Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grants

The Children’s Bureau, under the Administration for Children and Families, is preparing to award Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grants to help state and local agencies overcome barriers to implementing prevention services funded under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Despite having expanded authority under the Family First Prevention Services Act, current adoption of these services remains low, accounting for less than 2% of total program claims due to challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, limited provider readiness, inadequate evaluation capacity, and complex reimbursement processes. The purpose of these grants is to accelerate and sustain the operationalization of one or more newly adopted or underutilized Title IV-E eligible prevention services, ensuring they become fully integrated into the agency’s service array and claiming systems within 18 months of award. Recipients will focus on building critical systems including claims and reimbursement mechanisms, developing robust provider networks and referral pathways, and establishing reliable data collection and reporting infrastructure. Each project must partner with an internal or external evaluator to provide rapid, real-time feedback during implementation and to document lessons learned for broader dissemination across the field. The ultimate goal is to transition all supported services into full Title IV-E claiming status within the specified timeframe, ensuring sustainability and scalability beyond the grant period. This initiative targets agencies ready to take concrete steps toward expanding preventive services for children and families, with support designed to remove structural and operational roadblocks to long-term success.