Fingerprinting Infrastructure Modernization for Child Welfare
This grant helps state and tribal child welfare agencies modernize fingerprinting systems to speed up background checks and safely place children in family homes more quickly.
Funder: Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB
Due Dates: August 31, 2026 (Full application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $4,000,000 total; individual awards range from $50,000–$200,000 for a two-year project period; ~20 awards expected.
Summary: Supports state and tribal child welfare agencies in modernizing fingerprinting and background check infrastructure to accelerate safe placement of children into family homes.
Description
This funding opportunity aims to help state and tribal child welfare agencies modernize their fingerprinting and background check infrastructure. The program focuses on reducing delays in the approval and placement of caregivers by investing in mobile fingerprinting units, office-based Live Scan stations, and system upgrades. These enhancements are designed to integrate fingerprint collection into existing child welfare workflows, such as home visits and office-based licensing, and to streamline background check processing.
The initiative is part of the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) “A Home for Every Child” effort, with the goal of increasing the availability of qualified caregivers, improving placement stability, and accelerating the safe placement of children into nurturing family homes. Projects funded under this program must address gaps in current processes and technology, implement sustainable improvements, and demonstrate measurable outcomes such as reduced turnaround times for fingerprint-based checks and increased caregiver capacity.
