8 awards are expected. The award ceiling is $1,000,000.
24) Which entities are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education as the applicant type listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other eligible entities consistent with the partnership rules.
25) Are individuals or sole proprietors eligible to apply?
No. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review.
26) Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review.
27) Does RPG require cross-system collaboration beyond service delivery?
Yes. The program emphasizes building an integrated system of care across child welfare, treatment providers, and the courts, including coordination, shared protocols, and joint accountability.
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