2025-2026 Statement of Need Guidelines

Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Youth Development Grant Program

The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services, Prevention and Community Support (PCS) section is excited to announce the release of the 2025-2026 Statement of Need for the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Youth Development Grant Program. The Prevention and Community Support (PCS) section will accept Statement of Need (SoN) applications for funding of the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Youth Development Grant Program under the Title V State SRAE Grant Program from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. 

The purpose of this program is to provide education to youth that normalizes the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity. The program is designed to teach youth personal responsibility, self-regulation, goal setting, healthy decision-making, a focus on the future, and the prevention of youth risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol usage without normalizing teen sexual activity. Applicants are encouraged to develop flexible, medically accurate, and effective programming plans responsive to their target population’s specific needs. These plans must provide sexual risk avoidance education and, where appropriate, mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision to promote healthy behaviors for avoiding sexual activity. Applicants should demonstrate their ability to include sexual risk avoidance education within an intensive youth development framework. 

To be eligible for funding under this announcement, programs are required to adhere to the federal definition of sexual risk avoidance education. Funding will be provided to the following eligible applicants.

• · Public government entity, K-12 public school systems, post-secondary institutions or 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (in existence for at least 24 months); 
• · Serve as the fiscal agent for the contract and the point of contact to DFCS-PCS or provide a Memorandum of    Understanding (MOU) with fiscal agent; and
• · Be responsible, liable, and oversee financial, program and post-award reporting requirements.

Statement of Need (SoN) Release: Monday, March 10, 2025
   Statement of Need detailing application guidelines, proposal, and contract requirements will be posted on the DFCS-PCS website.

Statement of Need (SoN) Webinar: Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Morning Session Registration Link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/6cV51cGbQF2rF7ovSQcprg

Afternoon Session Registration Link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/oh0s8p8HTyajDuiZ5NfL3w

All questions regarding the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Youth Development Grant Program Statement of Need (SoN) Funding Opportunity must be submitted in writing to gadfcs.prevention@dhs.ga.gov. 

Questions will not be accepted, and responses will not be provided after the submission deadline of 12pm on April 25, 2025

Submission Deadline: Friday, April 25, 2025 12pm (noon)
 Proposal submissions must be received in their entirety by the April 25th deadline as directed in the FY26 SRAE Statement of Need (SoN).

Contract Period: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026

• Attendance at one (1) informational Meeting is mandatory for agencies/organizations interested in submitted a proposal for the FY2025 funding cycle. 
• Please note, PCS reserves the right to modify, reschedule, or cancel the informational sessions at any time. 

Thank you.

SOURCES OF STRENGTH STATEMENT OF NEED SFY2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026)

Prevention and Community Support - DFCS

The Prevention and Community Support (PCS) Section of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), works in partnership with community-based organizations committed to reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect by implementing evidence-based prevention and early intervention techniques to ensure positive outcomes for children and families. 

State and Federal funding provides families throughout Georgia, services such as parent support programs, parent training, screening and identification tools, training opportunities, high-quality home visitation and primary and secondary child maltreatment prevention that helps local communities promote the overall health and well-being of Georgia’s children, youth, and families.

PCS is committed to supporting quality child abuse and neglect prevention and child and family resource programs throughout the state. 

This Statement of Need (SoN) is for the school-based implementation of the Sources of Strength Program for the 2025-2026 school year. 

The maximum award limit is $8,000 per school. When school systems apply for multiple schools, each school is reviewed and evaluated independently. School system applications may be awarded in total or in part.

All questions regarding this funding opportunity must be submitted in writing to gadfcs.prevention@dhs.ga.gov

Questions will not be accepted and responses will not be provided after the submission deadline of 12pm on March 25, 2025.

All proposals MUST be submitted electronically by noon on April 4, 2025. A mandatory informational webinar will be held on March 4, 2024 - (2-3 pm) Eastern Time (US and Canada). If you or a representative are unable to attend this webinar, please contact Nadja.dacosta1@dhs.ga.gov. 

Registration link for webinar: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/Ita72jOhSY6Awd8z41Mqaw

Sources of Strength Curriculum 

Sources of Strength, a universal suicide prevention program, is designed to build protective influences and reduce the likelihood that vulnerable youth will become suicidal. The program trains students as Peer Leaders and connects them with Adult Advisors at school and in the community. Adult Advisors support the Peer Leaders in conducting well-defined messaging activities that aim to change peer group norms influencing coping practices and problem behaviors (e.g., self-harm, drug use, unhealthy sexual practices). The program is strength-based and promotes eight critical protective factors that are linked to overall psychological wellness and reduced suicide risk. Specifically, program activities aim to reduce the acceptability of suicide as a response to distress, increase the acceptability of seeking help, improve communication between youth and adults, and develop healthy coping attitudes among youth. The program is also designed to positively modify the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the Peer Leaders themselves. 

