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Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program (CESF)

Overview

Description

The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program is funded through the FY 20 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program formula allocation from the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. 

The primary purpose of this program is to address: (a) identified short- and long-term barriers that impact communities’ abilities to address the needs of vulnerable children and youth and their families; (b) identified short- and long-term law enforcement needs, including corrections, reentry, and courts; and (c) identified short- and long-term barriers that impact victim service providers, inclusive of domestic violence and sexual assault service providers, as well as child advocacy centers in preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19. 

The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (Office) has worked to identify the barriers to ongoing service provision and critical short-term needs, as well as longer term needs to address a sustained or resumed state of emergency related to COVID-19.

The Office has identified numerous barriers, including:

  1. Barriers that impact communities’ abilities to address the needs of vulnerable Children and Youth, related to COVID-19 including: 1) lack of access to trauma-informed programming; 2) lack of access to quality, evidence-based or evidence-informed youth development programming; 3) shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies; 4) shortages of equipment and resources to maintain service continuity via remote locations; 5) food shortages in disproportionately impoverished areas; 6) limited access to needed technology for children and youth to access virtual education and support systems while the school systems operate under a modified schedule.  Additionally, all of these issues during COVID have a compounding impact on child maltreatment and child safety, which this solicitation also seeks to address through programs and services that work to enhance the child welfare system and address child maltreatment.
  1. Barriers that impact continuity of operations for Law Enforcement, related to COVID-19 including: 1) shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies; 2) staffing shortages as a result of staff directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic; 3) support for community health nurses and expansion of employee assistance programs; 4) continuity of court and other related operations; 5) reentry assistance for persons newly released from incarceration; 6) travel expenses; 7) innovation and technology advancements assistance planning for a sustained response to or future resurgence of COVID-19 or similar pandemic; 8) staff training and technical assistance related to COVID-19; and 9) childcare expenses for essential criminal justice personnel.
  1. Barriers that impact continuity of operations for Victim Services and the health and safety of the victims they serve, related to COVID-19  including, but not limited to: 1) shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies; 2) shortage of equipment and resources to maintain service continuity via remote work locations; and 3) safe and secure housing for victims.

Throughout Maryland, there is a need to ensure that residents have the ability to access vital services. Due to COVID-19 related closures and the need for social distancing, it is incumbent on service providers to develop unique methods of connecting with residents.  This may include strategies to overcome barriers due to limited transportation options, connectivity options in communities, and/or limited or no ability to connect with needed services. To this end, applicants seeking CESF funding are encouraged to request funds to support the collaborative development and implementation of virtual projects and connectivity that increase the capacity of residents in their service area to access services.

COVID-19 Funding Priorities

The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services encourages cross-over, collaboration, and partnerships between these three groups and has identified the following funding priorities related to COVID-19:

  • Equipment and supplies; 
  • Providing for the continuity of judicial operations and support for therapeutic or specialty court services;
  • Providing for the continuity of youth development program operations for underserved populations, as well as for those programs that can remain open for children of essential workers;
  • Emergency support for reentry partners to ensure safe transition from incarceration to community; 
  • Travel expenses (particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas); 
  • Training; 
  • Victim housing assistance; 
  • Virtual projects that assist residents in connecting with online services; and
  • Innovation and Technology Advancements, including:
      • Support to conduct virtual abuse intervention programs
      • Support to conduct evidence-based virtual youth development programming
      • Law enforcement virtual employee screening/fit for duty assessments

History

The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program is authorized by Division B of H.R. 748, Pub. L. No. 116136 (Emergency Appropriations for Coronavirus Health Response and Agency Operations); 28 U.S.C. 530C. CESF provides funding to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus.

Documents

Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Dates

Projected NOFA Release Month

Projected Application Month

Contacts

Program Manager

Mary Abraham

Funding Chief

Video

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