Prevention Funding Region 14

Request for Letters of Intent: Community Based Child Abuse and Prevention Services

The Department of Child Services Regional Service Council and Children’s Bureau will be selecting local prevention services providers based on prevention plans. Child Abuse Prevention Services are defined as primary and secondary prevention services. Community Partners will fund both.

Prevention is defined as those services and programs that positively influence families, parents, caretakers, and children in the general population before abuse or neglect occurs.  Primary prevention services:

  • Are accessible to everyone in the community;
  • Are received voluntarily;
  • Seek to promote positive family functioning rather than preventing problems;
  • Attempt to influence social forces which impact parents and children;
  • Are culturally responsive to the program participants, building on the cultural strengths of the family and community; and
  • Utilize methods which are educational and supportive, rather than clinical or treatment-oriented.

Secondary prevention services are offered to populations considered “at risk”. Although child abuse or neglect may not have occurred within these families, there is a higher probability that it may occur (or it may have occurred without clear recognition).  Secondary prevention services:

  • Are offered to a predefined group of vulnerable or “at risk” individuals;
  • Are received voluntarily;
  • Focus on particular stressors or parenting issues for identified parents and caretakers;
  • Seek to promote positive family functioning rather than just preventing problems;
  • Build upon participants’ strengths and are not based on a deficit approach; and
  • Offer solutions oriented to specific program participants, building on the cultural strengths of the family and community.

The goals or objectives of prevention services:

  • To promote the safety of children
  • To reduce the number of children being removed from their parents, guardians, or custodians
  • To promote the efficiency of programs and services by coordinating available resources
  • To prevent or reduce the number of children who are victims of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, or delinquency

All letters of intent should be NO more than 3 pages and are due on April 23, 2021 by 4:30pm. All agencies submitting grants will receive an acknowledgement email once the letter of intent is received.  All letters of intent must be emailed to ALL of the following:

Jill Kelly, VP of Community Based Programs at jkelly@childrensbureau.org

Claire Winship, Director at cwinship@childrensbureau.org

Traci Eggleston, Regional Manager at Traci.eggleston@dcs.in.gov

  • Please keep in mind that an additional electronic communication will be held when funds have been allocated. This communication will include receiving MOU’s, invoices, and a more detailed discussion of billing, fingerprints, etc.

Requirements to be eligible for Brokered Dollars:

  • Must provide proof of liability insurance
  • Must comply with state requirements regarding criminal checks, cps checks, fingerprinting, and local law enforcement checks
  • Must provide services to children and families not involved with the Indiana Department of Child Services or Juvenile Probation

Decisions will be announced at RSC on May 18th, 2021 at 8:30am

Guidelines for Completing a Letter of Intent

All proposals should include each section below.

Description of the Agency:

This section should include the following:

Agency background information including a briefly description your agency, including its mission, services offered, geographic area served, number of individuals served, and number of full-time, part-time staff. An organizational chart should also be attached.

Description of Program Services:   

Please describe the services being provided with requested funding, including background information about the history, any information regarding evidence based services, the target population, how many clients will be served in what county, and how to make referrals to the services. Please include geographic boundaries of the program.

Definition of how the services help prevent child abuse and neglect:

Please describe the goals of the program and how these goals prevent child abuse and neglect.

Budget and Budget Narrative:

Provide a summary of project budget addressing the type and amount of funds requested, a line item description including staff costs, supplies, space/marketing, or any other costs associated with the project.

Below is a sample Budget:

Staff costs                                  $10,000.00

Curriculum/Materials              $   5,000.00

Presentation per school          $      300.00

Please be aware that payment for brokered dollars is dependent upon funding by the state. Payments are made after funding is received at the Children’s Bureau and is paid in approximately 60 days. All agencies being funded through brokered dollars must be an established not-for-profit agency, must be capable of obtaining appropriate liability insurance before a contract can be completed, and must comply with state regulations regarding background checks, fingerprinting, etc.

Outcomes expected from the program and how they are measured:

Please include expected outcomes and the tracking method for these outcomes.

Please list a contact person for the program, including email address.