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 (Anticipated): August 2026
Funding Amounts: $50,000–$200,000 per award; up to $4,000,000 total program funding; ~20 awards expected
Summary: Supports state and tribal child welfare agencies in modernizing fingerprinting and background check infrastructure to accelerate safe child placement.
Description
This grant program is designed to help state and tribal child welfare agencies modernize their fingerprinting and background check infrastructure. It aims to accelerate the safe placement of children into family homes by addressing delays in caregiver approval and placement. Funding supports investments in mobile fingerprinting units, office-based Live Scan stations, and integration of fingerprint collection into child welfare workflows (such as home visits and licensing processes). The initiative also promotes modernization of systems to reduce barriers and processing delays, ensuring compliance with federal requirements and reducing administrative burdens. The expected outcomes include faster background check turnaround, greater accessibility to qualified caregivers, and improved agency capacity for timely child placements. This effort aligns with the ACF’s “A Home for Every Child” initiative, supporting broader improvements in placement stability and expanding the pool of approved kinship, foster, and adoptive families.
