[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 167 (Tuesday, September 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 42413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16752]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Assistance Listing Number: 93.652]
Announcement of the Intent To Award a Sole Source Cooperative
Agreement to the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) for
the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the
Placement of Children (AAICPC) in Washington, DC
AGENCY: Children's Bureau (CB), Administration for Children and
Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of Issuance of a sole-source cooperative agreement.
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SUMMARY: The CB Division of Capacity Building announces the intent to
award a sole-source, 12-month cooperative agreement in the amount of up
to $1,600,000 to the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
for its affiliate the Association of Administrators of the Interstate
Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) in Washington, DC, for
the further implementation and support nationally of the National
Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE) system, an inter-
jurisdictional electronic system to improve administrative efficiency
in implementing the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children
(ICPC), a process that ensures safe and suitable interstate placements
for children in foster care.
DATES: The proposed period of performance is September 30, 2025, to
September 29, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karakahl Allen-Eckard, Child Welfare
Program Specialist, Children's Bureau, Division of Capacity Building,
330 C St. SW, Suite 3521B, Washington, DC 20201. Telephone: (202) 401-
6781; Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Award funds will support the continued
implementation, support, and scale up of the NEICE. The NEICE is a
national electronic system for quickly and securely exchanging the data
and documents required by the ICPC to place children with foster,
adoptive, and kinship families across state lines. APHSA has been the
recipient of funding from CB for the development and national
implementation of the NEICE since its inception as a pilot project
funded by the Partnership Fund for Program Integrity Innovation at the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and administered by CB in
November of 2013. This 20-month pilot proved successful and led to a
new sole-source cooperative agreement for the expansion of the pilot to
all 52 jurisdictions of the AAICPC nationwide. This funding was further
extended and supplemented to continue to support the expansion of the
project nationally, with the current funding period expiring on
September 29, 2025. This sole-source funding is essential to allow the
remaining states to join the system as well as to provide ongoing
support and upgrades necessary for an electronic system. In addition,
the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 requires all states to
join an electronic exchange system by October 1, 2027, and the NEICE is
on track to support states in meeting this requirement.
The state members of the AAICPC contribute annual membership and
connection fees; however, these are currently not adequate to meet the
full operational costs of managing the national system. The APHSA is
the only organization positioned to continue to scale the project
nationally and to ensure the continued optimal maintenance of the
NEICE.
Statutory Authority: Title II, section 203(b) of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C.
5113(b)(3)), as most recently amended by CAPTA Reauthorization Act of
2010.
Elizabeth A. Leo,
Policy Branch Chief, Office of Grants Policy, Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-16752 Filed 8-29-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-44-P