§5116a. Eligibility — Inbound Citations

A grant may not be made to a State under this subchapter unless an application therefor is submitted by the State to the Secretary and such application contains the types of information specified by the Secretary as essential to carrying out the provisions of section 5116a of this title, including—

(1) a description of the lead entity that will be responsible for the administration of funds provided under this subchapter and the oversight of programs funded through the community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities designed to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect which meets the requirements of section 5116a of this title;

(2) shall supply an inventory and description of the services provided to families by local programs that meet identified community needs, including core and optional services as described in section 5116a of this title which description shall specify whether those services are supported by research;

(b) The Secretary shall make grants under this subchapter on a formula basis to the entity designated by the State as the lead entity (referred to in this subchapter as the “lead entity”) under section 5116a(1) of this title for the purpose of—

(1) developing, operating, expanding, and enhancing community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities designed to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect that are accessible, effective, culturally appropriate, and build upon existing strengths that—

(A) offer assistance to families;

(B) provide early, comprehensive support for parents;

(C) promote the development of parenting skills, especially in young parents and parents with very young children;

(D) increase family stability;

(E) improve family access to other formal and informal resources and opportunities for assistance available within communities, including access to such resources and opportunities for unaccompanied homeless youth;

(F) support the additional needs of families with children with disabilities through respite care and other services;

(G) demonstrate a commitment to involving parents in the planning and program implementation of the lead agency and entities carrying out local programs funded under this title, including involvement of parents of children with disabilities, parents who are individuals with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and members of other underrepresented or underserved groups; and

(H) provide referrals to early health and developmental services;

(2) fostering the development of a continuum of preventive services for children and families, including unaccompanied homeless youth, through State and community-based collaborations and partnerships both public and private;

(3) financing the start-up, maintenance, expansion, or redesign of specific community-based child abuse and neglect prevention program services (such as respite care services, child abuse and neglect prevention activities, disability services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, domestic violence services, housing services, transportation, adult education, home visiting and other similar services) identified by the inventory and description of current services required under section 5116d(3)¹ of this title as an unmet need, and integrated with the network of community-based child abuse and neglect prevention programs to the extent practicable given funding levels and community priorities;

(4) maximizing funding through leveraging of funds for the financing, planning, community mobilization, collaboration, assessment, information and referral, startup, training and technical assistance, information management and reporting, reporting and evaluation costs for establishing, operating, or expanding community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities designed to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect; and

(5) financing public information activities that focus on the healthy and positive development of parents and children and the promotion of child abuse and neglect prevention activities.