Special Improvement Project (SIP) -- Creating Family-Centered Approaches to Improve Child Support Enforcement Outcomes

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), invites eligible applicants to submit competitive grant applications for Special Improvement Projects (SIP) to demonstrate strategies which 1) educate and involve both parents in child support enforcement (CSE) processes and 2) coordinate referral of both parents to needed non-CSE services (such as workforce development and employment). There is growing recognition that the more both parents understand and are involved in the decisions which affect their and their children's lives, there is greater opportunity to improve CSE impacts and create healthier families. Project strategies must target unwed, low-income parents who are in need of child support assistance. Parents would be referred to a combination of services such as mediation, healthy relationship education, access and visitation, as well as other services that address the financial barriers facing both noncustodial and custodial parents. Only costs eligible for funding under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (IV-D) program are allowable under this grant. Given that the purpose of these projects is to improve child support enforcement outcomes for families, it is required that applicants who are not Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (IV-D) agencies have the cooperation of IV-D agencies to operate these projects. All applications developed jointly by more than one agency/organization must identify a single lead organization as the official applicant. The lead organization will be the recipient of the grant award. Participating agencies and organizations can be included as co-participants or subcontractors with their written authorization.