Fatherhood Engagement Network

Fatherhood Engagement Network is sponsored by NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD). This grant aims to fund one grantee to establish a statewide initiative in New York that strengthens the capacity to engage, support, and empower fathers and father figures who support a person with developmental disabilities (DD).

Grant Opportunity Announcement: Fatherhood Engagement Network | Council on Developmental Disabilities Grant Opportunity Announcement: Fatherhood Engagement Network Grant Opportunity Announcement: Fatherhood Engagement Network The NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is seeking to fund one grantee up to $150,000 a year for five years ($750,000 total, subject to availability of funding) to establish a statewide initiative that strengthens New York's capacity to engage, support, and empower fathers and father figures who support a person with developmental disabilities (DD).

Important Dates RFP Release Date 10/27/2026 Closing Date for Questions 11/19/2026 Questions Posted By 11/25/2026 Changes to RFP Posted By 11/25/2026 Proposal Due Date (Online Submission Required) 12/11/2026 Anticipated Award Announcement 1/29/2027 Anticipated Contract Start Date 04/01/2027 The contract awarded in response to this RFP will be for 5 years with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2027, and an anticipated end date of March 31, 2032.

Fathers and father figures (i. e stepfathers, grandfathers, paternal role models) play a critical role in the development and well-being of children and families, with research demonstrating that a father's involvement is associated with positive childhood development and family well-being.

Children with actively engaged fathers are less likely to show behavioral problems and are more likely to develop self-confidence and maintain positive relationships with others. Father involvement also contributes to stronger families, through shared caregiving responsibilities, increased economic stability and more consistent care for the child.

Evidence continually demonstrates that father engagement is an important factor in the development of children and families. Even though there are well-established benefits of active father engagement, research finds that fathers are less likely than mothers to be directly engaged by professionals regarding their child's care and development.

Historically, family services have been designed around mothers as the primary point of contact, resulting in outreach and programming that can exclude fathers. This, coupled with traditional barriers and assumptions about masculinity and caregiving, such as the father’s primary role being provider and protector, can reduce father engagement during a child's development.

As a result, fathers are less likely to attend healthcare appointments, school and social events, and other opportunities that help create confidence and partnerships with the service systems that support children and families. These challenges are often amplified for fathers of children with developmental disabilities.

Learning that a child has a developmental disability can represent a major life transition, which may be accompanied by grief, emotional isolation, and trauma. While mothers have traditionally been the focus of research and family support programming, emerging evidence indicates that fathers experience comparable levels of parenting stress while often reporting fewer opportunities to discuss their experiences or seek emotional support.

Fathers may also feel increased pressure to provide financial stability while simultaneously becoming advocates and long-term caregivers for their child. Without connection and support, fathers may become discouraged to interact with support services during a period when their engagement is particularly important, for both their child and family.

Considering that New York’s developmental disability service system relies heavily on family caregiver engagement, with an estimated 70% of people with DD in NYS living with a family caregiver, improving the well-being of fathers can improve outcomes for the child and family.

The CDD is seeking proposals from eligible organizations to strengthen and support fathers and father figures in New York State who support a person with developmental disabilities (DD). The selected grantee will: Establish a statewide Fatherhood Engagement Network connecting existing father organizations and identifying opportunities to expand and create father support services in underserved communities.

Recruit and develop fathers as mentors, advocates, trainers, and community leaders. Develop father-to-father peer mentoring opportunities and support services for fathers who are newly navigating a child's diagnosis, including connecting fathers to mental health services. Collaborate with pediatric services and healthcare providers for quick connections to the Fatherhood Engagement Network and father support services.

Collect and evaluate data on father engagement, identify barriers to participation, and disseminate recommendations to strengthen family-centered practice across New York. This 5-year investment would aim to create the infrastructure for a Fatherhood Engagement Network that expands opportunities for fathers to connect with services, learn from one another, and become active partners in supporting their children and families.

