Foundations For Families Insights
Our experienced consulting team brings expertise, academic credentials, up-to-date research and regulatory knowledge to three different blogs.
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
Annual Self-Assessment is a Key Consideration for Program Planning
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.
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
EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#4 of 4)
Is Consolidating EHS-CCP and HS/EHS Grants Right for Your Program?
EHS-CCP Quarterly Status Update (#3 of 4)
Application Deadline Extended in Six States
Grants.gov Maintenance Scheduled for This Weekend
5 Tips and 10 Days Before Proposals are Due
Prioritizing Qualified Opportunity Zones in EHS-CCP Round 4
EHS-CCP Round 4 Posted and Applications Due September 21
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
Timelines Updated for Many DRS NOFOs and New Grants Forecasted
How to Manage the Continued Delay for DRS NOFOs
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.