EHS-CCP In Depth

About EHS-CCP In Depth

In January of 2014, Congress appropriated $500 million to expand the number and quality of early learning slots for infants and toddlers. There have been three additional rounds of funding, for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships.

This blog gives you access to tools and services that maximize success in planning for, applying for, and implementing an EHS-Child Care Partnership grant.

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

Nov 23, 2021

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

Jun 28, 2021

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 competitive, we recommend planning ahead for development of a successful application. Check out our top five strategies for success in Round 5! 1. Get your data ready. Like previous rounds of EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP, programs will be...

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

Dec 30, 2020

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 expected in the first quarter of 2021. The project start date for Round 4 EHS-CCP and EHS Expansion grants is March 4, 2021. This means that award negotiations with the Office of Head Start (OHS) will likely take place in...

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

Nov 25, 2020

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) grants. In the December 19, 2019 PI, OHS described considerations for consolidation of grants. Most notable, grantees with multiple grants must submit multiple annual grant applications. Sometimes, these applications are on...

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

Sep 24, 2020

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 DRS. Round 4 applications were submitted in most states. The deadline for EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP applications was September 21. Due to federal disaster declarations, the deadline was extended to October 5, 2020 in six states:...

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We were able to quickly turnaround one of the best grant applications we have ever submitted and in less than a month’s time. FFF helped us stay on timeline and get tasks accomplished. Having their assistance, we were able to stay focused on each task at hand and actually were able to finish ahead of the proposed timeline.

Elaina Gray

Early Childhood Services Operations Director, Sunbeam Family Services, OK

The knowledge-level and support provided by the Foundation for Families team was exceptional. Our Expansion application was successful, resulting in an additional 104 children in Douglas County being served. Additionally, I feel like we strengthened our own knowledge of HSPPS and Head Start values throughout both processes, which will have a lasting impact on all of the work we do. The FFF team has great knowledge and expertise, is highly organized, and communicates effectively. As a result, our products were of a much higher caliber than they would have been otherwise.

Shannon Cotsoradis

President & CEO, Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative

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DRS Updates

8 DRS NOFOs Posted and Applications Due March 26

On January 24, 2024, eight Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. Grant applications are due March 26, 2024. In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the Office of Head Start (OHS) NOFO Locator.

December 2023 DRS Recap: Closed, Open, and Coming Soon

This has been a busy fall for DRS grant competitions, and new activity continues on grants.gov. Here, we recap all of the moving pieces as we head into the new year.

Grant Competitions Recently Closed: This fall’s largest round of DRS competitions closed on December 14, 2023. A majority of the 30 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that were released on October 12 had proposals due last week and applicants now await review and notification.

Early 2024 DRS Grant Competitions Forecasted

Today, the Office of Head Start (OHS) forecasted four additional DRS Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) on grants.gov. This DRS season has seen NOFOs forecasted and posted on a variety of timelines, as we summarized in Status of Grant Competitions and Resources for Applicants.

Status of DRS Grant Competitions and Resources for Applicants

This fall, there has been a lot of activity related to DRS on grants.gov. Currently, there are grant competitions that are about to close, newly opened competitions, and other grants that are forecasted but have not yet posted. Below is a breakdown of what we know about the status of DRS competitions. We also highlight a few new resources made available by the Office of Head Start (OHS).

Additional DRS NOFO Forecasted – More to Come?

This week, there was new activity on grants.gov as an additional DRS grant opportunity was forecasted. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), however, is on a different timeline than the 30 active NOFOs that were published in October. Here’s what you need to know.

Changes Coming to Grants.gov

Later this month, October 28-31, Grants.gov will be down for maintenance. We are highlighting this outage for two reasons. First, it falls during the DRS application period. Second, following maintenance, Grants.gov will be different. A blog post from Grants.gov describes the planned update as resulting in a “new look and feel” and with a “more intuitive and responsive user experience.”

30 DRS NOFOs Posted and Applications Due December 14

On October 12, 2023, 30 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. Grant applications are due December 14, 2023. In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the...