Expected Key Deliverables: The selected grantee will develop and implement the Father Engagement Network to strengthen and support fathers and father figures in New York State who support a person with developmental disabilities (DD).

Key deliverables include: Establishment of a statewide Father Engagement Network, coordinating existing father organizations and identifying opportunities to expand and create new father groups around New York State. Development of father leadership and advocacy opportunities, including recruiting, training and supporting fathers to serve as mentors and community leaders.

Implement father-to-father peer support services, connecting fathers with shared experiences, including fathers who are newly navigating a child’s developmental disability diagnosis. Develop partnerships with pediatric healthcare providers, developmental disability service providers and other relevant professionals to identify and refer fathers to the Father Engagement Network and other available father support services.

Develop and share recommendations, resources and promising practices to strengthen New York States developmental disability service systems ability to support and serve fathers. Develop a sustainability plan for the Father Engagement Network.

Desired Project Outcomes: The intended outcomes of this grant opportunity may include: Improved social, emotional and mental well-being for fathers Increased father participation in care and advocacy Greater father confidence in supporting their child Eligible applicants are any organizations that would be included in the following categories: Nonprofit organizations (note: the lead applicant cannot be a for-profit organization; however, for-profit organizations may serve as subcontractors to the lead applicant) Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, or hospitals Disability-service organizations Community-based organizations Consortia, groups, or partnerships among organizations Prequalification is required for all not-for-profit organizations seeking grant funding from New York State.

Please see Section 3. 2 of RFP for additional Prequalification information. Please note: We do not accept applications directly from individuals, only nonprofit organizations can apply for this opportunity.

Organizations whose staff were involved in the development of this project or Request for Proposal (RFP) are not eligible to directly apply or be included as a sub-contractor for another applicant. SFS Registration and Prequalification Process For proposals to be evaluated, all nonprofit organizations applying for this grant opportunity MUST prequalify by the Proposal Due Date.

Applications will be disqualified if SFS prequalification is expired or incomplete at the Proposal Due Date listed in the Important Dates table . Below are links where you can find more information on SFS registration and prequalification requirements How to Register with the Statewide Financial System: https://grantsmanagement. ny.

gov/register-your-organization-sfs How to Get Prequalified in the Statewide Financial System : https://grantsmanagement. ny. gov/get-prequalified SFS Registration and Prequalification Questions: Specific questions about registering in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) or getting prequalified in SFS can be directed to the SFS Help desk.

The best way to get a fast response from SFS is through email. Monday – Friday, 8:00 a. m.

– 5:00 p. m. [email protected] , (518) 457-7717 NOTE : Nonprofit vendors and organizations are strongly encouraged to begin this process as soon as possible to participate in this opportunity.

New York State reserves 5-10 business days from the receipt of complete Prequalification applications to conduct its review. If supplementary information or updates are required, review times will be longer. Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on the Proposal Due Date as indicated in the Important Dates table.

All applications should be submitted through Qualtrics using the button below. A full overview of this grant opportunity and the requirements for a complete submission can be found in the Fatherhood Engagement Network RFP document, which is located in the Opportunity Documents section below. Apply for This opportunity here Questions about this RFP: Questions regarding this specific RFP must be submitted no later than November 19, 2026.

All questions should be submitted through Qualtrics, using this link: https://nysddpc. qualtrics. com/jfe/form/SV_7NCvqKk2MWvwrLE Designated Agency Contact: CDD has assigned a Program Planner as the Designated Contact / Issuing Officer for this project.

The Program Planner or a designee shall be the sole point of contact regarding the RFP from the date of issuance of the RFP until the issuance of the Notice of Award letter. To avoid being deemed non-responsive, an applicant is restricted from contacting any other personnel of the CDD regarding the RFP. Certain findings of non-responsibility can result in rejection for a contract award.

The Issuing Officer for this RFP is: Jacqueline Hayes, Program Planner Necessary forms related to the application can be found in the documents below.

