Children Support Center | INL19GR0028 AFGHANISTAN SUPPORTCTR 03072

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL19GR0028 AFGHANISTAN SUPPORTCTR 03072

The Children Support Center grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number INL19GR0028) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), focused on law, justice, and legal services (CFDA 19.705). The program builds on a model first launched in Kabul in 2009 to address a specific and urgent child protection gap in Afghanistan: children who are living in prison alongside their incarcerated mothers. Since 2011, INL support for Children Support Centers (CSCs) has reportedly helped protect more than 1,300 children nationwide by providing an alternative to prison living conditions while maintaining appropriate family connection through structured visits.

The core purpose of this funding is to sustain and operate a Children Support Center serving Herat and surrounding provinces, ensuring that children of incarcerated Afghan women have a safe, stable, and child-appropriate environment outside the prison system. The CSC approach is comprehensive rather than narrowly focused, aiming to meet daily care needs while also supporting longer-term development and wellbeing. Services described in the opportunity include safe and secure housing, access to schooling and tutoring, psychosocial counseling to address trauma and stress, vocational training, medical services, recreation, and exposure to cultural activities. A key feature is continued contact with mothers through quarterly prison visits, which signals that the program is designed not only to remove children from harmful environments but also to preserve family ties in a structured and protective way.

The total funding amount available is up to $950,000 spread across a three-year period, with an expected single award (Expected Awards: 1) and an award ceiling of $950,000. Because the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect substantial involvement from the U.S. government during implementation compared with a standard grant. This often means closer coordination on planning, performance monitoring, reporting, and potentially program adjustments to ensure the center meets protection standards and achieves intended outcomes.

The opportunity was posted on March 7, 2019, with an original application closing date of April 10, 2019. Eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating that the eligible applicant pool may include certain nontraditional or specifically defined entities beyond typical categories, depending on the detailed eligibility language in the full notice. Overall, the grant is structured to fund a specialized child protection and alternative care center that offers safety, services, and developmental support for a highly vulnerable population in western Afghanistan while maintaining carefully managed contact with incarcerated mothers.

• The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Children Support Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.705.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 10, 2019. (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 $950,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for INL19GR0028 AFGHANISTAN SUPPORTCTR 03072

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