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OVW Q&A clarifies eligibility, fees, partnerships and deadlines for FY2026 Justice for Families applicants
Summary
The Office on Violence Against Women clarified eligibility rules, allowable costs (including training and a 15% de minimis indirect rate), partnership and MOU requirements, and fee restrictions during a national FY2026 Justice for Families Q&A; Grants.gov and JustGrants deadlines were reiterated.
Maureen Monagle, a grants management specialist with the Office on Violence Against Women, led a national question-and-answer session for applicants to the FY2026 Justice for Families (JFF) Notice of Funding Opportunity, answering detailed questions about eligibility, required certifications, allowable budget items, partnership agreements and submission deadlines.
Monagle told applicants that "when you are submitting the application in the JustGrants system, you will have the ability to upload certifications and all of the other required attachments like the budget, budget narrative, program narrative, etc." She also directed applicants to a certification chart and templates linked in the NOFO for the statutory purpose areas.
The session clarified what the JFF program will and will not fund. Monagle and Julie Aldrich, OVW associate director, emphasized that proposed activities must align with the statutory purposes of JFF: supervised visitation, safe exchange and court-based programs. "This is not a program for investigation or prosecution efforts," Monagle said, noting applicants should review the program description and guiding principles in the NOFO.
On allowable costs, Monagle confirmed that training and technical assistance for staff providing supervised visitation may be included in the budget. Aldrich added that applicants without a negotiated indirect cost rate may claim a 15 percent de minimis indirect rate. Aldrich also urged applicants to consult the DOJ Financial Guide for other financial rules, including existing day-rate caps.
Partnerships and documentation were a frequent topic. OVW staff said the NOFO requires a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the court partner; if a court cannot sign an MOU, a letter of commitment may be submitted in its place. Julie Aldrich clarified that the proposal should include one project MOU describing partner roles, though an applicant serving multiple courts may include separate letters of commitment for those courts.
On service delivery and fees, OVW staff made a clear policy statement: grantees providing supervised visitation and safe exchange with OVW funds should not charge fees to participants. Monagle and Aldrich also cautioned applicants that if they plan to collect fees, they need to consider program-income rules and potential safety implications.
The session also covered application timing and technical support. OVW staff reiterated key deadlines: submit the SF-424 through Grants.gov by July 16 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and submit the full application in JustGrants by July 21, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. Eastern. Applicants were advised to use the OVW JFF inbox (OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov) for follow-up questions and JustGrants/Grants.gov helpdesks for system support. Monagle reminded new supervised visitation applicants that JFF may provide up to 12 months of planning, training and technical assistance as part of a 48-month award for new programs.
The session closed with OVW staff asking applicants to read the NOFO carefully, use the templates and resources provided, and direct remaining questions to the JFF inbox. No formal decisions or awards were made on the call; staff said they will continue to answer emailed questions.
