90CF0061↗

Think of US: all federal awards · Department of Health and Human Services: spending

CONNECTME: AN EVALUATION OF A TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED, HUMAN-GUIDED KINSHIP NAVIGATOR PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA - THINK OF US (TOU) REQUESTS FUNDING TO RIGOROUSLY EVALUATE CONNECTME, A KINSHIP NAVIGATOR PROGRAM THAT HELPS GRANDPARENTS, RELATIVES, AND OTHER KIN CAREGIVERS WHO HAVE TAKEN IN CHILDREN FROM THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM GET CONNECTED TO THE SUPPORT THEY NEED. KINSHIP CARE IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE AND CONNECTED TO FAMILY, BUT THE CAREGIVERS WHO PROVIDE IT OFTEN DO SO WITH LITTLE HELP. IN A 2024 SURVEY THAT TOU CONDUCTED WITH NEARLY 700 KIN CAREGIVERS, ONE IN THREE SAID THEIR FINANCES HAD WORSENED AFTER TAKING IN A CHILD, AND FEWER THAN HALF KNEW NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS OR KIN RESOURCE CENTERS EVEN EXISTED. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, CHILD CARE, AND HOUSING WERE THE NEEDS CAREGIVERS NAMED MOST OFTEN. CONNECTME MEETS CAREGIVERS WHERE THEY ARE, BY TEXT, WEB, EMAIL, OR REFERRAL, AND PAIRS A FAST DIGITAL RESPONSE WITH A REAL PERSON: A CARE NAVIGATOR WHO BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FAMILY AND STAYS INVOLVED UNTIL EACH NEED IS RESOLVED. BEHIND THE SCENES, TECHNOLOGY TOOLS HELP ORGANIZE REQUESTS AND MATCH FAMILIES TO RESOURCES QUICKLY, BRINGING INITIAL RESPONSE TIME DOWN TO LESS THAN TWO BUSINESS HOURS, WHILE EVERY JUDGMENT CALL AND DECISION AFFECTING A FAMILY REMAINS WITH TRAINED HUMAN STAFF. TOU HAS OPERATED A KINSHIP NAVIGATION PROGRAM FOR NEARLY SIX YEARS, FIELDING AND FULFILLING THOUSANDS OF REQUESTS FROM THOUSANDS OF CAREGIVERS. THIS PROJECT BRINGS THAT PROGRAM TO A RANGE OF PARTNER COUNTIES AND PUTS IT THROUGH A RIGOROUS, INDEPENDENT EVALUATION. THE EVALUATION WILL COMPARE FAMILIES WHO RECEIVE CONNECTME SUPPORT TO SIMILAR FAMILIES WHO DO NOT, TO MEASURE WHETHER THE PROGRAM IMPROVES PLACEMENT STABILITY, HELPING CHILDREN STAY SAFELY AND PERMANENTLY WITH THE RELATIVES RAISING THEM. THE GOAL IS EVIDENCE STRONG ENOUGH TO MEET THE FEDERAL TITLE IV-E PREVENTION SERVICES CLEARINGHOUSE STANDARD, WHICH WOULD LET CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FUND CONNECTME PERMANENTLY THROUGH FEDERAL CHILD WELFARE DOLLARS AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, SUPPORT THE KIN CAREGIVERS WHO SO OFTEN STEP IN WHEN CHILDREN NEED THEM MOST. THIS EVALUATION WILL CLOSE A REAL GAP FOR THE MANY STATES LOOKING FOR A PROVEN TECH-ENABLED, HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH.

Cooperative Agreement · Administration for Children and Families · to Think of US (UEI RTSLKKWTM4C5) · data as of 2026-10-28

Source: USAspending.gov prime award transactions and FSRS subaward reports, as loaded by SpendQuery (data as of 2026-10-28). Amounts are obligations (money committed), not outlays. The official record on USAspending.gov ↗