We care about the same things you do – excellent services for very young children and families.
Foundations For Families Insights
Our experienced consulting team brings expertise, academic credentials, up-to-date research and regulatory knowledge to three different blogs.
DRS Competitions Forecasted to Open This Fall
The next round of DRS is forecasted to open for competition this fall. On grants.gov, Head Start/Early Head Start grant forecasts are grouped by state. You can also view a detailed list of funding forecasts, including service areas, funding amounts, and estimated...
DRS Quarterly Status Update (#2 of 4)
This is the second of four 2020 quarterly status updates about DRS. Learn about the timing of upcoming grant competitions and resources to prepare. COVID-19 continues to impact program operation. Many lessons are being learned about the impact of COVID-19 on...
How to Build Organizational Capacity for Grant Writing
With the ninth round of DRS grant competitions expected this fall, many programs are beginning to think about how they will complete their grant proposal. Some programs have a team or staff member who develops proposals; other programs might contract with a grant...
2019 National CLASS Scores Released and What it Means for DRS
Each year, the release of the National Overview of Grantee CLASS Scores provides national statistics by CLASS domain and dimension of the grantees that received CLASS reviews during the past program year. The National Overview for 2019 was recently made available. As...
Gearing Up for DRS Start-Up
This is the time of year that programs who competed for DRS grants in the fall typically begin to receive notification of an award or are contacted by the Office of Head Start (OHS) to begin negotiations. The eighth round of DRS was one of the largest rounds of DRS to date and soon many of the awardees will enter the start up period.
DRS Quarterly Status Update (#1 of 4)
At the end of each quarter in 2020 we will post quarterly updates about the status of the many moving pieces of DRS. This is the first of four quarterly status updates for the year. We’ll address topics such as upcoming grant competitions, monitoring, program...
Grant Writing Solutions to Support Your DRS Proposal
This month, we made many improvements to the Foundations for Families website. Now, you can more easily learn about the resources and services we offer. If your program plans to compete for funding in the upcoming round of DRS, we encourage you to check out our Grant...
Waiting for a DRS Award? Tips for How to Use the Time!
If your program submitted an application in DRS Round 8, with most applications due in November 2019, then you might be anxiously anticipating your notice of award. Typically, it is a few months until programs enter negotiations with the Office of Head Start (OHS)....
What to Expect for DRS in 2020
As we head into the new year there are Head Start/Early Head Start programs in all stages of DRS. Your program might have just submitted a DRS grant proposal, be working on a proposal for an active DRS competition, or awaiting your program’s opportunity to compete....
New DRS Competitions Open as Others Close
This week, hundreds of DRS grant competitions are coming to a close. Proposals for most of the DRS Round 8 grant competitions were due on November 12 and others are due later this month and in early December. Congratulations to all who successfully submitted an...
EHS-CCP Round 4 Posted and Applications Due September 21
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the fourth round of Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants was released on Grants.gov. The applications are due no later than September 21st. The FOA can be found here. With a sixty...
Tips for Managing the Delay in EHS Expansion & EHS-CCP Round 4
The fourth round of EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP was forecasted to open for competition on July 10, however the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) didn’t post to grants.gov and the forecast hasn’t been updated. We recognize this might create uncertainty for programs...
EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#2 of 4)
This is the second of four 2020 quarterly status updates about the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) initiative. Learn about the timing of the upcoming grant competition and resources to prepare.
EHS Expansion & EHS-CCP Round 4 Grant Competitions Forecasted
On Monday, May 19, 2020 the upcoming Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant competitions were forecasted on grants.gov. Links to the forecasts for the three Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) and detailed...
Make Start-up a Priority During Proposal Development
Last month, in Top 5 Tips for Success in EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4, we highlighted the importance of planning for start-up during your grant application process. In this blog post, we describe key factors to keep in mind if your program plans to request...
Top 5 Tips for Success in EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the fourth round of EHS Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants is expected this summer. Check out our top five tips for success in Round 4! 1. Get your data ready. EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4...
EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#1 of 4)
Throughout 2020 we will post quarterly status updates about the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) initiative. This is the first of four quarterly status updates. We’ll address topics such as pending grant awards, new...
EHS-CCP Round 4 FOA Expected in Summer 2020
The countdown is on for EHS Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Round 4. The fourth round of EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP grants is expected to open for competition in summer 2020.
Grant Services to Support Competitive EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Proposals
With the fourth round of Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants competitions coming soon, now is a good time to plan your application strategy. Foundations for Families offers customized grant services, and our team...
Could EHS-CCP Round 4 Be Around the Corner? Get Your Data Ready!
If the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant cycle holds true, EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4 could come soon. This time last year, EHS-CCP Round 3 was open for competition. We’re in a similar situation where the...
COVID-19 and Community Needs, An Interview with Zoë Beckerman
J. Zoë Beckerman, JD, MPH Zoë Beckerman shares her insights on conducting a community assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, when programs need to serve children and families at a time of great uncertainty and change. She provides guidance to discover the short- and...
HS/EHS Expansion Grant Competitions Open in 14 States
This week, a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) was posted to grants.gov for Head Start/Early Head Start Expansion Grants in communities in 14 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New...
Growing Community Needs Revealed by COVID-19 Impact Data
There is no doubt that COVID-19 and the resulting economic shutdown has affected communities nationwide. The impacts on children and families are far reaching, and extend deep into health, employment, education, and social services.
Making Data Work For You: Data as a Driver of Program Success
Data collection and management systems are an everyday aspect of Head Start/Early Head Start programs. The type of data that is collected by programs, and when and how it is used, varies from one program to the next. There are a few key strategies that can be followed...
Review Your ERSEA Systems to Ensure Success!
By Patti Greenstein, Consultant and Trainer This year, the Office of Head Start (OHS) revised the FY2020 Focus Area 2 (FA2) Monitoring Protocol to include an increased focus on the area of ERSEA (eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance). As OHS...
How to Support Meaningful Practice-Based Coaching in Family Child Care Programs
In this blog post, we look at some of the strengths and challenges of implementing practice-based coaching with family child care programs, and we share examples of how the uniqueness of the family child care setting supports quality improvement.
Five Ways to Refocus Energy During Program Closures
Our thoughts are with early care and education programs during this challenging time that our country faces. We deeply appreciate the vital role that early care and education programs serve in communities and have heard from many of you about the stress and anxiety...
Funding Highlights from NHSA Winter Leadership Institute
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) Winter Leadership Institute was held last month in Washington, DC. Foundations for Families team members attended this conference. It was wonderful to see so many of you there! We heard important funding updates from federal...
This Year in Talking Points
Happy New Year! 2019 was a busy year for early care and education programs. From state to local levels, departments and agencies competed for new funding and worked hard to improve program quality and provide services to meet the needs of young children and families....
Disaster Recovery Funds Available to Head Start/Early Head Start Programs
Earlier this week, the Office of Head Start (OHS) released a Program Instruction (PI) - Disaster Recovery Funding for 2018 and 2019 Disasters ACF-PI-HS-19-01- that describes funding available to Head Start/Early Head Start programs that have been impacted by...