Fatherhood Engagement Network RFP The NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is seeking to fund one grantee up to $150,000 a year for five years ($750,000 total, subject to availability of funding) to establish a statewide initiative that strengthens New York's capacity to engage, support, and empower fathers and father figures who support a person with developmental disabilities (DD).

Fatherhood Engagement Network_Application Preview This document will let you preview the application before completing in Qualtrics. This is NOT the official application and is only met to support eligible organizations in preparing materials before the official submission. The official submission must be through the Qualtrics platform, linked in the How To Apply section above, and in the RFP document.

Fatherhood Engagement Network_Program Specific Questions This document will let you preview the application before completing in Qualtrics. This is NOT the official application and is only met to support eligible organizations in preparing materials before the official submission. The official submission must be through the Qualtrics platform, linked in the How To Apply section above, and in the RFP document.

The Work Plan outlines more detailed information about the applicants’ proposed Objectives, Tasks, and Performance Measures. The Work Plan will be used as the baseline to assess progress on meeting the project goals and intent throughout the life of the grant. Attachment-B_1 Expenditure-Based-Budget-Template-2027 All applicants must submit a proposed 1-Year budget.

The budget must comply with all applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, and meet RFP guidelines, rules, and regulations. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit budgets that reflect realistic, reasonable, and necessary expenses that are sufficient to comply with RFP requirements. Budgets must include justifiable and allowable costs only.

Allowable and Unallowable Expenses 2026 Each line item in a grantee’s budget will be reviewed to determine whether it is allowable and reasonable. All costs associated with the project must be appropriate, necessary, and prudent. The Council reserves the right to request a revised budget if any costs or expenses do not meet these requirements Match (Cost-Sharing) 2026 ll CDD grants require a Match.

Grantees must ensure a match of at least 34% of the grant amount. Federal funds may not be used as grantee match. Matching funds may be derived from state, local, agency, and/or private sources in the form of cash or in kind contributions, such as staff time, fringe benefits, supplies, equipment, travel, indirect costs, or other project-related expenses.

E016 Certification (Business with Russia Disclosure) 2026 As of March 17, 2022, New York State agencies are prohibited from contracting with businesses conducting business in Russia. Bidders on procurements must submit a certification stating that they do not conduct business operations in Russia, or meet the federal exemptions regarding vital health and safety services. Full text of Executive Order No. 16 can be found here.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Certification 2026 As of January 1, 2019, bidders on procurements subject to competitive bidding are required to submit a certification with every bid that states they have a policy addressing sexual harassment prevention and that they provide sexual harassment training (that meets the Department of Labor’s model policy and training standards) to all employees on an annual basis.

Complete this form as an attestation that your organization trains staff in sexual harassment prevention. Gender Based Violence Policy Attestation 2026 New York State Finance Law §139-M requires bidders on competitive state procurements to certify that they have a written policy addressing gender-based violence and the workplace.

Attestation of Compliance for Timeliness 2026 This certification acknowledges agreement among various departments within the applicant entity charged with a role in carrying out NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (NYS CDD) grant deliverables, to coordinate efforts towards the timely submission of all quarterly reports and back up documentation, as required.

Quarterly data must be gathered and submitted to the NYSCDD on time, which may involve robust coordination between decentralized program, fiscal, and administrative staff, to support the grant in a timely way that maintains their compliance with all reporting and contracting aspects. Obtaining WC and DB Cert of Insurance_2026 Instructions on obtaining Workers’ Compensation and Disability Benefits Certificates of Insurance.

Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire 2026 Section 163(9)(f) of the NY State Finance Law requires that a state agency make a determination that an applicant is responsible prior to awarding that applicant or bidder a state contract.

Vendor responsibility will be determined based on the information provided by the applicant or bidder, online, through the New York State VendRep System Questionnaire or through a paper copy of the Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire. Scroll back to the top of the page Council on Developmental Disabilities