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.

Talking Points

Changes Coming to Head Start Grant Application Instructions

In March, the Office of Head Start (OHS) hosted a webinar to preview the release the Head Start Grant Application Instructions with Guidance, Version 3.01. (If you missed the webinar, there is another chance to learn more. Register here for the April 4th webinar.) Since all Head Start/Early Head Start grantees must submit either a continuation or baseline application annually, the upcoming changes are important to understand.

Wage Comparability Studies: Where to focus in 2024

Jane Hanson shares her insights on how the November 2023 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from OHS could impact your wage study, where to find reliable wage data, and why making hourly wage comparisons is an important part of your analysis. Ms. Hanson is a Consultant with Foundations for Families specializing in wage comparability studies. Read an earlier interview about wage studies here.

We had the pleasure of presenting our current thinking about wage comparability studies to a number of Head Start grantees at the Region IV Head Start Association Annual Training Conference & Expo. While we were in Atlanta, we heard from agencies that are still struggling to recruit and retain staff. Many programs are stuck in a challenging cycle – they don’t have enough teachers to open all their classrooms, and their current wages are making it difficult to recruit and retain qualified staff. If this cycle goes on long enough, the program can become underenrolled and even end up in the Full Enrollment Initiative.

HS Expansion, EHS Expansion, and EHS-CCP NOFOs Posted and Applications Due May 14

On March 14, 2024, three Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Head Start Expansion, Early Head Start Expansion, and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants were posted on grants.gov. Grant applications are due May 14, 2024.

Details on the grants open for competition, funding amounts, estimated number of awards, and anticipated project start dates are listed below. These details have not changed since the grants were forecasted earlier this month.

HS Expansion, EHS Expansion, and EHS-CCP Grants Forecasted

On March 5, 2024, three Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for expansion and partnership grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov. This includes Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Grants; American Indian and Alaska Native EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP Grants; and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Expansion, EHS Expansion, and EHS-CCP Grants.

How to Conduct a Meaningful and Responsive Community Assessment

Community assessments are a foundational requirement for Head Start/Early Head Start programs and have taken on new significance and utility as programs navigate unprecedented staffing shortages, participation in the Full Enrollment Initiative, and evolving community needs. Some 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.

Support for Programs in the Full Enrollment Initiative

If you attended last month’s NHSA Winter Leadership Institute, you might have heard the Office of Head Start (OHS) presentation in which it was shared that, nationally, Head Start enrollment is at 82%. OHS expressed a continued commitment to the Full Enrollment Initiative and the importance of compliance with enrollment requirements. Many programs are in the Full Enrollment Initiative currently, or will be designated soon, and there are strategies and supports to help programs manage the process.

OHS Highlights from 2024 NHSA Winter leadership Institute

The 2024 National Head Start Association (NHSA) Winter Leadership Institute took place January 22-25 in Crystal City, Virginia and offered meaningful opportunities for collaboration and learning. Updates from the Office of Head Start (OHS) provided information about...

Annual Self-Assessment is a Key Consideration for Program Planning

Self-assessment is a process that, when planned well and conducted comprehensively, can yield useful information to improve program quality and help a program understand how well it is functioning. Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) require that Head...

Focus and Flexibility to Support Program Planning in 2024

Throughout 2023, we heard from programs that are juggling multiple moving pieces in program planning and operations. Programs are navigating action planning for the Full Enrollment Initiative, competing in DRS, or considering a change in scope request. Other programs are getting ready for federal monitoring review or preparing a baseline or continuation application; and for some, these timelines are changing.

OHS Releases New RAN Protocol and Sample Reporting Form

This month, the Office of Head Start (OHS) released a Risk Assessment Notification (RAN) protocol and sample reporting form to assist programs that experience a child health and safety incident. This new information follows the kick off of FY2024 Head Start monitoring and is in direct response to a concerning increase in the number of child health and safety issues among Head Start/Early Head Start programs in recent years.