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Foundations For Families Insights

Our experienced consulting team brings expertise, academic credentials, up-to-date research and regulatory knowledge to three different blogs.

What You Need to Know About FY2024 Federal Monitoring Reviews

The start of the new program year is here, and with it comes a new federal monitoring review season. During the last few years, there have been changes to content and format of reviews, due in large part to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we talk about what’s the same, what might be different, and how your program can prepare for a FY2024 federal monitoring review.

Wage Comparability Studies and the Staffing Crisis, An Interview with Jane Hanson

Jane Hanson shares her insights on the importance of wage comparability studies, requirements for Head Start/Early Head Start programs, and how data can be used to address the staffing crisis. Ms. Hanson is a Consultant with Foundations for Families, specializing in wage comparability studies and data research. She is experienced working with community agencies across the country, helping to provide programs with data to understand and meet staff, family, and community needs.

New Grant Aims to Improve Housing Stability and Support for Low-Income Families

In many communities, a lack of affordable housing is an ongoing challenge. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, no state in the U.S. has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters and rising rental costs often make it difficult to maintain housing. A newly forecasted grant from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services, will help to address these challenges by leveraging the expertise of Community Action Agencies.

CCAMPIS Funding Supports Postsecondary Education with Campus-Based Child Care

To support low-income parents to participate in postsecondary education, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, opened a grant competition for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS) program funding, which provides...

Annual Report: Providing Enrollment Data Alongside Community Context

Head Start annual reporting is established in Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), Section §1302.102(d)(2), and is required in the Head Start Act, Section 644(a)(2). To fully address requirements, programs must include a summary of their most recent community assessment in the annual report. Including a summary of the community assessment provides an opportunity to highlight community needs and also offers a chance to provide important context related to other required areas of annual reporting.

Federal Budget Updates for Early Childhood Education Programs

There are many moving pieces to the federal budget. Understanding how funding is approved and when it becomes available can help programs prepare to respond to opportunities as they arise. In this blog post, we review the current status of federal funds related to early childhood education and what may be on the horizon for the upcoming federal fiscal year.

Community Assessment Updates Provide Important Data for Program Planning

Annual updates to Head Start/Early Head Start community assessments have taken on new significance and utility as programs navigate unprecedented staffing shortages and evolving family needs. Many programs are also planning for a Change in Scope Request, which requires a justification built on up-to-date and relevant community and program data.

How to Plan for a Successful Change in Scope Request

Underenrollment action planning is well on its way for some Head Start/Early Head Start programs, and will be soon for many more. Whether responding to an underenrollment letter that has been received, or one expected soon, submitting a Change in Scope Request to the Office of Head Start (OHS) is one strategy programs might consider to mitigate underenrollent challenges and deal with an ongoing child care workforce staffing crisis.

Underenrollment Action Planning Begins for Many HS/EHS Programs

Underenrollment is a longstanding issue faced by many Head Start/Early Head Start programs. It continues to present a major challenge for programs and is now coupled with an unprecedented child care staffing crisis. 2023 is the first year the Full Enrollment Initiative is being implemented since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an estimated 225 grant recipients just received letters designating their program as chronically underenrolled. 

Funding Highlights from 2023 NHSA Winter Leadership Institute

The 2023 National Head Start Association (NHSA) Winter Leadership Institute took place January 22-25 in Crystal City, Virginia. The conference facilitated many opportunities for collaboration and learning. Updates from the Office of Head Start (OHS) and other federal...

Two EHS Expansion & EHS-CCP Grants Included in DRS Round 10

Last week, the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for grants in the upcoming round of DRS were announced. This is the tenth round of DRS, and ten NOFOs were released for grants open for competition. Two of those NOFOs are for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants.

5 Strategies for Success in EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 5

The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the fifth round of EHS Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants (EHS-Expansion and EHS-CCP) may be released this fall. Since each round of EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP has become increasingly...

EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#4 of 4)

This is the fourth of four 2020 quarterly status updates about the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) initiative. Learn about what to expect for EHS-CCP and EHS Expansion in 2021. Round 4 grant award negotiations...

Is Consolidating EHS-CCP and HS/EHS Grants Right for Your Program?

This time last year, the Office of Head Start (OHS) issued a Program Instruction (PI) announcing an opportunity for grantees to consolidate their Head Start and Early Head Start grants. Now, consolidations may include Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership...

EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#3 of 4)

This is the third of four 2020 quarterly status updates about the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) initiative. Learn about next steps for EHS-CCP Round 4 applicants and what all grantees should know about changes to...

Application Deadline Extended in Six States

The EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) has been updated to provide extensions to the application deadline in six states: Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oregon. For applicants in these states, the deadline is...

Grants.gov Maintenance Scheduled for This Weekend

Grants.gov is scheduled for maintenance this weekend, leading up to Monday’s deadline for submission of EHS-CCP proposals. The maintenance schedule states that systems will go offline Saturday, September 19 at 12:01am ET and will go back online Monday, September 21 at...

5 Tips and 10 Days Before Proposals are Due

Applications for EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4 funding are due in 10 days, on September 21, 2020. This is anticipated to be the most competitive round of funding yet, and high quality applications will stand out. Here are five tips to keep in mind as you finalize...

Prioritizing Qualified Opportunity Zones in EHS-CCP Round 4

When the EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Round 4 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) was released last month, one of the highlights we noticed is that funding may be prioritized for services in Qualified Opportunity Zones. Here, we provide information about Qualified...

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...

Timelines Updated for Many DRS NOFOs and New Grants Forecasted

Over the last day, there has been activity on grants.gov related to forecasted DRS grants. Here’s what you need to know about the timeline and opportunities. Timeline: Some – but not all – DRS grant forecasts have been updated to a new timeline. The new timeline is an...

How to Manage the Continued Delay for DRS NOFOs

The upcoming round of DRS was scheduled to open for competition on September 5, 2023. The forecasts for these grants were released in July and have not been updated to provide a new estimated timeline. Even if DRS Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) posted today,...

What to Do While you Wait for DRS NOFOs

There are 50 Head Start/Early Head Start grants forecasted for which Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) were forecasted to be released on September 5. One week later, the NOFOs have not yet posted to grants.gov. If your program is waiting for a NOFO, we understand that this delay can create wrinkles in your planning. Below are a few ways you might use the time while you wait.

Preparing for Grant Writing Success: How to Use the “Pre-NOFO” Time Strategically

There are 50 Head Start/Early Head Start grants forecasted to open for competition next month and many grantees are awaiting the posting of the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO). NOFOs are scheduled to post to grants.gov on September 5, 2023, just three weeks away.

The roughly eight-week turnaround time from a NOFO posting to applications being due goes very quickly. Leveraging the “pre-NOFO” time strategically can help to set a program on a path to successful grant writing. Here are a few tips for how you might use the time.

Up-to-Date Data Essential for DRS Grant Writing

If your program is preparing to write a DRS application this fall, now is a great time to consider the resources and information you will need for success. While there are many steps involved in preparing for and writing grant applications, today we focus on the importance of data updates as essential “pre-work.” Here are a few tips you might keep in mind.

50 Service Areas in 26 States and Puerto Rico to Open for DRS Competition

Last week, DRS grant competitions were forecasted to open in September 2023. New information is now available about the forecasted service areas. Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for DRS are organized by state. Within each of the NOFOs (once they are posted), there will be information about each service area and the corresponding funding amount up for competition. In the meantime, you can view the preliminary lists of service areas, estimated funding, and estimated number of awards in the Office of Head Start Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) Locator, and summarized below.

DRS Grants Forecasted to Open for Competition in September 2023

On July 19, 2023, 29 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov. Included are 25 NOFOs for Head Start/Early Head Start grants and 4 NOFOs for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants.

NOFOs Posted for Competitive HS/EHS Grants in New Jersey, North Dakota, and Texas

On March 14, 2023 three Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for competitive Head Start/Early Head Start grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. Applications for grants are due May 15, 2023. In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the Office of Head Start (OHS) Funding Opportunities website. Service areas with grants open for competition, estimated funding amounts, and estimated numbers of awards are listed below.

What to Expect for DRS in 2023

DRS can feel unpredictable as programs learn about deficiencies or await a grant competition. From timelines to process, it can be hard to know what to expect. In this blog post, we recap what we know about the status of DRS in 2023, from open competitions to what may come.

DRS NOFOs Posted for Four States and Applications Due January 24, 2023

On November 10, 2022, five Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. These grants were forecasted in October and were expected to post earlier this month. Applications for DRS grants are due January 24, 2023.

In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the Office of Head Start (OHS) Funding Opportunities website. Service areas with grants open for competition, estimated funding amounts, and estimated numbers of awards are summarized below.

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