Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACF OCSE FD 1368
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), offered a discretionary grant opportunity focused on using digital marketing to increase participation in the child support program. The core purpose of the project is practical and data-driven: help child support agencies reach more families who could benefit from services and improve how agencies communicate and engage with parents using modern digital channels. This is structured as a two-year effort where grantees do not just run outreach campaigns, but also collect and analyze evidence on what actually works.
The grant is designed around testing and learning. Funded recipients are expected to plan, implement, and study digital marketing approaches and partnerships that can strengthen outreach and build or improve two-way digital communication with parents. Two-way engagement is an explicit priority, meaning the work is not limited to broadcasting information; it also includes improving the ability for parents to respond, ask questions, and interact through digital tools in ways that support participation in child support services.
A key requirement is that each grantee must design at least three time-bound digital marketing interventions during the two-year project period. These interventions are meant to be discrete tests with defined start and end dates, so that results can be measured and compared across approaches. The opportunity gives examples of what these interventions might look like, such as launching a digital media campaign, testing specific search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve discoverability of child support services, or using a new digital communication medium to connect with parents. The examples are not exhaustive, leaving room for innovation as long as the interventions are clearly defined and measurable.
Evaluation is central to the grant. Grantees are expected to pull data analytics from the digital marketing tools used in their interventions, both during and after each campaign or test. In other words, standard marketing performance data (such as engagement, click-throughs, conversion-like events, traffic sources, and other platform analytics, depending on the tool) should be gathered to understand how the intervention performed in the digital environment. Beyond that, and more importantly for OCSE, each intervention must also be evaluated using child support administrative data to examine potential relationships between what happens in the digital campaign data and what happens in the child support program data. This implies looking for patterns such as whether increased engagement corresponds with increased inquiries, applications, case openings, service usage, compliance-related actions, or other measurable program outcomes available through administrative systems.
The overall approach follows a continuous improvement framework described as the Learn, Innovate, Improve method. Findings from earlier interventions are intended to inform modifications to later interventions across the two-year period, rather than treating each campaign as a one-off activity. This structure encourages iterative testing, learning from results, and refining strategies over time to improve effectiveness.
In terms of administrative details, this opportunity was listed under Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2018 ACF OCSE FD 1368 and CFDA 93.564, categorized under Income Security and Social Services. Eligible applicants included state governments and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). The opportunity anticipated up to 17 awards, with an award ceiling of $170,000. The notice was created on May 18, 2018, with an original application closing date of July 2, 2018, and electronically submitted applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.Apply for HHS 2018 ACF OCSE FD 1368
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - OCSE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Digital Marketing to Increase Participation in the Child Support Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.564.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 18, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2018 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $170,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 17 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of this HHS/ACF/OCSE grant opportunity?
The purpose is to fund practical, data-driven work that uses digital marketing to increase participation in the child support program. The project focuses on helping child support agencies reach more families who could benefit from services and improving how agencies communicate and engage with parents through modern digital channels.
Which HHS office offered this grant?
The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
What is the main focus area of the project work?
The work centers on planning, implementing, and studying digital marketing approaches and partnerships that strengthen outreach and build or improve two-way digital communication with parents to support participation in child support services.
What does "two-way digital communication" mean in this grant?
Two-way engagement is an explicit priority. The work is not limited to broadcasting information; it also includes improving the ability for parents to respond, ask questions, and interact through digital tools in ways that support participation in child support services.
How long is the project period?
The grant is structured as a two-year effort.
How many digital marketing interventions must a grantee conduct?
Each grantee must design at least three time-bound digital marketing interventions during the two-year project period.
What does "time-bound intervention" mean in this context?
Interventions are meant to be discrete tests with defined start and end dates so that results can be measured and compared across approaches over time.
What are examples of acceptable digital marketing interventions under this opportunity?
The notice provided examples such as launching a digital media campaign, testing specific search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve discoverability of child support services, or using a new digital communication medium to connect with parents.
Are the intervention examples the only allowable activities?
No. The examples are not exhaustive. The opportunity leaves room for innovation as long as interventions are clearly defined and measurable.
Is evaluation required, or is this mainly an outreach grant?
Evaluation is central to the grant. Funded recipients are expected not only to run campaigns or tests, but also to collect and analyze evidence on what works.
What kinds of data are grantees expected to collect from digital marketing tools?
Grantees are expected to pull data analytics from the digital marketing tools used in the interventions during and after each campaign or test. This includes standard platform performance data (for example, engagement, click-throughs, traffic sources, and other tool-specific analytics).
How must interventions be evaluated beyond digital analytics?
Each intervention must also be evaluated using child support administrative data to examine potential relationships between what happens in digital campaign data and what happens in child support program data.
What types of child support administrative outcomes might be examined?
The opportunity suggests looking for patterns such as whether increased digital engagement corresponds with increased inquiries, applications, case openings, service usage, compliance-related actions, or other measurable program outcomes available through administrative systems.
What is the "Learn, Innovate, Improve" method mentioned in the opportunity?
It is a continuous improvement framework where findings from earlier interventions are intended to inform modifications to later interventions across the two-year period. The goal is iterative testing, learning from results, and refining strategies rather than treating each campaign as a one-off activity.
Does the grant encourage iterative changes during the project?
Yes. The structure explicitly encourages using results from early interventions to improve later interventions during the two-year period.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The opportunity was listed under Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2018 ACF OCSE FD 1368.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.564.
What program category was this opportunity listed under?
It was categorized under Income Security and Social Services.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included state governments and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated up to 17 awards.
What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was $170,000.
When was the funding notice created?
The notice was created on May 18, 2018.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was July 2, 2018.
What time were electronically submitted applications due on the deadline date?
Electronically submitted applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
Is this grant focused only on marketing outputs, or also on program participation outcomes?
It is designed to connect both. Grantees are expected to track digital marketing performance data and also examine relationships to child support administrative data to understand potential impacts on program participation and related outcomes.
Does the opportunity prioritize partnerships as part of the digital marketing work?
Yes. Recipients are expected to plan, implement, and study digital marketing approaches and partnerships that can strengthen outreach and improve digital communication and engagement with parents.
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