Talking Points

About Talking Points

Foundations for Families brings expertise, academic credentials, up-to-date research and regulatory knowledge to you. Working with others, we learn more about what’s important. With a mission to promote excellence in early childhood education, FFF believes that bringing more voices to the table makes for richer conversation.

This blog is a forum for thought leaders in early childhood education. We invite them to share their multi-disciplinary perspectives in 0-8 education.

Foundations for Families was created to meet the business, management and professional development needs of early childhood educational providers and systems.

Balancing Data in Your Head Start Community Assessment Annual Review

Dec 16, 2025

When the Head Start Program Performance Standards were revised last year, there were changes to community assessment requirements about when a full update to the report is necessary. Programs must complete a comprehensive community assessment once during the five-year grant period, and an update is only required if significant changes are identified during an annual review. How can a program determine if there are significant changes, particularly if only a few data points must be examined in the annual review? Here, we explore this question and provide strategies for how to leverage the annual review as a meaningful planning tool.

Head Start Updates from This Fall’s Regional Conferences

Oct 28, 2025

The start to fall has been a busy time for Head Start regional conferences. As we’ve been out and about, we’ve heard from experts and professionals from across the field who have offered updates and insights into the current status and future of Head Start. Here, we share some of the highlights we learned. We hope you’ll find them useful!

Statement on Artificial Intelligence

Oct 20, 2025

With the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years, and the prevalence of generative AI in the workplace, we think it is important to share with you how we do and do not use these tools. With that in mind, we developed a Statement on Artificial Intelligence. The statement is posted to the Foundations for Families website and is included below.

What to Know and How to Prepare for FY2026 Head Start Monitoring

Oct 4, 2025

With the fall season comes the start of the Head Start monitoring cycle. While there are some similarities with past years about the timing and purpose of reviews, the format and protocol look different in many ways. It will be important for grant recipients who are expecting a review to be aware of these changes to ensure they are adequately prepared for a successful review.

Advocacy and Action at the NHSA Fall Leadership Institute

Sep 23, 2025

Last week, Head Start programs from across the country came together at the National Head Start Association (NHSA) Fall Leadership Institute. As always, we enjoyed spending time with Head Start leaders we’ve known for years as well as those we met for the first time. Check out some of our key takeaways from the conference.

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Head Start Director, Lubbock Independent School District, Lubbock, TX

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DRS Updates

Waiting for a DRS NOFO? How to Use Your Time

Each year, around this time, Head Start programs in DRS are beginning to prepare for their grant competition. Typically, there is a forecast on Grants.gov that alerts agencies to when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for their grant will open and when applications will be due. As we head into the start of a new program year, there is not yet a forecast posted on Grants.gov for fall DRS grant competitions. While there is usually a forecast a month or more out, the lead time can be much shorter. We understand that this creates some uncertainty for program.

How to Leverage Efficiencies in DRS Planning

While there is uncertainty about the future of Head Start, children and families are being served and the core aspects of the federal program continue on – including DRS. We understand that having a program in DRS can be unsettling. With the right planning and tools, the process can go smoothly and successfully. Here, we talk about what to expect for the next round of DRS and how you can leverage efficiencies in planning.

Spring 2025 DRS Grant Competitions Move Forward

On Thursday, February 27, the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Head Start/Early Head Start grant recipients in multiple communities in Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas was posted to grants.gov. These grants were forecasted to post on January 28, 2025 but were delayed after the forecast was removed from grants.gov. Now that the NOFO has officially posted, it appears the grant competitions will move forward.

Early 2025 DRS Grant Competitions Delayed

The upcoming round of DRS was scheduled to open for competition on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) were not released as scheduled. The forecast for these grants has not been updated with a new timeline.

This week, federal grant recipients, including Head Start grantees, experienced uncertainty about their immediate funding and future of their grants. While it’s unclear when currently forecasted grant opportunities will move forward, we encourage programs awaiting a DRS competition to use this time to prepare.

DRS Grants Forecasted to Open for Competition in January 2025

Last week, a Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities was forecasted on grants.gov.

Per grants.gov, the geographic areas and funding amounts for the NOFOs include the following.

Head Start/Early Head Start Recipient – Multiple Communities in CO, DE, LA, NC, OK, OR, TN, TX

Tips for Finalizing DRS Applications through the Holidays

The deadline for submission of DRS grant applications, January 6, 2025, is about three weeks away. At this stage in the process, you’re likely putting finishing touches on the narrative, gathering appendix items, and planning for submission of your application. This round of DRS is unique in that the final steps of the application process are taking place over the winter holidays when many programs have closures or staff are out of the office.

DRS NOFOs Posted and Applications Due January 6, 2025

Today, two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. Links to the announcements on grants.gov are below. Grant applications are due January 6, 2024.

Forecasted Timeline for DRS Grant Competitions is Updated

Two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for DRS grant opportunities were forecasted on post to grants.gov this past Monday, October 21. The NOFOs did not post as forecasted. Today, the grant forecasts were updated with a new timeline. The fall 2024 DRS grant competitions are expected to open on October 28, 2024 and the estimated due date for applications is now January 6, 2025. Links to the grant forecasts are provided below.

Service Areas Announced for Fall 2024 DRS Grant Competitions

Earlier this month, two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov. New information is now available about the specific service areas up for competition. Listed below, as reported on the Office of Head Start NOFO Locator, are the service areas and estimated funding amounts that are expected to open for competition in October 2024.

DRS Grants Forecasted to Open for Competition in October 2024

On September 3, 2024, two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov. There is a NOFO for Head Start/Early Head Start and there is a NOFO for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership Grants.

EHS-CCP In Depth

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...