Support for a National Electronic Interstate Records Exchange System

Summary

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Support for National Electronic Interstate Records Exchange System

Research Focus & Contribution

This funding opportunity supports expansion and operation of the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE), a secure multi-tenant electronic records exchange system enabling states to share case documentation and data for children requiring foster care, adoption, and residential placement across state lines under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). The system must meet National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) security standards while maintaining Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) compliance and interoperability with child abuse and neglect registries, Medicaid, and other human services systems. The project aims to onboard remaining jurisdictions, refine electronic data exchange infrastructure, improve administrative efficiency for all 52 AAICPC (Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) jurisdictions, reduce barriers to timely permanency for nearly 100,000 children annually, and ensure cybersecurity and system upgrades for state-of-the-art national data exchange supporting safe interstate child placement.

At-a-Glance

Who can apply: Public or private agencies and organizations (not individuals, sole proprietorships, or foreign entities); faith-based and community organizations eligible if meeting requirements.
Funding & project length: $1,450,000–$1,600,000 for first budget period; 5-year project with five one-year budget periods.
Award / mechanism: Cooperative agreement (1 award expected); substantial federal involvement in planning, coordination, and monitoring.
Key dates: Notice of Intent due February 16, 2026; applications due March 16, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET); expected project start September 30, 2026.
Best fit for: Organizations with expertise in child welfare information systems, ICPC administration, secure data exchange, interoperability standards (NIEM, CCWIS), and multi-state coordination; experience managing complex IT infrastructure and partnerships with state/tribal child welfare agencies essential.

Key Facts

Deadline

Mon, March 16, 2026

Posted

Tue, January 13, 2026

Award Range

$1,450,000 – $1,600,000

Expected Awards

93.652

Grants.gov

No gotchas detected. Always read the full FOA/NOFO.

Synopsis

The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) governs foster care and adoption placements across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The ICPC establishes uniform legal and administrative procedures governing the interstate placement of children for the purposes of foster care, adoption, and residential placement. It is estimated that states explore ICPC placements across jurisdictions for nearly 100,000 children each year.The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2017 requires all states to be connected to an electronic interstate case processing system by October 1, 2027. To facilitate that process, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the expansion and implementation of a secure, multi-tenant electronic system that meets the diverse demands of data sharing and privacy needed by states to achieve the orderly and timely interstate placement of children.The national electronic records exchange system will:Successfully onboard ICPC jurisdictions required to or interested in participating in the system;Maintain and refine as needed the electronic exchange for the safe and secure exchange of information between all jurisdictions;Improve administrative efficiency for ICPC jurisdictions by streamlining the ICPC administrative process;Reduce access barriers for children awaiting placements in interstate placements and improve the likelihood of children achieving permanency in a timely manner who would benefit from an interstate placement in ICPC jurisdictions;Allow for interoperability with other human service functions and systems;Provide alignment with ACF"s promotion of system interoperability as modeled by efforts such as the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) and the National Human Services Interoperability Architecture (NHSIA) and implements electronic exchanges utilizing such data exchange standards when interacting with state child welfare information systems;Comply with security standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Source: Simpler.grants.gov