Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting

The Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Grant Program awards five-year cooperative agreements that support evidence-based home visiting services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families and children. Eligible applicants are federally recognized Indian tribes (or consortia of Indian tribes), tribal organizations, or urban Indian organizations. Grant recipients are expected to develop, implement, sustain, or expand an evidence-based home visiting program serving AI/AN families who are expecting a new baby or who have young children aged birth to kindergarten entry. The goals of the Tribal MIECHV program are to 1) support the development of happy, healthy, and successful AIAN children and families through home visiting services that address critical maternal and child health, development, early learning, family support, and child abuse and neglect prevention needs; 2) implement high-quality, evidence-based home visiting programs in AIAN communities; 3) continue to build the evidence base around home visiting interventions with Native populations; and 4) support coordination among early childhood programs serving AI/AN families through the development of early childhood systems. Awards will help recipients meet the following objectives: 1) provide high-quality, evidence-based home visiting services to AI/AN families and children; 2) use performance measurement and continuous quality improvement to track performance and improve program implementation; 3) develop early childhood systems; and 4) participate in research and evaluation to build evidence around home visiting in tribal communities. The Tribal MIECHV program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Specifically: Eligible applicants are federally recognized Indian tribes (or consortia of tribes), tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations, as defined by section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity.

Each application is reviewed against four factors: eligibility, the application deadline, required electronic submission or waiver requested and approved, and the Award Ceiling. If the application does not meet all of these factors, then it is disqualified from the merit review process.

After the initial review, applications are reviewed and evaluated by merit review panels using only the criteria described in the Application Review section of the NOFO. Each panel is composed of experts with knowledge and experience in the area under review. Generally, review panels include three reviewers and one chairperson.

While merit review scores and their ranking are not binding, ACF does consider them when selecting projects for funding. Scores and rankings are only one element used in the award decision-making process. Other criteria are explained in the Program Description section and in the Application Review section of the NOFO. For example, ACF reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering the geographic distribution of federal funds (e.g., ensuring coverage of states, counties, or service areas) in its pre-award decisions.

ACF may elect not to fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. In addition, ACF may elect to not allow a prime recipient to subaward if there is any indication that they are unable to properly monitor and manage subrecipients.

Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than requested.