It sounds like Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant awards from round 3 might be announced soon. In presentations and workshops at NHSA Winter Leadership Institute and the Region IV conference, and in informal conversations with many of you, we’ve heard that proposals were paneled earlier this year and that the Office of Head Start (OHS) has entered negotiations with some applicants. This process can take some time, so try to not stress too much if you haven’t received notice about your application.
When it comes to formally announcing grant winners, OHS is quieter than it has been in the past. We used to see lists of awardees and funding amounts, but that isn’t always the case anymore. (Particularly with other grants, such as those awarded through DRS.) Many people anticipated that the 3rd round of EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP would be the most competitive yet. It will be interesting to see who wins the grant awards and to learn about the models those programs will implement. Hopefully a list of awardees will be formally announced!
In other EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP news, there is one competition open right now. There is a live Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP grants in Santa Clara County, California. The FOA dropped just a few days ago (February 8) and applications are due on April 11, 2019.
Yesterday, February 13, an EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP grant forecast for Winnebago County, Illinois went live. The forecast on grants.gov estimates the FOA will be released on February 25, 2019 and applications will be due on April 26, 2019. If you intend to apply for EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP funding for Winnebago County, we recommend you subscribe on grants.gov to receive alerts about the FOA.
If your program anticipates an EHS Expansion or EHS-CCP grant award, check out our recent blog post, Six Tips for Start Up Success, for ideas about how to make the most of your start up period. If your program is in the negotiation phase there might be some aspects of your funded application that are different than what was initially proposed. If you need assistance planning for or navigating your start up period please be in touch. Our team has significant experience working with round 1 and round 2 grantees. We would be glad to talk with you and learn more about your program.
Thank you.