Students are recruited through staff and student nominations to form a team of Peer Leaders, who are mentored by 2-5 Adult Advisors. Certified trainers provide the Peer Leaders and Adult Advisors with an initial 4-hour interactive training. Adult Advisors facilitate Peer Leader meetings over 3-4 months to plan, design, and practice individual, classroom, and media messaging activities. Peer Leaders develop posters and public service announcements with local faces and voices; give peer-to-peer presentations; develop messages to be delivered via video, the Internet, or text messages; and have one-on-one conversations within their network of friends. 

The program is designed as a multi-year project with ongoing peer messaging and contacts growing over time. Adult Advisors receive training and ongoing support.   

The program is designed as a multi-year project with ongoing peer messaging and contacts growing over time. Adult Advisors receive training and ongoing support. For more information about Sources of Strength, please visit: https://sourcesofstrength.org/

If awarded funding, applicants must adhere to the following outcome measures:

Academic Achievement 

At least 95% of target children in Grades 6-12 will be promoted to the next grade.

Student Behavior 

• At least 75% of target children in Grades 6-12 will be free of in-school suspensions.
• At least 90% of target children in Grades 6-12 will be free of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions.
   

OUT OF SCHOOL SERVICES STATEMENT OF NEED FFY 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026)

Prevention and Community Support - DFCS

The Prevention and Community Support Section at Georgia's DFCS is pleased to announce an Out of School Services (OSS) funding opportunity for Fiscal Year 2026. 

DESCRIPTION: 

The Prevention and Community Support (PCS) Section of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), works in partnership with community-based organizations committed to reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect by implementing evidence-based prevention and early intervention techniques to ensure positive outcomes for children and families.

This Statement of Need (SoN) is for the TANF funded block grant of the Prevention and Community Support (PCS) Section of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), Out of School Services (OSS) Program, (formerly the Afterschool Care Program). Out of School Services (OSS) is seeking proposals from non-profit organizations and public agencies that provide quality out-of-school time programs and services to youth between the ages of 5 and 17 or 18 years old if currently enrolled in school (high school, GED program or equivalent, or post-secondary institution).

Out-of-school time programs funded through this Statement of Need (SoN) must serve youth and families within low-to-moderate income communities and the foster care system within the state of Georgia based on eligibility guidelines to be outlined within the Statement of Need (SoN) solicitation. 

STATMENT OF NEED RELEASE DATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025 (12pm Noon) 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025 (12PM NOON)

MANDATORY INFORMATION WEBINAR:

Friday, March 21, 2025, 1:00pm – 4:00pm EST 

Note:  All organizations and agencies that would like to apply for FY 2026 PCS Out of School Services funding must attend the MANDATORY Statement of Need (SoN) informational webinar. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to attend. 

REGISTER HERE for the mandatory Information Webinar. Failure to attend the mandatory information webinar will forfeit consideration for FFY 2026 PCS Out of School Services funding. 

Note: Out of School Services will restrict access to the mandatory informational webinar (10) minutes after the indicated start time of the session indicated in registration.

The Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services, Prevention and Community Support, Out of School Services program reserves the right to make updates or omissions to the Statement of Need (SoN) while it is posted and reserves the right to cancel the Statement of Need (SoN) proposal solicitation at any time.

REQUIREMENTS: Must be a non-profit or public entity providing quality out-of-school time programs and services to youth a minimum of (2) years at the time of proposal application. Must serve youth and families within low-to-moderate income communities and the foster care system in the state of Georgia based upon eligibility guidelines to be outlined within the Statement of Need (SoN) solicitation.

All questions regarding this funding opportunity must be submitted in writing to gadfcs.prevention@dhs.ga.gov during the Technical Assistance Q&A window between Monday, March 24, 2025 thru Monday, April 7, 2025. 

Questions will not be accepted or responses provided after the Technical Assistance Q&A window closes Monday, April 7, 2025. 

All proposals MUST be submitted electronically in Submittable by 12:00 PM EST on Monday, April 21, 2025 in order to be considered for funding.