Family Support Programs

Appendix I
Program Requirements and
Organization Information

APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
The Applicant should carefully review the instructions and each section of this APPENDIX I.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The Applicant must:
1. SIGN PAGE 12 OF THIS DOCUMENT acknowledging the Applicant reviewed, understands, and, if
selected, will maintain full compliance with all requirements in this APPENDIX I; and
2. SUBMIT these pages as part of the Application Package.
Failure to sign and return this document, as required, may affect Applicant's eligibility.
Failure to fully implement all program requirements and fiscal terms in this APPENDIX I may affect award,
renewal of the agreement, ability to compete in the next competitive application process, or may result in the
reduction or revocation of the award.
For the purpose of the requirements in this APPENDIX I, Evidence Based Home Visiting ("EBHV") is an
approved program on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children &
Families Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness ("HomVEE") website (https://homvee.acf.hhs.gov/home).
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. The Office of Child Development and Early Leaning ("OCDEL") may release Policy Announcements
that contain pertinent information including best practices in service provision and clarifications of
policies or grant requirements. The Grantee shall monitor the Family Support web site for Policy
Announcements and shall comply with any applicable requirements contained in published Policy
Announcements.
2. The Grantee shall continuously implement, with fidelity, at least one approved EBHV Model as
described in PART I, Section I-3.A of this RFA throughout the term of the agreement.
a. The Grantee shall implement its chosen Model or Models according to national Model developer
guidelines, with fidelity to the Model or Models.
b. The Grantee may not make changes to an evidence-based or evidence-informed Model that alters the
core components related to program outcomes, as the changes could impair fidelity and undermine
the program's effectiveness.
3. The Grantee shall review and comply with all the requirements of Reports and Project Controls, PART
III, Section III-6 of this RFA throughout the term of the agreement.
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
4. The Grantee shall request written approval from the Commonwealth prior to subcontracting or
outsourcing any part of this project and shall provide a subcontracting plan as described in Part III,
Section III-3.B.8 of this RFA.
5. The Grantee shall maintain approval for implementation from the Model Developer for the duration of
the term of the agreement. The Applicant should submit approval for implementation from the Model
developer with their Application Package. Verification of approval from the National or State Model
Office is acceptable.
6. The Grantee shall retain all documentation received from the model developer including information
demonstrating adherence to model fidelity, and shall provide the documentation to the Department
annually, or upon request.
7. The Grantee shall implement the Strengthening Families(TM) Protective Factors Framework ("SFPFF")
within their service delivery. Additional information on the SFPFF is included in Appendix K,
Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework.
8. The Grantee shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local statutes, regulations, and policies,
including, but not limited to:
a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS
Awards, 45 C.F.R. Part 75 and 2 C.F.R. Part 300.
b. Section 511 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 711, Maternal Infant and Early Childhood
Home Visiting ("MIECHV").
c. Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, 42 U.S.C. 5116-5116i, Community-
Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
d. Title IV-B, Subpart 2 of the Social Security Act , 42 U.S.C. 629-629i, Promoting Safe and
Stable Families ("PFSF").
e. Child Protective Services Law ("CPSL"), 23 Pa. C.S. 6301-6388 and 55 Pa. Code 3490.
9. The Grantee shall fully comply and follow through with any corrective action plans agreed to by the
Department, as detailed in PART III, Section III-6.A.6 of this RFA. The Grantee understands that failure
to comply with all requirements as described in this RFA may result in the Department finding the
Grantee in default under the agreement.
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
A. TRAINING
1. The Grantee, or its designee, shall attend all mandatory training, meetings, or conferences as directed by
the Department.
2. The Grantee shall require any individual, paid or unpaid, who, on the basis of the individual's role as an
integral part of a regularly scheduled program, activity, or service, has direct contact with children, to
obtain three hours of approved mandated reporter training, and to retake an approved three-hour training
every five years thereafter. The Grantee shall store documentation of the completed training in the
employee's file including the training title, training provider's name, participant name, and date of
completion.
B. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
1. The Grantee shall create procedures to ensure home visitors and family support staff explain and obtain
informed consent from their families. For more information review informed consent FAQ.
https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/guidance/faq/informed-consent/index.html
2. The Grantee shall establish a confidentiality policy that satisfies the following requirements, and shall
adhere to the policy:
a. Details for maintenance and storage all client information in a locked location (i.e., office or
filing cabinet);
b. Maintenance of a staff list of everyone who will have access to the files;
c. Detailed procedures for accessing the files that protect client confidentiality;
d. Detailed procedures for accessing the files in the event of a Department-led monitoring, court
order, police investigation, or medical emergencies;
e. Detailed procedures for written consent to access, disclose, or share files;
f. Detailed procedures for the maintenance of files for the length of the agreement;
g. Detailed procedures to train new staff and periodically update current staff on the policy;
h. Procedure for reviewing the confidentiality policy with any new staff upon hire and with
continuing staff once a year, at a minimum, and procedures for verifying the reviews were
completed with a dated signature;
i. Procedure for reviewing the confidentiality policy annually, updating as necessary, and verifying
the review was completed with a dated signature; and
j. Procedure to submit the confidentiality policy to the Department upon request.
