Operating Division Grant Portfolios: Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Mission: Provides national leadership and creates opportunities for families to lead economically and socially productive lives, including helping children to develop into healthy adults and communities to become more prosperous and supportive of their members.

ACF Awards by Award Class
Award Class Awards Dollars
Discretionary 4,927 $7,659,770,829
Mandatory 2,872 $38,491,920,683
Total 7,799 $46,151,691,512

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers grant programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities. These programs are the primary mechanisms ACF uses to achieve its major goals to: 1) empower families and individuals to increase their own economic independence and productivity; 2) encourage the development of strong, healthy and supportive communities that have a positive impact on the quality of life and development of children; 3) partner with individuals, front-line service providers, communities, American Indian tribes, native communities, states and Congress to achieve solutions which transcend traditional agency boundaries; 4) plan, reform and integrate services to improve needed access; and 5) commit to working with people with developmental disabilities, refugees and migrants to address their needs, strengths and abilities.

ACF leads the nation in improving the economic and social well-being of families, children and communities by administering mandatory and discretionary grant programs such as the national welfare-to-work program; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; foster care; adoption assistance; Head Start; child care; child support enforcement; positive youth development programs; refugee resettlement; and services for those with developmental disabilities.

Pie Chart showing the percentages of ACF discretionary awards in FY 2008 by recipient type.Pie Chart showing the percentage of ACF grants in dollars compared to other HHS grants in FY 2008.

ACF Mandatory - Selected CFDA Programs
CFDA Program Name Awards Dollars
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 115 $17,343,723,574
93.596 Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child care and Development Fund 343 $4,949,954,023
93.658 Foster Care: Title IV-E 54 $4,337,192,692
93.563 Child Support Enforcement (CSE) 103 $3,353,642,428
93.568 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) 208 $2,590,386,299
ACF Discretionary - Selected CFDA Programs
CFDA Program Name Awards Dollars
93.600 Head Start 1841 $6,677,528,436
93.086 Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood Grants 225 $118,310,126
93.010 Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) 187 $92,353,264
93.676 Unaccompanied Alien Children Program 25 $91,187,483
93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance Discretionary Grants 271 $80,459,555
93.567 Refugee and Entrant Assistance: Voluntary Agency Programs 17 $59,556,608
93.623 Basic Center Grant 387 $51,077,558
93.009 Compassion Capital Fund 187 $47,671,646
93.616 Mentoring Children of Prisoners 221 $46,203,627
93.550 Transitional Living for Homeless Youth 230 $41,441,819

For additional information on ACF programs and funding please visit the ACF Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov.

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