Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACF ORR ZU 0042
This funding opportunity, titled Residential (Group Home, Shelter, Transitional Foster Care) Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children (HHS 2025 ACF ORR ZU 0042), is a discretionary cooperative agreement program run by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), under CFDA 93.676 (Income Security and Social Services). The central purpose is to fund organizations that can provide high-quality, child-centered residential care for unaccompanied alien children in ORR custody, with a clear emphasis on safety, well-being, and around-the-clock supervision and support. Although these children are in the legal custody of the federal government while in ORR care, the day-to-day, physical care is delivered by the funded provider (referred to in the announcement as the "care provider," meaning the prime recipient and any subrecipients involved).
The program is designed for residential service models that include shelters, group homes, and Transitional Foster Care (TFC). A key operational requirement is 24/7 service availability and the ability to accept children at any time, provided doing so is consistent with state licensing requirements and can be done safely. In practical terms, applicants need to demonstrate they can operate continuously, manage intakes outside normal business hours, and maintain staffing, supervision, and safety protocols that support emergency or time-sensitive placements.
Licensing is treated as a firm pre-condition for actually serving children, but not a barrier to applying. Applicants do not need to already hold the relevant state license at the time of application to provide shelter, group home, or foster care services. However, they must be fully licensed before they accept children for placement, and they must meet the licensing timelines laid out in the funding opportunity. This structure allows organizations that are preparing new programs or facilities to compete, while still requiring full regulatory compliance before services begin.
The announcement includes specific rules for current ORR-funded recipients. Organizations in the final year of their current project period are instructed to check their project end date; if that end date lines up with the projected award date for this opportunity and they want to keep providing the same services, they must apply under this solicitation to continue. Current recipients who are not in the final year may still apply, but only if they propose services in a new facility and a new location from where they are currently funded. ORR states it does not fund multiple projects offering the same type of service in the same location, which effectively prevents duplicative awards and pushes expansions into new geographic areas or new sites.
Eligibility is broad across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, but it has clear exclusions. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, and foreign entities are not eligible; applications from those groups will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (so long as they are not institutions of higher education in those specific nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the general eligibility requirements, and ORR/ACF notes that selection will not discriminate based on religious character or affiliation, consistent with 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.
On funding scale, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $500,000,000 and anticipates around 100 awards, signaling that ORR expects a sizable network of residential providers and that awards may vary widely depending on program model, capacity, and regional needs. The original application closing date is October 14, 2025, and the opportunity was created on August 15, 2025. Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, recipients should expect more substantial federal involvement than in a standard grant, typically meaning closer coordination with ORR on performance expectations, compliance, reporting, and program operations tied to ORR policies and child welfare standards.
Overall, this opportunity is about building and sustaining a licensed, always-available continuum of residential placements for unaccompanied children, with applicants expected to show readiness to operate safely at all times, meet licensing and child welfare requirements before intake begins, and avoid duplicating existing ORR-funded services in the same location.Apply for HHS 2025 ACF ORR ZU 0042
- The Administration for Children and Families - ORR in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Residential (Group Home, Shelter, Transitional Foster Care) Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.676.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2025-08-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the official title and number of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Residential (Group Home, Shelter, Transitional Foster Care) Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children and is identified as HHS 2025 ACF ORR ZU 0042.
2) Which agency is running this program?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement program administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
3) What CFDA/program area does this fall under?
The opportunity is under CFDA 93.676, listed as Income Security and Social Services.
4) What is the main purpose of the funding?
The central purpose is to fund organizations that can provide high-quality, child-centered residential care for unaccompanied alien children in ORR custody, with an emphasis on safety, well-being, and around-the-clock supervision and support.
5) Who are the children served under this program?
The program serves unaccompanied alien children who are in ORR custody. While the federal government retains legal custody during ORR care, funded providers deliver the day-to-day physical care.
6) What types of residential service models are supported?
The opportunity supports residential service models that include:
- Shelters
- Group homes
- Transitional Foster Care (TFC)
7) What does ORR mean by a "care provider" in this announcement?
In this announcement, a "care provider" refers to the funded provider responsible for day-to-day, physical care. This includes the prime recipient and any subrecipients involved.
8) Is 24/7 availability required?
Yes. A key operational requirement is 24/7 service availability, including the ability to accept children at any time, as long as intake is consistent with state licensing requirements and can be done safely.
9) Do applicants need the ability to take placements outside normal business hours?
Yes. Applicants are expected to demonstrate they can operate continuously and manage intakes outside normal business hours, including maintaining staffing, supervision, and safety protocols that support emergency or time-sensitive placements.
10) Is state licensing required to apply?
No. Applicants do not need to already hold the relevant state license at the time of application for shelter, group home, or foster care services.
11) When must an applicant be licensed?
Licensing is described as a firm pre-condition for actually serving children. Applicants must be fully licensed before they accept children for placement, and they must meet the licensing timelines specified in the funding opportunity.
12) Does this opportunity allow new programs or facilities to compete?
Yes. Because licensing is not required at the time of application (but is required before intake), the structure allows organizations preparing new programs or facilities to apply, while still requiring full regulatory compliance before services begin.
13) Are current ORR-funded recipients allowed to apply?
Yes, but specific rules apply depending on where the organization is in its current ORR project period.
14) What must current recipients do if they are in the final year of their project period?
Organizations in the final year of their current project period are instructed to check their project end date. If that end date aligns with the projected award date for this opportunity and they want to keep providing the same services, they must apply under this solicitation to continue.
15) Can current recipients who are not in the final year apply?
Yes, they may still apply, but only if they propose services in a new facility and a new location from where they are currently funded.
16) Does ORR allow multiple awards for the same type of service in the same location?
No. ORR states it does not fund multiple projects offering the same type of service in the same location. This limits duplicative awards and generally means expansions must be in new geographic areas or new sites.
17) Who is eligible to apply (in general terms)?
Eligibility is broad across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, subject to stated exclusions.
18) Which types of entities are explicitly eligible?
Eligible applicants include:
- State, county, and city or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (with the stated limitation that the specified nonprofit categories are not institutions of higher education)
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
19) Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, are not eligible and applications from them will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration.
20) Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are not eligible and applications from them will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration.
21) Are faith-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the general eligibility requirements.
22) Will religious character affect selection?
The announcement states selection will not discriminate based on religious character or affiliation, consistent with 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.
23) What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $500,000,000.
24) How many awards does ORR anticipate?
The opportunity anticipates around 100 awards.
25) What does the award ceiling and number of awards suggest about award sizes?
Based on the announcement, awards may vary widely depending on the program model, capacity, and regional needs, and ORR appears to be building or maintaining a sizable network of residential providers.
26) What is the application due date?
The original application closing date is October 14, 2025.
27) When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on August 15, 2025.
28) What type of federal funding instrument is this?
This is a cooperative agreement.
29) How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard grant (as described here)?
The announcement indicates that recipients should expect more substantial federal involvement than in a standard grant, typically meaning closer coordination with ORR on performance expectations, compliance, reporting, and operational requirements tied to ORR policies and child welfare standards.
30) What are the core operational expectations emphasized in the announcement?
The announcement emphasizes readiness to:
- Provide safe, child-centered residential care
- Maintain continuous operations with 24/7 supervision and support
- Accept children at any time when consistent with licensing and safety
- Meet licensing and child welfare requirements before intake begins
- Avoid duplicating ORR-funded services of the same type in the same location
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