Deadline: 2-Feb-22
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS) is soliciting applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit organizations that wish to compete for funds to provide Head Start and/or Early Head Start (EHS) services to eligible children and families.
The Head Start program is administered by ACF, an operating division (OPDIV) of the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACF intends to fund applications that demonstrate an organization’s commitment and capacity to operate a Head Start and/or Early Head Start (EHS) program that raises the quality of early care and education in the community and helps children start school ready to succeed. School readiness requires that children are cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally prepared to continue to make progress as they enter kindergarten.
ACF is seeking applicants that are able to use the best evidence-based early education practices in their programs to support high-caliber classroom instruction, home visiting services, and effective family engagement and health promotion. Funding is available in one individually defined service area within the state of Kansas.
Program Model
- ACF is interested in new and innovative models that provide continuous and seamless services for pregnant women, children, and their families.
- These models should be designed to be responsive to community needs; be evidence-based or evidence-informed; and maximize the extent to which the EHS and Head Start resources, in collaboration with other partners and early childhood education providers, can prepare children and their families for school.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,226,206
- Award Ceiling: $1,226,206
- Award Floor: $1,226,206
- Due to the availability of current year appropriated funds, the successful applicant(s) under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) may receive grant awards with a 5-year project period (60 months) that include six budget periods. In cases where a full 12 months of funding is not available at the time of the grant award, the first and sixth budget periods within the 5-year project period will be pro-rated, so that when combined, they equal 12 months of funding. The second, third, fourth, and fifth budget periods would be a full 12 months.
Eligible Participants
- Head Start serves children when they are at least 3 years old by the date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community where the Head Start program is located. EHS programs enroll pregnant women and infants and toddlers from birth to age 3.
- Families must either have incomes below the poverty line or be eligible for public assistance in order to be income eligible for Head Start or EHS programs. In addition, homeless children and children in foster care are categorically eligible for services.
- Children are selected for enrollment based on age, income eligibility, and relative level of need with regard to other criteria that are identified within each community.
- Head Start regulations permit up to 10 percent of enrolled participants to be from families that do not meet these low-income criteria. A provision in the Head Start Act which is applicable to both Head Start and EHS, allows recipients that can ensure that all eligible children, including homeless children, are served, to enroll up to an additional 35 percent of its participants from families with incomes greater than or equal to 100 percent, but less than 130 percent, of the poverty line.
- It is not expected, however, given the relatively low EHS participation rates, that the provisions regarding serving up to 35 percent of a program’s enrollment from families with incomes up to 130 percent of the poverty line would apply for this announcement.
Eligibility Criteria
Note: It is important to note that the eligibility requirements are different for Head Start and EHS.
- Entities applying for Head Start only – OR – both Head Start and EHS:
- Eligible applicants are limited to local public or private non-profit agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or local for-profit agenciess, pursuant to section 641(a)(1) of the Head Start Act that can provide Head Start services to children and families residing in the service area(s).
- Applicants must demonstrate they meet the statutory requirement for designation as a Head Start and/or EHS agency as defined in the Head Start Act.
- For designation as a Head Start agency, ACF will consider all “qualified applicants in such community” where the applicant demonstrates it has an organizational base within the community to be served.
- This could be established by virtue of the applicant being a current provider of services in the community or having a clear relationship to the community as evidenced, for example, by board representation from the community or by evidence of the support of community leaders, including, but not limited to, elected or appointed city/county officials, school principals, county government officials, social service provider organizations, community organizations representing minority and other relevant sectors of the community to include low-income populations, and community-based child care providers.
- Entities applying for Early Head Start only:
- Eligible applicants are any public or private non-profit agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit agencies pursuant to section 645A(d) of the Head Start.
- Eligibility is limited to public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations or for-profit organizations, that can provide EHS services to children and families residing in the service area(s).
- Entities operating Head Start programs are eligible to operate EHS programs.
- Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this funding opportunity. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.
- Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements, ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization’s religious character, affiliation, or exercise
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Other:
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Independent school districts
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Small businesses
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Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
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Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
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Private institutions of higher education
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For profit organizations other than small businesses
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County governments
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Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
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Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
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Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
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State governments
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City or township governments.
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For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=336576