3. The Grantee shall develop, implement, and maintain a written policy and procedures to meet or exceed
the minimum staffing requirements. Minimum staffing means the minimum number of staff required to
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
maintain full implementation of all approved project activities and services, including established
caseloads and enrollment numbers and fulfillment of requirements, at all times. Within its policy, the
Grantee shall address continuity of operations during staff absences, including long-term leave and staff
turnover.
At a minimum, the Grantee shall include in the policy:
a. The Grantee-defined minimum staffing necessary to fully implement all requirements and
expectations;
b. Strategies and procedures to ensure coverage so staffing levels are maintained at all times; and
c. Procedures for managing uncovered caseloads, including reassignment protocols and
expectations for new staff caseload ramp-up.
4. The Grantee shall develop and implement policies and procedures regarding required clearances and
mandated reporter training. The Grantee shall, at minimum, address the following within the policy:
a. Define which clearances and mandated reporter training staff must obtain;
b. Define which staff, or roles within the program, are required to obtain clearances and mandated
reporter training;
c. The timeframe for initial receipt of clearances and mandated reporter training;
d. The timeframe for renewing clearances and mandated reporter training and how the Grantee will
track these timeframes; and
e. A detailed description of how the Grantee will store clearances and mandated reporter training
records.
5. The Grantee shall coordinate services with agencies in their service area such as Early Intervention and
other local home visiting and family support service providers. The Grantee shall establish collaborative
working relationships with these agencies to provide families with a full array of services, programs, and
available resources in their community. The Grantee shall document this coordination through the
establishment of a Memorandum of Agreement ("MOA").
In the MOA the Grantee shall, at a minimum:
a. Detail procedures for referral to other agencies, programs, or organizations such as Early
Intervention;
b. Identify a point of contact at each agency;
c. Detail dates and content of annual meetings which will be conducted in person or virtually, as a
collaborative or individually, to review referral policies between agencies and current and new
services provided by respective programs;
d. Outline protocols to share information and coordinate services as appropriate;
e. Connect families to multiple services and other resources as allowed;
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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
f. Define a frequency for the MOA to be reviewed and revised; and
g. Include a signature from an authorized individual from each agency.
6. The Grantee shall implement programs with fidelity to the Model, which may include development of
policies and procedures to recruit, enroll, disengage, and re-enroll family participants. In the Enrollment
policies, the Grantee shall strive to balance continuity of services to eligible families and availability of
slots to unserved families.
7. The Grantee shall develop and implement policies and procedures to avoid dual enrollment by screening
and enrolling families in the Model that best meets their needs. Families may be enrolled in an EBHV
Model and Enhancement or Enhancements concurrently as appropriate for the family or caregiver.
8. The Grantee shall develop and implement written policies and procedures to ensure families and their
children are voluntary participants of the Family Support Program.
9. The Grantee shall educate applicable families and, if applicable, implement requirements specified in
the OCDEL Inclusion and Reduction of Suspension/Expulsion announcement.
10. The Grantee shall develop written transition plans with each child or caregiver served through their
EBHV program. Transition planning may include a change in eligibility circumstances for a child or a
family, the family or child is moving, or the program has changed services or relinquished their grant
funding.
11. The Grantee shall implement high-quality supervision, including reflective supervision for EBHV staff.
The Grantee shall develop and implement policies and procedures for the effective provision of
reflective supervision program-wide with fidelity to the Model or Models implemented. Refer to
Appendix O for the definition of reflective supervision.
C. ENROLLMENT / GOAL NUMBER TO BE SERVED
1. The Grantee shall rely on the guidance regarding their selected Model or Models when determining a
family capacity for home visiting staff.
2. The Grantee shall maintain enrollment at 100% of its budgeted capacity for each EBHV Model
implemented. The Grantee shall participate in improvement activities if enrollment of families falls
below 85% for any of the EBHV Models implemented. The Department will consider extenuating
circumstances, such as, but not limited to, new staff vacancies and new program startup time, prior to
placing a Grantee on an improvement plan for enrollment.
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
For Family Support Programs with a goal number of families to be served each year, the Grantee may be
required to participate in improvement activities if 25% of goal numbers of families are not served by
the end of each quarter. The Department will consider the number of classes offered, attendance, and
frequency, prior to placing a Grantee on an improvement plan for enrollment.
