ACCESS TO VISITATION GRANT APPLICATION

Judicial Council of California, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Access to Visitation Grant Program, invites superior courts to respond to the Grant Application for funding for fiscal years 2024–25 through 2026–27 to enable noncustodial parents and their children to participate in supervised visitation and exchange services, education, and group counseling programs. This application provides detailed information necessary to prepare and respond to the grant application proposal for Access to Visitation Grant funding. The terms and conditions and grant reporting requirements can be found on the Access to Visitation website .

Program Description

The Grants for States for Child Access and Visitation, under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 19961 enable states to establish programs that support and facilitate noncustodial parents’ visitation with and access to their children. The Judicial Council is required to annually apply for the federal Child Access and Visitation Grant Program funds and to award this funding to the superior courts throughout California. The Access to Visitation Grant Program seeks to ensure accessible and available services statewide for low-income families with children whose custody and visitation issues are now or have been before the family courts.

Amount of Funds Available

Subject to the availability of federal funding, the amount of grant funds to be awarded to courts statewide is approximately $655,000 each year. Grant recipients will be required to provide a 20 percent (non-federal) match.

Grant Application Eligibility

Superior courts throughout California are eligible to apply for and receive the Access to Visitation Grant funds, which are 100 percent federal funds. The family law divisions of the superior courts are required to administer the programs. The applicant court acts as the designated lead agency for the grant and is responsible for the administration and coordination of the project, serving as the primary liaison with Judicial Council program staff for the Access to Visitation Grant Program. Any other nonprofit agencies desiring to participate must do so as part of the court’s Access to Visitation Grant application. To determine a court’s grant funding amount eligibility, please see Attachment C.

Submission Deadline: Proposals must be received through Submittable by Friday, November 13, 2023, by 5:00 p.m.

Contact Information: For questions regarding this grant application, please contact Shelly La Botte, Access to Visitation Grant Program Coordinator at 916-643-7065, or email to shelly.labotte@jud.ca.gov.