DRS Updates

About DRS Updates

Foundations for Families started this blog in 2011 to provide support for those agencies on the Designation Renewal Systems (DRS) list, and to give you up to date information and analysis about DRS.

DRS Updates provides timely information and context for those agencies in DRS, at risk of being in DRS, or those wishing to compete for the service areas.

OHS Provides Updates on DRS Round 9 Forecasts and Timing

Sep 4, 2020

On Thursday, the Office of Head Start (OHS) hosted a webinar to discuss the recent changes to DRS and provide information about next steps. For grantees expecting to compete in DRS this fall (Round 9), important updates on process and timing were shared. First, many programs that were previously designated for competition in Round 9 have now received a follow up letter from OHS stating whether they will still have to compete or if they are eligible for a non-competitive grant. This decision is...

Will Your Program Still Have to Compete in DRS?

Sep 1, 2020

Last week, the Office of Head Start (OHS) released a Program Instruction (PI) announcing changes to DRS. The changes are substantial. Programs that received a determination letter for the upcoming round of DRS will only be required to compete for funding if it would also be required to compete under the revised conditions. It is important to note, even if your program is released from its original determination to compete, it might still be in DRS. This could happen if your original...

OHS Announces Substantial Changes to DRS

Aug 28, 2020

On August 27, 2020, the Office of Head Start (OHS) released a Program Instruction (PI) announcing changes to DRS that were published in a Final Rule. This announcement is important for all Head Start/Early Head Start grantees, and particularly important for grantees that anticipate competing for funding in the upcoming round of DRS. There are seven conditions of DRS, and three of those conditions are updated with the Final Rule: Deficiency Condition, CLASS Condition, and Fiscal Condition....

2020 National CLASS Scores Released

Aug 19, 2020

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 2020 was recently made available. Due to COVID-19, fewer CLASS reviews took place than in previous years. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t expect to see the National Overview until next spring. For DRS, the National Overview of Grantee CLASS Scores provides valuable...

Four Clues to What We Might See in DRS Round 9

Aug 18, 2020

It is a busy summer for Head Start/Early Head Start programs! The fourth round of EHS Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants are up for competition, and Head Start/Early Head Start Expansion funding is available in fourteen states. With these two recent Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), we may be able to find some clues as to what to expect in the next round of DRS. 1: We expect the DRS Round 9 FOA will closely align with the Head Start/Early Head...

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EHS-CCP In Depth

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...

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.

Talking Points

Community Assessment Reveals Data to Help Meet Families’ Needs in Rural Kentucky

Missy Saylor, Child Development Director of KCEOC Community Action Partnership, shares her experiences conducting a Head Start/Early Head Start community needs assessment with Foundations for Families. She provides reflections about the process, surprising data, and advice for Head Start/Early Head Start programs about how to make the most of information learned through community assessment.

Develop and Update Policies and Procedures for Compliance and Clarity

Developing or updating policies and procedures is an important activity for any Head Start/Early Head Start program. An intentional and regular focus on maintaining high-quality policies and procedures is also a core component of DRS risk mitigation. In this blog post, we explore why a focus on policies and procedures is important, provide examples, and offer tips for success in this area.

How to Use Self-Assessment to Mitigate Risk in Head Start

Self-assessment is a process that, when planned well and conducted comprehensively, can yield useful information to improve program quality and mitigate risk in Head Start/Early Head Start. Risks may be specific or broad, and with the greatest risk being a program...

Three Guiding Principles to Improve Community Assessment

Community assessment is foundational in a grantee’s program planning process and can be part of a risk mitigation strategy to improve program quality and competitiveness. Information gathered through the community assessment process provides context for determining...

Planning for Your Focus Area 2 Review in FY2021

Fiscal Year 2021 Head Start Monitoring will look different than in years past, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CLASS reviews are suspended, and Focus Area 1 (FA1) and Focus Area 2 (FA2) reviews will take place virtually. This is a big change for FA2, in particular,...

Reframing DRS: Risk Mitigation to Improve Quality and Prevent Competition

DRS – otherwise known as Designation Renewal System – was put in place in 2011 to help ensure accountability for the delivery of high-quality comprehensive services in Head Start/Early Head Start programs. Finding out that your program is required to compete for...

OHS Announces 2021 Head Start Monitoring Updates

The Office of Head Start (OHS) has shared information about what to expect for 2021 Head Start Monitoring. Most notable, during the 2020-2021 program year, CLASS reviews are suspended, and Focus Area 1 (FA1) and Focus Area 2 (FA2) Head Start/Early Head Start...

Grant Funding Available to Enhance Program Services

As an organization serving children and families, your program is likely aware of the foundational role that grant funding plays in implementing program services. Grant funding is available from public and private sources – federal and state departments, local...

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...