The Grantee's failure to improve enrollment or reach the goal number of families by the next renewal
process may result in reduction of award.
PROGRAM REVISIONS
1. The Grantee shall seek approval from the Department for specific program revisions, through a method
and format determined by the Department, before implementing any of the following:
a. Any percentage increase or decrease of the families to be served through the agreement;
b. A major change in the originally approved design of the program that potentially alters the
program's objectives or funding streams applicable to certain Models, programs, or
enhancements;
c. A change in the entity responsible for administering the agreement;
d. A redefinition of the population to be served including geographic territory and other changes;
e. A change in a subcontractor responsible for completion of components of the program; and
f. A change in curriculum or model used that does not alter the program's objectives or deviate
from a Model program's requirements.
2. The Grantee may initiate a request to increase funding, through a method and format determined by the
Department, if the following minimum requirements are met:
a. The program is seeking to request additional funding in order to serve more families;
b. The program is currently maintaining all of the requirements set-forth in Section IV-1; and
c. If a Grantee initiates a request to increase funding and additional funding is available, the
Department may consider the Grantee's request and increase the total funding awarded under the
agreement through a funding adjustment or amendment to the agreement.
D. DATA COLLECTION
1. The Grantee shall participate in and use the Pennsylvania Family Support Data Collection system
developed by the Department.
2. The Grantee shall timely and accurately collect federal and state mandated demographic data on all
families, caregivers, and children enrolled in the program being funded by the Department through this
agreement and shall enter the data into the Pennsylvania Family Support Data Collection system.
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
3. The Grantee shall timely and accurately collect federal and state mandated Performance Measure Data
on all families, caregivers, and children enrolled in EBHV programs being funded by the Department
through this agreement and shall enter this data into the Pennsylvania Family Support Data Collection
system.
E. FISCAL
1. The Grantee shall develop written fiscal policies on the following:
a. Procurement;
b. Conflict of Interest;
c. Purchasing Process;
d. Record Retention and Record Destruction;
e. Inventory;
f. Proof of Insurances;
g. Security & Storage of Fiscal Records;
h. Cost Allocation Plan; and
i. Gift Card Incentives.
2. If the Grantee receives federal funds, the Grantee shall meet all federal fiscal and program requirements
including, but not limited to, implementation of fiscal guidelines regarding purchases.
3. The Grantee shall submit a budget revision when there is a change in the budgeted amounts in a line or
category, the addition of a line, or reducing a line to zero.
4. The Grantee shall prepare a line-item budget using the Pennsylvania Family Support Data System.
Within the submitted budgets the Grantee shall account for all necessary program, fiscal, and data
personnel. The Grantee shall also prepare and submit with the budget, a budget justification that aligns
with the line-item budget and that provides a detailed description of the planned activities and associated
costs.
5. The Department may require or request additional information on quarterly expense reports if the
amount entered is 5% more or less than the applicable 25%, 50%, or 75% for each quarter.
6. The Grantee shall submit General Ledger ("GL") reports from their accounting system pursuant to a
method and timeframe determined by the Department. The Grantee shall reconcile these reports to their
submitted Final Expenditure report each year of the agreement. The Department is aware that GL reports
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
often account for much more than the yearly agreement and will allow for tracking spreadsheets to be
submitted with the GL reports to reconcile the amounts that are reported to OCDEL.
7. The Grantee shall comply with all applicable state and federal audit requirements and maintain fiscal
records, documents, and other evidence in sufficient detail to support all claims against the funding for
the term of the agreement. The Department shall recover or recoup non-allowable costs and
undocumented costs from the Grantee.
8. The Grantee shall not use funding for the delivery or costs of direct medical, dental, mental health, or
legal services; however, some limited direct services may be provided to the extent required to maintain
fidelity to the Model or if the Grantee is implementing an already approved enhancement. The Grantee
may provide health education or health literacy training, as well as coordinate with and refer eligible
families to direct medical, dental, mental health, or legal services and providers covered by other sources
of funding.
9. The Grantee shall seek guidance from the OCDEL Fiscal Analyst, if needed, to understand what
expenses are allowable and unallowable when using these state and federal grant awards.
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APPENDIX I
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
25-RFA-13800
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
Primary Program Contact Information - Defined as KEY PERSONNEL
Name
Title
Organization
Phone
Fax
Mailing
Address
Email Address
Primary Fiscal Contact Information
Name
Title
Organization
Phone
Fax
Mailing
Address
Email Address
Primary Supervisor Contact Information
Name
Title
Organization
Phone
Fax
Mailing
Address
Email Address
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