Georgia's Child Abuse Prevention & Treatment Act (CAPTA) Citizen Review Panels

In 1996, the US Congress amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) requiring states to establish Citizen Review Panels to examine the policies, procedures and practices of the state's child welfare system and the extent to which it effectively discharges its child protection responsibilities in accordance with its state CAPTA plan. CAPTA, through its state eligibility requirements, has influenced law, policy, and practice changes in state child protective services.

As the recipient of a CAPTA state grant, Georgia, is required to establish and maintain a minimum of three citizen review panels. To fulfill this mandate, Georgia is currently transitioning the work of its Citizen Review Panels to a district framework, including representatives from the state’s youth advisory board, to promote transparency in the child welfare system, provide opportunities for community involvement, and better protect children from abuse and neglect.  Each year, the panels publish a report on their activities and recommendations for the improvement of Georgia's child protection system.

The Division of Family and Children Services is required to respond annually to the panels’ recommendations in writing.  The annual reports, which include DHS’ responses, can be accessed electronically on the Division’s website.

FFY2026 Funding Opportunity Announcement

Georgia’s Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services (DHS/DFCS), is accepting requests for funding for innovative projects and activities that help to improve the child protective service system in Georgia in the following CAPTA priority areas:

• Creating and improving the use of multidisciplinary teams and interagency, intra-agency, interstate, and intrastate protocols to enhance investigations. 
• Intake, assessment, screening, and investigation of child abuse and neglect reports.
• Training for child protective services workers and mandated reporters.
• Programs and procedures for the identification, prevention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
• Development and implementation of procedures for collaboration among child protection services, domestic violence, and other agencies; and 
• Services to disabled infants with life-threatening conditions and their families.
• Projects that align with the goals and objectives of Georgia’s CAPTA State Plan or the 2025-2029 Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP)

Contract Period: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026

Release Date: March 18, 2025

Award Amount: The maximum funding request is limited to $200,000. This funding opportunity is not open to for-profit agencies or individuals

Proposal Submission Deadline: April 25, 2025, by 12 p.m. (EST)

Proposal Submission Requirements:
Applicants must submit their proposal documents, which should not exceed 10 pages. The submission must include the following components: Project Abstract, Statement of Need, Alignment with Georgia’s 2025-2029 Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP), Project Description, Budget Overview, Evaluation Plan, and Staff and Organizational Information.

Please note: Once the project is approved, all required contractual documents must be submitted within 14 days of the approval notice.