Notice of Availability to access ACF Grant Funds for Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Initial Implementation and Expansion of Existing NFP Replication Sites

Background

FY 2013 funding is available to Minnesota’s community health boards and tribal governments interested in implementing new or expanding an existing Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) site.  The funds are limited and the growing expansion of NFP statewide requires that dissemination is prioritized to support new sites and to train new staff in existing sites.  The funding is available through the MDH from the Minnesota Evidence-Based Home Visiting Grant to Prevent Child Maltreatment. This is year 5 (FY2013) in a 5-year cooperative agreement the MDH received from the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CFDA #93.670. The cooperative agreement focuses on building the infrastructure for evidence-based home visiting programs. After this five-year investment of federal funds for NFP start-up and training, the goal is for NFP implementing sites to demonstrate their capacity to sustain the delivery of the NFP program including the ongoing identification of alternative funding sources such as TANF, etc.

Budgets submitted to access these funds should reflect anticipated NFP expenses for the period of October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013. In the event a CHB is offered and has accepted a MIECHV award, this NFP start-up and training budget will be adjusted to reflect only those expenses that precede the MIECHV award period. The intention is to make available to as many CHBs as possible some level of financial support to implement evidence-based models.

Purpose of the Funding

Community health boards and tribal governments have indicated that administrative costs are a significant barrier to their ability to implement and expand NFP. Therefore, funding to community health boards and tribal governments is available at two levels – one for expenses related to initial implementation of NFP and one for expenses related to expansion of existing NFP activities. The community health board or tribal government must be an approved NFP replication site to receive funding.

I. Initial Implementation of NFP after July 1, 2012

Community health boards and tribal governments interested in the initial implementation of a NFP replication site can apply for up to $85,000 per replication site per year. Funds can be used to support the following expenses:

A. First year start up fee   $25,391.00 / site
B. Travel expenses for NFP training   $1,550.00 / person
C. Travel expenses for annual supervisor education   $1,050.00 / person
D. NFP training registration fee for home visitors   $4,069.00 / person
E. NFP training registration fee for supervisor   $4,803.00 / person
F. NFP training materials for home visitors and supervisor   $517.00 / person
G. NCAST /PIPE / ASQ / HOME materials   $4,128.00 / site
H. Program support fee   $7,046.00 / site
I. Nurse consultation fee   $8,447.00 / site

J.

 Professional development for NFP staff including Community of Practice   $515.00 / person
K. Travel expenses administrator education      $1,100.00 / person
L. Administrator education fee   $480.00 / person

 

II. Existing NFP Sites after July 1, 2012

Community health boards or tribal governments interested in expanding their existing NFP replication site or who have experienced staff turnover can apply for up to $50,000 per replication site per year for actual anticipated costs.  Funds can be used to support:

A. Travel expenses for NFP training   $1,550.00 / person
B. Travel expenses for annual supervisor education   $1,050.00 / person
C. NFP training registration fee for home visitors   $4,069.00 / person
D. NFP training registration fee for supervisor   $4,803.00 / person
E. NFP training materials for home visitors and supervisor   $517.00 / person
F. Nurse consultation fee   $8,447.00 / site
G. Program support fee   $7,046.00 / site
H. NCAST /PIPE / ASQ / HOME materials   $4,128.00 / site
I. Professional development for NFP staff including Community of Practice   $515.00 / person
J. Travel expenses administrator education   $1,100.00 / person
K. Administrator education fee   $480.00 / person

 

Application Process

To apply for funding to support new NFP implementation sites or funding for an existing NFP replication sites, community health boards and tribal governments must complete a grant application that includes Application to Access Grant Funds (MS Word: 43KB/2 pages): 

  • Name(s) of the replication agency(ies)
  • Fiscal agent of replication site
  • Total dollar amount requested
  • Anticipated costs broken down by allowable expenses as noted under I. A-L or II. A-K above
  • Date accepted by the NFP national office to become replication site

If the community health board or tribal government is applying for initial implementation funding, the grant application can be submitted once they have been approved by the national NFP office to become a NFP replication site. NFP replication sites already approved by the national NFP office may submit a grant application at any time. The funds will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Evaluation

Programs receiving funds for NFP implementation and support for existing NFP replication sites will be required to participate in the ACF cross-site evaluation and/or HRSA Affordable Care Act Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHVP) federal evaluation including access to de-identified Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) participant level data.

Application Deadline/Timeline

These funds will be available on a federal fiscal year (FFY) from October to September and are contingent upon passage of the federal FY2012 budget including allocations to states. The application process will be reviewed annually according to the ACF and MIECHV grant cooperative agreements and work plans submitted by the MDH. Local health departments and tribal governments will be notified each FFY of the continued availability of funds. A new grant project agreement will be required each FFY.

Grant Agreements

MDH will distribute funding to community health boards and tribal governments through grant project agreements with the community health board or grant agreements with the tribal government. If more than one community health board is applying jointly for funding, one community health board must be designated to serve as the fiscal agent for the grant. The information provided in the grant application will be incorporated as grant duties in the respective agreement.

Reimbursement

Reimbursement will be for actual expenses that are incurred within the categories listed under Purpose of the Funding (I. A-L or II. A-K). Please note contract language referring to due dates for invoice submission. Documentation of expenditures will be required. Documentation should include: receipts from travel, copies of invoices from the national NFP office, copies of invoices for training materials, etc.

MDH Support

The NFP State Nurse Consultants are available to answer questions and provide consultation to community health boards and tribal governments that are completing the application to access funds to support implementation and expansion of existing NFP sites in Minnesota.

NFP State Nurse Consultants:

Maureen Fuchs
651-201-3741
maureen.fuchs@state.mn.us

Mary Kay Stevens
651-201-3740
marykay.stevens@state.mn.us

If exploring the process to become an NFP site you may contact the NFP National Service Office staff directly by contacting:

Chelsea Pearsall, Regional Program Developer chelsea.pearsall@nursefamilypartnerhsip.org

Or

Gayle Rieland, Nurse Consultant
gayle.rieland@nursefamilypartnership.org