[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 168 (Thursday, August 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70192-70193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19418]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the 
Strengthening the Direct Care Workforce: A Technical Assistance and 
Capacity Building Initiative

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the 
intent to award a single-source supplement to the current cooperative 
agreement held by the National Council on Aging for the ``Strengthening 
the Direct Care Workforce: A Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 
Initiative''. The administrative supplement for FY 2024 will be in the 
amount of $1,787,524 bringing the total award for FY 2024 to 
$3,087,207. The supplement will provide sufficient resources to enable 
the grantee and their partners to increase funding for technical 
assistance (TA) to state aging and disability partnerships to 
collaborate with workforce entities to strengthen the Direct Care 
Workforce. The funding will enable the grantee to support additional 
states, including at more robust levels than originally planned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or comments 
regarding this program supplement, contact Caroline Ryan, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community 
Living, telephone (202) 795-7429; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through this initiative, ACL is advancing 
the capacity to recruit, train and retain a high-quality, competent, 
and effective direct care workforce of professionals capable of meeting 
the growing needs that older adults and people with disabilities have 
for such supports. The purpose of this program is to catalyze change at 
a systems level that will address the insufficient supply of trained 
DCWs, promote promising practices at all levels of the service

[[Page 70193]]

system and improve data collection to enable a full understanding of 
the workforce issue.
    The intended outcomes of the initiative are as follows:
    1. Increase the availability and visibility of tools and resources 
to attract, train and retain the direct care workforce in quality jobs 
where they earn livable wages and have voice in their working 
environment, and have access to benefits and opportunities for 
advancement.
    2. Increase the number of states that develop and sustain 
collaborations across state systems and workforce agencies to implement 
strategies that will improve the recruitment, retention, and 
advancement of high quality DCW jobs.
    Program Name: Strengthening the Direct Care Workforce: A Technical 
Assistance and Capacity Building Initiative.
    Recipient: The National Council on Aging.
    Period of Performance: The supplement award will be issued for the 
third year of the five-year project period of September 30, 2022 
through September 29, 2027.
    Total Award Amount: $3,087,207 in FY 2024.
    Award Type: Cooperative Agreement.
    Statutory Authority: Section 411(13) of the Older Americans Act, 
section 161 (2) of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill 
of Rights Act, and section 21 program of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973.
    Basis for Award: The National Council on Aging is currently funded 
to carry out the objectives of the project entitled Strengthening the 
Direct Care Workforce: A Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 
Initiative for the project period of September 30, 2022 through 
September 29, 2027. This supplement will enable the grantee to carry 
their work even further, providing technical assistance to more state 
partnerships. The additional funding will also expand grantee's 
capability to produce issue briefs, case studies, and other materials 
to disseminate lessons learned and best practices via the Direct Care 
Workforce Strategies Center website. The NCOA is uniquely positioned to 
complete the work called for under this cooperative agreement. NCOA's 
partners on this project include the University of Minnesota Institute 
on Community Integration, National Association of Councils on 
Developmental Disabilities, Advancing States, PHI, Lincoln University 
Paula J. Carter Center on Minority Health and Aging, National 
Association of Medicaid Directors, National Council on Independent 
Living, Center for Innovation, National Alliance for Caregiving, 
National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities 
Services, and Social Policy Research Associates (SPR). The grantee, and 
all partners, will work in close coordination with one another and ACL 
on those tasks and activities to which they have committed to ensure 
realization of project goals and objectives.
    ACL believes it is in the best interest of the Federal Government 
to supplement the current grantee's existing project. Establishing an 
entirely new grant project at this time would be potentially disruptive 
to the current work already well under way. Further, it could create 
unintended duplication of effort and missed opportunities for greater 
coordination. Additionally, if this supplement is not provided, the 
project would be unable to expand its current technical assistance and 
training efforts to reach more state partnerships across aging, 
disability and workforce stakeholders to work together to strengthen 
the direct care workforce.

    Dated: August 24, 2024.
Alison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community 
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2024-19418 Filed 8-28-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P